Below is a list of the top and leading Pottery Shops in Oakland. To help you find the best Pottery Shops located near you in Oakland, we put together our own list based on this rating points list.
Oakland’s Best Pottery Shops:
The top rated Pottery Shops in Oakland, CA are:
- Yolin Art Studio – is an expert ceramic design, mold-making, and slip-casting
- Merritt Ceramics Shop – was founded in 2017
- Bay-Made – is to serve as an ever-present, carefully curated local art and craft market
- Mary Law Pottery – produces useful and ornamental pots
- The Crucible – is a nonprofit institution and art college
Yolin Art Studio
Yolin Art Studio is supported and worked on by independent ceramicist Yingling Lin and fine artist Yoyo Hu. By building this studio, they seek to foster a vibrant artistic environment for the neighborhood and support regional artists by giving them access to facilities and resources for their works. A specialty of the YoLin art studio is expert ceramic design, mold-making, and slip-casting.
For purchasing ceramic work, visit the studio’s front store. Additionally, they provide lessons on topics relating to ceramics, including wheel-throwing, hand-building ceramics, ceramic and pottery painting, mold-making and casting, and ceramic jewelry. All of their instructors are Bay Area-based working fine artists.
Products/Services:
Pottery Shop
LOCATION:
Address: 539 Athol Ave, Oakland, CA 94606
Website: www.yolinartstudio.com
REVIEWS:
“Absolutely love my class here! I chose the 6 weeks hand build class and the two teachers Yoyo and Ling were always patient and thorough about what I wanna make and always made sure our learning journey is suited just for me. The vibe here is so fun and relaxing. With a cool music mix every week! It’s my little meditation time after work. Will come back for another session in the near future for sure.”
Merritt Ceramics Shop
Merritt Ceramics Shop was founded in 2017 as a studio that reflects the variety of the Oakland community and invites participation from everyone. Everyone is encouraged to sculpt according to their individual artistic ability by their instructors. Techniques are demonstrated, but more significantly, the time spent is molded into enduring friendships by the focusing work with clay.
Through partnerships with visiting artists, participation in neighborhood events, and ceramics instruction, Merritt Ceramics seeks to improve the art scene in Oakland. The Studio has more than 20 electric pottery wheels, a slab roller, an extruder, two kilns, 15 different studio dipping glazes, colored slips, and underglazes, as well as a community tool area and a fantastic team ready to answer all of your concerns about clay-making.
Products/Services:
Pottery and Ceramic Shop
LOCATION:
Address: 1825 Park Blvd, Oakland, CA 94606
Website: www.merrittceramics.com
REVIEWS:
“Great selection of the best trimming, glazing, and throwing tools. Super helpful and friendly staff. They have one of everything so not many options for different brands but the selection is incredibly good. As someone who goes to Clay Planet & Clay People this is a great alternative open on weekends for essentials.” – Derek S.
Bay-Made
Bay-Made is a retail gift shop that was established in 2017 with the support and blessings of its neighborhood by two Lake Merritt makers who reside in the area and is located in the Grand Lake District of Oakland, California. The purpose of Bay-Made is to serve as an ever-present, carefully curated local art and craft market.
Bay-Made, which specializes in locally produced crafts and artwork, also provides a variety of art materials and writing tools. An accessible local art venue was needed in their community, so fabricator and engineer Schuyler McAlister and illustrator Sarahjane Bernhisel decided to create one. Customers frequently asked Sarahjane, who ran the toy shop in the same building, questions.
Products/Services:
Pottery and Gift Shop
LOCATION:
Address: 3295 Lakeshore Ave, Oakland, CA 94610
Phone: 510-520-4600
Website: www.bay-made.com
REVIEWS:
“They always have a great collection of goods made by Bay area artists, ranging from art prints to pottery, to leather goods, etc. They also offer classes, which are reasonably priced and very fun. I’ve done the modern calligraphy and block printing classes and really enjoyed them. I’ve visited Bay Made at least 10 times and always find something interesting.” – Erin K.
Mary Law Pottery
Mary Law Pottery produces useful and ornamental pots, particularly for food and flowers, and has been creating them since 1968. Her work is represented through the pots on this website, the majority of which are unique works. Mary Law has almost 45 years of experience making useful pottery. She trained under Byron Temple and graduated from Alfred University with an MFA in Ceramics.
Alfred University, San Jose State University, California College of the Arts, Haystack, Anderson Ranch, and Penland School of Crafts are just a few of the institutions where she has taught ceramics. She has been a part-time ceramics instructor at Contra Costa College for the past 25 years, and most recently at Diablo Valley College. She resides, maintains a studio, and exhibits her work internationally from Berkeley, California.
Products/Services:
Pottery Shop
LOCATION:
Phone: 510-524-7546
Website: www.marylawpottery.com
REVIEWS:
“Quality pottery. Super charming potter. Worth a visit for any lover of handmade.” – Steve B.
The Crucible
The Crucible is a nonprofit institution and art college committed to ensuring that the fine and applied arts are accessible to people of all ages, educational levels, and abilities. Their primary service areas are Oakland and the East Bay, where they annually offer thousands of individuals enjoyable, high-quality seminars and workshops. The Crucible in West Oakland stands out from other art schools thanks to its staff, students, and instructors, who all share this characteristic.
This 56,000-square-foot facility has over nineteen distinct art areas, including welding, blacksmithing, glass flameworking, and more, and is ready for you to visit in search of your next creative endeavor. They also provide free programs, scholarships, and paid leadership opportunities for adolescents and adults who live in the area but would not otherwise be able to participate as part of honoring and empowering Oakland.
Products/Services:
Pottery Classes, Art Classes, Youth Classes
LOCATION:
Address: 1260 7th St, Oakland, CA 94607
Phone: 510-444-0919
Website: www.thecrucible.com
REVIEWS:
“The Crucible is an industrial arts school filled with various activities and displays related to art and science. I went there on a field trip for our chemistry class and it was a very enjoyable experience. My favorite demonstration was the glass blowing and seeing the production of a glass cup. I saw chemistry being shown in arc welding, blacksmithing, glass blowing, neon lights, and metal cutting. I would recommend visiting The Crucible to anyone who has a love for science or enjoys seeing live demonstrations. They also offer classes if you would prefer to get your hands dirty!”
Sarah has worked as a journalist for nearly a decade having contributed to several large publications online. As a business expert, Sarah reviews local and national businesses.