Cream City Clay, Inc. Pottery School & Art Studio — Attraction in West Allis

A Hidden Gem for Pottery Lovers – Cream City Clay is Exceptional!

If you’re looking for an inspiring, welcoming, and truly hands-on ceramics experience, Cream City Clay in West Allis, WI is the place to be! From the moment you walk through the doors, you're greeted by a warm and inviting atmosphere, filled with creativity and community spirit.

The studio is well-equipped with everything a beginner or experienced ceramist could need—plenty of wheels, high-quality clay, top-notch glazes, and a kiln firing service that ensures beautiful results. Whether you're taking a class, attending a workshop, or just stopping in for open studio time, the staff is incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and always willing to offer guidance.

One of the standout features of Cream City Clay is the way they cater to all skill levels. Whether you're a total beginner or a seasoned ceramic artist, their classes provide the perfect blend of instruction and creative freedom. The instructors are patient, encouraging, and truly passionate about their craft, making learning both fun and rewarding.

Beyond the technical aspects, the sense of community at Cream City Clay is amazing. It's a place where you can not only develop your pottery skills but also meet like-minded people who share a love for ceramics. The workshops and special events are always a blast, and the seasonal projects add an extra layer of excitement.

If you’ve ever been curious about pottery or are looking for a new creative outlet, Cream City Clay is absolutely worth checking out. It’s more than just a studio—it’s a space where creativity flourishes, friendships form, and beautiful pieces come to life.

Highly recommend...

This is just an okay place to explore pottery. The staff is just okay at helping through each step of the process. The clay bodies offered (there are only two, "white" or "red") are just okay. The glaze selection is fine, although the limitations of electric kiln firing are evident in your final product. You will come out of here with okay pottery. Nothing terrible, nothing spectacular.

The studio space itself is small and usually feels crowded. The glazing area is especially claustrophobic, with only two low tables and limited seating (no stools). The glaze buckets are all bunched up under the tables, and they are small, which doesn't allow for dipping of larger pieces. Sometimes (many times) a uniform coating is desired and/or you just don't want to brush a glaze on. This is a significant limitation.

If I'm being completely honest, my experience at Cream City has brought me to the conclusion that I need to step away from pottery indefinitely. I did not feel inspired or encouraged here, and there is one studio member who consistently interjects herself into others' situations while they are working, offering "help" and "suggestions" which bothers me a lot.

If you're a part of the West Allis community or brand new to pottery, maybe these things wouldn't bother you at all. For me, they were enough to warrant a three star review, some self-reflection on why I am even doing pottery, and a desire to seek out or create a more physically and creatively open space for working on this craft...

I came from Waukesha Potter’s Shop where I fell in love with making pottery…needed to switch because of location and this was the only option. I had a bad feeling leaving the first class, but knew I couldn’t get a refund or credit and wanted to give them a chance so I kept going. I learned different techniques but the staff and teacher are incredibly rude and disorganized, I couldn’t find 2 completed pots I knew was mine and the staff didn’t care or help. Customer service and kindness is a negative star. I like pottery enough though to appreciate the new techniques I now know because of Dan. If you can, take a class at the Potter’s Shop in Waukesha instead, way worth the drive if you are in Milwaukee and...