Thao was such a fun and knowledgeable instructor! My two friends and I took a 2.5 hour wheel class at Colibri and had a blast. We arrived early but the woman up front did not help us until 15 minutes after our scheduled appt time. She seemed confused and disorganized. Making an appointment was also pretty challenging. Fortunately, Thao saved the day and made up for the unprofessional check in experience. Will definitely be back and will request her! read more

Colibri Pottery Studio - The result - Art Classes Near Me - San Jose, California

[Hand Building Class prior to pickup] Bought a Groupon for wife & I to try something new. My mistake for misunderstanding that this would not be the pottery wheel (not reflected in rating). Elena was our instructor & she was extremely knowledgeable, patient, understanding of our levels. Gave everyone equal attention (group of 4). Clear demo of how to mold from clay ball & clay plate. The first 20-30min was the demo & we wish that it could've been interactive 'follow along' exercise. Great way to get your hands working & molding. I made a nameplate for the dog + a ramen bowl w/ recessed chopstick holder. Looking forward to pickup experience estimated 1mo. Fun & would go again for the wheel class. read more

*Making this review on behalf of my sister's experience and to warn people who end up coming here My sister and her boyfriend had a wonderful experience making their pieces, but what happened two months after begged to differ. There was poor communication about when their pieces would be ready, which took two months. When my sister got the notif to pick up their pieces, they were in disbelief. The pieces they received looked completely different from what they had made during their class. When addressing the issue, the front desk person told them that sometimes pieces break in the oven and they remake the piece without the people's discretion... Very sad to see such service for a small business that seemed great on Yelp and online. There was no accountability on their end. If you would like to spend money for just the pottery experience, go ahead. But, don't expect to pick up what you made! read more

This place so cool, I would love to do it again. I had a great experience. I will recommend this place,helpful and friendly. I did the pottery wheel created and destroyed. read more

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My experience at Colibri Pottery gave me a new appreciation for the craft! The class was so much fun, and the instructor was very patient teaching us. There was a group of 5 students and she was able to thoroughly teach us techniques together and individually as we created as many pieces as we can in the couple hours we were given. In the end, we were able to choose 2 of the ones we created as well as select a color and they take care of the rest in terms of glazing and finishing it up for us. We would just have to return back to pick it up once it was finished. It did take a while for us to receive them back, we made the pottery back in June 19 and just received a notice that it was ready this week August 12. They mentioned it should take about a month or so, otherwise if its not picked up, theres a chance it could be tossed out. The only thing I would say is that we called them a couple times to check in with our pieces without any definite follow up. So just keep in mind it does take some time and don't forget about your pieces! Also, I chose one of my other pieces to be finished but another one of my pieces was returned back to me, if one of your pieces don't survive the completion process they will complete one of the others you made. read more

Colibri Pottery Studio - Finished product! I chose another piece of mine but another one I made returned finished. - Art Classes Near Me - San Jose, California

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Super fun! This is a great date spot. I suspect the majority don't get to create things with our hands anymore. Well, don't fret...take a class at Colibri Pottery Studio instead. Our instruction, Yelena, was awesome! Very engaging, kind, encouraging and patient as I messed up one lump of clay after another. I might not be good at it but still had a great time overall. read more

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I don't write negative reviews lightly, but I was so disappointed by my experience here that I think others should be aware so they can calibrate their expectations. I was looking for a fun weekend activity with my partner when I bought a Groupon for ceramic painting for two. Per the instructions on the Groupon, you must email to request a reservation, which they will confirm by email. That part went smoothly, and I had no problems with the booking process. The studio is located in a shopping center and wasn't too challenging to locate. When we entered and checked in at the desk, they require you to sign a waiver, which was not a big deal. What I did not realize is that the Groupon for ceramics painting did not actually include anything to paint-it apparently just pays for access to the studio, which I will get to later. The ceramics you want to paint require payment of an additional charge. To be fair, they do disclose this on the Groupon, but that disclosure is located in the fine print at the bottom of the Groupon, and I did not see it. So, being confronted with an additional charge I wasn't expecting wasn't a great start to our visit. If there had been any level of service at all, the additional charge probably wouldn't have bothered me so much. But we were largely left to figure out things on our own with little to no assistance, leaving me to question what the Groupon actually paid for. The employee who checked us in walked us to the wall of ceramics to pick out our items and said she would be back to explain. We selected our ceramics and waited by the few tables that looked like the ceramics painting area. There was one other employee chatting with a couple who ignored us for upwards of five minutes, never even acknowledging us. Even worse, when I tried to pass that employee who was blocking the path to additional tables for painting, I had to specially ask him to move so I could pass. We were just standing there clearly looking like we needed assistance, and the employee who checked us in never returned. I went back to the check-in desk, and she wasn't there but she returned a couple of minutes later. When I asked for instructions, she acknowledged that she had forgotten about us. The instructions that we got were very bare bones-just here are the paints, she pointed to the display on the wall that shows you what the colors look like when they are fired, and she told us that if you don't paint all of the item, it won't be glossy. That was it. And no one ever checked in on us again until over an hour later, when I think the owner or manager asked us how we were doing. During that hour, the same employee continued to chat with the couple near us and never acknowledged our presence, and another employee re-organized paints two feet in front of us, while talking to herself the entire time, without ever asking us if we needed anything. My partner and I ultimately finished painting our items, checked out, and we received them two weeks later, as predicted. But almost the entire time we were there, we were treated as if we were invisible, which does not make for a great experience. I don't know if the service level can be attributed to the fact that we bought a Groupon, but they offer other classes, including pottery classes. The experience was so lacking, that they lost out on future business from me. read more

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Just took a 2 hour intro to pottery wheel class with Jocelyn, and it was phenomenal. She's so patient and a great teacher. Because of her class, I'm now looking into 6 week classes. I 10/10 recommend! read more

Colibri Pottery Studio - Art Classes Near Me - San Jose, California

One of my best friends surprised me with a 2 hour beginner pottery class. Ideally, they request that you show up 15 minutes before class starts so you can fill out the waiver at the front. We misread the start time and ended up showing up 15 minutes late but since the class only consisted of me and my friends, we weren't interupting others. Coming in, the staff didn't feel welcoming until we met our instructor Skylar. If the atmosphere was maintained the entire class time, we would never consider returning. Sky, however, was the best and she deserves more than 5 stars alone! She was personable, very patient since we messed up plenty of times, and made the experience wonderful! The pottery wheel was sometimes intimidating but Sky made sure to guide us through and even fixed our mistakes for us. We ended up making 3 pieces even though we could only take 2. At the end of class, you get to choose your glaze and the pieces are then ready in 4-6 weeks. We are definitely planning on coming back for their other classes and are hoping to get Sky as our instructor again. ** Tip: Dress for the mess and remove/ cut long nails before class. read more

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I took the two hour beginner wheel class with Dean and he was such an amazing teacher!!! He is incredibly talented with a wealth of knowledge. I love that he went above and beyond in his explanations/demo and checked throughout the class to provide feedback and observations to each student. He helped me to fix many mistakes with such patience and encouragement. Lastly, Dean stayed an extra 30 min overtime to help us finish. Definitely recommend taking a class w him read more

Purchased a hand building session for two at Colibri on Groupon and reserved a class for my birthday. We checked in 15 minutes early and were directed to the waiting area. Meanwhile, instructor was molding and prepping the clay for the class. When it was all ready, we went inside the main part of the studio where there are wheels etc. Jenny was our instructor (5-stars to her). She gave a detailed instruction (lasted 10-15 mins and intense - pay attention to this one!). Everyone has a choice to pick two items to make one - (plates/trays using moulding ) and the other - (mugs/cups/planters using pinch method). Made a square tray and a small trinket bowl. We had a ton of questions because there were a lot of details and order to every step. Exactly took 2 hours to complete everything. We will hopefully pick up glazed products in 6 weeks (they can break in the glazing/ oven process, looks like). Tips for first-timers: 1. Book a weekday morning class. We were only 3 people in total, so instructor could pay attention to what everyone was doing. 2. Look at simple pinch method pots and small trays beforehand and have a picture in mind on what you will make before you go. Pick something useful and that can remain a memory (eg. something for your kitchen or for your kids). 3. Again, pay attention to the instructor in the initial detail 4. Don't hesitate to ask questions. 5. Talk to people around, it made our experience all the more nicer. Help each other out.. 6. Most importantly, have tons of fun! I am not sure whether all studios are like that or it was just this studio, but there was a lot of stuff (organized) for the area. That's the only reason why it loses a star. read more

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Zero stars, but one star only for Elena, my teacher for the two-hour hand-build pottery class I had a Groupon for. I was the only person who showed up for the class and she was a fabulous teacher 1:1 and a good conversationalist. I loved what she helped me create as a first-time pottery person. This review is for that experience in April '25 and a previous one for premade ceramic painting in January '25. (I purchased two Groupons at once. Regrets.) I definitely do NOT recommend Colibri Pottery Studio in North San Jose off Oakland Rd. Here's why: --Check-in is chaotic; the entry space is not big enough to have more than a few people there. Employees are either not around OR they are and they don't greet you or help you unless you ask. That's UPON walking in. --Employees give off the vibe that you are inconveniencing them. It's not necessarily the feel that they don't like their jobs, more like they are ambivalent about customers. They could take us or leave us. God forbid they crack a smile or speak to you before you speak to them. --The selection of premade ceramics is what I would consider very limited. Petrogylph in Willow Glen is MUCH, MUCH better. So if you need options to get inspired, go to Petrogylph. --For the hand-build pottery class, I made a frog, but they did not have GREEN available as a glaze color. WHAT?!?!?? That is such a basic color. They had **5** colors I could choose from and ultimately I chose a light blue. So disappointing to not having such a common color as green. --Return time is stated/displayed as 4-6 weeks. I made my frog on April 27 and it was not ready for pick up until July 8. Unbelievable! It was supposed to be a birthday present for my mom, but it wasn't ready in time. Instead, it took 10 1/2 weeks!!! Ridiculous. --Finally, when I picked up my hand-made piece, the glaze color was not painted on evenly. There are spots all over the frog where the original clay color is showing. VERY DISAPPOINTING. Clearly not handled with care; paint job looks rushed. WILL NEVER GO BACK. For premade ceramics painting, go to Petroglyph in Willow Glen. Everything from options (ceramics & color), customer service and atmosphere are SO MUCH better there. read more

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It was first time at a pottery studio. Colibri is a wonderful studio, it was definitely busy. Lot of students there. Definitely looks like a great environment for pottery making and painting. Our class was full and packed, there was another session happening there too. So you could hear people near you. I enjoyed the session here. The instructor was very patient, funny and very talented. It was a nice experience overall, although my handiwork wasn't all that great. It is difficult in the beginning but once you get a hang of it, it's pretty fun. I couldn't figure it out but definitely had a lot of fun. We get to take two pieces that we make or we can even take one of the pieces that the instructor makes depending on whether it was claimed by someone else or not. read more

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My ten-year-old and I had a great time at the 2-hour beginner class. The class had the instructor, one other family with a parent and child participating, and us. Other people filtered in, presumably members and staff, so there was a pleasant buzz but no crowding. The studio had aprons and hair ties for us. The instructor was very clear, and had a great touch with the kids, giving them the tips and help they needed to get great results, while still having them do everything. We each were given a pedal-controlled wheel, basic tools, and three balls of clay. We got to make three pieces each and then chose two each to be fired later. We also chose glaze colors from a small set. They had us cleaning up our wheels and tools, which was a bit of work but not too much, and my child found it satisfying to clean her wheel anyway. All around great introduction to pottery throwing that we both really enjoyed. We're looking forward to getting our pieces in a few weeks. read more

I found Colibri Pottery Studio on Groupon. I bought pottery coloring for 2 people, made reservations online. The staff was very friendly and nice. They also recommended me to come around 6 PM so I'll enough time to finish coloring/painting because they have to stop everything around 8:30 to clean up. The pottery prices are very reasonable. I got a 16oz cup with a lid for $12. My friend got a vase and a half-off pumpkin lantern (including a light too). It took about 1.5 weeks for our pottery to be ready for pickup. I got a good experience here and would definitely comes back! read more

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Jennie was our hand building class instructor and we really loved her and our experience! We're beginners and a 2-hour class is typically intimidating to me, but she held a gentle container in which we could explore and get individual pointers - there was no wrong way to be creative and I was happy with how we spent the time and my final pieces felt like mine. The 2-hours went by quickly, Jennie is lots of fun to chat with, and I wouldn't hesitate to take another class here with her. We chose to come in on a weekday and the spaciousness was a plus too. I enjoyed the community feel of the studio space and walking around to see others' work. read more

Came today using a Groupon for a 2-hour handworking clay class with Sky. The place is huge yet filled with a lot of stuff. They seem to do a lot of classes at the same time. You get to make 2 pieces even though she said we could make more only allowed to take 2 home, which sucked. Even asked if I could pay and was told they were at max with pieces. Overall experience was Great but wish could have had a little more space/time. Sky was great teacher. Glad to have used Groupon as it was more pricey than I would have spent normally. read more

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A family member of mine worked for them. She let me know that they DO indeed give you pieces that are NOT YOURS!! Their communication sucks. Instead of letting you know that your piece broke in their faulty kilns and due to crappy products, they rebuild new pieces then give them to you without word and months late. That's money and time spent to get back something you didn't make!! Their pieces also are not food safe. read more

Colibri Pottery Studio - Others reviews - Art Classes Near Me - San Jose, California

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Just wrapped up my 4-week class with my instructor Dean! It was my first time ever throwing clay, and his guidance made it such a fun and rewarding experience. I learned so much and have completely fallen in love with this new hobby. Huge thank you to Dean--hoping to take another class soon! read more

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You get what you pay for. My friend and I came for a paint your own pottery session and it felt very disorganized. Not much of an introduction besides telling us where paint is and premade pieces were. The paints were right next to a person leading a painting session of a large group, very awkward to get paints. They had a poster chart of paints, but not all the options were available. so i wish they would mark it n/a instead of going through all the paints just to find out its not even an option. There were only 2 small tables where we could paint, but it wasn't designated seats for painting pottery so it really felt awkward to ask a member who was glazing to give us some room instead of staff doing it. we had a reservation, but felt like we just did a walk in. We had to find things ourselves. Tools, aprons, etc. The finished pieces were not glazed properly. Several areas of one piece were not fully glazed, making it unsafe for food/liquids. The glaze on the other piece cracked upon hand washing. I've been to several paint your own pottery as well as pottery studios, but this one felt the most disorganized and I would gladly pay more for a better experience. read more

I purchased a Groupon for a pre-made ceramic painting. I attempted to make an appointment online was it wasent working. I had the call the studio to get an appointment. The lady one the phone was super helpful and got us an appointment for the next day. They have a separate area for the pottery wheel and painting. However it can get pretty crowded if there are 2 classes happening at once. read more

It has been 1.2 months and my painted ceramic is still not ready when they told me it would only take two weeks.

I like the instructor and the 2-hour class, but it's pretty upset where I waited one month just to find out that both of my pieces turned out flawed after firing. read more

Colibri Pottery Studio - left: with lot's of bubbles right: uneven glaze - Art Classes Near Me - San Jose, California

Skip on this groupon. There are other experiences that will be much more fulfilling at a better price. The selections of ceramic were limited, underwhelming and expensive. My two little girls were struggling to pick one that they liked. They were very basic, uninteresting, and low quality. The staff seemed busy, and often asked us to wait while they did other things. We really wanted this to work, but ultimately had to cancel before they provided any real services involving painting. We didn't even sit down before my kids just wanted to leave. We asked for a refund, but they refused... it seems like they really need business and could use every single cent. The place was empty after all... a testament to their ability to attract or keep any customers. Skip this company, location, and anything they're involved with. Your kids will thank you, and your pocket book will benefit. read more

I signed my daughter up for their spring break camp in February because she really likes the classes here and I wanted to make sure she got a spot. On April 8, they sent an email offering 50% off however they said it is not retroactive. They are punishing people who signed up for the camp early. This is terrible customer service. I am spending close to $700 for one week of camp. I will not be giving this place my business in the future. read more

I had a wonderful experience at Colibri! I came here to paint pre-made ceramics with a friend and had a wonderful time! There are a variety of colors, brushes, and bottles to use, as well as pieces to paint. I enjoyed listening to my music on their speaker as I painted. It was a wonderful experience! This studio is well-versed in techniques and options for pottery! From throwing clay to painting it, this location can teach you the entire process! While my piece was damaged by the fragile nature of pottery and ceramics during the kiln process, I was offered a free piece in the studio in return! I am excited to go back! read more

Looks like I should have read the reviews before coming here. This is the worse experience I've ever had painting. They were completely unorganized from the beginning to end. They couldn't find my reservation, had me fill out my information 3 separate times, lost my work, and then didn't even bother to call back after they said they would to confirm whether or not they had it. Mind you it has been 2 months and I'm still trying to get answers. read more

Came in with a Groupon for beginners 2-hour pottery spin wheel class. At first, it was overwhelming because there were so many people in a small space. It started to clear out as other classes finished. My partner mentioned - that he wished he had more help but the instructor was spread thin because the other people in our class needed a lot of help. We are waiting for our pieces back and are excited to see them! read more

Jennie was amazing! This was my first time trying pottery hand building, and she made the whole experience super fun and easy to follow. She was really nice, super helpful, and explained everything in a way that made sense, even for total beginners like me. She went over so many helpful details and was always happy to answer questions. I had a great time and definitely recommend her class if you're new to pottery! read more

Absolutely terrible experience. Avoid this studio at all costs! They lost BOTH of my pieces and gave me two random cheap and generic pieces as replacement. Their communication was an absolute mess from start to finish. The class was a joke--our instructor spent about 10 minutes on the demonstration and sat down working on her own piece without offering any additional guidance, unless someone specifically asked. It seemed to me that she didn't care at all. They promised that our pieces would be ready in 5-7 weeks. After 8 weeks of silence, they finally called and asked for details I had already provided during the class--what colors I wanted, what the pieces looked like. I knew that something was seriously wrong, just did not expect that they would message me later saying that my pieces were lost with a kiln explosion. No one should have to pay this much money and wait this long just to end up with crappy, generic pieces that they did not even make. I would NOT recommend this place to anyone. They are completely disorganized and unprofessional. Save your money and your time! read more

Worst studio in Bay Area. To sum up in one sentence, they lost my pieces and gave me a random piece thinking that's mine with tons of disorganized communication mess. The class was not good. Instructor just gave us 10 mins demonstration, and then sat next to us and worked on her own piece without saying a word, unless people asked question. They told us the piece will be ready in 6 to 7 weeks, but no call at all after the 8th week. After super long time, they finally called and asked what color did we want for each piece and what do they look like, which we already put it down during the class. At that point we knew something was wrong, and how unorganized they are. Finally, when we went picking up the piece, just to find out they lost one of my pieces and I felt like they just gave me someone else's piece thinking that's mine. What's worse is that all my friends' pieces were lost. He ended up got 2 replacement pieces that look so generic and cheap. Honestly, no one would pay that amount of money and wait that long just to get an ugly piece that they didn't create. read more

I'm a little divided on my rating. Its more like a 3.5 but not convinced to up the rating to a 4. Its a nice big studio and my group went in for the ceramic painting. The prices of the pieces were quite reasonable compared to other places I've been but they seemed to run out of several paint colors. Also some stencils, different paint finishes,glitter paint would help immensely. The staff was decent. read more

I've been wanting to try a pottery class for some time, but the only one I knew of was Higher Fire, but the price drove me off. I happen to found a sign for Colibri and then a Groupon for it so I took it as a sign from god to sign up. We signed up for a group of 5 through Groupon and originally was split up, but we're able to call and get that fixed. When it came time for our class, all the staff seemed friendly and knowledgeable about pottery. We were blessed to have Sofia as our instructor. She was super sweet and knew her stuff. We had a little mishap with my friend's plate but Sofia made a whole new one for her in seconds! I'm sad she's not teaching the 6-week course. A little warning if you take a Sunday slot as it was hard to find parking with the Church next door. Overall, Colibri was a great time and we hope to be back soon! read more

I found a deal on Groupon and my sister, my daughter and I took our grandma/great grandma for her 91st birthday. We had a wonderful time thanks to Sky and her assistant. They were very helpful and were checking in on us often. We met another gentleman there who was a member and he was telling us about Colibri and how he became a member. The pottery wheel looks fun. I'm very interested in returning for that class. read more

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The 2 hour beginners pottery class with Sky was very fun and a good class when just starting out learning how to use a spinning wheel. We made three pieces each. I would totally come again and take another class. read more

Colibri Pottery Studio - Pieces made during the 2 hour beginners class - Art Classes Near Me - San Jose, California

I want to start by saying that I genuinely enjoyed the class itself. Pottery is a beautiful art, and I have a lot of respect for the process. However, the overall experience with this company--from booking to trying to pick up my finished pieces--has been frustrating and disappointing. The booking process was confusing and unnecessarily complicated. The Groupon listing featured images of wheel-thrown dishes and vases, which led me to believe the class included wheel throwing. It was labeled as a "handbuilding" class, so I called to clarify. After a lot of back and forth, I finally learned that this class does not include wheel throwing, and the images were from a different class entirely. Scheduling was another challenge. There were techincal difficulties with booking online for a group of 4, so I called to book instead. The process was tedious due to the long, complex Groupon codes and I was told I'd receive a confirmation email but never did, so I had to call back to confirm that our class was actually booked. Once we arrived, the studio was busy, and we waited a bit before getting started. We stored our belongings in lockers (FYI: they don't lock, so don't bring valuables) and then settled in. The class itself was fun and a great bonding experience! The time flew by, and we each got to make two pieces. We were told our pieces would be ready for pickup in 3-7 weeks. After three weeks, I called to check how they were doing and was told they were in the final kiln stage. They informed me they should be ready by the end of the week and that they'd notify me about pick up--I was excited! I even solidified plans with my friends to give their pieces to them. However, I never received any notification, so I called again, only to be told to wait at least another week. When I called back the day before the new estimated pickup date, I was on a nearly 20-minute call while staff searched for our pieces and figured out when they'll be ready. I was repeatedly asked for my name, class, teacher, and even to describe what my pieces looked like. It was shocking to see how disorganized their system was and was concerned that our pieces went missing. Eventually, they found our pieces--only to tell me they weren't close to being done and wouldn't be ready anytime soon. I've since wasted a lot of time just trying to get a clear answer. TLDR: The class itself was enjoyable, but booking was a hassle, and getting your finished pieces may be a challenging process. Suggestion for staff: Please don't give customers an expected pickup timeline if you're unsure--it creates unnecessary frustration. read more

Signed up for the 2 hours beginner's pottery class and it was a lot of fun! I have never done it before and our instructor, Sky, was super helpful and very patient with me (despite my constant messing up!!) We are definitely coming back for the six classes series ! read more

Colibri Pottery Studio - Art Classes Near Me - San Jose, California

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Had a great experience at colibri. My husband and I did the create and destroy class. You don't keep your pieces at the end of this class, you destroy them. Very therapeutic. Our instructor had us write things on our pieces that we want to release before we destroyed them. It was great. Another great thing about the create and destroy class is you can make sooo many mistakes and just keep trying and learning. When you keep your pieces, a lot of the newbie mistakes you'd make would create air bubbles in your pieces and they'd ultimately end up breaking anyway. Now that we've done the create and destroy class, I feel more confident for the kind of class where you get to actually keep your piece. Our instructor Daniel was very friendly and helpful to each one of us. There was 5 of us and it was all of our first times and he was so patient because we were all train wrecks :) I look forward to taking another class in the future. Thanks again Daniel. read more

We took a private guided painting class with Maya (sp?) and loved it! The instructor was patient and gave us ample time for each step, and did well with instructions. Tip -- be light with the black paint! read more

Colibri Pottery Studio - The final results! - Art Classes Near Me - San Jose, California

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My daughter and I attended a pottery-making class at Colibri Pottery Studio in San Jose on May 24th. We paid over $120 for what we expected to be a complete pottery experience. We were told our finished pieces would be ready for pickup in 4-6 weeks after firing. After waiting the promised 6 weeks, we called to inquire about our items and were told they weren't ready yet. We gave them additional time and called again today (July 17th), only to be told our pieces still aren't ready and they need even more time due to unspecified "issues." What makes this experience particularly frustrating is the complete lack of professional communication. We were never contacted about any delays or problems - we had to repeatedly call them for updates. For a service that costs over $100, we expected basic courtesy of being informed about delays and realistic timelines. At this point, weeks later, we don't even know if we'll ever receive our pottery pieces. The lack of transparency, missed commitments, and poor customer service has made this an extremely disappointing experience. I would strongly recommend looking elsewhere for pottery classes until they can demonstrate professional communication and the ability to meet their commitments to customers. read more