Great time at Desert Dragon Holiday Party. As a Clay Dad we have been going to Desert Dragon Pottery for many years. Great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Friendly people, great ceramics made by local artists. Food, music, clay and great memories are made here. If you are a novice or master potter, it doesn't matter. Great instructors, fun time and a supportive community. Love this place! read more

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Just for fun my husband and I signed up for pottery wheel classes (3 for each of us) neither of us had ever tried pottery. My husband is extremely creative and me; not so much. Anita was our instructor. She gives very explicit instructions and I had success fairly quickly with my small creations. I learn by following instructions. My husband's experience was not good. He had success, but Anita told him several times that he didn't listen and he wasn't following instructions (in a rather harsh tone of voice. I think she calls it as she sees it without sugar coating her instructions). My husband learns by making mistakes and figuring out what works. He wasn't given the freedom to do that in these 45 min working sessions. So, overall my experience was OK. His experience was not good. So, I cannot recommend Desert Dragon, based on our personal experiences. But I found it was a good intro to pottery and the wheel. read more

Desert Dragon Pottery - My pottery after 3 sessions and glazing - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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I've done a few pottery/ painting classes all over the valley and this place was by far the worst! I wish I could remember the instructors name, so you could request for someone else if it's your first time going to this location. No, I don't remember everything she said, but I do remember how she made me feel and I remember leaving that place feeling frustrated and unintelligent whereas this is supposed to be a calm and relaxing activity. I went with my boyfriend at the end of June It is now 2 weeks into August and I still haven't heard back from them about our pieces they were supposed to fire. I would honestly would save your money on this one and try out another pottery class! read more

Desert Dragon Pottery - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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We had an amazing time at Desert Dragon for our first pottery class. My fiancé and I had a beginners pottery wheel class with Mishy, and she was awesome showing us the basics and each step along the way. What I loved the most is that once she recognizes you've got it she really lets you just have fun with it and make your pottery your own. We initially signed up for a one-time class but ultimately got a set of 6 classes because it was really the best time. The little studio cat Princess even came to visit us at the end! For those who have been wanting to try pottery for years but are scared they'll not do well, you really don't have to worry about that here. Mishy is great at helping you correct mistakes, but she also teaches you to embrace the flaws. The studio also has a very peaceful and creative vibe that I loved! read more

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Since we had our daughter and grandkids visiting we had plans to go to the Desert Dragon Pottery holiday event. Not just to see artist display their creations but to see our nephew and his creations. The plus part of this was so that cousins could visit with each other as well. Our nephew has been a part of Desert Dragon Pottery since he was about eleven. Pottery has been our nephew's love ever since he started here. On this particular day there were other artists displaying their work, which you could purchase from them if your captured a piece you like. There was one of the artists that had some beautiful work fired in Raku style which makes the finish come out in colors that make the finish shine. The studio was open to walk in and wonder around to view what was in the other artists work in progress. They have plenty of room in their studio to work on your creations. Mishy, is the owner of Desert Dragon and has witnessed the progression of our nephew's beautiful work over the years. He has never missed a beat on his pottery artistry. There is nothing but love here. If you ever have a time in your life to try out your pottery talents, this is the place. read more

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We initially tried a class on a Groupon with Mishy a few years ago so we thought it might be fun to get the husbands involved. Anita's teaching personality is different than Mishi's but we did manage to create some "almost masterpieces". You can see some improvement with each class. In a sense, it's stressful as you are trying to control the clay, the wheel speed, and your body while having a teacher (who can do this in her sleep) guide you. However, the satisfaction with the end result is great (although not perfect!). My daughter and I will probably go back, but not with the husbands :) ! read more

I absolutely love this place. Anita has been SO helpful in my journey into pottery and has been very attentive and respectful to every step! Misha is the nicest lady as well! She's always popping in and saying hello. This is definitely the place to go if you want to actually learn pottery. They may not hold your hand through every single step but they give you the confidence and knowledge to start to work on your own. read more

Did an intro class to wheel pottery as a birthday gift to myself, managing to drag my siblings with me. Since we were all first timers, we had to have more demoed for us, but it was perfect because if you had asked me how to build a bowl before we started, I would have ended up with something not like the photos This was well worth the experience and we'll be back (or maybe just me LOL). Here is a pic of my masterpiece! Anita was great and really hands on - her teaching and expertise was greatly valued and appreciated. We especially loved the attention to detail with not just the class, but also COVID protocols and that everyone had a mask on. read more

Desert Dragon Pottery - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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My husband and I went in for a Groupon for our anniversary and we had just the best time! Anita was our teacher (I hope I spelled her name correctly) and she was the best! She was very patient and worked us through all of our errors and really took care of us!! I would recommend the beginner class to anyone who wants to try it out or just have a really fun time! They are doing private groups for social distancing (up to four people in your group) and everyone is required to wear masks for their safety and the teachers safety which was great! If you're on the fence, just do it! You won't regret it. read more

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Awful experience because of the aggressive instructor! She made me extremely uncomfortable. Go somewhere else and save your $50.

Man, the reviews here are scary and nearly kept me away from the place. But I don't know, I went and had a really good time. I did meet Mishy and there was an older guy there with white hair who was helping her out. He was super chill and cool. I didn't have any issues and will definitely go back read more

I took 4 levels of ceramics in high school and graduated in 2013, since then, I haven't thrown, and I was so so happy to find Desert Dragon Pottery. It felt like home as soon as I pulled up. Mishy is really nice and helpful, and her cat Sweetpea is a treat :) I went in for some hand building, and instead, she let me throw on the wheel, and it was AMAZING. Will definitely be back many times and very soon read more

Desert Dragon Pottery - This was my view while I threw, and it was so serene - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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I went to dragon pottery to find a new clay studio home and learn some new skills. Unfortunately what I got was a teacher who was not skilled in teaching at all. I left in the beginning of my third class after once again being belittled in front of other students, yelled at for doing what they told me to do the last class, and being told to be quiet when I asked Anita to clarify how to do something. I read the reviews on their website and I am apparently not the only one who had issues with this teacher. I recommend you don't waste your money here. read more

Had a great time creating some new ornaments. Mishy is always so helpful and truly a master of her craft. Desert Dragon is a great place to learn and be freely creative. This is not a strip mall paint on pottery place, rather a real artist's creative studio shop. read more

Desert Dragon Pottery - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

We bought a Groupon for a mini pottery class. It included about an hour of instruction beginning with throwing the clay on the pottery wheel and molding it into first a volcano, then a puck, followed by a donut, and then finally into a cup or a bowl. It was so much harder than it appears! But the instructor is there with you the whole time giving you personalized attention and any assistance you may require. We finished our pieces and we go back in 3 weeks to glaze them. Then we will return in another 2 weeks to pick up our finished pieces. We both had a lot of fun and wish we could take advantage of their classes and pottery packages they offer. We would recommend it! read more

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A highly disorganized and unfriendly place. The registration system is counter-intuitive and led to 2 out of the 3 people in our group not being able to throw. I did exactly what I did for my initial class in terms of registration, only to be told that I screwed up. Anita is borderline insufferable, as she treats people as though they were children. DDP is a long way to travel in order to be patronized. read more

We had such a great time at the "mini taste of pottery" class. I took my mom to this class because we both have never had the chance to experience making our own pottery. Mish was so awesome with explaining the process of throwing a pot, and helped every person individually learn. I really appreciated how she went out of her way to make sure every student was understanding what to do. After we finished throwing the pot, we learned how to glazed. It was a quick process, and actually pretty easy to do! My mom had such a great time she is planning on coming back with friends soon. I can't wait to see my finished pieces. Also they have a really sweet sleepy little studio cat that lounges around and loves to be pet! Be sure to check out Desert Dragon when you want to learn a new craft! read more

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I came here with a friend for an open studio session. Their methods are very disorganized, which, for me and my friend, has led to disappointment and irritation. I wouldn't recommend this studio unless you have the patience of a saint, all the time in the world, and live very close by so that multiple trips are convenient for you. My major gripe about the studio is that we are repeatedly promised that our projects will be fired by certain days, and when we return they are never ready. The staff can be at best impatient and at worst rude, and the whole process takes a very long time because multiple attempts to glaze or pick up your piece are required. It is really irritating to me to be promised that something will be fired by a specific date, and then to show up at the studio prepared to glaze or bring my piece home, only to find that it is not ready. This happened again yesterday and I am truly at my wits end with this studio to the point where I may not even bother picking up the project that I completed because any joy I felt in making my project has been marred by the deep irritation I feel when I think about the studio. read more

I was nervous to meet Anita after reading comments but she was great. She knows what she's doing and she means business. Pay attention and have fun! Will be back read more

Desert Dragon Pottery - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I feel so much better after reading these reviews about the owner Michy. I just had my second class and not sure how I can stand to go back. Wow, I thought her attitude and RUDENESS was just for me. Gruff, short, sassy, condescending attitude toward helping students who are actually PAYING for the class. I just walked out of my second class dumbfounded wondering why she treated me that way or spoke to me and the other lady taking the class who I doubt will be back. I wish I would have read the other negative reviews since they all talk about her and the rudeness! Pay attention people its not that cool. Good for her for having "some" positive reviews but I am shocked as to how. I completely agree with all that was mentioned on her lack of people skills and teaching manner. In fact I would like to know who does she think she is. read more

I check Groupon religiously everyday for San Jose, San Francisco, and Phoenix deals because I live in the Bay Area and the Boyfriend lives in Phoenix. Just my luck, I found an intro pottery spinning classes in Phoenix for just $15/person, over 50% the original price! Of course the Boyfriend and I had to snag 2 Groupons! We called about 4 days ahead of time and were able to reserve spots for the Monday night (6:30pm) Groupon class. The lady told us classes were filling up quickly, with over 1000 Groupons sold, so be sure to call ahead of time. We arrive at 6:30pm to a house sort of in the middle of nowhere, but when we entered the building, we were greeted warmly by a group of people who seemed like family (maybe they were, who knows!). We were provided with aprons and seated at our pottery wheels. The instructor demonstrated the basics and then let us on our own! Of course, she did do some damage control... especially since I managed to make a lop-sided pot and fling clay in the Boyfriend's hair. All in all, we each made 3 small items. It takes another 2 weeks for them to fire it, then we can go back anytime to paint them. Then they'll fire it again and we can go pick up our handmade pieces! TOTALLY worth $15, and even maybe worth the regular price too! It was a really cool and unique date experience and I would recommend it to anyone looking to do something new. read more

Desert Dragon Pottery - the Boyfriend on the wheel - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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They do a lot of $10/$15 groupon for the mini-taste of pottery and the class was ok. Students throw a pot. To allowing glazing, students work on a bisque ware (dried & kiln fired once) thrown by someone else. They will then fire it for you and it can be picked up in a week or so. I was amazed that a student was upset clay got on her clothes because she chose a tiny (child) apron. Pottery is made from clay (mud) and slip (muddy water). Expect to get clay and clay dust on you. I was looking for a place with affordable studio time, and/or firings. This studio hits that mark. They have a high fire gas and electric kilns, a Raku kiln, and even a wood burning kiln. The studio has multiple wheels, slab rollers, and work space. Their private classes are $190 --205 for 6 classes. The have open studio rates from $99 to $150 per mo, or artists can rent kiln space. The only con is that glazes are in the same building which surprised me. read more

Desert Dragon Pottery - Some else's bisque ware with copper red glazing by me. - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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The creation portion was fun, the dipping color was ok. They damaged the bowl in the firing and rendered the piece unusable. No apology or acceptance of fault. Would not recommend. read more

My mum and i signed up for a mini pottery class. Anita and mishy were wonderful. Sweetpea the cat was loving too. We had a blast slinging our first clay and making a bowl. We signed up for more fun too!! Totally worth it. read more

Desert Dragon Pottery - Anita diving outta the selfie shot - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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I originally bought the Groupon to take my sister as a gift, but she doesn't wear her mask properly and you asked her to leave when she wouldn't cover her nose (thank you - I get it). So I took the class alone and I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would. I was given the option to reschedule but didn't see the point. The instructor was perfectly clear with her instructions and I can't wait to go back to glaze my bowl. Thank you for a fun afternoon. read more

This is a fun place to spend a Saturday morning -- relaxing, after a hectic week with some pottery clay! And, Groupon made it even better. Go already! Enjoy! We did! read more

Had an absolute terrible time here. Found this place on Groupon and wanted to surprise my wife with a nice date night.....boy if I could go back in time. The instructor for our pottery wheel was some punk 21 year old who gave barely any actual instruction on how to do anything. One women asked a question during his "demo" which by the way he rushed through it and did not explain anything as he was doing it, and he simply gave a eye roll and answered her one question. The other instructor who was showing us how to glaze was also very rude and short with anyone who had actual questions. As I am reading through these reviews it looks like there is no one actually decent at this place and I will never recommend this place to anyone looking for a nice date night. read more

Had a great time learning how to throw clay on a wheel. Would definitely recommend it for anyone who wants to play with clay and create useable art. read more

I love the hands on step by step learning. I was a little bummed that my bowl had a hole in the bottom when I came to glaze but hopefully it fills once it's fired. Overall it was a great experience and I can't wait to go back. read more

My husband bought me a gift certificate for Christmas to this place. He knew how much I really wanted to learn how to do pottery, so he bought me this gift certificate and I was so excited! I should have known there'd be issues because even the scheduling caused me to have to schedule 3 months out for one pottery class. I asked around to see if any of my family wanted to join me since the website stated we could have up to 4 in one class. My nephew and his wife wanted to join me, little did we know that we were in for an extremely uncomfortable experience. I have a Cochlear Implant and the masks create a barrier that make it a little more challenging for me to understand. Right from the get-go the women in charge came across as harsh and unforgiving really of my handicap and to make matters worse were saying things like "keep your mask on! And the "teacher" looked directly at me... even despite my struggles to understand at first. If being rude to Me wasn't enough, the "teacher" was extremely rude to my nephew's wife who happens to be a larger woman. This "teacher" went so far as to even tell her about how she has a hard time teaching people with "large chests" and then proceeded to tell ME about what she had told my niece. She was short and aggressive with me and with my nephews wife the entire time. During the course of this "class" she snapped at us all if we made the slightest mistake, and even went so far as to tell my niece that "she knows her type" and told my nephew "she's not the boss of you in this class, I am the teacher, you don't have to listen to her." The experience was so uncomfortable that had it not for me really wanting to finish that pottery I would have just told my nephew and his wife "let's get out of here, it's not worth this." I am disappointed that a place of business would be this horrible to its customers!!! I'll go back to finish my piece but I am not referring this place to anyone I know due to the horrible customer service received! It was just such an awful awful experience! It was very unprofessional and not one I intend to repeat ever again. I would not recommend this location at all to anyone I know or even the ones I do not know. There are better pottery places in the valley. (I may not even go back to get my pottery, just so I don't have to set foot in the place again). I did learn how to create the pottery and that experience was good, but the service...nope...won't go back. read more

Enjoyed creating a few pieces of clay, some instruction and then on my own which kind of lets you just be you and create. If you have never done it before some might need more hands on- during this COVID time perhaps type of instruction changed and since it was only me she probably thought I would bug her if I needed help. Not sure why anyone would need to buy a groupon, it's already a fair price unless other classes are higher. Small business owners probably want groupon to get name out there but probably lose money in the process. read more

My sister and I had a wonderful time and our instructor was so cool and very helpful! She kept things short, sweet and to the point and was very hands on when needed. I was able to schedule our session a few weeks before and got a courtesy call the day before as a reminder. I'm very excited to go back and attend more classes. The price is very reasonable and fair. They even have a cute little black cat in the studio, so cute! Our experience was nothing but friendly and welcoming when we entered, I can't believe some of the reviews left about this studio. read more

This was the worst customer service I've ever experienced. I don't know how this place is still in business. Terrible people. Disgusting studio. Wanted to surprise my boyfriend for his birthday with a wheel class. We walked in super excited to a disheveled studio where everyone just stared at us wide eyed and nobody said a word. We eventually said we were here for the class and someone in the studio said, "oh, they walked out and will be back". This lady eventually shows up, and she is incredibly rude from the start. My boyfriend has done this many times, and she continued to yell at him and everyone in the class throughout the session saying we were doing it wrong. If you don't shape your clay exactly the way she wants you get yelled at. At one point she even said, "if you would just listen then you would have beautiful pots" to a class of beginners. I couldn't believe the way she was talking to us and aggressively handling our hands and clay on the wheel. At the end of the class, she rushes everyone off their wheels and says the class is over. None of us were even done and you could tell everyone was disappointed but wanted to just get out of there. As soon as she rushes everyone off, she goes back to working on her own pot. She asks if everyone has paid, and there are about 4 of us who haven't. We had to wait for about 20 minutes to pay while she's working on her own wheel!! The place was such a mess, pots everywhere with absolutely no system or organization. We will never see the pots we made again. I was so embarrassed about taking my boyfriend here. Should have read more reviews. read more

The place was awful, dirty, unorganized, and the staff was unprofessional. My daughter who is 9 had trouble getting her plate to stay down so i got up and snapped it in place so it would not fly off when the spinner stopped. I was scolded and told to SIT DOWN! EXcuse me? They were rude and not even worth the 20 dollar groupon!!! I would pay 3 times as much to go to "make a wish" and have a clean professional place. Very low class in my humble opinion! Will not return. read more

I have yet to actually go here, but I felt I needed to still leave a review. I've bought a groupon for two mini pottery classes for a date, however, my date and I were having trouble figuring out when we could both get time off for this. I had messaged the owner(?) on Facebook about a few questions I had and also to see if space was available for certain dates. The recipient was very prompt with their replies and was very kind and friendly about everything, even helping me find a good date with space available for both my date and I, as the reservations for the classes filled up much faster than I would have expected. Needless to say, we're both in for down the line in January and excited to try it out! read more

CONS: They over book their classes, you don't get to keep your "8 Min.on the pottery wheel" creation for your very own, Instructed how to glaze using someone else's pottery - then can drive back to pick up after the kiln is done with it. PROS: The instructors are patient and humorous. Trying out a potter's wheel. Plenty pottery to choose from to glaze. read more

This place is awesome. As with most people, I found this little place through Groupon and I am glad I did. I bought two Groupons and had no problem scheduling a saturday class for me and my friend for the 2pm saturday class for the pottery wheel. A lot of the reviews I am reading are complaining about scheduling or Groupons not being honored. Groupon is an an incredibly popular service. If you call in advance of when you want to go, and don't wait until the last minute, scheduling anywhere with a Groupon is a breeze. This place is no different. They aren't beholden to honor your expired Groupons, you are responsible for scheduling in a timely manner. We loved our class, and are awaiting the drying time so we can go back and glaze. This class was seriously so much fun, that I am considering buying a class for 4 when my mom and sister come out to visit. Good fun! read more

Came here with a Groupon for the beginner's pottery wheel class which turned out to be really fun. My only gripe is that they really limit the amount of clay you can use so I couldn't make a big bowl like I had imagined. The class also felt really rushed near the end. We came back a few weeks later to paint our pieces and it was fun seeing the end result. Would I come back again? While it was fun to experience, probably not. read more

I too learned of Desert Dragon Pottery via Groupon. Everything was explained thoroughly before, during and after. I didn't have any issues scheduling my one hour beginners pottery wheel class on a Saturday for myself and husband. Together, sitting side by side at our own wheels, we crafted two unique pieces each with the guidance of our instructor. It's a great afternoon date! Something to keep in mind if you're looking to gift your creation, it's a multi-visit process from start to finish taking several weeks: 1)creation 2) paint/decorate/fire glaze 3) pick up final products. Our second visit to paint our creations was also a nice experience. There were a lot of paints to choose from including brushes useful for different designs. Tip: Try to have an idea of the design you want to paint before you go. My husband picked up our finished products, which turned out great. With patience, you'll have a real blast with this place. read more

Folks are very well educated and practiced in clay Work and glazing. Lessons were a tiny bit gruff as if we were gonna go crazy not listen or follow directions. We wish we felt a little more welcome and treated gently. Not unwelcome or rough but we are super sensitive. read more