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Spend eight evenings learning the potter’s wheel with instructor Isaac Scott at Black Hound Studio in West Philadelphia. This beginner-friendly course includes tools, glazes, firing and 25 pounds of clay—one free open studio session included.
Spend eight evenings learning the potter’s wheel with instructor Isaac Scott at Black Hound Studio in West Philadelphia. This beginner-friendly course includes tools, glazes, firing and 25 pounds of clay—one free open studio session included.
Book with Black Hound Clay Studio West
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Operated by Black Hound Clay Studio West · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
On Monday evenings in West Philadelphia, Black Hound Studio invites beginners to work clay into usable forms at Wheelthrowing 101: Monday Evenings. Held at 715 South 50th Street, this eight-week course runs June 1–July 20 from 6–9 pm and is taught by instructor Isaac Scott. The class is currently on a waitlist; sign-up via the studio’s booking page and the team will notify you if space opens. This is a hands-on, small-group experience—ten students max—designed for total newcomers to the potter’s wheel as well as those wanting to strengthen basic technique.
Inside the studio you’ll find rowed wheels, bins of prepared clay, glaze tables and a kiln that fires work to completion. Tuition covers all instruction, tools, glazes, firing and 25 pounds of clay; extra clay is available for purchase. One free open-studio session is included, giving you a low-pressure block of time to practice what you learned during class. The shop is wheelchair accessible and welcomes students aged 16 and up.
Wheelthrowing is tactile and immediate: you learn to recentre a lump of clay, pull symmetrical walls, trim foot rings and apply glaze. Isaac Scott walks students through this sequence with demonstrative throws and hands-on correction, so the focus is as much on feel and rhythm as it is on form. For travelers, the class is a rewarding, slow-paced counterpoint to Philadelphia’s energetic outdoor loop: after a morning on the Schuylkill River Trail or Fairmount Park, an evening at the wheel offers a creative, restorative balance.
Black Hound Studio sits in a neighborhood known for creative makers and access to green space; that proximity makes it an appealing stop for visitors who want an active day outdoors followed by a craft experience rooted in place. The results are practical art—cups, bowls, plates you can use at home—that double as memorable travel keepsakes.
Practical details: the course meets weekly for three-hour sessions; the eight-class schedule runs over eight weeks. Reserve a spot on the studio waitlist and include your contact information. Questions can be directed to [email protected]. Because kiln times are involved, completed pieces are typically available for pick-up after the course ends; the studio will coordinate glazing and firing.
Bring closed-toe shoes and clothes you don’t mind getting speckled with clay; the studio provides aprons but pottery is a hands-on craft. If you’re traveling, allow a day after the final session to collect fired pieces or request shipping if available; contact the studio in advance to arrange pickup or shipping options. Expect a collaborative room of beginners and makers and collectors.
easy.
3 hours per session (8 weeks total).
Light: requires standing, fine motor control, and the ability to move short distances in the studio
Sign up on the studio’s booking page for Wheelthrowing 101: Monday Evenings; the studio will contact you if a spot becomes available. Joining the waitlist does not guarantee a spot.
All instruction, tools, glazes, firing and 25 pounds of clay are included, plus one free open-studio session; additional clay can be purchased from the studio.
Yes — the listing notes that the facility is wheelchair accessible.
Students must be at least 16 years old to enroll in this class.
Because pieces require bisque and glaze firings, the studio typically schedules pick-up after the course ends; the staff will notify you when items are ready.
Yes, extra clay can be purchased on the Black Hound Clay website or directly from the studio as needed.
Philadelphia has a long tradition of craft and maker culture; small studios like Black Hound contribute to the city’s contemporary hands-on arts scene.
Ask about the studio’s clay-scrap recycling and glaze safety practices; many studios reuse trimmings and favor low-waste approaches—support shops that minimize landfill-bound clay.
Black Hound Clay Studio West is a ceramics studio offering a broad schedule of pottery classes, workshops, open studio sessions, summer art camps, and members-only events. The studio presents structured multi-week series such as Wheelthrowing 101 and Wheelthrowing 102, short-format workshops like Make Your Own Holiday Mug and One Day Wheel Workshop, and skill-focused courses including Handbuilt Tableware for Beginners and Intermediate Handbuilding options. Classes emphasize hands-on instruction in wheelthrowing, slab and coil handbuilding, surface decoration, glazing, and functional tableware. Several class listings note small, supportive settings and instructor-led guidance; named instructors appear in class descriptions, including Frankie Iadarola, Corinna Cowles, and Caroline Hayes-Charuk. The studio also runs open studio sessions for students, member-focused demos and refreshers (kiln, glaze, reclaim, slip, extruder), and bookable private workshops. Seasonal programming includes Mid-Summer Open Studio Sessions and Black Hound West Summer Art Camp sessions scheduled for August 2025. Multiple offerings show waitlist status for popular time slots, indicating high demand. Membership-only entries provide additional hands-on opportunities and technical demos. Black Hound Clay Studio West’s program mix supports beginners through intermediate students, offering repeatable class sequences and specialty workshops for makers seeking practical skills, creative play, and finished functional work. The studio lists explicit class names, waitlist entries, and member events to help prospective students find a right-fit experience.
Book with Black Hound Clay Studio West