In the Studio
We have 12 pottery wheels, a dedicated hand-building room with 9 large tables, 40 con 10 glazes included with all classes. Housed in our studio are both gas and electric kilns, two slab rollers, extruders, and spray booth.
The Ceramic and Glass Art programs runs year-round with classes offered for Adults, Teens, and Youth. Class curriculum typically includes hand-building, slip work, wheel throwing, and glazing processes. Firing and glazing of pieces produced in the studio are included in the class fee. Class sessions are eight weeks long and fill up fast, so early registration is highly recommended.
Whether you are brand new to ceramics or are an advanced artist we welcome you to get your hands dirty and have some fun!
Ceramic Classes
Browse through our current ceramic classes.
Glass Classes & Workshops
Browse through our current glass classes and workshops.
History & Community
Providing Glass and Ceramics education for ages 5 and beyond. Our non-profit community studio was founded by renowned ceramist Helen Jean Taylor and has been in operation for over 60 years. Students receive comprehensive instruction along with independent work time to build their knowledge of the ceramic process and techniques.
About Our Founder
Helen Jean Taylor
Renowned ceramist and educator Helen Jean Taylor founded our Ceramic Studio in 1966 and was the Studio Director until her retirement in 2006. Helen Jean Taylor has not only crafted timeless artworks inspired by colors found in home gardens, but also helped her students improve their mental health through the art of throwing.
Known by many as simply “Jean,” she became the subject of a documentary titled, “Life Centered: The Helen Jean Taylor Story,” which first aired on KCET and PBS SoCal as part of its Emmy Award-winning Artbound series in 2021.
Jean’s legacy is embedded in CCLCF, and the spirit of her kindhearted, unsparing teaching continues to live within the center and those that knew her as a mentor and a friend.
Art happens here with John Lithgow
We are one of four local arts organizations featured in the PBS program ART HAPPENS HERE WITH JOHN LITHGOW. Celebrating how arts education nurtures and inspires the hearts and minds of students of all ages, the one-hour special follows Lithgow as he tries his hand at singing, dancing, printmaking, and pottery, working alongside and learning from young people whose lives are being transformed by art.
During the segment filmed at The Community Center, Lithgow joined some of our teen ceramics students as he learned how to use the potter’s wheel, decorate, and fire pottery. Taught by CCLCF instructors Azzah Abdus-Shakoor and Geraldy Martinez, he proved a natural at the wheel. Lithgow made several pots during the filming, one of which was Raku fired as a finale to his time at the Community Center.