Entry No. 31 — the Butte file — filed under: hands-on
Garden Shed Pottery
Potter Judy Andrews's small studio, where she's been working in clay since picking up night classes back in 2005. She teaches approachable hand-building workshops that walk total beginners through making bowls, mugs, and planters, and she's the same instructor behind the pottery programs at Butte's Hungry Hill art center. The vibe is intimate and homespun rather than polished-storefront.
The story
Judy Andrews didn't open a sleek retail gallery or an uptown boutique. She started working with clay in a night class back in 2005, got hooked on the process, and set up a small studio at 2509 Locust Street. There are no polished display cases or retail counters here—just an intimate, homespun work space tucked away in a residential pocket of Butte where utility and texture come before slick commercial presentation.
Instead of throwing on high-speed wheels, Andrews keeps her workshops focused on accessible hand-building. Beginners learn simple pinch-and-coil techniques to turn slabs of raw clay into functional mugs, planters, and bowls. When she isn't running small-group sessions out of her own studio, she teaches clay programs for the Hungry Hill art center, grounding her work entirely in Butte's local maker community.
What it's like
Don't plan on dropping in unannounced—this is a strictly by-appointment space where you arrange sessions directly with Judy or track class openings via Facebook and Instagram. You'll step straight into a real, cozy working environment rather than a sterile classroom. Expect to get clay under your nails as you pinch and shape your piece by hand, leaving your finished vessel behind for firing before taking home everyday stoneware made with your own hands.
The move: Take a hand-building session and each pinch-and-coil a mug you'll actually drink your coffee from.
📍 Before you go It's a small by-appointment operation; class offerings are best confirmed via Facebook/Instagram or by contacting Judy directly. Overlaps with the Hungry Hill clay programs she also teaches.
- 📍 Butte, MT
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 2509 Locust St, Butte, MT 59701
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Hungry Hill Center for Art, Education & Outreach — Visit the Uptown community art center where Judy Andrews also teaches clay workshops to see how local pottery education ties into community outreach.
- Berkeley Pit Viewing Stand — Follow up hand-shaping clean Montana clay with a stark contrast just a mile away, looking down into a 900-foot-deep flooded copper pit mine.
- Helsinki Bar (Helsinki Yacht Club) — After getting clay on your hands, grab a drink down the road at Finn Town's last surviving 1911 former miner bathhouse.
Good to know
How do I sign up for a workshop at Garden Shed Pottery?
Because it operates by appointment only out of a small studio, you need to check Facebook or Instagram for current schedule announcements or contact Judy directly to book.
What techniques are taught in the beginner classes?
Workshops focus on hand-building methods like pinching and coiling, allowing complete beginners to construct items like mugs, bowls, and planters without needing wheel-throwing experience.
Where else does Judy Andrews teach ceramics in town?
In addition to her private studio, Andrews acts as an instructor for pottery and clay programs at the Hungry Hill Center for Art, Education & Outreach in Butte.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: kxlf.com · Yelp · hungryhill.org · Instagram
last checked: 2026-06-24