Petersen Art Center — Local services in Salt Lake City

I had been so excited to find pottery classes at a fraction of the price of other studios in the area, but I quickly learned that you get what you pay for. The classes here are disorganized, classrooms are in need of a remodel, and so is the plumbing. The instructor for the wheel thrown pottery class I signed up for is, according to the students who had been there awhile, notorious for showing up late, and even after she shows up, she does not instruct. I am sure this class would be fantastic if you already had a background in pottery and just needed somewhere to throw on a consistent basis, but for a beginner looking to get into this as a hobby, it was very disheartening. I don’t think it’s asking for too much to expect the instructor to show up on time and instruct, but again…. You get what you pay for. Petersen was nice enough to refund my class fee, but would not refund my materials fees for the pottery tools and clay which is a little ridiculous to me but I digress. If you, like me, are looking for a good beginner pottery class, I recommend checking out Iron Desert Arts or Workshop SLC...

I LOVE Petersen Art Center! Petersen has such a unique and welcoming community of students and instructors. Some of whom have been coming to the Art Center since they opened over 30 years ago! Whether you’re interested in painting or pottery, Petersen is the place to be. Each instructor has their own style of teaching, some allow for more freedom and others provide a more structured approach. I prefer to let my creativity flow and have an instructor there for any questions I may have, but I love that the option is there if I wanted more direction. Petersen Art Center is the opposite of pretentious. I was nervous coming into my first class because I had only ever been in studios where there was so much judgement from other students, but Petersen isn’t like that. Everyone, students included, want to help! There is always collaboration on glaze combos, throwing tips, and hand building techniques making it easier to get your preferred outcome. On top of classes, pottery students have the opportunity to use open studio time and participate in raku firings. I could not recommend Petersen Art...

I’m sure this place is wonderful for classes and such, my aunt actually took a class here and seemed to love it. I was hoping to take a pottery class and was asking the front desk about the classes and how much they cost and what they entailed. This woman immediately was frustrated with me when I asked her if she could repeat herself because the connection kept dropping (I couldn’t hear half of what she said.) Honestly, I have worked customer service, I get it. It’s annoying and tiring, but I don’t think it is okay to talk to customers or potential students so rudely when they are just trying to get information and only ask you to repeat yourself once. I also don’t think it’s kind to raise your voice so aggressively.

I give three stars because I feel like they need reception to be a lot kinder and not talk to their future customers like their incompetent. But I’m thankful you guys are here in Utah and...