Clay By The Bay Pottery Studios

I’ve taken about 10 classes at Clay by the Bay—from beginner to advanced, both wheel and hand building—and I can’t recommend it enough. The studio is super spacious, the vibes are 100, and the teachers are all really knowledgeable and kind. Big shoutout to Crimson and Todd—Crimson is an absolute ray of sunshine and always has the best design ideas, and Todd is an amazing potter and teacher with what feels like endless wisdom to share. All the instructors are awesome, but if you get a chance to take a class with either of them, do it. You won’t regret it!

Clay by the Bay is a beautiful and welcoming studio that’s turned pottery into a hobby I genuinely love. I’ve taken several classes over the years, and the instruction has always been excellent. Big shoutout to Crimson—she’s been an incredible teacher! Her patience, creativity, and thoughtful advice have really helped me grow. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to build your skills, this is a great place to learn and create.

I took a handbuilding big class from Crimson and this was one of the results. It started out as a moon jar but then it got too wide and Crimson told me to stop. Luckily she did. She’s a great teacher. Coils on bmix.

I took the Into to Pottery Wheel course. I enjoyed it and learned so much that I am continuing with the Next Steps course! My instructor Ricky was fantastic! Very kind, knowledgeable, answered endless questions and gave great tips and advice. His demos were easy to follow and understand as he is a great communicator and covered everything in great detail. And I love the studio! I use it as often as I can to practice and create! As a student - you get access to it every day of the week! I’m so happy that I found this place and discovered this hobby of mine ☺️

So happy I signed up for a class at CBTB! I took intro to hand-building with Fiona. She’s an incredible teacher and artist, knows the ins and outs of working with clay and can give you great hacks throughout the building process. Overall love this studio, everyone who works here is kind and welcoming. Highly recommend you check it out!

Conrad was a fun host. Had a blast trying the wheel for the first time.

I’ve taken a couple of classes here and absolutely loved it. Had Gwendolyn for both classes and she was a fantastic teacher—very knowledgeable, kind, and great at explaining and teaching wheel throwing to different learning styles. Would definitely recommend!

I highly recommend the 6 weeks beginner wheel throwing with Gwendolyn. She brings a nice touch of humor and is excellent at explaining step by step how to handle the clay. She also gives the why behind every rule so we understand how to avoid messy/dangerous situations. It was nice building a small community with the other class mates. I grew tremendously by going through this course!

Beautiful experience at Clay By The Bay. I booked a private class for my birthday and it was so worth it. Booking was a breeze. On the day of our class we had the pleasure of having Marbella as our instructor. Marbella was super professional, patient, helpful, and fun! Can't wait to come back. We were able to bring our own snacks and bubbly to compliment our experience!

Took an evening intro to throwing class here and loved it! The instructor was so personable and entertaining. She was quick to help everyone and walked around the room frequently to make sure everyone got the hang of things. Highly recommend!

I took my first class. Our instructor was Crimson and she was so amazing. She taught us how to use the wheel in the first class and before you know it, I was making my first bowl and mug! Can't wait to take more classes!

I've taken about 10 classes at Clay by the Bay--from beginner to advanced, both wheel and hand building--and I can't recommend it enough. The studio is super spacious, the vibes are 100, and the teachers are all really knowledgeable and kind. Big shoutout to Crimson and Todd--Crimson is an absolute ray of sunshine and always has the best design ideas, and Todd is an amazing potter and teacher with what feels like endless wisdom to share. All the instructors are awesome, but if you get a chance to take a class with either of them, do it. You won't regret it!

Took a one time beginner class with Conrad and he was so nice and helpful with all of us newbies! Learned so much in the small two hour period we had with him but definitely worth it!

I had such a great experience at clay by the bay Marbella was such a pleasant instructor, very professional, welcoming and patient... I look forward to another class after such a great experience

Recently attended a 6 week session on hand-building large clay pieces. Crimson was a great teacher and provided excellent tips on how to build large projects. The clay studio also provides a spacious work space with a million dollar view of the bay. I highly recommend!

Took a 6 week intro to wheel pottery class here and it was SO FUN! I have very minimal previous experience - just took a basic ceramics class in high school but we didn't have access to the wheel. 6 weeks goes by VERY quick and you learn a ton of new terminology and skills each week so it's a bit hard to keep up with if you don't go in to practice during studio hours! Unfortunately studio hours during the week are during work hours and somehow every single weekend during this course I was out of town so I was only able to go in once during my lunch break. But the open studio hours is a huge steal so definitely will be making better use of it next time! Our instructor Crimson was super great!!! She had lots of tips and tricks and I liked that she didn't just do things for us - she would demonstrate or advise us. She explained things very clearly and also answered tons of questions so it was all very helpful! Had so much fun in this class and even without the studio hours I still feel like I learned A TON and improved so much in that short time. I definitely will be signing up for another class later in the year when work is less busy and I know I'll have time to go in during the week more!

I've been taking classes here since they moved to the new location and would highly recommend the studio and their six week courses! Ricky, Sammy, and Diane have all been wonderful 6-week course instructors, all always more than willing to help or demo any techniques. Each instructor has different teaching styles so it has been great to learn tid bits from each of them. Also shoutout to Conrad and Todd for answering my miscellaneous questions during open studio time. Overall, the studio itself is a spacious and welcoming place with very friendly staff. I always enjoy my time here!

Clay by the Bay is a beautiful and welcoming studio that's made pottery a hobby I genuinely love. I've taken several classes over the years, and the instruction has always been excellent. Big shoutout to Crimson--she's been an incredible teacher! Her patience, creativity, and thoughtful advice have really helped me grow. Whether you're a beginner or looking to build your skills, this is a great place to learn and create.

I took the 6-weeks intro to pottery wheel with Ricky and had a very fun experience. I've never taken a pottery class before and this was great beginner's class. Ricky was great at explaining things and walking us through each step. I appreciated that he walked around asking each student what we wanted to work on and he would spend time demonstrating certain techniques. If the location wasn't so far from me, I would sign up for additional classes.

Let's start with pros, amazing location, huge studio, airy and lovely. Always fun to come. Gwendolyn and Todd are the best! I've taken their classes before (a mix of one time and old classes), wonderful instructors. Still the most helpful and friendly in open studio even to people not personally their students. Cons: I love throwing but decided to do some hand building, which I've done at other studios before but thought I'd try CBTB because I had a great time here before. What a bad decision. Alma, the course instructor is awful. She doesn't care, is dismissive, is rude while giving her lecture but then ignores you if you have questions. At first I thought it was me but over the past week I've talked to the others in my large class, and met people from her smaller classes and they all agree. In fact, we discussed that this feedback needs to be given to CBTB seriously. While Crimson has rave reviews, the few times I've seen hand building students interact with her, she's been pretty dismissive as well. I'm really disappointed especialy because my other experiences here have been wonderful. Please CBTB talk to your hand building instructors to have them take this seriously.

I was gifted a 6 week course by friends and what joy it brought me! I havent touched clay since college (10 years ago) so was unsure if I should do the beginner wheel or intermediate. Alex B was my instructor (@alexbeckceramics on IG), and he let me know after our first class I should be able to stick to the intermediate course. He's great - very patient and will to help at a moments notice when things go array on the wheel. You get a bag of clay included in your course and get to pick from Bmix (intro level up to premium bags (porcelain etc) at no extra cost which is really nice. Most of the students had taken the previous level course, I was somewhat of an outlier. I definitely struggled to remember the basics so will likely retake this course again in the future after my tennis elbow dies down (clay is hard work!) If you cant make any of your classes you're allowed to come in and take a makeup class on a different day that week by another instructor which is great exposure to other teaching styles. I took Crimson's course once and loved her unique approach to different techniques. If there is any room for improvement here on the company side as a whole, I'd recommend a few digital touchpoints archived int eh curriculum for students to reference. How-to video libraries, vocab sheets, glazing combination cheat sheets etc. Would have been helpful to reinforce learnings from week to week. My only pain point was the delays in firings in the kiln from week to week. As an example my test tiles sat on the shelf for 12 days which really threw off my ability to wrap on time at the end of the course. A more regimented system would really ease that anxiety. The studio also has open hours almost everyday for you to come in on your own time to work or glaze which is really nice. You get to meet students and instructors at all levels and I always appreciated the insights on technique, glazing combos etc. I was slightly disappointed the students didn't really have any desire to grab a drink or celebratory dinner or something at the end of the course. Would have been cool to have a happy hour on site or something with all the other students completing their work for a gallery walk or something. Alex mentioned they used to have potlucks pre-covid, hopefully those will make a come back! Will definitely return next year:)

I was given a gift of a six week course here and so far I am loving this studio ! Having had lots of experience with hand building, I wanted to try throwing which had been a challenge for me last time around ( like 40 years ago - yikes) . Our instructor Diane has been so helpful and supportive, I feel like I've made real progress in just a few sessions. Her advice and guidance has given me confidence that I will keep progressing towards the results I want . Highly recommend taking a class here, it is super fun!

I've taken classes at a few studios around the city and this class (next step wheel) and instructor (Gwendolyn) were the best I've come across. The studio is gorgeous and parking was easy on a weeknight (either $3 metered close spots or free a few blocks away.) Definitely recommend!

Clay by the bay was an amazing experience! I've never thrown clay before and have learned so much in the 6 week intro class I took. Sammy, Crimson and Gwendolyn were great instructors and provided so much insight while allowing you to find your own style. It's a great place to explore your creativity, get down and dirty, step away from the screen for a couple of hours, and make something from nothing!

I took a 5 week beginner to wheel class led by Crimson and I was pleasantly surprised with how much I thoroughly enjoyed this class, so much so that I signed up for another session! Crimson was a great teacher, easier to learn from and incredibly helpful. I'd absolutely recommend her class to any beginners.

This is my first time taking pottery classes in my life. I absolutely love the studio. I took the 6-week Intro to Wheel classes with Alex B. My instructor was helpful and provided me with good directions and support. My first pots were too thick and too small. After my first class I almost thought this was not for me. Eventually I took advantage of their open studio hours (Walk-in between 10:00am-6:00pm) and practiced till I got better. The key is also to ask your instructor questions and help. My instructor was always willing to help me get better. Ultimately it became my go to to relax and get a sense of achievement. They teach you how to make mugs/cups/bowls, then how to trim and carve them, ways of adding colors to them using slips, underglaze and glaze. They offer a lot of techniques, tips and tricks. You also have the free will to create anything you like. You can also get extra clay for $15 and keep practicing at open studio times through out the six weeks. They provide you with all the equipment you need, all you need is to bring a towel. You can take this class alone or with friends. The weekday evening classes literally get sold out in a matter of hours so I suggest adding yourself to the mailing list and keeping an eye out. Also, wear old clothes because you'll end up with clay on your clothes all the time. It does go away with you put your clothes in the wash.

For the last 8 weeks, I've had a fantastic experience at Clay By The Bay!! My therapist recommended I try ceramics as I'm in a very transitional period of my life, and a creative outlet where I can work work my hands seemed like a good idea. Well, I can happily say I've taken to it and have found it to be fun and gratifying to learn to make things with my two hands out of a lump of clay. I've had classes now with Alex and Todd, who have both been excellent in totally different ways. Eleanor at the front desk has been extremely helpful and warm (today she gave me a tip about the new clay I selected that changed the game for me in using it and was just what I needed to know!). I'm completely addicted to playing with clay and I look forward to continuing my time in the studio while I work through this tough stage of life. I'm so glad it exists so close to where I live. What a gem of a space. I'm attaching some photos of work I completed in my very first class.

Thank you Alex C. and Clay By The Bay! I've been wanting to take a pottery class here for years and am so glad I was able to get a spot in my very awesome 6-week handbuilding class taught by Alex C. Alex is a supportive and encouraging teacher who covered a variety of specific methods and styles of handbuilding while also making sure to keep checking in with our class about anything we were especially interested in learning, trying out, or covering again. It's no small feat to facilitate a class that is so welcoming and comprehensive over such a relatively short span of time. My handbuilding class felt engaging and productive, Alex's teaching style is accessible, creative, and fun, and having access to open studio hours outside of class was great (the studio is awesome and I was always so inspired watching other people work). Plus I am so looking forward taking home all the pieces I made! I am so happy I was able to get a spot in Alex's class and plan to continue taking classes at Clay By The Bay.

They took 3 months here to glaze and fire my item. It's now been 6 months and I've been trying to pick up my item which is difficult because I'm not from in town so I only have limited opportunities to do so. Despite reaching out ahead of time and letting them know when I planned to swing by to pick up my item AND receiving confirmation from Todd that he would he there to point out where to get my item and to just let him know I'm there, I showed up ahead of my flight and wanted around for an hour and nobody who worked there ever showed up. Incredibly unprofessionally run studio. If you are looking to take a class or do a team event here GO SOMEWHERE ELSE where you'll actually get your item at the end of it.

I took the Into to Pottery Wheel course. I enjoyed it and learned so much that I am continuing with the Next Steps course! My instructor Ricky was fantastic! Very kind, knowledgeable, answered endless questions and gave great tips and advice. His demos were easy to follow and understand as he is a great communicator and covered everything in great detail. And I love the studio! I use it as often as I can to practice and create! As a student - you get access to it every day of the week! I'm so happy that I found this place and discovered this hobby of mine :)

I've taken two 6-week classes at Clay by the Bay, and it's been a wonderful experience. I genuinely look forward to class as the highlight of my week. The benefit of getting access to the studio outside of class is also a huge perk because it's such a positive environment and a great way to learn from others in the studio. Crimson is an incredible teacher and brings such great energy to her craft and her students. Just signed up for another one of her classes!

Just finished the six-week handbuilding class for beginners (Tues 6:30-9). Very disappointed with the whole experience. The Instructor doesn't know how to teach and totally lacks clarity in her instructions. I can tell everyone was quite confused and didn't know exactly what to do. I basically went from excitement to boredom almost as soon as she started talking:( The worse thing is that after we've made our pieces we have no idea when we can get them back because there's a long line in waiting for them to be placed in the fire so that we can glaze them after. So we ended up just taking our work with us unfinished now looking for another place to glaze. Things are pretty disorganized at this place. I will not recommend this class with the very same teacher. Will give 1.5 star but really couldn't get myself to give a 2.

Great spot to learn pottery as a beginner! I've now taken 3 classes and have done a couple months as a member at this spot. All three of my classes (two Intro to Pottery sessions and one Next- Step Wheel) were taught by Crimson- who is a fantastic instructor! If you'd like to take a class, I'd definitely recommend signing up for their email list to be notified when classes are out. I took the 6:30pm classes during the work week and consistently see those sell out the quickest! The classes are great if you are learning for the first time or want to build up your foundational skills. I recommend taking advantage of open studio as much as possible to work on your skills and fail early! Open studio is open during all open hours if you're a member and from 10-6pm every weekday and during the weekends.

Clay By The Bay is the perfect place to get started with pottery for the first time. The studio fosters a friendly learning environment and has amazing instructors. I can't say enough good things about Gwendolyn -- she's incredibly talented and her sense of humor makes the process lighthearted and fun. I've taken multiple classes at different experience levels with her and highly recommend. Looking forward to continuing my pottery journey here.

Massively fun classes and instructors. I had Conrad for my intro to throwing class, and I learned so much (and had a blast)! The studio is massive and well ventilated. They're offering tons of different classes and have a pretty open schedule. Coming in on weekends is my jam! Big shoutout to Conrad, Eleanor and the whole staff for being supportive and kind throughout my 6-week class! 10/10 would recommend this studio!

Wanted to leave a (5 star!) review for Diane's class. I've done pottery on and off my whole life but was never able to really make anything...but within my first beginners class with Diane I was already centering clay and by the end of my 6 week beginner course I fell in love with pottery! Dianne is a great teacher for anyone whether they're beginners or looking to move on to more advance work. She is a wealth of knowledge and is always patient with her students, offering individual attention when needed (which is critical when you're trying to advance), and is always happy to answer questions. I also like that she doesn't rush through the lesson, which makes it easier to follow along. Even though I'm not in Diane's class anymore, she is still more than happy to help me whether it's a quick tutorial in person or answering my questions when I DM her on instagram! I sometimes even drop into her intermediate classes just for an extra lesson! I've gotten great recommendations on tools to buy (which have significantly improved my pottery).

Had a really fun date night here, would definitely recommend it to everyone! Definitely wear some short sleeves so it won't get in your way though. Alex C. Was a great instructor. Very kind and helpful. Explained everything thoroughly and tended to everyone. Definitely saved more than one student's project here.

I've lived in Russian Hill for 6 years now and can't believe that it took me that long to try classes here. Now I'm hooked. I took a 6 week wheel class a few months ago with Crimson and more recently a 6 week hand building class with Alex C. Both instructors were fantastic, supportive, and encouraging. Throwing was tough at first but it help me establish a foundation. After 6 weeks I definitely felt like I got a lot out of it (my family and friends loved their mugs). Hand building is less structured and that challenged me to be even more expressive with my creations. Combining these skills together is where things got really fun - I loved throwing mugs and then building a fun, wacky handle to attach to it. I also really enjoy the surface design and painting parts of the process. As someone who lives close by, having daily studio access was such a plus and really help me hone these skills in my spare time. The staff, studio members, and students here are all great, and it definitely feels like a warm and welcoming family when you spend enough time here. The community party they hosted earlier this year was such a blast. I'm looking forward to taking more classes here next year!

I just completed my second next step class with Crimson and the more classes I take, the more I love the studio! I'm excited with the helpfulness and knowledge of the staff. Crimson is a wonderful teacher!! I'm excited to continue my journey at CBB!!

Took a class here. Teachers are experienced. We had different instructors b/c our main one was out sick. It turned out to be a good thing b/c I learned different techniques from each of the instructors. The cost of the class is $$$ but the location is very close by. I want to take more classes.

I took a class from Jasmine in September. She was a fabulous instructor! I got a good feel how to throw and hand build. She kept the class going at a nice place and was very clear and thorough! I highly recommend this class!

This review is long pending! But we organized a corporate event in November with Clay by the bay with about 17-18 people. The team had a blast making their gorgeous pots - and clay by the bay team was absolutely amazing and accommodating. The teacher was so patient and clear with the communication. The clay by the bay team also let us have a networking session making some space for our food and drinks. After the session, we had the time to network and learn about the studio and the teachers.

I took intro to pottery with Crimson and highly recommend it! Crimson was very patient and encouraging. She was happy to answer any questions and focuses a lot on the decorating stage in pottery which was fun to learn about. She also seemed genuinely interested in making sure everyone had a great experience. In general I have found the studio to be a great environment, every was is super helpful for beginners like me.

Crimson is the best teacher. She is patient, kind, and an excellent leader. Can't wait to take another class.

Had an absolutely amazing time at a team event hosted by Clay by the Bay! Ricky and Crimson were wonderful teachers.

Clay By The Bay is a gem. I took Beginner Wheel with Conrad in the fall and learned so much between taking the two and a half hour class on Sundays and coming in other days to practice. My first pots were hideous little atrocities. Conrad had tons of patience with me even when it seemed like I might never catch on. With his encouragement, I kept going, and now I have things I'm proud enough of to give as gifts for friends (and tons to hoard for myself). The thing about CBTB too is that it's a whole community. I have learned from tons of kind people who were willing to give me tips or tricks along the way. People are really kind, and it's become a sort of "third space" for me outside of work or my apartment. I'm so grateful! I am delinquent in posting this review only because if I could, I would have my hands covered in clay right now. But instead, I'm at home sick, missing CBTB and the lovely folks there.

I took Alex Colombino's 6 week intro to clay class and had a blast! It was a multi step process learning to throw and trim and glaze. Alex was patient and very chill in answering our questions and showing us different techniques. The studio itself is also well maintained and a nice vibe. I also liked being able to come in to open studio. Definitely recommend Alex's pottery class! Thank you!

Crimson - 6 Week Beginner Wheel Throwing Course Good pace and comprehensive for complete newbies. Includes throwing, trimming, slipping, glazing.

Clay by the bay has been my therapy as a ICU/ER nurse dealing with the past few years of COVID, it has helped me tremendously. Julia was my first teacher she is hilarious, patient, talented and knowledgeable. Ricky was my second teacher. I loved having him as a teacher he makes you feel so comfortable in his class and very talented as well. They both taught me so much. Also shout out to Crimson and Eleanor who are always so helpful and kind! I have learned so much at CBTB. I love this studio so much.

- It was not in the location I expected it to be when I first bought the 6 week course. - When I got to the class, there was no running water and I had to clean my hands in a dirty bucket. For the amount I paid this is absurd. - It was so loud in the room I couldn't hear the teacher sitting close to me because there were 4 classes happening simultaneously and at different paces. She also rushed through the explanation which is not very beginner friendly. - The teacher also barely gave me any attention and this was my first time even touching clay. I felt so overwhelmed and left the experience more stressed when I should have felt better about it. The entire class, I just made clay wet- I didn't even build anything. I asked for a refund over a month ago and they have been ghosting me. do not come here.

Clay by the bay was great to experience with my partner! We had a one time class session where the instructor (Alex) was very patient and helpful in providing assistance for building mugs and using the clay wheel. Overall the vibes where on point. Highly recommend.

Huge fan of Clay by the Bay. I took the Next Steps Class after a few months away from the wheel. Crimson was a phenomenal teacher. Always had the answer to my question and helped me through some of the largest and best pieces I've done in all my years of ceramics. Will definitely be doing more classes and exploring a membership. Clay by the Bay has fostered a great community of artists that I loved being a part of

CRIMSON on Wednesday nights in November and December was such a great teacher of intro to wheel. My wife and I both really loved it and the fun pieces we were able to make in such short time. We plan to take the Handbuilding class this spring as it is a bit easier for newbies like us.

I had such a great experience taking an intro to pottery wheel class. Crimson is an excellent teacher and made sure everybody was able to gain a good foundation. I will definitely be taking another class soon.

I am just finishing my 6 week intro class with Todd and starting my Next Steps, next week. I had been wanting to do this for ever, but pre-Covid their classes were always full. So when they started their virtual classes I signed up and it was one of the best decisions I made in COVID times. It's been so fun, therapeutic and almost addictive! Todd is an amazing instructor and I look forward to his classes. He is always giving up new tips and tricks and is super patient with our questions. The studio is super clean, and they are taking a lot of precautions to keep everyone safe. It has a great vibe and I always feel very welcomed. I also appreciate how all the instructors(Grace, Lindsey and Eleanor) are always checking up on students and helping us with our work.

Clay By The Bay is an incredible studio!! I've been throwing ceramics for over 20 years, and CBTB is by far and away my favorite. I've been a member and taken multiple classes at CBTB, all of which I have enjoyed. The teachers are incredibly talented, and excited to share their knowledge. Overall it is clean, well-run, and attracts excellent potters. If you are unsure about signing up for a class, definitely go for it - there isn't a better studio out there!

I haven't done pottery since college and my instructor Crimson really helped and guided me back to why I use to love it. I ended up signing up for another class because she made it such a lovely learning experience. Definitely take Crimsons class she is the best!