Ceramics & Pottery Classes in NYC

Pottery classes in NYC at the Educational Alliance Art School at Manny Cantor Center — a fully equipped ceramics studio on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, welcoming everyone from absolute beginners to experienced potters. Known to many as MCC ceramics, our program pairs hands-on instruction with the time and space to genuinely develop your craft across wheel throwing, hand-building, and glazing.

Classes are taught by working ceramic artists and grouped by skill level, so you learn at a pace that fits where you are. Clay and glazes are included in tuition; a small firing fee of $0.05 per cubic inch applies. Scholarships are available for income-eligible students — because access to clay should not depend on your budget.

  • Personalized instruction in a small group setting.
  • Weekday morning, afternoon, evening, and weekend classes are offered.
  • Please see the menu above under ‘Art School’ for our schedule at a glance, open studios, or for help with your registration.
  • Open Studio time is included at no additional cost. Ceramics students can attend 2 open studio sessions per week.
  • Shelf space is assigned to each student and is available at no cost.
  • 25 lbs. of clay and all studio glazes are available at no cost. Firing fees are $00.05 per cubic inch. Firing fees for bisque firings only.
Fall Schedule
Summer Schedule

Register for Ceramics Classes at MCC

Fall registration is open! To learn more, email art@mannycantor.org or call (646) 395-4264. SIGN UP FOR OUR MAILING LIST TO RECEIVE REGISTRATION UPDATES AND REMINDERS. 

Fall 2026 Classes

Hand-Building Classes

Hand-building is the foundational ceramics technique — you shape clay without a wheel, using pinch, coil, and slab methods to build bowls, sculptures, vases, and functional forms. MCC’s hand-building classes are an ideal entry point for beginners and a strong complement to wheel work for continuing students. You’ll cover firing and glazing as part of each course, leaving with finished pieces by the final session.

Pottery: Handbuilding

Dates: Tuesdays, 9/15/26 to 11/24/26
Time: 6:30 pm – 9 pm
Location: 197 East Broadway
Age: 18+ years
Cost: $540.00

Learn More

Students of all skill levels will explore hand-building ceramics, learning pinch, coil, and slab techniques, refining forms, and personalizing their practice under expert instruction.
No Class Dates: 11/3/2026
Instructor: Debra Mezaros
REGISTER HERE

Pottery: Handbuilding

Dates: Wednesdays, 9/16/26 to 11/18/26
Time: 10 am – 12:30 pm
Location: 197 East Broadway
Age: 18+ years
Cost: $540.00

Learn More

Students of all skill levels will explore hand-building ceramics, learning pinch, coil, and slab techniques, refining forms, and personalizing their practice under expert instruction.
No Class Dates: 
Instructor: TBD
REGISTER HERE

Pottery: Intro to Handbuilding 

Dates: Wednesdays, 9/16/26 to 11/18/26
Time: 6:30 pm – 9 pm
Location: 197 East Broadway
Age: 18+ years
Cost: $540.00

Learn More

This ceramics course introduces beginners to pinch, coil, and slab techniques while covering firing and glazing, and allows more advanced students to refine these foundational skills.
No Class Dates: 
Instructor: Camila Lim-Hing
REGISTER HERE

Pottery: Handbuilding

Dates: Thursdays, 9/17/26 to 11/19/26
Time: 6:30 pm – 9 pm
Location: 197 East Broadway
Age: 18+ years
Cost: $540.00

Learn More

Students of all skill levels will explore hand-building ceramics, learning pinch, coil, and slab techniques, refining forms, and personalizing their practice under expert instruction.
No Class Dates:
Instructor: Doreen Baskin
REGISTER HERE

Pottery: Handbuilding

Dates: Fridays, 9/18/26 to 11/20/26
Time: 10 am – 12:30 pm
Location: 197 East Broadway
Age: 18+ years
Cost: $540.00

Learn More

Students of all skill levels will explore hand-building ceramics, learning pinch, coil, and slab techniques, refining forms, and personalizing their practice under expert instruction.

No Class Dates:

Instructor: Liz Lohr

REGISTER HERE

Pottery: Handbuilding

Dates: Saturdays, 9/19/26 to 11/21/26
Time: 10 am – 12:30 pm
Location: 197 East Broadway
Age: 18+ years
Cost: $540.00

Learn More

Students of all skill levels will explore hand-building ceramics, learning pinch, coil, and slab techniques, refining forms, and personalizing their practice under expert instruction.
No Class Dates:
Instructor: Christina Coutavas
REGISTER HERE

Pottery: Handbuilding 

Dates: Sundays, 9/20/26 to 11/22/26
Time: 10 am – 12:30 pm
Location: 197 East Broadway
Age: 18+ years
Cost: $540.00

Learn More

Students of all skill levels will explore hand-building ceramics, learning pinch, coil, and slab techniques, refining forms, and personalizing their practice under expert instruction.
No Class Dates:
Instructor: Bianca Allen
REGISTER HERE

Pottery: Handbuilding (Bilingual Spanish)

Dates: Fridays, 10/23/26 to 11/20/26
Time: 6:30 pm – 9 pm
Location: 197 East Broadway
Age: 18+ years
Cost: $270.00

Learn More

The course instructor offers classes in both English and Spanish for students of all skill levels. Newcomers will learn the basics of handbuilding with clay and glazing, while intermediate students can enhance their skills in pinch, slab, coil, and surface decoration. Advanced students will customize their learning based on their interests. Safety protocols must be followed in all classes.
No Class Dates:
Instructor: Bianca Allen
REGISTER HERE

Wheel Throwing Classes

Wheel throwing is what most people picture when they imagine a pottery class — centering a ball of clay on a spinning wheel, then pulling it up into a bowl, cup, mug, or vessel. MCC’s wheel throwing program runs from introductory to advanced levels. An advanced-level session (Wednesdays 6:30–9pm, Liz Lohr) is available for students who have completed foundational work. A bilingual Mandarin-language option is offered Tuesdays with Eugenie Chao, making these classes accessible to a wider community on the Lower East Side.

Pottery: Wheelthrowing 

Dates: Mondays, 9/14/26 to 11/23/26
Time: 10 am – 12:30 pm
Location: 197 East Broadway
Age: 18+ years
Cost: $540.00

Learn More

Students of all skill levels will explore the foundations of using the potter’s wheel and personalizing their practice under expert instruction.
No Class Dates: 9/21/2026
Instructor: Christina Coutavas
REGISTER HERE

Pottery: Wheelthrowing 

Dates: Mondays, 9/14/26 to 11/23/26
Time: 6:30 pm – 9 pm
Location: 197 East Broadway
Age: 18+ years
Cost: $540.00

Learn More

Students of all skill levels will explore the foundations of using the potter’s wheel and personalizing their practice under expert instruction.
No Class Dates: 9/21/2026
REGISTER HERE

Pottery: Wheelthrowing (Bilingual Mandarin)  

Dates: Tuesdays, 9/15/26 to 11/24/26
Time: 10 am – 12:30 pm
Location: 197 East Broadway
Age: 18+ years
Cost: $540.00

Learn More

Taught in Mandarin and English, this adult wheel-throwing course welcomes all levels to learn foundational techniques, glazing, and advanced finishing skills while customizing their practice with personalized instruction in a safe, expert-led studio environment.
No Class Dates: 11/3/2026
Instructor: Eugenie Chao
REGISTER HERE

Pottery: Intro to Wheelthrowing 

Dates: Wednesdays, 9/16/26 to 11/18/26
Time: 10 am – 12:30 pm
Location: 197 East Broadway
Age: 18+ years
Cost: $540.00

Learn More

This introductory wheel-throwing course welcomes adults of all skill levels to learn the potter’s wheel, glazing basics, and essential techniques.

No Class Dates:

Instructor: Myagmarsuren Enkhbayar

REGISTER HERE

Pottery: Advanced Wheelthrowing 

Dates: Wednesdays, 9/16/26 to 11/18/26
Time: 6:30 pm – 9 pm
Location: 197 East Broadway
Age: 18+ years
Cost: $540.00

Learn More

This advanced wheel-throwing course guides experienced potters in mastering complex forms, intricate details, large-scale pieces, and advanced glazing techniques, with personalized instruction in a safe, expert-led studio environment.
No Class Dates: 
Instructor: Liz Lohr
REGISTER HERE

Pottery: Wheelthrowing

Dates: Thursdays, 9/17/26 to 11/19/26
Time: 10 am – 12:30 pm
Location: 197 East Broadway
Age: 18+ years
Cost: $540.00

Learn More

Students of all skill levels will explore the foundations of using the potter’s wheel and personalizing their practice under expert instruction.
No Class Dates:
Instructor: Jaleh Fazel
REGISTER HERE

Pottery: Wheelthrowing 

Dates: Thursdays, 9/17/26 to 11/19/26
Time: 6:30 pm – 9 pm
Location: 197 East Broadway
Age: 18+ years
Cost: $540.00

Learn More

Students of all skill levels will explore hand-building ceramics, learning pinch, coil, and slab techniques, refining forms, and personalizing their practice under expert instruction.
No Class Dates: 
Instructor: TBD
REGISTER HERE

Pottery: Wheelthrowing 

Dates: Fridays, 9/18/26 to 11/20/26
Time: 10 am – 12:30 pm
Location: 197 East Broadway
Age: 18+ years
Cost: $540.00

Learn More

Students of all skill levels will explore the foundations of using the potter’s wheel and personalizing their practice under expert instruction.
No Class Dates:
Instructor: Jaleh Fazel
REGISTER HERE

Pottery: Wheelthrowing

Dates: Friday, 9/18/26 to 11/20/26
Time: 6:30 pm – 9 pm
Location: 197 East Broadway
Age: 18+ years
Cost: $540.00

Learn More

Students of all skill levels will explore the foundations of using the potter’s wheel and personalizing their practice under expert instruction.
No Class Dates:
Instructor: Laura Shortman
REGISTER HERE

Pottery: Wheelthrowing

Dates: Saturday, 9/19/26 to 11/21/26
Time: 10 am – 12:30 pm
Location: 197 East Broadway
Age: 18+ years
Cost: $540.00

Learn More

Students of all skill levels will explore the foundations of using the potter’s wheel and personalizing their practice under expert instruction.
No Class Dates: 
Instructor: TBD
REGISTER HERE

Pottery: Wheelthrowing

Dates: Sunday, 9/20/26 to 11/22/26
Time: 10 am – 12:30 pm
Location: 197 East Broadway
Age: 18+ years
Cost: $540.00

Learn More

Students of all skill levels will explore the foundations of using the potter’s wheel and personalizing their practice under expert instruction.
No Class Dates: 
Instructor: Jaleh Fazel
REGISTER HERE

EA Art School is committed to providing opportunities for education in the arts to all who seek it! Scholarships are available for those students who are income-eligible. Click here to fill out our scholarship inquiry form. A representative from the Art School will reach out when a seat becomes available.

Beginner Pottery Classes in NYC

Never touched clay before? MCC’s beginner pottery classes in NYC are built for first-timers. You will start with the fundamentals — centering on the wheel, basic hand-building techniques, how a kiln fires your work, and how to apply your first glaze — in a patient, low-pressure studio where mistakes are part of learning.

By the end of a beginner session, most students have made and glazed several finished pieces to take home. Classes are grouped by level, so you’ll never feel lost in a room of advanced students, and you’ll always have an experienced ceramic artist nearby to guide your work.

Affordable Ceramics on the Lower East Side — Scholarships Available

As a nonprofit community art school, MCC works hard to keep ceramics accessible. Our pottery classes on the Lower East Side are priced to be among the more affordable options in NYC — and the EA Art School offers scholarships for income-eligible students so that cost is never the reason someone can’t join the studio.

Clay and glazes are included in tuition. A small firing fee of $0.05 per cubic inch applies to finished work. If you’d like to explore scholarship eligibility, email art@mannycantor.org.

Ceramics for Couples, Friends & Date Nights

Pottery makes a memorable shared activity. Many students at MCC ceramics sign up with a partner or a group of friends, and a session together — centering clay on the wheel, building something by hand — is a genuinely different kind of NYC night out. Our seasonal schedule runs across evenings and weekends, making it easy to find a class that works for two.

Browse the current session schedule above and register together.

Ceramics Classes FAQ

Where can I learn wheel throwing in NYC?
You can learn wheel throwing at the Educational Alliance Art School at Manny Cantor Center, 197 East Broadway on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The ceramics studio offers wheel throwing, hand-building, and glazing classes for all levels across seasonal sessions.
Do I need experience to take a pottery class at MCC?
No. MCC offers beginner pottery classes in NYC designed for people who have never worked with clay. Classes are grouped by level, so beginners start with fundamentals like centering, basic hand-building, and glazing before moving to more advanced work.
How much do ceramics classes at Manny Cantor Center cost?
Ceramics classes at MCC are $435 per session. Clay and glazes are included; a firing fee of $0.05 per cubic inch applies to finished pieces. Tuition assistance is available for income-eligible students — email art@mannycantor.org for details.
What techniques are taught in MCC’s ceramics classes?
MCC’s ceramics classes cover wheel throwing, hand-building (pinch, coil, and slab methods), and glazing and surface decoration. Students can choose classes based on the techniques and projects they want to focus on, from beginner to advanced levels.
How do I register for ceramics classes at MCC?
Browse current ceramics sessions on the Manny Cantor Center website, choose your class and level, and register by emailing art@mannycantor.org or calling (646) 395-4264. Wheel throwing classes fill quickly, so early registration is recommended.