Pottery Team Building & Private Events in San Francisco
Host your team event, corporate offsite, or private party in our Mission District pottery studio. Pottery team building events foster collaboration and creativity, giving colleagues time outside the workplace to get to know each other while building a new skill. Our team events are hosted around large communal tables that maximize conversation and creativity, and we love working with you to curate the right experience for your group.
In addition to corporate team building events, we host adult birthday parties, baby showers, bachelorette parties, work group offsites, and children's birthday parties.
THE ACTIVITY
Our team building pottery class teaches basic handbuilding, coiling, and surface texture techniques. Your group will learn to create beautiful forms using texture, color, and plaster molds. We draw out each guest's creativity while they work on their own pieces.
Each event can be focused on mugs, vases, or charcuterie boards. If your group is larger than 12, we'll split into two groups, each with a different project. Deviation from the demonstration is encouraged, and our instructors give 1-on-1 guidance to help you build what you're imagining.
WHY POTTERY WORKS FOR TEAM BUILDING
Handbuilding has a low entry point but endless possibilities, which is why pottery works so well for corporate team events and private parties. Guests with no experience and guests with prior experience can excel equally — everyone leaves with a piece they made themselves. We provide example pieces and reference photos to spark ideas.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Tools, clay, aprons, and instruction are all provided. Your group is encouraged to get messy, and you're welcome to bring food and drinks. All pieces will be glazed, fired, and ready for pickup in 4 weeks.
We don't provide food or drinks ourselves, but we set up side tables for spreads, and we offer carafes of water, glass wine glasses, and bottle openers. Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are welcome.
BOOKING DETAILS
Most team building bookings run 2:30pm–5:00pm on weekday afternoons, with capacity for up to 30 participants. Monday–Friday afternoons are available; with advance notice, we can accommodate weeknight evenings. Private events like birthday parties can be booked for weekend afternoons or evenings.
Email kaitlyn@hickoryclay.com with your group size and preferred dates, and we'll send pricing. Depending on your headcount, it will range from $80-$90 per person. We offer lower rates for children.
Located at 2710 16th Street in San Francisco's Mission District — easy access from SoMa, Downtown, and most SF offices.
Private Lessons
Want to deepen your clay skills? We offer 60- and 90-minute private pottery lessons for beginner and advanced students. You and your instructor will set the topics together, and lessons can be one-off or built into a syllabus toward your goals.
Beginner topics: learning to throw, trim, glaze; troubleshooting centering and pulling. (A single beginner lesson won't yield any fired or completed work — you'll need to book three lessons, or check out our One-Time Classes where we handle the glazing for you.)
Advanced topics: specific forms (closing vases big or small, throwing tall cylinders, throwing larger amounts of clay, plates), trimming advanced forms with a chuck, crawl glazes, cleanly glazing difficult forms, making colored slip.
$120 for 60 minutes | $150 for 90 minutes
Pricing covers one or two participants. For larger groups or private group classes, pricing is adjusted. Email kaitlyn@hickoryclay.com with dates and time slots at least one week out.
Studio & Event Space Rentals
Looking for a creative space to host your art class, holiday party, or other event in San Francisco? Our studio is available every Saturday night, with other times by arrangement. Email kaitlyn@hickoryclay.com.
Looking for Multi-Week Classes, One-Time Classes, or Workshops?