Decided to take an intro class to wheel throwing and initially had my doubts due to previous experiences in high school. Our instructor Kristen (and the blonde instructor -- forgot her name) were patient and encouraging throughout the entire class. Kristen's in depth explanation + demonstration was easy to follow as a beginner, but the instructors frequently made their rounds to work with everyone individually, giving advice and feedback. Despite the class session only being 2 hrs, I felt like I was able to focus on improving basic skills and learning new techniques. Even if you don't have any interest in pottery, I HIGHLY recommend taking a class regardless. The space is welcoming, and it was a great (and fun) way to release stress creatively :) looking forward to how my pieces come out! read more

Makers & Clay - Art Classes Near Me - Monrovia, California

Their one time workshops are great for trying out a new hobby without the commitment. I took the matcha bowl and whisk holder making class. It was a full class and the instructor patiently explained each step. Before you sign up, make sure to read the description carefully. There are hand-building classes and wheel throwing classes. Hand-building is hand molding and you don't work with the wheel. My one-time matcha bowl and whisk holder making class was hand-building and we don't get to decorate or glaze it. Instead, you get to pick from a selection of paint colors and their team finish glazing and fire it for you. You also need to wait about 6 weeks for it to be ready for pick up, which is standard for community pottery places. I picked the white paint with specks which I regretted. The glaze came back with some uneven spots and a dark brown mark on the outside. Since the studio glazed it for us, I was a little disappointed with the final result. Pottery definitely tests your patience and perfectionism. Not sure if pottery is for me, but I might come back for their wheel throwing class. read more

Makers & Clay - Art Classes Near Me - Monrovia, California

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I took the 4 week pottery class on Monday nights in May with Max. We had a group of 8 people, and it was really fun learning the basics. Max went around and helped each of us center our pieces properly, observed our form, and provided suggestions to correct when needed. I felt like I learned a lot with just the 4 classes. They also provide studio access every day throughout the week in between classes so that you can practice on your own schedule and finish up more pieces, which I'd recommend taking advantage of. The studio is always clean and well stocked with supplies (but you will need to get your own tools if you come during your own time). I ended up with 5 unique pieces, the beginner glazes turned out beautiful. read more

Makers & Clay - Created a few bowls / cups from 4 week wheel throwing class - Art Classes Near Me - Monrovia, California

My cousin is a member here and I decided to try it since it's something new! I am not an artsy person at all and have struggled in the past with arts and crafts so was a bit nervous. Did a one time wheel throwing class and Kristen was our instructor. She was amazing and very patient. Whenever I felt like things were going wrong, she took time to make sure I got back on track and showed me how to do things properly even if I had to ask multiple times. There was also another lady walking around to help and she was also very patient and nice. I feel like the price is worth it since you get to make two items and they don't try to rush you. Would recommend this to all skill levels! Can't wait to see the finished product when it's ready. read more

Makers & Clay - Art Classes Near Me - Monrovia, California

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Our teacher Matt is just amazing. Very handsome and patient to teach me as a beginner. The environment of the studio is positive and we are blessed to have Makers & Clay in our community in Monrovia. read more

I highly highly recommend this place! It's such a lovely addition to the community and really creates more community when taking a class here. I really love local small businesses that create sense of community and this is a place that does just that. The teachers are so friendly and lovely. They work so hard to accommodate you and your lack of skill (or should I say my lack of skills) lol. The environment is super clean and not crowded at all. Such a clean and fresh space it does not feel crowded even with the number of people present in the physical space . read more

Makers & Clay - Art Classes Near Me - Monrovia, California

Just had a birthday event there. Liz was out instructor and she was great. She was so kind, patient and gave great instructions on technique. The girls really enjoyed there time there. 3 hours went by so fast! We will be back in a few weeks to pick up our finished creations! Plenty of parking in the front, and there is a parking lot next door. The studio as neat, clean, well organized and AC was nice and strong (it was 107F the day we went). Great place to host a team building or celebration event. read more

Makers & Clay - Our painted creations are ready to be fired up! - Art Classes Near Me - Monrovia, California

As a date night, my husband and I took one of the pottery wheel making class and had such a great time. The instructor was super friendly and made the class fun and easy to follow. We each walked out with 2 pieces (bowls) and got to choose what color we wanted them glazed. All materials were ready within a week and they honestly look like professionals made them. Definitely will come back to do this again with some friends. read more

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This place is so fun! We went to the pumpkin event. And I even made 2 bunnies!! Along with my pumpkin and ghost! read more

Makers & Clay - Art Classes Near Me - Monrovia, California

For my 500th review, I am choosing to write about Makers & Clay, a wonderful pottery studio in Monrovia. My husband and I did a single Friday night wheel throwing class for beginners in April 2025 ($85 each) and we loved it SO much that we decided to sign up for a 4-week session for beginner wheel throwing ($225 each) in May. The one-off Friday class was as 2 hours from 7-9pm and there are 10 spots per class with 1 instructor, who would demonstrate the basics of wheel throwing. They go around giving corrective feedback to the students. By the end of the class, you will have thrown 2 pieces of pottery that the instructor will then take over the process and fire them up in the kiln and glaze it with your pre-selected glaze. You can then pick up your pieces about 2 months later. For the 4-week beginning wheel throwing session, it includes a weekly 2 hour class , the first of which is similar to the one-off Friday night class. The second class focuses on trimming the piece(s) you made in the first class. The third class is like the first class but with more targeted support in your area(s) of need. The 4th class is about glazing the pieces. We selected Wednesday night classes to break up the work week which I think was a great idea. This 4-week option also allows you to go in the studio to practice on your own time when there isn't a wheel throwing class going on. There are other workshops and classes offered, such as personalized pet bowls, hand building, independent studies, etc. Check out their website for more details. The music played in the studio is hit after hit! Parking - FREE. there is a parking lot next to the studio and parking on the street for 90 minutes to 3 hours. Also, the studio is located near many eateries for before/after class. My husband and I have been having such a great time with the challenge of learning a new skill. We've also really enjoyed meeting other people in the studio, fellow beginners and seasoned potters. Everyone is so kind and helpful; it is a beautiful community of people. I wholeheartedly recommend taking at least one pottery class to see if you like it and if you want to move forward with this very frustrating yet satisfying hobby, and maybe even make it into a career! read more

Absolutely love this pottery studio. Audrey was a wonderful instructor, incredibly helpful, patient and genuinely invested in helping us understand the process. You can really tell how much care goes into the studio by the overall vibe. It feels warm, inviting, and genuinely community-driven. An absolute gem in Monrovia, and I can't wait to visit again read more

I've been going to this studio for 2 months now, and plan to upgrade to a membership! First of all, everyone - from the owners (Kyle and Marcus), to the teachers, and fellow students/members - are very kind and welcoming and un-intimidating. I took two sessions of the 4-week classes, both with Liz Kim. Not only is Liz a fantastic teacher, there's open studio practice time: with the 4-week session comes open studio time from 9a-9p, 7 days a week, as long as there's no class at that time. I had no clay experience, and was very frustrated when I first started, but everyone was so friendly and would always be willing to give me tips & encouragement during the open studio and I found myself getting more and more into pottery because of the atmosphere and access to the space. Each class is 2 hours long, and time really flies! There's also clay, tools, glazes, and supplies for sale right at the studio so you don't have to outsource. They fire the kiln frequently as well so you can get your pieces back within weeks. I highly recommend this studio if you're looking to start pottery as a new hobby! read more

This place is fantastic. I've been a part of 3 studios across the nation and have taken classes at about 6. So I've seen a lot of different types of setups, teams, glaze options, and price points. Atmosphere & Ambiance: The atmosphere of this place is unparalleled. When you're in the studio hours on end it can be a drag to not have sunlight. You will never have that problem at this studio. The natural sunlight that flows into the studio is incredible and makes working all the more enjoyable. The studio is always kempt and neat with plenty of wheels for both members and non-members. I have never entered the studio and had to come back at a later time to get a wheel which has happened at prior studios. This is amazing because as a working professional I don't have time to do that. The studio has everything you would need from supplies to clay for purchase to glazes. Speaking of which... Glazes: A pretty good selection of glazes to choose from with the types slowly building up. It is a new studio so they're currently implementing colors but the ones they have are solid. I haven't had one piece come out with messed up glaze yet which is a miracle. It's been months and probably around 50 completed pieces all near perfection. I'm very happy with both the glaze selection and the patient kiln angels at this studio. They do a fantastic job. Classes: I've taken the beginner wheel throwing course twice because at the time there were no intermediate courses available and my father in law bought me the classes for access to the studio. I didn't pay attention much and did my own thing, but I did notice the teacher did a very good job. She was patient and thorough with her explanations. I noticed she took her time with each student at whatever stage of learning they were at. Firing: they fire cone 5/6 at the studio and do a good job. Amazingly none of my pieces have been messed up yet and I've probably fired about 50 pieces at this point. Problems I've had at other studios including spots of color on my white pieces from touching surrounding pieces for example. I'm so happy to report that hasn't happened! The team: This is the friendliest group of people you'll likely encounter at any studio. They are incredibly kind and patient with every ask you might have. I appreciate they make the rules very clear so there is no confusion about what or how to do things in the studio. Truly a wonderful team. Cost: It's LA so expect it to be higher in general. It is what it is. Most other studios in LA charge around $250+/month + you pay for glaze firing. Makers charges studio membership for $200/month + you pay glaze firing (minimal in cost). My old studio in the middle of nowhere East Coast charged $65/month + no additional costs. Classes at Makers are a fantastic deal - about $225 for a month of classes all in which is totally worth it. All in all I will say cost is pretty good and well worth it all things considered. Overall: I would rate this studio as the best studio I've worked at thus far. I enjoy my time spent there and feel connected to the pottery community in our small town. It's a good feel with a mix of people from all walks of life. If you're thinking of joining as a member or taking a class I would highly recommend it. Cheers! read more

Makers & Clay - Fired at Makers & Clay - Art Classes Near Me - Monrovia, California

I LOVE Makers & Clay! I've been taking pottery classes monthly since April. The instructors are so knowledgeable and encouraging and I always feel welcome at the studio, even though I'm a beginner. The studio is in downtown Monrovia, is super clean and has lots of wheels and space for hand building. There's a great selection of glazes too. If you've ever wanted to learn pottery, I cannot recommend Makers & Clay enough! read more

coolest! nothing but positive experiences. classes are great and the instructors are always friendly and helpful. i've made some questionable pieces here but while having a good time. the stuff on display is always super cool to look at and ponder which piece would go in which room at your house. if you're local i'd def consider the membership to fully access this lovely space. we make the drive here even though there's a studio closer to us! read more

Audrey and Marcus were amazing instructors! The studio is wonderful, has amazing varieties of clays and glazes, and is definitely worth it. You get open studio practice from 9-9 if you sign up for a class so it's a wonderful way of getting experience outside of class as well. read more

My favorite place ever!! I'm currently taking my third month of classes at Makers & Clay. Art is definitely something that I really enjoy doing, that I don't get to do enough of consistently but since coming to Makers & Clay, being creative and having the motivation to be artistic has become part of my daily routine. I have taken art classes (painting & drawing) in the past and enjoy occasional crafting (sewing, knitting). I've always been curious about ceramics but it always seem "too hard" and intimidating so even though I thought it looked really cool, I never thought I'd be someone who would learn how to make pottery. I didn't have any ceramics experience prior to coming here other than a little hand sculpting with modeling clay. I started with taking the 4-week Wheel 1 class. In Wheel 1, you learn the foundations of wheel from throwing on the wheel, trimming, wedging clay, and glazing by creating cylinders. The first week, you learn how to center and throw on the wheel, the second week is learning how to wedge clay and trim pieces, the third week is time to work on creating more pieces and receive instructor time, and the last week is glazing. Even though it's a 4 week class, you get time after your last class ends to finish glazing your pieces. Liz was my teacher and she was super nice, patient, and encouraging. Even though, I'm not in her class anymore, she still is so happy when she sees me and encouraging when she sees what I'm working on and my progression. All the instructors (plus members & students) are super nice. It really feels so friendly because it feels like you are part of a close-knit community especially if you use open studio hours which I highly recommend! Everyone is so supportive and just wants you to do well. The second class I took was Hand-building 1 with Kristen. The format of this class is different from Wheel 1 in that with hand-building, you are taught different techniques/project each week. The first week we learned how to make pinch pots. The second week, we learned a method known as coiling (used to make vessels like vases, pots). The third week, we learned about to make slab mugs using the slab roller. The cool part about handbuilding is that you also learn cool techniques like how to work with attachments (for example, attaching a handle to a mug). Kristen is so informative because she has such a vast library of knowledge. I'm currently taking Wheel 1 for the second time. I was hesitant about taking Wheel 1 again because I already took that class but from talking to other students, a lot of them ended up taking Wheel 1 a couple of times and they said it was really beneficial to take it more than once. I would have to agree because I feel like I'm improving more this second time around. My teacher this time is Kyle. I feel like since I've taken Wheel 1 before, I have already a good basic knowledge of Wheel 1 but now it's refining what I learned in Wheel 1. Also when I took Wheel 1 the first time, I feel like I was really overwhelmed with learning something new, overcoming a lot of my own struggles with perfectionism, that taking it for the second time, it feels more relaxing because I'm reviewing what I already learned and able to understand it better. Kyle is super attentive, patient, and observant. I was having issue where my pieces would start to flare out too soon and Kyle was able to see that due to my hand shape (hyperextended joints), adjusting my hand to a slightly cupped position would help me. I'm so glad I decided to take Wheel 1 again because I feel more confident this time around. The space is really nice and clean. If you are a student or member, you have access to shelf space for your tools and pieces. You also get access to the studio's glazes and tools. Members get access to more glazes but the glazes that students get to use are really an awesome selection too. They also stock a good supply of everything you'll need from tools, underglazes, and glazes for you to purchase. Parking is super easy (there is street parking and free lot parking that has time limits from 90 minutes, 3 hours up to 8 hours). It feels super safe because there are bright streetlights and it's across the street from the police station. It's also within walking distance to many restaurants and coffee shops if you get thirsty or hungry or need a break. If ceramics and creating your own art is something you're interested in, you should 100% check out Makers & Clay, you will not regret your decision. If taking a 4-week class seems like it's too intimidating or too big of a commitment, they offer one-time wheel and hand-building class or workshops to try out first. read more

I purchased a slab mug workshop class and went with a few of my friends. The class was fun and relaxing, I said relaxing because you get into the zone when focusing on the details when making the mug. It's 3hrs, but goes by fast. The workshop instructor was so nice, very thorough and friendly! The place has full a/c inside and it's nice and spacious. read more

Took a beginner wheel throwing class during Monrovia Days. The instructors were great! Very patient, knowledgeable, and helpful. Can't wait to see our finished pieces. Highly recommend! read more

Great instructors, fun classes, and an overall supportive and fun atmosphere among members and students alike. I considered signing up for a beginning class for weeks. I'm so glad I finally did! read more