Brooklyn Museum

Five great places to see and make ceramics in New York City

1. The Metropolitan Museum
The Met has wonderful ceramics from nearly every civilization and time period. Don’t miss the contemporary Japanese ceramics in the Sackler wing upstairs or the small but excellent selection of American art pottery on the terrace above the cafe. The display cases upstairs on either side of the grand staircase offer an unbeatable lesson in Asian ceramics and their influence on the West.

2. Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus
Where else could you raku fire pots on a terrace in downtown Brooklyn? LIU has great people, lots of studio space and affordable continuing education classes during the school year and over the summer.

3. Greenwich House Pottery
Although classes can be crowded and more expensive then some other studios, Greenwich house’s faculty are world-class. A great choice for workshops and visits to the Jane Hartsook Gallery on the second floor, which features new shows of contemporary ceramics every month.

4. Joan B Mirviss LTD
A long-time private dealer in contemporary Japanese ceramics who recently opened a gallery in a gorgeous new space on Madison Avenue. I think this is one of the most exciting fields in ceramics today and Mirviss shows the crème de la crème.

5. The Brooklyn Museum - Women Ceramicists Exhibition
Long-term installation of objects from the museum’s permanent collection, mainly from the 20th century. While you’re at the museum, visit the Visible Storage section in the Luce Center for American Art for more pots and other fabulous decorative arts.