Entry No. 58 — the Des Moines file — filed under: hands-on

Emily MacFarland Ceramics

Working potter Emily MacFarland teaches small adult wheel-throwing groups (usually three to six students) out of her studio on the fourth floor of Mainframe Studios. Classes walk you through the full process from wedging and centering to throwing, trimming, and glazing, with all materials, tools, and firing costs included. She runs beginning and intermediate sessions through the year, then steps back in late fall to make work for the holidays. It's the most intimate, artist-led way to learn the wheel in the heart of Des Moines.

The move: Sit at neighboring wheels learning to center and pull clay, then trim and glaze the mugs or bowls you each threw to fire and pick up later.

📍 Before you go Classes are multi-week sessions (4-6 weeks, evenings 5:30-8:00pm), not a single drop-in, and enrollment is limited to the scheduled sessions she posts.

• 📍 Downtown / River Bend (Mainframe Studios)
• 💸 $$
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Indoors

Where: 900 Keosauqua Way, Studio #419, Des Moines, IA 50309

Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4

last checked: 2026-06-23