A Place to Make, Learn & Belong
Stone Bear Studios is a cornerstone of the pottery community. It is a place where creativity, curiosity, and connection come together through clay.
LGBTQ+ founded and operated, we believe pottery is for everyone. Whether you're sitting down at the wheel for the first time, developing your craft, or simply looking for a creative community to call your own, our goal is to create a space where you feel welcome to explore, experiment, learn, and make something that's entirely yours.
From Two Wheels to a Community
Stone Bear Studios opened its doors in South Denver in February 2022 with two pottery wheels, one kiln, a few stools and folding tables, and about 750 square feet of space. It wasn't fancy, but it was ours. And people showed up!
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What began as a small pottery studio quickly grew into something much bigger. Students became members. More wheels filled the room. One kiln became three. Folding tables gave way to a fully equipped studio with the tools, space, and resources needed to support a growing community of ceramic artists. Eventually, Stone Bear expanded to nearly 2,000 square feet at its original location before outgrowing the space entirely and beginning its next chapter at our current studio.
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But our growth has never really been about square footage or equipment. It's been about the people who have made Stone Bear what it is.
Students have become members. Members have become employees and instructors. Artists have shared their knowledge with one another. Friendships have formed over wheels, worktables, glaze buckets, and kilns.
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Clay brought us together. Community keeps us here.
More Than a Pottery Studio
From the beginning, we've looked for ways to take pottery beyond the traditional classroom.
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Our off-site events introduce people to clay at the studio and throughout the Denver community. We've expanded into wood firings, artist workshops, special events, classes, clay dates, and collaborations with organizations and creative spaces across the area.
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Along the way, we've learned something important: the best studios aren't simply places where people make pottery. They're places where people feel comfortable trying something new. Where mistakes aren't failures, they're part of the process. Where experienced artists and complete beginners can work alongside one another. Where creativity doesn't require permission.
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And where you can walk through the door without wondering whether you belong.
What We Believe
Creativity belongs to everyone.
You don't need to consider yourself an artist to make something meaningful. Curiosity is enough to get started.
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Community makes us better.
Pottery may begin with your own two hands, but some of the best parts of the experience happen alongside other people. We believe in learning together, sharing knowledge, celebrating each other's wins, and helping one another through the inevitable kiln surprises.
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Everyone deserves a seat at the table, or the wheel.
As an LGBTQ+ founded and operated studio, inclusion isn't a marketing statement for us. It's part of who we are. We are committed to creating a welcoming environment where people of different identities, backgrounds, experience levels, and abilities are treated with respect.
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Learning never stops.
There is always another technique to try, another question to ask, and another way to approach the clay. We value experimentation, education, mentorship, and the freedom to keep evolving.
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The process matters.
Not every piece survives. Not every glaze behaves. Sometimes the clay has other plans. We believe there is value in slowing down, getting your hands dirty, trying again, and enjoying what happens along the way.
Keep Making
Stone Bear Studios has changed a lot since those first two wheels and kiln. We're still growing. Still experimenting. Still learning.
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And we're still building the kind of pottery studio we wanted to find ourselves: creative without being intimidating, serious about the craft without taking ourselves too seriously, and centered around a community that genuinely wants people to succeed.
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Whether you're here to take your first class, deepen your practice, meet other makers, or simply spend a few hours creating something with your hands, there's a place for you at Stone Bear.
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Come get muddy with us.