My girlfriend and I visited Mudfire for a pottery class and had a great time. The instructors were all very helpful and informative and the space was super cool to check out. The parking was great and the tour of the studio was really cool to see and learn about the process. Then we got a ton of hands on time with the pottery, about an hour and a half, and then we got to pick from a wide selection of glazes which the artists will apply and then in about 6 weeks we will be able to pick up the pottery. I was blown away by the price of the class. I received it as a gift, but when I learned that it was only $65 per person for a 2 hour class and 2 pieces of pottery I was shocked. I'd highly recommend to anyone and everyone! read more

As I followed GPS and approached the property, I realized I've passed this place many times and didn't even know it was there. We turned right off the bumpy road that led us there and noticed their sizable parking lot. We found a spot quickly, snapped a couple of pictures and entered. There was really no direction or guidance when we got inside so we were hovering around for a few minutes. Then I noticed a check in desk at the far end. There was a couple ahead of us so we waited for a few seconds and then approached the counter. We advised that we were scheduled for the 5 PM class. The staff checked us in, pointed us in the right direction, and also informed us that we could roam around and check out their gallery before our class started, since we were a little early. I would say initially there were a bunch of people milling around. I was not sure if they were staff members or other patrons, but we did not initially get a very welcoming feel. Not a lot of eye contact or warm smiles. We roamed around checking the gallery until our class started. We approached the training area as it got close to our scheduled start time. Our instructor. Zoe greeted us warmly and told us she would get things started soon. Before class, she conducted an official tour that led us around the whole property. She clearly explained how the whole process would flow. Then she did a full demo before we even started. She led us through the process, and we were able to create three different creations, but she let us know that we were only able to keep two. Zoe was a star; very informative, patient and knowledgeable about the whole process. She expertly stepped in and helped us whenever we had questions. We washed up, picked out final colors for our creations and checked out. She advised that it would take 6 to 8 weeks for the whole creation to be baked and ready for pick up. For some reason, I thought we would be able to take our creations with us that day. Overall, we really enjoyed our first time at Mudfire. read more

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My friends and I enjoyed a Saturday morning being creative and learning to create a custom pottery piece on a wheel. The deposit left online was $20 or $25. We paid the remaining balance upon arrival. Mudfire has plenty of free parking and we were warmly welcomed upon arrival, took a tour of the facility including the place where the kilns were located and shown samples of pieces we could create. We were also taken to a small gallery that displayed artist in residence where we could purchase things to take home. Our lesson began with a couple teachers showing us how to sit at the wheel and create a small piece. Then we were divided into smaller groups and given a pound of clay. We enjoyed ourselves and learned a lot about wheel speed, pressure, tools, hand placement, and more. As we finished, everything was marked with our name and we were able to choose a finishing glaze for each piece. It was an amazing experience and we will return in the new year. read more

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I took the intro wheels class and had a blast. Went by myself and still had fun talking interaction with my section of the class. This is great selection for anyone who wants to do something interactive. I this I paid $65 which is pretty good value for the type of experience. I will be going back for sure! Shout out to Ray who did a great job helping read more

I had an amazing experience for my birthday at the end of July! Molly was my teacher she was knowledgeable and had dry humor that made the class funny and even more enjoyable. I just picked up my piece after the 6-8 week glazing period. I'll definitely be back I think it was worth the price fun for a girls night out or even a date night. read more

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I took four stars off for a number of reasons. Let's start with the class. I went with my husband. I'm the crafty one between us, but that still didn't excuse the teacher to laugh at him every time he needed help. Rather than teach him, she'd just do it for him. A student is only as good as their teacher. The selection of what you can do in the class is minimal, which wasn't a big deal because they have plenty of glazes to make up for any lack of sculpting variety. The only star is for the glaze, which is unfortunately a crap shoot. While they can apparently fix those in house, they'd rather give you a product they messed up on. They got blue on the maroon and just left it? Only to find out that's actually something they could have fixed? But if all that wasn't enough, the owner is a drama queen--seriously, read her replies. This is not the type of place you want to go to if you want to avoid that. read more

MudFire - Unprofessional. - Art Galleries Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

One extremely rude encounter was enough to keep me away. You would think it would be a happy place...it is for many I am sure of it, but not for me and husband. read more

Came with my girl and calling what they do a "class" is a stretch. You essentially watch the "teacher" make something and then wing it yourself. When I did ask for help, the "teacher" just finished my project for me, which wasn't what I was paying for. It shouldn't cost what they charge for the two small balls of clay they plop in front of you. Much better ways to spend your time and money. read more

For my birthday on 4/4, all I wanted was to have a relaxing and fun creative moment. My BF and I booked a pottery class midday @ 1pm. Thanks for offering that on a random Thursday & not a slammed weekend. While our tour & class was conducted by Molly,- skilled artist/teacher of 10 yrs...there were club members creating pottery. Just doing their own thing. Some with headphones on. No one was loud or rude. Lots of convos & instructions going on, but not too distracting. Maybe only up @ the front desk, but they're friendly and trying to help ppl in front of them & on the phone. I'm very proud of my creations & would consider a membership. You book online & reserve your spot for $20 online. You pay in full on the end of the appointment. At the end of the process you pick colors (84 options). The process is to dry out the clay & put in the kiln twice. After about 4-6 weeks you get an email to pick up your items. I'd do it again, for sure! read more

MudFire - Birthday creations, two pottery items - Art Galleries Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

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I took a class here through Airbnb! It was a super fun experience. Molly led us through the entire process and we made two difference pieces during the time together. You have complete creative control which is awesome if you know what you want to make, but can be challenging if you have no idea what to do! This is a great place if you live local, the pieces are ready within 6 weeks, if you live out of town they are able to ship the pieces your way. I recommend you stop by. read more

MudFire - Finished pieces - Art Galleries Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

This was our first time trying our hand at the pottery wheel. The ladies at Mud Fire made it a super fun and laid back experience. They gave step by step instructions on how to make your pottery. You got to decide what two items you wanted to make. You also got to pick the color glaze. We will definitely be back. read more

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This is an absolute JOY!! I've been wanting to go to a pottery class for quite some time. I found MudFire from a Yelp search and it came highly recommended. Signup was relatively easy. The take a $10 deposit, which is refundable as long as you cancel 24-48 hours ahead. You pay the remaining balance ($45 + optional tip) at the end. When you arrive, you check in at the desk and they'll guide you to the gallery. I waited about 10 minutes and our guide came back to start the tour. She showed us where everything is made and gave us an in depth explanation of the overall process. After the tour was the live demonstration and then hands on learning!!! This was my first time so I made a cup and a bowl. There were so many things we could have made!! After we made our pieces we got to choose the glaze!! There were so many options!! I was absolutely torn because I loved them all. I highly recommend MudFire!! I went alone but this would be a great girls night or date night. Your art takes 4-6 weeks before you can take it home. I'm sure my babies are in good hands!! Looking forward to the final results! read more

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I took a class here while staying in the area and it was so much fun. I believe our instructor's name was Molly and she was so kind and helpful. Pottery is a lot harder than it looks and I loved every second of it- would definitely go again if I got the chance. We were able to make two pieces, choose the colors we wanted (and finish I think) and I got mine a few months later and while I struggled to make them look the best it's nice have something I worked on and didn't give up on read more

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I recently had the pleasure of taking their beginner's pottery class, and I must say it was an absolutely delightful and enriching experience. From the moment I walked into the studio, I could sense the passion and expertise of the instructors. The instructors were not only knowledgeable but also incredibly patient and encouraging. They created a warm and inviting atmosphere that fostered creativity. Whether you were a complete novice or had some experience with pottery, the class catered to all skill levels, ensuring everyone felt comfortable and supported. Their classes are very affordable and is great for a solo date like myself, date night, or just something fun to do with friends. I will update with a picture later, as it takes 4-6 weeks for them to finish the glazing. read more

I was a member of Mudfire for a year and I never felt comfortable there. I actually felt nervous every time I walked in the door wondering whether I would get an eye roll, get yelled at, or be completely ignored (which was sadly a big win). The management is so rude and judgmental it's mind blowing. They pride themselves on being open to diversity with gay flags and liberal political posters which is a joke. They make fun of beginners for simply being beginners. There is no compassion or willingness to teach from the owners and most of the staff. It's really sad since the facilities are truly great. I've kept in touch with many of the other past members who are lovely and all we can do is hope for new ownership. Until then, avoid at all costs if you're looking for a friendly community. And if you're going for a date night it's a coin toss whether you'll get a nice teacher, but the odds aren't in your favor. read more

The facility is self is great. I can genuinely understand why it's so popular. There is space for every kind of ceramicist. However, if you are a person of color this may not be the space for you. I've interacted with Mudfire employees on date nights and I've also been a member. The date nights can easily get you to be a member. It can be such a great time and a lot of fun creating something new. However, as soon as you join it's a completely different vibe. The "Rangers" volunteer their time during studio hours in exchange for using the studio when they want and they only get paid for "date nights". This helps put in perspective other POC's claims as to why the actual membership is so different. There are very few Rangers who are actually kind and willing to help you with out making you feel like a bother. This space is great for white queer fem presenting or masc people. If you are outside of that description please do not expect kindness or hospitality. The managers of the studio are very argumentative (as you can see in the comments) and do not take any suggestions well. It's my true belief that the owners and a large number of the staff are racist and suffer from internalized prejudice. Please do not let the "lgbtq friendly" signs and atmosphere fool you. They only process change and prejudice as it pertains to them directly. If you do decide to give them your money please only go for your enjoyment and expect to work independently. read more

I decided to have a mother/daughter day with my adult daughter at Mud Fire a month or so ago. I didn't post due to the experience, we wanted to make sure our "art" didn't get lost or broken. What would have been a memorable day was anything but. We arrived early as it's minutes from my house, dressed appropriately ready to play with clay. Another couple, checked in after us as we waited, their bubbly instructor met them quickly. We,waited. Finally, 12 minutes after our start time our instructor met us, get name is Natalie, you want to remember that. As we started, unlike the other couple beside us who btw got 2 colors of clay our gal, well she cut out pieces quickly and rushed through the demo. We were both SOOOOO lost. Beyond lost, but willing to try. As we struggled, she offered zero encouragement to the point my daughter started paying attention to the other people. We asked for help and instead of "instructing" which is what you pay 100.00 for a 2 hour session is supposed to be. Instead, she huffed and puffed to the point we just wanted it to end. She would grab our pieces and just fix them. Umm, if I wanted someone else to do it I wouldn't have shown up. About 30 minutes before our session was to end she abruptly decided she was done, as was my daughter, and she LEFT us- seriously who does that? She also failed to explain the colors so we picked them out and then she said "oh, I should have told you, you can't use any of those" SMH vigorously at this point. Overall, the concept is a 4 get attitude and lack of character and instruction a zero, hence the 2. Shameful really that employees can kill a business concept for their patrons. Footnote, I had a tiny(tiny) hole in mine and instead of helping me fix it my cup she said would have to be a planter- horrible. read more

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I took over 25 classes here and loved my experience with instructors. After surpassing what the space was able to offer me, I cancelled my furute classes within the 24-48 hr policy. I have since received multiple rude emails from the owner. Just read the responses to other low reviews on Google (very emtionally driven, unproffesional, and immautre). Other places to take pottery classes: ATL Clayworks, Callanwolde, Spruill Art Center read more

As a first time potter, I took the beginner class and had a great experience. My instructor was very sweet and took the time to help me out when needed. The establishment was very clean and nicely organized. I will definitely be coming back here. read more

I'm literally typing this review in the car after my session here because I really adored this place! I had a date night session booked for me and my boyfriend, and our instructor Nadia was the best. I kept having difficulty centering my clay, and each time Nadia would gladly step in to help, which applies to the other times I had trouble with my pot. She was very patient when working with us and really made the whole experience comfortable. The session is approximately 2 hours long. The first 20 minutes is a tour of the studio and the gift shop. Really interesting pieces and cool kilns to see. The rest of the time was us working on then wheel and picking the glazes for our pieces. We both made 3 relatively medium sized pots, and we weren't too messy afterward. I totally recommend this place for any pottery enthusiast or any couple who wants to do something fun! Totally worth the price, and the overall experience very enjoyable. read more

MudFire - Our pots, three for each person - Art Galleries Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

The owners can be harsh if you do something that aggravates them. The teachers are good.

I took a beginners class here and it was SO much fun. Instructor was kind and informative and I got to have a great experience for a great price. Definitely would recommend trying it out. read more

Great tutorial. A fun experience. I'll definitely be back. Once you get the hang of it, you want to do more.

The owner was extremely rude while we were inquiring about memberships. She completely turned me off from going there for any classes.

My boyfriend took me for a birthday surprise. I've always wanted to do this and let's just say it was not at all what I thought was going to happen. First I think they should explain the colors at the beginning so you can decide what kind of clay you want to us because at the end we had dark clay and I hated all the color choices. Our instructor Natalie was awful and rude used her phone during our session and acted like we should've known what to do. read more

I was a member at Mudfire for 7 months and when I joined, I had 1.5 yrs of prior pottery experience and recently purchased a wheel to throw and trim at home. In November, I was excited to have found a place where I could glaze and fire my pieces. Unfortunately, this excitement was fleeting due to multiple factors and incidents. The studio facilities are nice. Members receive a shelf where they can store their pieces in progress, tools, and another shelf to store their clay. I only used the studio's glaze area and kiln room to bisque and glaze fire my pieces that I made at home. The glazing area has dozens of studio-made glazes and clay sample tiles to show what the different glazes look like on different clay bodies from different types of firings. The studio also has a small well-stocked shop where you can purchase clay, bats, and other small tools and materials. It is difficult to explain this in words but I could best describe my experience at Mudfire as inconsistent. There are rangers (studio attendants) that are awesome and I am very grateful for their advice, help, and encouragement (Thank you, Nikki, Ali, Carson, Alana, Alexandria, and Lily!). There are also members of the staff that would benefit from intensive customer service and bias training. The fact that there are excellent rangers and terrible (I truly mean terrible) rangers creates this whole unspoken rule system of how to navigate the studio with the least amount of friction. Due to me living in Cobb at the time, it would take me an hour or so to drive to the studio so I would go on Saturdays. The energy in the studio was lively and the rangers working were helpful and kind. At one point, I could only go to the studio on Sundays and the energy of the studio was very different. On Sundays, the studio more resembled a penitentiary arts and crafts room where the members were heads down working on their pieces and the aptly named 'rangers' ensured that no one got out of line. At one point, I had to stop by the studio on a holiday Monday night, and again, it was lit. The complete opposite of Sundays. Being a young black woman raised in Metro ATL, I have dealt with a wide spectrum of mistreatment - from blatant hateful interactions to micro-aggressions. To be frank, I found many of my experiences with Mudfire staff to be triggering. From being followed from the studio to the kiln room repeatedly, to be repeatedly being asked by one specific ranger "Are you a member here?", not being allowed into the studio and having a ranger use their body to bar my entrance into the building while it was raining (this moment was so dramatic it felt like a cosmic joke), being told "you are actually not helping us (the rangers) at all" when I was moving some of my pieces from one shelf to another, being ignored by 3 staff members at once as they tried to silently walk past me and then being aggressively asked "what do you even want?' when I asked for the owner's email address (same ranger who had me outside in the rain and constantly asked if I was a member)... unfortunately, the list goes on. I do not enjoy confrontation at all and this was my experience. I did not feel safe asking questions or standing up for myself at the moment due to the hostile environment that was created. Since I joined the studio during the pandemic, I was very forgiving of the attitudes I encountered. It took me 7 months to realize that these attitudes and issues ran deeper than COVID anxiety and I needed to remove myself from the studio to save myself from these micro-aggressive interactions and the $159/month. What is ironic is that when I first joined Mudfire, I was told not to support a ceramics store here in Atlanta due to their political views being the opposite of mine. I had shopped at this store before and recall my experience to be one I was familiar with. I was ignored by the owners and helped by the POC staff. My experience at Mudfire was the same except that some members of the staff were helpful and others were actively hostile. To my knowledge, Mudfire is the only ceramic studio in the ATL area and, in my experience, this fact is taken advantage of. Most of the members are there out of necessity and cannot afford the cost or have the space for their own studio with a kiln. I believe that some of the poor customer service is because they do not believe that they have to treat their customers well in order to have customers. People would rather navigate around the BS and grin and bear the specific hostile rangers and "policies" than go without the hobby that is supposed to make them happy. If there were other comparably equipped studios in the area, I do not believe that Mudfire would have many members. read more

Very fun and amazing experience! I booked the date night for two which is $100. It is totally worth it! Lee was our instructor she was amazing and walked us through everything and helped out when things weren't looking too good. Keep in mind you will have to come back on another day so that your pottery pieces can dry and be glossed. read more

MudFire - Art Galleries Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

If you look through their reviews, there are a lot of bad reviews from members. While date nights are what Mudfire is known for, you should be careful with considering a membership here. I admire the other previous members for being brave enough to leave honest reviews. Many people are too tired to deal with further harassment from Daphne and Deanna (and other certain rangers) and just hope to forget their nightmare experience at Mudfire. read more

My boyfriend and I visited this location for a date and LOVED every minute of it! Very intimate and cute! We haven't received what we made back but I'm assuming it's because of the virus but if we get an update about what we made that would be awesome! read more

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Amazing! It was my boyfriend and I first time making pottery and we had such a great time! Definitely a bucketlist for couples!

This is a review for their Date Night - 100 bucks/2 hours. You'll take home lots of cool pottery when all done! Parking - There's a parking lot sort of. You'll park side by side.... unsure how long it goes parking wise. We got here at a good time, so no trouble. Make sure to call ahead for your date night! There is an instructor you'll be working with. We had Samuel - very nice guy. Super patient with me and my bf, haha. I think we both messed up a lot on our pottery. Samuel was able to help us form some good ones. Throughout the entire session, Samuel taught us how to throw, form, finish up the clays we used. It's harder than you think! I didn't realize a lot of time was used until I poked into my phone. Whoa. 2 hours flew by. At the end, Samuel asked us what color we wanted him to finish up with. Fast forward 4-6 weeks... we got an email from Samuel to pick up our box. Glad we came there to do something cool for our anniversary! read more

MudFire - After waiting a few weeks! :) - Art Galleries Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

Just called to book a class for myself for my dad's 11th year death anniversary because I wanted to spend the day doing something I enjoyed. Called to see if I could book a class just for myself, which would be 50$, they told me that I couldn't do that and that I'd have to book the class for two people and they would not accommodate. Which meant I would be paying 100$ just for myself( which is outrageous). I then asked if I could come back another day since I'd be paying the $100 just for myself she then told me, no you'd have to pay again. When I asked her why she said it didn't matter and that I'd be coming back with a friend anyway so I'd have to pay no matter what. Customer service is terrible and both of the ladies I spoke with were very rude! I would not recommend to my worst enemy. read more

Ceramic studio for artist and folks interested in creating with clay, with work area for both wheel throwing and hand-building clay. Until I moved to Atlanta, I had only found clay studios like this in colleges, where one had to take classes, and follow a "curriculum". Beyond college most potters and ceramic artist have to build their own studio and everything they do is limited by what is possible in their space. At mudfire, I have access to professional studio with kilns, wheels, glazes and I leave all that mud and firing there and return home to my apartment. It's a grand place and community of people. They have cone 06 electric and regular gas firing, as well as a raku sign up sheet. (I'll be raku-ing this Sunday with half a dozen other people :-) for example. If you are a clay artist / sculptor or ever been interested in learning how to throw pottery, this is the place. They have two rows of wheels, a slab roller and more glazes then I've ever seen in any ceramic studio. P.S. If you are already deep into the clay then definitely check out the web page to attend the workshops. They have some really incredible artists coming to town from all over the country and some very famous US potters and artists from all over the world, Japan, Europe etc.. Oh and if you are looking to buy pottery, not make it -- the Mudfire gallery is one of the best ceramic galleries in Georgia. http://www.mudfire.com/gallery.htm read more

MudFire - raku firing at Mudfire Decatur - Art Galleries Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

I had so much fun learning to make pottery on the wheel with Alana. She was such an awesome and a hilarious instructor.

MudFire Studio and Gallery is a hidden gem in the rough located in Decatur. My wife and sister-in-law attended a date night here, totaling $150 or $50 a person. We were greeted by our individual instructor for hands on instructions on the studio, a tour of the gallery, and a quick how-to on clay throwing. A few things I learnt, firstly clay throwing is messy! You will get clay all over your hands and arms and areas of your pants, shirt, and shoes. Buyer beware and definitely only wear clothing you're comfortable with getting dirty. Secondly, this is not an easy art expression. YouTube and instructor tutorials do not give justice to the difficulty in setting and creating your piece. Your instructor will definitely assist you where needed, but don't expect a perfect piece your first few times. Lastly, this is an extremely fun date night idea. You are given free reign on what you would like to create and what color scheme your instructor sets once you complete. The ability to set and mold your piece is extremely cathartic and a great stress reliever. Once you complete your date night, it takes approximately 4-6 weeks for the clay to settle and be painted (not the correct word for this but I forget what exactly it is called) Overall, highly recommended here and a great place to bring friends and family for some easy fun. read more

I really didn't want to leave a review, and instead just forget Mudfire even exists. But after seeing so many others here echoing my exact experience, I wanted to make sure others were warned. Please read my entire review before booking anything with Mudfire. I'm not sure if you should call the Date Night a "scam," but it's absolutely not what they sell it as. The website clearly states that $100 covers the cost for 2 people to make 3-5 pots each in a 2 hour time. Our "2 hours" with Nadia started 15 minutes late and was cut 40 minutes short and we made 2 pots each. Don't take my word for it - read other reviews here were people complain of the same exact thing. We quite literally only actually sat and made pottery for a tad over an hour. What's worse is when we were done, my wife sat in the car in the parking lot extremely sad feeling like the special date night she planned was wasted. I decided to go back in and speak with the manager (owner?) and explain how we hadn't received what we paid for and the website was misleading. Her response was a joke. Oh, it "says" 2 hours, but that doesn't account for the "30 minutes of clean up," Quite literally the clean up took 5 minutes, not 30, and it doesn't explain why we only sat and made pottery for 1 hour. So that was a lie. And the 3-5 pots? That's just a "suggestion" of what you "might" get done, not a guarantee. We live over an hour away. The only thing she offered was if we signed up for a MEMBERSHIP she'd discount a class. At this point, I wish I could say that is where our disappointment ends. Nope. We picked up our pottery last night, as it takes 3-4 weeks for it to be ready. Lo and behold, my wife received a pot that was not even hers! We made 4 pots. On the bottom, 3 of them had our names etched in, so you could see the name was imprinted before it was put in the kiln. The one she received with her name on it, which very clearly wasn't the one she made, was written in sharpie. Interesting how the one she is convinced she didn't make is written in sharpie unlike the others which are etched. The thing is, it has the same glaze she picked out, and in a very similar shape to what she made. While my original thought was they must have given her the wrong one - I don't think so. With the fact it was a very similar shape and had the same glaze, with her name written in sharpie, I feel they broke her pot during the kiln process and just swapped it out with another and wrote her name on after the fact. Such a joke. All in all, please, if you're considering a special night out of making pottery, do not go to Mudfire. We paid $100 for 2 hours and 3-5 pots each. We received 1 hour of pot making, 2 pots each, and one of the two my wife received wasn't even hers. This is not a reputable business. read more

Omg MEG is one of the greatest teachers of all time full of joy very helpful and makes every moment a memory to remember thank you for your hard work your beautiful spirit and great customer service will return for future business. read more

Me and my girlfriend went to the Friday date night and had a blast. I was not very good at pottery, but the instructors still made it a good time. 10/10 would do again. read more

MY daughter has been attending this summer camp and she loves it! She's always so excited to go and create a new project each day and I love picking up her work the following week. The treasures she makes will last a lifetime. Such a great way for kids to learn and create. read more

My boyfriend and I came here for a pottery "date night", and we absolutely loved it! We made a reservation via a quick phone call, and they were extremely flexible with rescheduling our time when we had called again saying there was a conflict with the original reservation. Our instructor Christina showed us around the studio so we could see the on-site gallery, and she was very good at explaining the steps needed when throwing pottery. We each were able to make a few pieces (some of which we completely ruined before we were even done!), and Christina was understanding when we made mistakes and gave us new clay. They have fun options in terms of glaze colors, and you can make anything from a vase to a bowl to a plate- whatever you can manage! She also very patiently took photos for us, as it was our anniversary and we wanted to reenact the scene from the movie "Ghost". I definitely recommend trying this out as a special date! read more

MudFire - Art Galleries Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

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