Went to the beginners class one day pottery. Very fun to make but instructor does not hand hold you. Expected to watch once and work on it on your own while the instructor makes their own items. Luckily my friends and I did research before the class and had a general idea on how to make a shape. Normal wait time to pick up pottery is 4-6 weeks. We waited 4 weeks to get ours. Steven was very friendly for pottery pick up time changes. 100% make a game plan before coming to class because time is limited and instruction is limited. Overall not bad read more

Smaart Gallery & Studio - Beginners class pottery - Art Classes Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We loved our class here! The instructor was so patient and we learned a lot. (Never thought it'd be so difficult haha) 10/10 would come back here! They turned out so beautiful. read more

Smaart Gallery & Studio - Art Classes Near Me - San Francisco, California

very nice experience doing the single one-day (~2 hour) pottery course. this is ideal if you don't care too much about the full process and just want to get on a wheel and build ~3 pieces. you don't get to choose glaze color, and the team takes care of the trimming and firing and just notifies you when your pieces are ready for pickup. they mentioned our class in mid-May was the first since they opened/re-opened after renovating(?) this location. to that point, the instructors seemed a little all over the place but still helpful and enjoyable nonetheless. would recommend to a friend, probably on the lower side of one day pottery sessions in the city read more

Smaart Gallery & Studio - Art Classes Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This was such a fun and lovely creative experience. An Marie was so patient and encouraging. Would definitely recommend it to others. read more

Smaart Gallery & Studio - Our pottery from the intro class - Art Classes Near Me - San Francisco, California

Only reason I didn't give em 1 star is because the class was okay. However I waited 6 weeks for my stuff. I went to pick up mine and my friends. They misplaced my friends and I sat there for an hour because the person insisted on teaching her class instead of helping me at my scheduled pick up time. The glazing on my looks like the special Krispy Kreme worker glazed my donut. Come if you wanna play with clay but don't expect to get your piece. read more

Review is for the one-day course. I'm interested in pottery but hesitant to commit to a full 10-week course, so I thought a one-day course would be a fun introduction as well as a good team bonding exercise. Went with a couple of coworkers to try out the one-day course, which was only 2 hours ($89/pp): first hour is the demo, and the second hour you're on your own. The instructor gives you a chunk of clay to attempt to make four pieces (one is the one you make alongside the demo), three of which you can elect to keep. They only help to glaze and fire the piece- what you make during the session is very close to what the end result is (with a bit a drooping). They don't help to shave the piece. Final pick-up is about 6 weeks later. Of the two hours, the final ~25 minutes are spent cleaning ups. You can elect to pay for them to clean up for you instead ($11/pp). I get that there's not a lot of time to teach any techniques, especially with a large group, but I still think for something I am going to make and keep, I'd like it to look somewhat decent. Our instructor pretty much gave the demo and then... disappeared. Any questions we had on how to improve our piece was replied to with: "If you wanted it perfect, you could just buy it from pottery barn" "The imperfections are what make it perfect" etc. Which is fine, until you submit three pieces of collapsed clay that end up in the trash. The lack of empathy from the instructor really soured the mood, but what makes it fun is the people you go with also going through the same struggles. Potential Areas of Improvement: . Printed instructions after the demo. If the instructor is going to be unavailable for questions or for repeating parts of the demo, at least give us a reference to go off of. Maybe even a FAQ of common beginner mistakes (ie. how to not collapse a piece). . An additional instructor. For a group of 8 people making multiple pieces that are all beginners, providing additional help or resources would be a better overall experience. . Option of more clay. After spinning clay that ends up having holes, we're told not to try to reuse it. If there's time to try again, but we have run out of the clay in the session, I feel like most people would opt to have a better final product and pay for a redo. read more

Smaart Gallery & Studio - Art Classes Near Me - San Francisco, California

My partner and I came here for a little date about 2 month ago. It was my first time ever doing pottery and I had a blast! The instructor was so helpful and funny. Overall, we had a great time and are even considering taking their 6 week course. I definitely recommend you give this place a try for their 2 hour class! It so worth it. You get to make as much as you can, I think they said 6 is the max but they aren't too strict about it. You get to keep 3 of your best work and come back about 4-8 weeks to pick up your work. I believe I went at the 6 week mark to get them and I ended up taking 10 pieces home since they have a pile of pieces other people didn't want to keep (they're free). read more

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Took classes here over the summer and really enjoyed the experience! Instructors were helpful although it was a little more trial and error they were happy to explain and demonstrate techniques to help. I learned a lot during my time at the studio and even came away with a few pieces I made that were quite useful! read more

Smaart Gallery & Studio - Art Classes Near Me - San Francisco, California

Jason was an awesome teacher! I'm excited to see the outcome of the items I made when it's done. Venue was clean and Jason's humor made the class enjoyable. Would recommend taking this class for beginners. read more

Instruction was clear and helpful. Dev is awesome - advising on technique for the best outcome. Highly recommend this class for all skill levels! read more

I joined a 6 week class and I'm 3 weeks in! I have absolutely been loving the class and being able to come in for open studio time. Deven is an amazing instructor and balances personal attention with group demos very well. She seems to have so many little techniques for the roadblocks we're running into and new ideas that we have. Wish the clay was a bit cheaper, twice the cost of at other studios-- its $29 for 12.5 lbs here, but a dollar per pound at other studios (citing AG Artillery), which is quite expensive. read more

I took a 6 week intro/beginner pottery course with a friend earlier this year. Overall it was an okay experience, but I definitely think I would recommend other studios for those looking to take longer term pottery classes. There were a few things that particularly stuck out to me: 1) You pay $320 for the 6 week courses which is pretty standard across most SF pottery studios. However, you don't begin with a lot of clay - only 12.5lbs (for reference, I took another 6 week course at Clayroom where they give you 25lb to start and charge the same tuition price). Buying clay is also more expensive here than I found at other studios - another 12.5lb bag of clay will run you around $30-$35. 2) Our instructor was nice, but I didn't feel like I was really able to improve a lot. When asked for help on things like straightening sides/fixing wonkiness on a piece, their response was often something along the lines of "just be okay with imperfection" and "you don't want your piece to look like it was mass produced anyways so no need to fix". While I understand the sentiment, I felt like if I was going to pay $320 for a course, I should be able request and receive adequate instruction and help. This isn't to say that the instructor didn't help me at all - they definitely did - but both my friend and I felt a little annoyed that our requests for fixing our pieces were often dismissed. 3) The studio is a bit small, and I think the wheels are not well equipped for taller folks. I'm 5'8 and felt like I was extremely hunched over most of the time over the wheel, which in turn made throwing a lot harder. There aren't adjustable seats and there are only a few wheels that are supposed to be designated for taller folks (but I honestly didn't feel like those were very helpful either). I hesitated giving a 2/5 because it seems a bit harsh, and my experience here wasn't *bad* - I just think there are better options in the city if looking for 6 week pottery classes. read more

Terrific teachers. Emily was fabulous. Other teachers had helpful, generous instruction when I asked during open studio time. I'm looking forward to my continued learning with SMAART. Loving my pottery experience! read more

My brother and I signed up for the pottery making Airbnb experience so we could check this activity off of our bucket list. Jasmine, our instructor, was friendly and helpful. We had a great time, got our hands dirty, and made a lot of dirty jokes because of all the sexual innuendos that come from straddling the machine and uh, hand movements that come with playing with the spinning clay. We made four pieces in the duration of the class and waited a few weeks, almost a month later to pick them up. I would have wished for a much quicker turnaround but I do love my pieces! read more

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Great experience! Would definitely recommend trying out the 1-day pottery class if you're interested. You get to make up to 4 pieces, guided by the instructor. Add to your bucket list today!! read more

Smaart Gallery & Studio - Art Classes Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I was debating whether I should post this review here, as this could be some serious accusation. But the more I think about it, I cannot stop thinking how absurd my experience was. Think again whether you'd want to take this class if you're Asian, or POC, for that matter. In short, I encountered racist behavior from the instructor during a one-day class. We were all seated in a circle, and after showing a demo of what we'd be doing, the instructor went around and gave individual feedback. The instructor has not helped me a single time, and barely answered my questions if I asked any. She would go round in circles and check up on everyone and help people as needed, but she would casually skip me every time. I was the only POC in the class, but at this point, I had just naively assumed that she wasn't engaging because she didn't see an issue with my work. At a later point, the piece I was working on had a very obvious issue. I asked her for help, as she had just passed by me - again, clearly with no intention of helping me out. She proceeded to tell me that that could happen if I hadn't done something correctly at the beginning (well, I would have appreciated some help). And instead of actually helping me mend it, like she had with everyone else, she just pointed at a new ball of clay and told me to work on it again, as "it won't happen the next time". During the entire time, she has not touched my piece a single time except for when she was collecting everyone's finished pieces. She also pretended, multiple times, that she didn't understand what I was saying. I don't think my English is so incomprehensible that I was not able to communicate properly, but take that as you will. I have encountered racist behaviors before, but to pay almost $100 for a barely 2 hour class to be treated like this was a new experience. I will not be back for another class. read more

My wife and I took a pottery class here when we celebrated our 20th anniversary. What a great night. The instructor was very helpful and encouraging. I highly recommend the class. I'm bringing my work team next. read more

Smaart Gallery & Studio - Art Classes Near Me - San Francisco, California

We had an amazing time working with Erika. We now have an immense appreciation for the art form and we look forward to trying to improve in the future! read more

I'm thankful to Steve for offering my boyfriend and I another class. It was a fun experience all over again. Alex is a patient and knowledgable instructor - he made the class a great learning experience! Cannot wait to try it out again sometime soon :) Recommend it for a fun date night trying out something new! read more

I visited this studio with a group of friends. It was our girls day out and was supposed to be fun. The host was poor at demo, communication and was quite rude. The studio isn't equipped for short folks. If you are short, you need additional blocks to keep beneath your feet and a taller table to sit so you can get the right position on the wheel. The studio just had 2 additional blocks available and no option for a taller table. The host did not bother helping me for initial one hour of the session and asked me to keep trying better and there is nothing she can do. My back was hurting almost throughout the session. Some points that I think one needs to know before booking - pottery can be messy. There is no room to change in the studio. so you need to wear clothes that you don't mind being spoilt - at the end of the session, you need to clean up your station which is a ~20 minutes job. - check who your host is. Our session was hosted by Candice but we had booked it initially with Steve. Overall an unpleasant experience that left me with a back ache for a week. read more

Jaz was amazing. Our teachers really enjoyed their team building exercise at your studio. Thank you for making this experience awesome! read more

Smaart Gallery & Studio - From our 2hr team building event - Art Classes Near Me - San Francisco, California

To kill time I signed up for a Pottery making class through my AirBnB experience. The class was held at SMAart Gallery and Studio and Ann Marie was our instructor. She was very patient, attentive, helpful, and encouraging. She really simplified the technique to us in 4 hour class. I didn't know learning pottery would challenge my triple C's - Coordination, Concentration, and Consistency. I was focused man! And this is what I am proud to say I made!! read more

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We had a great time! Jess was great in showing the techniques. My friend Ayman and I enjoyed making pottery. read more

Smaart Gallery & Studio - Art Classes Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Jason was our instructor. Friendly guy and taught me a lot! I really appreciated how he paced the class to match people's skill sets. We covered enough that I was able to make a bowl and a pot for my plants, and lots of great technique I can use in the future. Engaging evening. Highly recommend. read more

Smaart Gallery & Studio - Art Classes Near Me - San Francisco, California

We booked a pottery class through Airbnb Experiences. It was a little more expensive there than it is to book direct ($75 per person vs $64 I believe) but with Airbnb you do have their protection/security. Location was easy to find. A bit of a walk if you take BART but we Ubered. As a beginner, I thought it was just an average experience. I'd never thrown anything on a wheel before, so I was looking forward to learning the basic techniques. Luckily there were other beginners in our class (5 people total), so Leslie really broke all the steps down for us in the demonstration. Every person gets four one-pound pieces of clay. This isn't that much, each piece is enough to make a mug-sized bowl/vase/cup/etc. I just felt like for the price we paid, we didn't get nearly enough attention or help with our pieces. I was doing okay with throwing but really struggling with the pulling stage. I asked for help multiple times but she said she encouraged everyone to at least make one piece on their own. I had already made a bowl on my own at that point, and was working on my second and third. When I pointed that out, she just looked annoyed at me. Subsequently, my second and third pieces turned out to be awful lol. The walls collapsed on one of them because they were too thin and the other I accidentally dug my finger into the side and didn't know how to repair it (because she would not teach me). I also needed help leveling off the top but didn't have a wire tool, and she said I had to wait until the other students had a free one. When I finally got it, she didn't really respond to my request to help trim the top--I was afraid I'd mess it up if I tried it myself. I also had every beginner's problem e.g. forgetting steps, cracking, not using enough water, having the clay slide off, NOT having the clay side off when I wanted it to lol... This is obviously my fault since I'm a beginner and really bad at it, but I wish she had been more hands on and helpful. She was trimming previous students' art during our time, rather than paying careful attention to each of the students in the moment. She also left the room a few times to talk to her coworkers and customers in the shop. Feels kind of weird that she was doing her own work during the time we specifically paid for. 25 minutes of our paid time (2 hours) were also used to clean up at the end. This was honestly the hardest part lol, my back was in so much pain afterwards and then I had to scrub all the tubs and tools clean. I understand why this is necessary but just an FYI if you are considering taking this same course. We started late because one member arrived 15 min late as well. So the time breakdown was 15 minutes of waiting, 20 minutes of instruction, an hour of free clay time, and 25 minutes of cleanup. I am glad we are going to get to take home the pieces we did make though (2 out of 4 for me, 3 for my boyfriend). We got to choose either have them all be one selected color of glaze, or random colors if we wanted various colors. The color selection wasn't that big, there were only 6 or so glaze colors total. It will be a while before they are ready, but I'm excited! Definitely follow the tips they provide you. Wear clothes that you don't mind getting dirty; short sleeves and shorts if possible, because you really get in there elbow deep and have the table between your knees! Trim your nails short because not only does the clay get in between your nails, but it also makes it hard to shape the clay precisely if you have long nails. If you have long hair, bring a hair tie! read more

Started class right on time. The instructor was Ryan and he was really helpful. Whether we needed a new bat, clay, help with centering he was there immediately. Happy with my first 4 and looking forward to seeing them in 5 weeks! read more

The teachers here are nice and helpful, Candace in particular. I, along wit the other students who did a 6 week course, however, am not going to continue using the facilities due to the owner Steven's attitude. The community is nice and helpful but when Steven, the owner , is around , the vibe changes , he's like a dark cloud. You'd think we were trespassing into his private bedroom the way he's so controlling and watching everything like a hawk. It feels like Mommy Dearest is breathing down my neck when I'm there. And trust me, I'm not the only who feels this way. Every studio has its rules and understandably , damage can be done to equipment if its not handled correctly. It's ok to give directions or rules , but why the condescending attitude? All my friends who went here have stories of Steven being snarky to them. We're happy to take our money elsewhere; I'd rather drive an extra 30 min to another studio to work in peace! read more

My partner and I had a fantastic time learning to make pottery from Candace. During COVID, classes are held outdoors on the sidewalk, which allowed us to enjoy the lively atmosphere of the Mission. Candace was a superb instructor in both her ability to teach to beginners and her personality. She was very forgiving about our mistakes and provided us with unlimited clay to work with whenever we messed up. Each person gets to keep up to 4 of their creations, which we feel like is a great deal. Definitely recommend trying a class with SMAart. read more

Thank you all for a great experience, it was exactly what we were looking for and needed, we learned a lot in just one class. Dev was amazing! read more

If you are looking to get creative in SF definitely book a pottery class at Smart Gallery & Studio. I learned so much and was impressed by the instructor's techniques. Every time he gave me a pointer it greatly improved my piece. The perfect class for beginners or anyone who needs a refresher in pottery. Can't recommend this studio and pottery class enough! read more

Smaart Gallery & Studio - Art Classes Near Me - San Francisco, California

I purchased a Verlocal 2-hour pottery for beginners class, which was led by Jessica. They keep the classes small (8 people), which is great for closer interaction with the instructor. We were each given 3 pieces of clay to mold into our choice. I made a bowl, mug, and dish. 2 hours flew by! It was a lot of fun, but definitely consider taking a real course to properly learn how to throw pots. 2 hours was not enough time; felt rushed for beginners like me. Luckily, Jessica was super patient and let some of us continue while she was cleaning up. The studio also hosts artists, so it has gallery space that features really great work for sale -- not just ceramic pieces. Would definitely do this again! read more

Very interesting experience and you will love it as long as you are creative. My first time ever playing with clay on a wheel and definitely wanna go back. Took the class with Jessica - 4 people class so it was not too big, which was kind of nice so we got to ask questions and it was very interactive. We were ten minutes late to the class, but Jessica took us in and told us she would fill us in later and went on with the instructions/demo. She helped out with our first piece and let us play around with it. Each person gets 4 molds of clay and you can do whatever you want with it, if you want to make a bigger piece, you can ask your instructor to put 2 molds together and make one big piece. So the class is 2 hrs long, but the cleaning at the very end takes at least 20mins so go early to the class so you can do all of your 4 molds. The first mold was almost done by the instructor Jessica, cos you will mess it up. Ummm if you get it right the first time, its luck or you are Van gogh? She gives step by step instruction on everything and you just need to follow and get creative, add your own flavor though. I made 1 bowl, 2 plates, well one turned out to be a cheese plate and 1 cup/bowl/mug (idk). But its a really fun experience. Once the class is done you put your initials on your pieces and pick it up in 3-5weeks when they send you an email. I believe they glaze it and fix your pieces. I'm yet to pick up my pieces but super excited to see how it turns out, you also get an option of the glaze colors - out of 4 different options. TIP - cut your nails before you go here, I didn't and it was leaving marks behind on my pieces and my hands/nails were really disgusting when I got home.Also wear old/ not fancy clothes as they tend to get dirty and clay all over. I wore hiking shorts, a work out top and my black shoes, all the clay easily came off of my clothes. read more

Haven't had my session with them yet, but I am so excited to! The process to sign up for a class was really simple and quick, plus they offered one of the best deals out there for a 1-day class. I had a bit of a scheduling fluke, but Steven, my class instructor, was really prompt and responsive to my emails and helped me out big time. Excited to take the class and hopefully bring many more people here! read more

We had a great time! Jess was great in showing the techniques. My friend and I enjoyed making pottery.

I love Smaart Studios. I have been a member since 2016 and have enjoyed growing and learning with an friendly group of artists. This place offers a lot. There are plenty of wheels, 24 hour access, clay for less than it costs from a supplier and firings are frequent. Also, it is more affordable than most studios in the city. There is something for everyone. The classes are great for beginners or those who want to try out pottery as a one time thing. Plus, there is room to grow for hobbyists and artists. read more

I am in love. This was So much fun and I can't wait to invest way more than I need into a new hobby! Devan was really awesome, they provided excellent instruction and room to breath. I definitely will walk away with the phrase "embrace the failure" in my head. I was an excellent failure, but this experience was anything but a failure. Thank you again read more

I attended 1 time class for beginners. I had not heard about my piece at week 4. I contacted studio and the owner contacted me within 24 hours and my pieces were completed between their 2- 5 week firing window. Steven, the owner, was professional and helpful to resolve this issue. read more

I took the Intro to Clay class through AirBnB experiences. Devan was an awesome instructor and gave us clear and helpful instructions. They were very hands-on with us and helped us closely through out the entire experience. It was a very fun experience! read more

My husband and I were looking for a date night activity and found this pottery class. Leslie was a phenomenal instructor. She was very detailed in describing how to work with the clay and spin wheel. Came by to check our progress and never made anyone feel inadequate, which I truly appreciate. I can't wait to see the finished product and plan to book more classes! read more

www.smaartgallery.com/Gallery.html We set out to find the SMAart Gallery on a "soft" San Francisco evening. Okay, it was just raining. Not cats'ndogs Seattle rain, not sideways-gonna-knock-your-britches-off Galway rain. Not Nemo rain. But it was raining enough to make us a trifle crotchety. Said the Mister to me, "Why are we heading out to this gallery opening?" Said I to the Mister, "I told you, it was Richard II they found, not Richard III." Said Mr. Oh-So-Right, "He stayed at the Chancellor Hotel." Said I, "He did not, that's where Dan stayed. Said he, "That's who I was talking about." In other words, we weren't communicating very well. Union Square, that beehive of the uppencomin' and well-to-do. Union Square held no charm despite its taxi-whistles, well-lit windows, little cable cars.. "Half way to the stars, said I, as we turned left on Sutter. "You're making us walk uphill...its too far and I'm too wet." Every building along Sutter seemed to be owned by the Academy of Art. Art buses lined the roadways. The SFIA lobby appeared welcoming but empty. (Everyone loves an architect, you know.) But Mrs. Fuddyduddy had not yet found what she was looking for... The SMAart storefront appeared. Warm, well-lighted. Dry. Small pleasures these...but on the Maslov Needs Scale, pretty basic. We went in. Were greeted by Steve Allen, the owner of SMAart. Steve Martin Allen, actually. Hence the double Aa in SMAart. Found Gene Erickson, the featured artist for the evening. http://generickarts.homestead.com/ Also found a glass of wine, a bit of food and a friendly face in sommelier Roger Smith. Life began to look better. Art began to assume its rightful importance at the top of the Needs Scale. Mrs. Fuddyduddy began enjoy herself; the quiet humor inherent in the featured exhibit, "Out of The Woodwork" was the work of a mature artist. But one who understood human foibles. The Mister liked Gene Erickson's work too. A lot. Nice art. I love it. I want it. I need to have it. Or at least an exhibition catalog. (None yet printed, but ask for one anyway.) Loved "Buena Vista." Wanted it. Loved "The Procession." Wanted it. "Journey, " "Whither" Loved..."Untitled." Which looked like Richard III's spine to this untrained eye. Well, you know what I'm gonna want for Valentine's day. A piece of Gene Erickson's art. Or at least a piece of the Mister's Heart. Attention to detail. Repurposed. Timeless. innovative. Fine Art. Worth the journey. Even in the rain. This show, www.smaartgallery.com/Gallery.html "Out Of The Woodwork." is at the SMAart. read more