19 Pottery and Ceramics Classes Near DC
Pottery is a hobby where you truly make something with your hands. You take a lump of clay and turn it into something functional, or beautiful, or both. Luckily, there are plenty of studios around DC here you can learn to make pottery and ceramics.
Pottery wheel throwing is what many people think of when they think of pottery (like that scene from the movie Ghost with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze), but handbuilding techniques also create beautiful pieces. Some of the studios offer combined wheel and handbuilding courses, but the most common classes focus on one or the other.
This post has 19 different studios where you can find pottery and ceramics classes near DC. I’ve included the starting price range (typically for a “try it” class), location, and skill levels for the classes they offer.
Table of Contents
Pottery and Ceramics Classes Around DC
Washington DC
Capitol Hill Arts Workshop
Address: 545 7th Street SE, Washington, DC 20003
Price Range: ~$270
Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Website: chaw.org
Capitol Hill Arts Workshop is one of DC’s most recognized nonprofit art organizations. Its ceramics program focuses on structured, multi-week instruction rather than open studio access, so it’s great for beginners who want a guided learning environment. Classes include wheel throwing and handbuilding techniques.
Sio Ceramics
Address: 716 Monroe St NE, Studio #11, Washington, DC 20017
Price Range: $85+
Skill Level: Beginner to Advanced
Website: sioceramics.com
A small, contemporary ceramics studio offering rotating workshops in Brookland that focus on functional and sculptural forms. I took a mini-wheel class here as a complete beginner, and it a lot of fun. Makeda, the owner, gave each of us lots of hands-on instruction, and helped us when we were stuck.
They offer wheel and mini-wheel and hand building classes. You can choose one based on your skill level, or a special seasonal, themed, or specialty class. You can join a one-off workshop or a multi-week course, or you can sign up for a multi-week open studio.
Note that as of writing, the mini wheel class is now a practice class and you no longer take a piece home with you.
Kuzeh Pottery
Address: 716 Monroe St NE, Studio #18, Washington, DC 20017
Price Range: $85+
Skill Level: Beginner to Advanced
Website: kuzehpottery.com
Kuzeh Pottery in Brookland emphasizes handbuilding techniques with a playful, functional approach to ceramics. You can make mugs, games, or other functional objects like ornaments.
Artsy Beast
Address: 5518 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20015
Price Range: $95–$430
Skill Level: Beginner to Advanced
Website: artsybeast.com
Artsy Beast is best for people looking for a boutique, independent-style pottery studio in Chevy Chase with a strong creative community. Once a month, they offer “try it first” classes where you can try handbuilding or wheel to see how you like it before committing to a full course or a more specific workshop.
They offer multi-week courses for different techniques, as well as advanced classes and open studio sessions.
District Clay Center
Address: 2414 Douglas St NE, Washington, DC
Price Range: $80+
Skill Level: Beginner to Advanced
Website: districtclaycenter.com
A ceramics-focused studio in Langdon known for both traditional and experimental approaches. While it does have intro classes where you can try the wheel, it has more specialized workshops than many of the other studios. Take specialized classes like a workshop on lids, painting with smoke, and advanced glazing techniques.
Hinckley Pottery
Address: 3132 Blues Alley NW, Washington, DC 20007
Price Range: $85+
Skill Level: Beginner to Advanced
Website: hinckleypottery.com
Hinckley Pottery in Georgetown is one of the larger spaces in the DC. They offer one “try it” class, but otherwise require a two month minimum for wheel classes, so it’s ideal for students who want long-term studio access and the ability to continue working independently after instruction. The majority of the classes they offer are wheel, but they do offer some handbuilding as well.
Eastern Market Pottery
Address: 225 7th St SE, Washington, DC
Price Range: $80+
Skill Level: Beginner to Advanced
Website: easternmarketpottery.com
A teaching-focused pottery studio with professional-grade equipment including slab rollers, extruders, kilns, and storage. Like others, they do offer a one-time “try it” class, but appeal more to an intermediate level student who wants to commit to 8-week classes.
They focus on wheel, but do have some handbuilding as well. Throughout the year, they offer workshops which are geared towards intermediate or more advanced ceramicists, like porcelain.
Studio Kusi
Location: Mt. Pleasant, Washington, DC
Price Range: $75+
Skill Level: Beginner to Advanced
Website: studiokusi.com
A ceramics studio that raises funds for mutual aid, Studio Kusi in Mount Pleasant, it has one of the cheapest “try it” classes for wheel throwing. However, they mainly offer open studio times for handbuilding and wheel, so it’s better for intermediate potters.
If you want to learn more or shop their pottery, you can join one of the open house days to chat. If you are intermediate or advanced, you can also join one of their help days for fundraisers.
Targoni Studios
Location: Deanwood, Washington, DC
Price Range: $65+
Skill Level: Beginner
Website: targonistudios.com
Targoni Studios usually offers pottery classes seven days a week, including one-time sessions and membership-style studio rentals for continued practice, but are currently pausing classes until spring 2026.
They offer group classes, and you need to bring your own group of at least 2 people.
Pottery with a Purpose (DC & MD)
Location: Various venues across Washington DC and Rockville, MD
Price Range: $60+
Skill Level: Beginner
Website: potterywithapurpose.com
Held mainly at area breweries, these are meant to be social events. Dip your toes into handbuilding with their Sip & Sculpt classes. pop-up pottery workshop series rather than a fixed studio. The pottery you make is meant to be painted and air dried, though you can take it to be glazed and fired at your own kiln.
Maryland
Glen Echo Park
Address: 7300 MacArthur Blvd, Glen Echo, MD 20812
Price Range: $200+
Skill Level: Beginner to Advanced
Website: glenecho.org
Widely recommended for its ceramics program, Glen Echo Park offers comprehensive instruction just over the DC border. This former amusement park is now home to various arts studios, with pottery classes held in a yurt.
Classes include wheel and handbuilding, as well as self-directed learning for those who have taken at least 6 months of classes.
Art Works Now
Address: 4800 Rhode Island Avenue, Suite 1, Hyattsville, MD
Price Range: ~$450
Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Website: artworksnow.org
If you are looking to try pottery for the very first time, this is not the place for you. Art Works Now does not offer any “try it” classes. However, they do offer 10-week wheel classes designed for beginner to intermediate students if you’ve already tried wheel and want to get better at it. They also offer a beginner-level wheel and handbuilding 10 week class that provides more focused instruction.
Tru 2 Hue
Address: 2516 University Blvd W, Wheaton, MD
Skill Level: Beginner
Price Range: $75
Website: tru2hue.com
Located in Wheaton, Tru 2 Hue focuses on artistic activities for children, but also offers handbuilding with clay for all ages. You’ll work with an instructor for up to 2 hours to create your masterpiece, they’ll do bisque firing, and then you’ll have 2 hours of glazing before the final firing.
Mosaic Arts DC
Address: 9244 E Hampton Dr, Capitol Heights, MD 20743
Skill Level: Beginner
Website: mosaicartsdc.com
Mosaic Arts DC doesn’t teach you how to create ceramics, but instead offers workshops on traditional ceramic surface painting inspired by Turkish ceramic art traditions. If you are interested in learning a new technique to decorate your pottery or looking for a new surface to learn to paint on, this is a good option for you.
Clay Ground Studio & Gallery
Address: 3715 Old Columbia Pike, Ellicott City, MD 21043
Skill Level: All levels
Price Range: $55+
Website: claygroundonline.com
Clay Ground Studio offers pottery, fused glass, and mosaics classes on a regular basis in Ellicott City, with themed classes that focus on a special piece of art.
The pottery classes are BYOB and you are welcome to bring snacks if you want to make it more of a party. They offer beginner wheel and handbuilding classes, with a separate session for glazing. For the intermediate and advanced potters, they offer six week handbuilding and mixed-level wheel throwing classes.
Virginia
The Art League
Address: 105 North Union Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
Skill Level: Beginner to Expert
Price Range: $350+
Website: theartleague.org
Founded in 1954, The Art League has both a fine art school and art supply store. They focus on not just many different mediums but specific techniques and items.
In terms of proximity to DC, The Art League offers the most comprehensive courses for people who want to really get into ceramics. Th
They offer a wide variety of classes and the widest variety of pottery and ceramics workshops and courses that help you build your skills. You can also take more advanced or specialized technique classes, like screen printing on clay, Raku firing, figurative ceramics, and surface design.
The classes are available on a seasonal basis, and many of them fill up quickly. They offer a number of handbuilding and wheel classes each season, but they still sell out.
Art House 7
Address: 5537 Langston Blvd., Arlington, VA
Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Price Range: $55+
Website: arthouseseven.com
Art House 7 offers a variety of creative classes in Arlington. For ceramics, they mainly focus on wheel throwing.
Art House 7 offers BYOB “try it” nights, 6 week courses, and some specialty workshops. One drawback of their “try it” night is that you do not take any pieces home with you, and instead are just practicing using the wheel.
Workhouse Arts Center
Address: 9518 Workhouse Way, Lorton, VA 22079
Price Range: $75+
Skill Level: Beginner to Advanced
Website: workhousearts.org
A large arts campus housed in a former prison, Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton is now home to studios, galleries, and classrooms. They have a comprehensive class offering for every level, including a traditional “try it” class and seasonal “try it” classes (like vases for Valentine’s Day).
You can sign up for multi-week course and multi-day workshops to build your skills and learn more specialized techniques, like Raku firing and special glazes. In addition, they have sculpting classes using air-dry clay.
Clay Café
Location: Chantilly, VA
Price Range: $45+
Skill Level: Beginner
Website: claycafe.com
Best known for its sip and paint pottery sessions and kids activities, Clay Cafe in Chantilly also offers wheel and handbuilding classes for adults. They offer adult “try it” wheel classes as well and handbuilding classes for a specific item, like a patchwork platter.
Tips for Getting Started
- Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. Ask if you should bring your own apron and towel.
- Trim your nails for wheel classes. It’s hard to shape the clay with long nails.
- Wheel throwing is harder than it looks, so expect a learning curve.
- Ask whether clay, glazing, and firing are included in the price.
- At some places, you will glaze on the same day that you build your piece, and at others, you will need to come back to glaze after firing.
- Find out how long pieces take to fire and when you can pick them up. Take this in consideration when picking a location, as you may have to go multiple times before your piece is finished.
- Beginners will want structured classes before open studio time.
Conclusion
When I first tried pottery at Sio Ceramics, it was intimidating going into it. I had never used a wheel before, and while I did handbuilding pottery in middle school art class, I was never very good at it. As an absolute beginner, it can be frustrating, but remember that it’s a skill that you need to build, and you’ll only get better.
Whether you’re interested in a one-night pottery experience or ready to commit to a full semester of ceramics, the DMV area offers a wide range of studios to match your goals. From wheel throwing and handbuilding to decorative ceramic painting, there’s no shortage of ways to get your hands in clay and start creating.
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