Entry No. 39 — the Bozeman file — filed under: hands-on
Gangbusters Pottery
A working ceramics studio that runs private evening handbuilding sessions where you bring a group of friends to press clay into molds and make bowls, platters, and cups, then pick from ten glaze colors at the end of the night. Sessions start around 6pm and run two to three hours, and the studio explicitly invites you to bring your own drinks and snacks. Everything else is provided, and finished pieces are glazed for you and ready for pickup about two weeks later.
The story
Tucked into Suite 3 at 724 North Wallace Avenue, Gangbusters Pottery isn't a quiet visual gallery where you whisper and keep your hands behind your back. It’s ceramicist Ryan Mitchell’s working studio, built around the unglamorous, highly tactile reality of producing functional porcelain-ware. While Mitchell spends his days crafting custom production pieces, select evenings turn the space into an open studio for small groups looking to shape raw earth into something they’ll actually use.
Instead of placing beginners behind a spinning potter’s wheel—where a misplaced thumb instantly turns a bowl into an unsalvageable puddle—Gangbusters runs evening handbuilding workshops. You’re handed slab clay to press directly into plaster molds, forming structural bowls, deep platters, and durable cups. It's a stripped-back, practical approach to ceramics that lets you focus on form, texture, and rim edges rather than fighting gravity.
What it's like
You’ll show up around 6 p.m. to a working studio dusted with clay residue, where the table is cleared for 6 to 12 people. The studio explicitly encourages you to BYOB and unpack whatever snacks or wine you brought along. Over two to three hours, you’ll work through the handbuilding process step-by-step before selecting your finish from a wall of ten glaze options. You leave the mess and the kiln work behind; about two weeks later, you return to pick up vitrified, food-safe porcelain pieces ready for your dinner table.
The move: Book the BYOB handbuilding class, bring a bottle of wine, and each shape a bowl you'll eat from for years.
📍 Before you go Classes run in small groups (about 6-12) on set evenings; BYO drinks/snacks and expect a ~2-week wait to pick up finished pieces.
- 📍 Bozeman
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: Bozeman, MT
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Tinworks Art — Walk a few steps down the industrial Northside corridor to explore Tinworks Art's walk-through installations before or after your studio session.
- Medium Gallery — Located right on Wallace Avenue, this sleek sensory gallery offers a high-design, ambient contrast to Gangbusters' messy hands-on clay work.
- Devil's Toboggan — Head half a mile over to the Cannery District after your class to wash the dust off your hands with a cocktail at this hidden second-floor speakeasy.
Good to know
Do I need any wheel-throwing experience?
No experience is needed. The workshops focus entirely on handbuilding and mold-pressing techniques, which bypass the steep learning curve of a potter's wheel.
What is the policy on food and drinks?
It is entirely BYOB and BYO-snacks. You are welcome to set up drinks and food on the worktables during the workshop.
How long until I can pick up my finished pottery?
Finished pieces require drying, initial firing, custom glazing in your chosen color, and a final firing. They are ready for pickup roughly two weeks after your class.
What kind of items can I make?
You'll press clay into molds designed for functional tableware, such as everyday bowls, platters, and drinkware.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Yelp · explorebigsky.com
last checked: 2026-06-24