Pottery studios in Athens, Georgia

Athens's pottery scene is small but craft-serious for a city of 126,000, anchored by the University of Georgia Lamar Dodd School of Art ceramics program. Studios cluster downtown, in Five Points, Boulevard, and along Prince Avenue. Prices are friendly: drop-in classes from $40, six-week courses from $225-325. Several studios are run by UGA graduates teaching rigorous multi-level wheel curricula. Memberships with kiln access are available; member shelves are waitlisted at the popular downtown studios. Hand-building drops in easily; wheel throwing usually requires a short intro session. Date-night and drop-in classes are common downtown. Kids programs run year-round at the community art centers. For longer study, the downtown and Boulevard studios offer the deepest curricula and best access to the broader UGA ceramics community.