Alexa is originally from San Diego and started working with clay in 2019. She grew up mainly working within 2D mediums but always had a curiosity for clay. She completed her undergrad in Landscape Architecture from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, and still practices. Just as with landscape, she loves the process ceramics offers: idea > creation & making a mess > community enjoyment! Alexa loves exploring all avenues of clay creation, but you’ll usually catch her making functional design ware on the wheel.

Annika has always loved the arts from a young age. She was born and raised in Fresno, CA. Annika first found her passion for all things clay at the City College of San Francisco. When filling a general education requirement she decided to take Intro to Ceramics and after her first pinch pot she knew she found her passion. Seven years later it never would have crossed her mind that she would be managing a small studio to then running that studio herself. Annika has an extreme passion for teaching and sharing her love for ceramics and the community that comes along with it. Annika’s style is forever changing depending on what is inspiring her at that time. She thoroughly enjoys wheel throwing and adding handbuilt elements to her pieces. At this moment in time, she is diving into the colorful world of Nerikomi. Annika is extremely excited for her new journey at Clayroom and as Annika always says "Live, Laugh, Love."

Casey creates curvy, wheel-thrown vessels with bold shapes and vibrant glazes—perfectly imperfect and made to stand out. By day, she’s a software marketer; by night (and weekends), a potter and pottery teacher helping students let go, experiment, and find their unique style. When she’s not covered in clay, Casey is arranging flowers, recording music with her husband, or spending time at the dog park.

Chris was born in Connecticut and moved to San Francisco in 2015 to work as a restaurant chef. After walking by the Clayroom window display, Chris decided to take an Intro to Clay Class, and the rest is history! He was immediately hooked onto the idea of Pottery not necessarily as an art form, but as a Craft. His work centers around the pottery wheel, with a focus on functional pieces to be used in the kitchen and home. Chris is passionate about sharing his knowledge and excitement for clay with new students and gets satisfaction from helping them find methods and techniques that work best for them. When not teaching new students, you can find Chris practicing his teapots!

Originally from the Midwest, David grew up visiting his Grandfather's workshop where crafted all kinds of woodwork projects. Now, needing a hobby away from a computer screen, David decided to give the family tradition a try and loved it. Having taken seven woodworking classes without losing any fingers or limbs, David has begun teaching in his spare time.

Isabella grew up in Ann Arbor Michigan. She fell in love with clay in 2016 and has been obsessed ever since then. Isabella has a BA concentrating in ceramic sculpture from Alfred University and is currently living and making art in Foster City CA.

Jo Ko's work is inspired from natural geometry in nature and carving into new identities through exploring ambiguous forms. Her surrealist style embodies the raw feelings of mortality and the unknown: vulnerability, strength, and resilience all erupting out. Outside of her personal practice, Jo loves teaching students to push the boundaries of their work and embody it with a personal voice. By bridging the gap between form and architecture, the emphasis is on artistic concepts as much as it is on function. A passionate educator, she is committed to fostering an engaging and compassionate learning experience for people with all types of learning styles.

Justin is a San Francisco-based designer and furniture maker. He grew up in West Virginia, helping build fences, structures, and homes on the family farm. These formative acts of making blossomed into an obsession with fine furniture woodworking under the mentorship of Elijah Leed in 2012. Justin's work focuses on unexpected forms grounded in a modern Nordic vernacular. In addition to teaching at Clayroom, Justin serves on the core committee of The Chairmaker's Toolbox—an organization seeking to remove systemic barriers to education and community for underrepresented craftspeople. He currently works in tech as a design lead and manager and spends his nights and weekends making useful things at Hunt Projects in Bayview or his little home studio in The Castro.

Lianne is an Oakland-based instructor with a passion for understanding how things work. She draws heavily on her chemical engineering degree (University of Texas, '19) to inform her teaching style, which she describes as "warm, spacious, and technically-founded".

Her passion for ceramics started as a hobby in her mid-20s, but quickly evolved as she noticed that honing pottery skills kindled creativity throughout the different facets of her life. Lianne currently teaches Intro to Clay classes at several Clayroom Studios, and she is especially excited to see the progressions of early-experience students.

Hailing from Santa Maria California, Matthew moved to Oakland in 2013 to pursue an MFA in Creative Writing at Mill’s College. After graduating, Matthew never used his degree and instead spent the next 9 years startup hopping till finally burning out and returning to something more meaningful – woodworking. Joining Clayroom SF in the fall of 2022, he has spent the last year learning as much as possible to better his craft. At the moment he is diving deeper into the art of finishing though he will be the first to admit that there does seem to be an endless amount to learn. Above all, he enjoys seeing people learn, create, and be inspired.

Neil's teaching style blends excitement, energy, and mindfulness to help students understand the foundational principles of ceramics and woodworking. His passion is to conquer the initial hurdles and fears and help students feel successful in the studio. Personal attention, catered techniques to help the individual succeed, and having fun with clay is his signature style.

Originally from Hawaii, Richard studied art history and fashion design before focusing on ceramics at City College. His work blends functionality with decorative elements, and he enjoys combining hand-building techniques with wheel throwing. Surface texture plays a significant role in his creations, adding depth and dimension to each piece. As a ceramics instructor, he encourages his students to experiment and discover their creative voice while building a solid foundation in the basics of wheel throwing.

Originally from Maryland, Ryan has worked in the world of professional ceramics for over a decade, both in production and education. He has recently taught at Clay By the Bay and The Clay Underground, and has helped to found Clayroom. Past students have described his teaching style as "very thorough, very patient and extremely nice. The class is very relaxed and there is no pressure to come out with a masterpiece." Ryan holds a B.F.A. in Ceramics and Printmaking from Frostburg State University.

Stephanie hails from New Jersey and received a BA in architecture from University of San Francisco. Stephanie has a great passion for both ceramics and woodworking and loves teaching and working in both mediums. Stephanie creates mystical candelabras and functional sculptures. She’s also been soaking up knowledge of glaze chemistry and glaze making during her time at Clayroom. She enjoys answering those tough glazing and sculpture building questions from her students and helping them get to their creative goals.

Jonathan is an architectural designer by day and a ceramic artist by night. Originally from Taiwan, he grew up immersed in Japanese cultural influences. In early 2024, he discovered his passion for slip casting and quickly developed a unique approach using 3D printing and modeling. His work, ranging from vases to mugs, is defined by meticulously designed geometries and precise craftsmanship. In late 2024, Jonathan began teaching slip casting at Clayroom, sharing his knowledge with the community that has supported his journey. This year (2025), he’s committed to showcasing his work at as many public craft markets as possible—so keep an eye out for him throughout the Bay Area!

Alissa received her BA in Studio Art and Art History from Florida State University. She has apprenticed for artists Sue Tirrell and Julie Guyot, and received fellowships to attend workshops at both Anderson Ranch Arts Center and Penland School of Craft. Originally from southwest Florida, her work has shown both locally and nationally. Alissa completed two terms as a Ceramic Artist in Residence at the Mendocino Art Center in August 2018. She then spent a year teaching and making artwork as a long-term Resident Artist at the Taos Clay Studio in New Mexico. ​After spending five years in New Mexico, Alissa moved to San Francisco, California in 2023.

Antoinette has been joyously journeying through the world of ceramics for 6 years as a student and member in various studios/community colleges in the Bay Area and Chicago. She works full time as a hospital-based occupational therapist, so clay is squished into all of the free time that she can find. Her ceramic art focuses on playing with shape, surface design, and glaze effects while emphasizing function. Her favorite part of pottery is that there will always be something new to learn and explore, and she’s looking forward to introducing others to this incredible medium!

Cathy is a Bay Area native and works as a software developer during the day. She took a 6-week wheel throwing class in January of 2024 and since then has spent every free hour at Clayroom. She enjoys making repeatable functional ware on the wheel, but also has a penchant for challenging herself to incorporate different techniques into her thrown pieces, including hand-building attachments and various surface design techniques. Her biggest muse is definitely her dog in addition to all of the lovely studio pups at Clayroom Potrero!

Cindy was raised in Northern California but found her love from ceramics when she left for Brooklyn in 2017 and needed to find friends. Since then, she's loved the creativity and community she's built along the way. Cindy is primarily focused on making functional wheelthrown pieces inspired by the beauty and imperfections of nature and finding a balance between the two. Her teaching style is focused on body mechanics/form, helping her students to think about the big and small movements in their bodies, arms, hands, fingers, legs, and core that will help them get over that learning curve while also teaching them to embrace the challenge of mastering a new material and celebrating the little wins. Her motto at the start of any intro class is "We are here to try to make a thing that can maybe hold another thing - it might not be what you imagined, or a thing you would buy, but it will be a thing you made."

Hana has appreciated (and acquired) handmade pottery for about a decade, and finally made the leap to trying it out in 2022, when she immediately fell deeply in love with clay and never looked back. Hana is obsessed with functional pieces and repeatable forms, and is busy chasing the perfect mug/bowl/cup/plate design and earth toned aesthetic - it's feeling like a forever pursuit! She's currently appreciating that clay is teaching her to let go of expectations and to embrace failure. Hana made the transition to teaching because she loves introducing new people to clay, and seeing them fall in love with it, too.

Jason is a UX Designer by day, but passion for making things led him to woodworking and furniture design. He draws inspiration from Scandinavian and Japanese furniture design and woodworking techniques and enjoys wood turning to relax when furniture projects get too complicated.

John has been teaching woodworking at the Clayroom since 2023. He draws from Shaker, Scandinavian and Japanese influences and likes to use combinations of local woods in his furniture. Excited to share his passion for woodworking, he looks to guide students to create work crafted for their needs.

Karen’s journey to pottery may have begun in the tech and nonprofit worlds, but her love affair with clay is anything but virtual. Her years of experience in data analysis and project management allow her to bring a meticulous eye and a passion for innovation to her classes. She loves the technical aspects of ceramics, but encourages her students to unleash their creative spirit.

Lillian is originally from Atlanta and moved out to the bay area for a career in software engineering. She found her love for ceramics at a Try Day class here at Clayroom in 2023 and since then, she has taken several 6 week classes and began teaching at Clayroom in December of 2023. Lillian has dedicated any free time towards ceramics and loves to play with different designs and techniques to spice up her art. Currently, she's working on throwing larger and has a goal of making a ceramic piece as tall as she is one day! When she's not in the studio, you can find her skiing/hiking up in the mountains or traveling to try new foods!

Mayetta was born and raised in the Bay Area. She has been creating whimsical ceramic pieces for over 15 years. She has taught wheel throwing and handbuilding for the past few years in Philadelphia at The Clay Studio, Black Hound Clay Studio, and Fleisher Art Memorial. Additionally, she has assisted in ceramics workshops at craft schools such as Penland and Arrowmont. Mayetta's playful work seeks to serve the inner child in everyone.

Paige Warmington is a San Francisco based artist who received their BA from Stanford University in 2022. While their background is in interdisciplinary art, they developed a love for sculpture and working three-dimensionally. As they create, Paige's art becomes a comforting presence, embracing ambiguity with hope. They treat the act of creating as a means to calm down the noise of life. Moving to the city has caused them to scale down their work (literally), but joining the Clayroom community has allowed them to mix ceramic sculptures with wood in their recent work. Paige is excited to teach both woodworking classes focusing on functional and non-functional projects that still encapsulate their playful art style.

The modern world, with its digital complexity and economic and ecological challenges can seem overwhelming at times. The inherent simplicity of grabbing a saw, chisel, and measuring tape and manipulating once living material that grew for decades into something beautiful and functional is what drives Robbie’s passion for woodworking. He sees woodworking as a therapeutic endeavor that keeps him present and sharp of mind. For Robbie, a day in the shop is adjacent to stepping into nature for a new adventure. It’s an opportunity to disconnect from life’s troubles, breathe, and focus on what is going on in the moment. When Robbie is not in the shop, he can be found rollerblading, riding his bicycle, playing bass guitar and drums, or snowboarding.

Always having a deep appreciation for art and animals, Sachi obtained a minor in Art Studio at UC Davis while also studying to become a veterinarian. Leaving the anxiety and rigors of Veterinary Medicine after a decade of practice, she continued her creative expression using mediums like wool felt for portraits, fondant on cakes, and even sourdough bread sculptures (thank you, pandemic)! With the recent opening of the San Mateo Clayroom location, she is happily settling back into working with clay… If you don’t see her in the studio, you can probably find her snuggling on the couch with her mini Aussie, Henry, or Cheeto, her ginger cat!

Tara was raised in the Midwest and started her ceramic journey at a local studio in Chicago in her 20's. She fell in love with making functional pottery. She was a member at a couple studios in the Bay but didn't find her pottery home until Clayroom Potrero opened! She has been teaching Beginning Wheel for 4 years and loves introducing students to the wonders of ceramics. Tara makes functional pottery and sells her pots at Dolores Outpost and various craft sales.

Zoe grew up in Chicago and began their relationship with clay at the age of three. They began to closely study ceramics ten years ago, beginning with wheel throwing and eventually transitioning into a more sculptural practice. Zoe received their Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2019 with a focus in Ceramics. Under the close instruction of ceramicist Gerit Grimm, Zoe developed a love for figurative sculpture and organic forms. Their work is playful and surreal, and often involves manipulating the material in uncanny and unexpected ways. Zoe has taught both adults and children for many years and their approach to teaching encourages divergent thinking, embracing mistakes, learning by doing, and celebrating one’s inner child.

Andrea first took a ceramics class at age 10 and has been at the wheel ever since. During 2020, she was able to throw full-time and started her brand, slow daze ceramics, which has custom ceramic smokeware at its core. She loves the variety of requests she gets for custom pieces and has evolved both her throwing practice and glazing techniques to create unique and personal designs. These days she happily fills her evenings at Clayroom in San Francisco where she works on personal projects, slow daze pieces, and also teaches Next Steps Wheel and Tableware classes.

With an MFA in 3D animation, Bennie transitioned to the world of clay in 2017, bringing a fresh perspective to her ceramic creations. As a passionate artist, Bennie has a deep appreciation for Japanese aesthetics, which includes a focus on simple shapes, unique colors, and textures. Her creative journey led Bennie to craft functional ceramics, specializing in dinnerware and kitchenware, where she continuously explore the endless possibilities of glazes on the simple forms in my work.

After earning a BFA in Sculpture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chloe moved to San Francisco 15 years ago to pursue a career in high-end jewelry. Having worked with metal and wax, in design, and in a retail setting for over a decade, she rediscovered her passion for clay in 2021 at Clay Room, where she quickly found her rhythm. The repetitive, meditative process of shaping clay, combined with the sense of community, reenergized her. Chloe is currently most excited about her sculptural works, which express what words cannot. Hand-built stoneware sculptural pieces, frozen in motion, invite curiosity and crave to be touched. Bringing a sense of excitement and thoughtful engagement to her classes, Chloe currently teaches both throwing and hand building.

Daniel (he/him) was born and raised in the East Bay began his immersion into clay during high school. After high school and completion of the AP studio art program, Daniel became the studio manager for UC Santa Cruz’s student-led pottery studio: the Merrill Pottery Cooperative. During this time Daniel also worked in the ceramics wholesale industry learning the inner workings of kilns, wheels, and all technical aspects of pottery. Daniel’s main artistic focus is functional tableware and formulating beautiful glazes and surface decoration techniques to complement those forms.

Ilke is originally from Turkey and has a background in Materials Science. She got hooked on working with clay ever since she took my first class in 2014. Ilke enjoys exploring different techniques to make new pieces, and one of her personal favorites has been marbling different colors of clay. She creates both minimalistic/modern style pots, as well as colorful, cheerful ones.

Jess Garzaro first found their passion for clay as a young child and has been fascinated by the tactile and hands-on experience that clay provides since. Through exploration of different mediums, her fascination with the three-dimensional has persisted throughout her artistic journey. Possessing a Bachelor’s Degree in Art History and Studio Art from San Francisco State University, Jess has developed her artistic practice by combining their playful and practical sides, putting fun in their functional works. Excited to teach others the art and fun of ceramics, Jess utilizes the mindfulness and patience the medium requires to show how meditative clay can be.

Originally from the NYC area, Julia has taken her love for ceramics on the road, finding inspiration far from the city. Since moving to California in 2015, she’s immersed herself in art, falling hard for ceramics in 2016. After earning a degree in Studio Arts and Art History from SF State, she discovered a passion for teaching and has been sharing her skills ever since. Lately, she’s been focusing on coil building, exploring themes of nurture, nature, and identity.

Kelsey grew up in Michigan and has been working with clay since high school. She received her BFA from the University of Michigan in ceramics and sculpture and has worked with various materials such as clay, metal, wood, marble, and plaster. She has found a passion for mold making and slip casting and encourages her students to experiment with unique non-ceramic forms and slip design techniques. She strives to push the envelope with her class offerings and incorporate projects that combine various skills and materials.

Inspired by Mediterranean antiquities, Lisa crafts pottery decorated with scroll carvings, sculpted grapes, vines, and ancient designs. Relief carvings are her current favorite creative projects to explore as she is captivated by the concept of bringing forth life from a slab of clay. In addition to the craft, Lisa is developing an original glaze for the San Mateo studio, & she’s pretty excited about it :)

Nancy grew up in San Jose, California and first took a wheel throwing class at the Berkeley Art Studio, where she fell in love with clay and was signing up for every open studio slot available. After graduating, she took ceramics classes at De Anza College before becoming a studio technician and getting acquainted with the more technical side of ceramics. She loves the way clay allows you to create so tangibly and concretely, and strives to make forms that are both functional and playful.

Rachel Heibel is a sculptor who works with clay as the primary medium, but also has experience with wood, plaster, and wax. She holds an MFA in ceramics from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a BFA from The University of Michigan, where she explored the intersection of ecology and ceramics. The repetitive nature of her ceramic work is a meditative act, echoing the disciplined sports training of her childhood. Her sculptures both suggest the presence of the body and the actions it performs. She works to acknowledge ceramics as a material steeped in history and functionality, continuously thinking about its unique ability to capture and preserve the voices of makers through objects of mundane, repetitive daily life that define a culture.

Rosie was born and raised on the peninsula in a large Italian family. Her first experience with clay was in her backyard digging holes in the dirt, filling it with water and making mud creations. She loved putting her hands and feet in the mud. Kindergarten was her first experience with ceramic hand building but grew in highschool with wheel throwing, hand building and playing with different surface techniques. The ceramics lab became her happy place. With a child development degree from SFSU, she continued taking pottery classes wherever she could find them and incorporated clay activities in the classroom as well as volunteering her services at her children’s schools. More recently she taught the childrens ceramic class at the Foster City Parks and Recreation Center. Rosie is looking forward to sharing 40 years of love for pottery as a part of The Clayroom team.

Samantha Teo is a ceramicist born and raised in the Bay Area, working primarily in wheel-thrown tableware. Since 2017, she has explored ceramics with a focus on classic forms, brought to life with modern colors and whimsical design elements. She has taught workshops across the Bay Area and studied traditional techniques through ceramics programs in Korea, sharing her love for the craft as both an art form and a meditative practice.

Growing up in Xi'an, China, I developed a deep appreciation for ceramic artistry. My own pottery journey began in the summer of 2021, sparked by a single try day class at the Clayroom. That initial spark ignited a full-blown passion, leading me through numerous six-week courses, from introductory techniques to throwing large forms, crafting teapots, and creating functional tableware. Since 2023, I've had the joy of sharing my love for clay through teaching. Pottery has become my absolute favorite hobby, and I cherish my weekends as a craftsman in the studio. I'm particularly drawn to crafting matcha bowls and mugs – a reflection of my deep appreciation for matcha and hojicha. I also enjoy creating personalized bowls for my furriends. I'm constantly exploring new glaze combinations, throwing techniques, and decorative styles, inspired by the incredible community of potters around me. I look forward to sharing my enthusiasm and helping you discover your own passion for clay!