Make a New Sea Glass Dish: Recycled-Glass Pottery Workshop in West Philadelphia

On a cool block in West Philadelphia, Black Hound Clay Studio West invites makers to a short, playful workshop called New Sea Glass Dish. Located at 715 South 50th Street, West Philadelphia, this two-hour class teaches coil and slab construction and finishes pieces with a multicolored recycled-glass glaze developed with Remark Glass in South Philly. The room hums with focused conversation as students roll coils, press slabs, choose templates, and layer glass fragments into glossy, unexpected surfaces.

The core feature is simple: build a 7" soap or trinket dish using coil-building techniques, then let a fusion of Black Hound’s glazes and recycled glass transform texture into color. The recycled glass—sourced from bottles and containers—melts into veins and flecks that catch light differently on each piece, producing surfaces you won’t get from off-the-shelf glazes. The workshop is designed for ages eight and up (children must be accompanied by a paying adult), wheelchair accessible, and capped at sixteen participants, so everyone gets hands-on time and instructor attention.

This experience reads like a creative detour from city hikes and riverside rides. Situated in a neighborhood that shares space with urban parks and bike routes, the studio provides a quieter, tactile alternative to outdoor pursuits—perfect for travelers who want to add a handmade keepsake to a weekend of local exploration. The collaboration with Remark Glass also makes this class notable: it channels circular-economy practice into art, turning discarded glass into a defining aesthetic element.

Logistics are straightforward: the session runs about two hours, includes all materials and firing, and finished pieces are usually ready for pick-up in three to four weeks. Black Hound’s sliding-scale pricing broadens access; check their sliding-scale graphic before booking to choose the tier that fits your budget. Expect clear instruction in basic coil and slab methods rather than advanced wheel work—this is an approachable creative workshop rather than a technical ceramics intensive.

Plan to arrive minutes early to settle in at Black Hound Clay Studio West—meeting point: 715 South 50th Street, West Philadelphia—where instructors walk you through tools, trimming and handling of glass inclusions. Everything you need for a 7" dish is provided and firing is included in the price. Finished pieces require a pickup trip to the studio three to four weeks later during their Thursday–Sunday open hours. The small-class format and sliding-scale pricing make it an inviting option for families, solo travelers and creative visitors alike.