HOURS & LOCATION
HOURS
We are currently open by appointment only. If you need to schedule time for past work, please book open studio time.
Monday - Friday: 1pm to 9pm
Saturday: 11am to 9pm
Sunday: closed
LOCATION
2516 W Armitage Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
Our front entrance is a little tricky - we're located on Bingham Street, a one-way going south (even though the address says Armitage). If you find the Integrative Pet Care brick building, we're located in the back.
We are located right off the Western Blue line stop. Limited parking is available along the Bingham Street side of the building.
CONTACT US
Since our hands are usually busy with clay, the best way to get in touch is through email: info@penguinfoot.com
773-227-3575
WHO WE ARE
Penguin Foot Pottery is a ceramics studio in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood offering classes, artist space, and just about everything our pottery hearts can handle.
OWNERS
Chris and Paige Busse opened Penguin Foot Pottery in 2010 when they were young and naive about terms like "risk assessment”. Chris, a former CPS art teacher, was laid off due to another year of budget cuts and Paige was spinning in her chair at an office job. The decision was made by the couple to invest their savings and start up a Logan Square pottery studio. Chris used the name Penguin Foot Pottery during his studies at SAIC and it stuck ever since. They are both grateful and humbled by the wonderful community of artists that have joined them over the years in their space.
INSTRUCTORS
@setfiretoit
Studio Manager Ryanne Maldonado took a beginner's wheel throwing class at Penguin Foot in its early years. She fell instantly, obsessively in love with pottery and started showing up to the studio every day thereafter. In addition to teaching the very class that got her hooked in the first place, she also works as the Studio Manager.
Specializing in functional pieces for both plants and people, Ryanne's work has traveled as far as Norway and Guatemala.
@hyro_key
Instructor Hiroki Lory was a well-to-do senior in college when he took his first class in clay and the potter's wheel in 2018. The second he saw his instructor touch clay and tried it for himself, a switch flipped in his brain. For Hiroki, clay and the wheel have been tools for fostering self-discovery and healing, creativity, and deeply meaningful interpersonal relationships. In teaching, he hopes to make as much of an impact on others as was made on him in his first experiences. Being exposed to countless Eastern-style / Japanese pots during his childhood has informed his current style and interests in making. He is completely obsessed with tea bowls and teapots, and will one day have 10,000 teapots under his belt.
@startingprojects
A lifelong jack of all trades, Teaching Assistant Natalie Smith has always been compelled to create art using any medium she could get her hands on. Having no formal art school education allows Natalie to intuitively create ceramics that are unpretentious, practical, and a little bit silly. She is enthusiastic about helping students build confidence in their skills, and is deeply passionate about fostering a compassionate and supportive studio community.
@sophiagalassini
Born and raised in Chicago, instructor Sophia Galassini earned her BA in studio art and art history with a concentration in ceramics and material studies respectively. Her goal as both an instructor and artist is to facilitate meaningful experiences through clay. She is passionate about sharing her love for pottery and eager to introduce the wonders of ceramics to students.
Aside from being a potter, Sophia can be best described as an amateur crochet enthusiast, sparkling water connoisseur and avid consumer of reality television.
@jerkbeard
Instructor James Decker is the worst. He pretty much just showed up one day and refused to leave. So we put him to work. He insists he’s staying forever. That may or may not be true. Apparently he makes art or something.
@amberfrancesart
Instructor Amber Frances first started working in clay at Biola University where they received their BFA in sculpture in 2012. Since then they have been teaching and making ceramics all over the US from California and Arizona to North Carolina and Maine, and now Chicago. Teaching and making go hand in hand for Amber and they are just as excited to teach as they are to make! Amber is also inspired by the natural world, nostalgia, and office supplies.
@elio.baseman.art
Instructor Elio Baseman is a sculpture artist, performer, and organizer. After a stint at the Oberlin pottery coop in 2019, they rediscovered clay and fell in love when they were randomly placed in a hand-building class at SAIC in 2021. They work and teach in various mediums, sharing their passion for art and dance with all ages throughout Chicagoland. Their sculptural and interactive work focuses on expressions of play and expansions of the body. They enjoy being a wiggly guy as much as they love building them.