About the Pottery
Greenwich House Pottery offers a ceramics program for every level of practice and discipline, including wheel throwing, handbuilding, mold making, slipcasting, and special topics. In our multi-week classes, you can get started with the fundamentals of working in clay in an introductory or beginner class, build on existing skills in a mixed- level class, or refine your style with more ambitious projects in an
intermediate/advanced class!
The Pottery operates two well-equipped studios to support your work. Between our two Manhattan locations, we manage three handbuilding studios, three wheel-throwing studios, a mold making and slipcasting studio, one mixed-use open studio room, 40+ potter’s wheels, one gas kiln, eight electric kilns (barrel and front-loading), three slab rollers, two extruders, one Soldner clay mixer, five de-airing pug mills, and a spray booth. Mold making, slipcasting, spray booth, and gas firings are only available at the West Village studio.
GHP West Village offers six clay bodies for students (porcelain casting slip, white stoneware, throwing stoneware, sculpture stoneware, red earthenware, and 25-pound bags of high-fire porcelain) and offers low- mid- and high-temperature firings. GHP Chelsea offers two clay bodies for students (dark and light stoneware) and fires glazes to cone 6 only. Both studios have a large selection of glazes, slips, and washes. Other educational resources include the Jane Hartsook Gallery, access to artists-in-residence, visiting artist lectures, and a lending library with books dedicated to ceramics.
Our History
Pottery classes have been offered at Greenwich House for nearly its entire history, beginning with classes as part of a larger handicraft program in 1904. The Pottery officially became a department within Greenwich House in 1909. The teachers, students and residents that have worked in the Pottery’s classrooms over the years have included such renowned names as Peter Voulkos, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Betty Woodman, Ghada Amer, Ann Agee, Kathy Butterly, Simone Leigh and David Salle.
Greenwich House Pottery is generously supported by the Windgate Foundation, Maxwell / Hanrahan Foundation, the Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, the Robert and Beatrice Hompe Foundation, The Phillip J Solondz Family Foundation, Pohlad Family Fund, CLAWS Foundation, Susquehanna Foundation, Morgan Stanley, Mae & Mitchell Marcus Charitable Foundation, Amazon, Louis & Anne Abrons Foundation, and the Stossel Abrams Charity Fund.
Additional support for Greenwich House Pottery is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
