Entry No. 63 — the Durango file — filed under: hands-on
Pots & Pints at Durango Arts Center
The community arts center runs a playful slab-building pottery class where creativity meets happy hour, no experience needed. In about ninety minutes you grab a drink and hand-build a one-of-a-kind ceramic piece, then leave it for the staff to fire and come back later to glaze. At roughly $37 a person it is the low-commitment, low-stakes way to make something together.
The story
If you have ever tried to throw pottery on a traditional kickwheel while keeping a straight face and clean clothes, you know ceramic studios can feel surprisingly intimidating. Pots & Pints at the Durango Arts Center strips all of that away. Tucked inside the center's building at 802 East 2nd Avenue, this late-afternoon workshop trades high-stakes wheel precision for flat-out slab-building, community chatter, and a drink in hand.
The mechanics are straightforward and intentionally low-pressure. At roughly $37 a person, you drop in around 4:30 PM on scheduled Friday sessions. A local instructor guides you through rolling out raw clay slabs and assembling a one-of-a-kind piece from scratch. There is no frantic cleanup before dinner—after about 90 to 120 minutes of hand-building and sipping, you hand your raw piece over to the center's staff and walk out.
The catch is that you have to come back, which turns one workshop into two distinct outings. The DAC crew handles the initial bisque firing in their kilns. Once it cools, you return during standard gallery hours (Tuesday through Saturday, 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM) to apply your glazes before the piece goes back in for its final heat.
What it's like
Expect a relaxed, end-of-the-workweek crowd unwinding over clay tools and drinks. The vibe is casual and hands-on, so leave any fancy sleeves at home and do not expect high-stress technical instruction. Keep in mind that this is a multi-step project: you will leave your work behind on Friday evening and need to coordinate a quick daytime trip back to 2nd Avenue once it is fired so you can glaze it.
The move: Drink in hand, the two of you hand-build slab pottery pieces from scratch, then return another day to glaze them.
📍 Before you go Offered as scheduled one-off sessions (one listed was a Friday 4:30-6:00pm), so check the Arts Center calendar for the next date; gallery hours are Tue-Sat noon-6pm. You return separately to glaze your fired piece.
- 📍 Durango
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 802 East 2nd Avenue, Durango, CO 81301
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- The Subterrain — Swap your hand-built ceramic work for immersive hand-painted installation art and drinks in a basement venue just down the street.
- Sun Sapphires — Pair slab pottery with walk-in fused glass work one block away to cover two distinct hands-on art crafts in one weekend.
- The Garage Billiards Hall — Transition from dirtying your hands with clay to tapping pinball flippers and playing pool a short walk away.
Good to know
How much does the Pots & Pints session cost?
Tickets run roughly $37 per person, which covers your clay, basic tools, drinks, and the separate glaze-and-fire step.
Do I need any previous pottery experience?
Not a bit. The class focuses exclusively on accessible slab-building techniques rather than complex wheel-throwing, making it beginner-friendly.
When are the classes held?
They run as scheduled one-off sessions, typically on Friday afternoons from 4:30 PM to around 6:00 or 6:30 PM. Check the Durango Arts Center online calendar to confirm specific dates.
How do I get my finished piece home?
You leave your freshly built slab piece at the studio for staff to fire. After the first firing, you return to the arts center during gallery hours (Tuesday–Saturday, 12:00 PM–6:00 PM) to glaze it before final firing.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Yelp · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-23