Traditional Nigerian Pottery (Tuition Free)

Traditional Nigerian Pottery (Tuition Free)

Adult Tuition-Free Class | FULL (Membership Required)

All levels welcome, recommended for beginners.
3/30/2026-6/1/2026
6:30 PM-9:30 PM EST on Mon
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$25.00
$50.00

Traditional Nigerian Pottery (Tuition Free)

Adult Tuition-Free Class | FULL (Membership Required)

Come make pots with us! You will learn and explore a technique that has been practiced in the country of Nigeria for centuries. In contrast with Western notions of ceramics, students will learn about African art and aesthetic and become familiar with the important role of the vessel in Nigerian culture and around the world. Students should be advised that you do not need any prior art or ceramic background for this technique. Although this is a traditional practice and we want to keep it in its most authentic form - it is a very physical technique and can involve a lot of standing, leaning, bending and constant movement. Stretching before class is recommended. Please know your physical boundaries before entering the class.

What You Will Learn: 
- Get an introduction to West African art and aesthetic.
- Construct a vessel to take home at the end of class
- Become proficient in the Traditional Nigerian Pottery technique
- Learn a new non-Western ceramic technique
- Learn the history, importance, beauty, and function of vessels in African and other cultures of the world

Please Note: Class will not meet on Monday, May 25 in observance of Memorial Day.



Firing Schedule: All work should be placed on the bisque firing shelf by Friday, May 22, and on the glaze firing shelf by Friday, May 29 to guarantee it will be fired by the last week of classes. Students can continue to drop off work for glaze firing until Friday, June 5. Finished work can be picked up during operational hours between terms, or the following term. We will store unclaimed work for one term only. Questions about the firing schedule can be directed to Scott Cooper, Senior Studio Technician at scooper@fleisher.org.

All artwork and supplies must be removed from Fleisher’s Ceramics Studio shelving by June 12 unless registered for a Ceramics class during the upcoming Summer 2026 term.


Tuition Free classes require an active Fleisher membership.


  • Start the term with these supplies:

    • Clay is included in your registration - no outside clay is permitted
    • Comfortable shoes
    • Clothes that can get messy or apron
    • Bottle of water
    • Hand lotion
    • Ceramic carving tool kit
    • Coconut ribs

    The carving tools and coconut ribs can be purchased at any number of locations. The links to the Ceramic Shop website are are intended only as one option and for reference:
    • Carving Tools
    • Coconut Ribs

Robin Williams-Turnage

Robin Williams-Turnage is a Philadelphia-based artist and educator whose multifaceted practice is rooted in a consistent African aesthetic. Currently focusing her personal work on ceramics, she creates tableware and other vessels that reflect this influence. Her dedication to her craft is evident in her roles as an Associate Artist at The Clay Studio and at Allens Lane Art Center. She has taught here at Fleisher for many years  instructing courses on Traditional Nigerian and Ghanaian Pottery at various institutions in Philadelphia. In recent years, Williams-Turnage has actively exhibited her work at The Clay Studio and Fleisher Art Memorial, The Colored Girls Museum, Allens Lane Art Center and with The Drummond Art Legacy.

Gloria Davis

Gloria Gammage Davis is a mixed-media artist who first recognized her artistic abilities in elementary school. She was inspired by carving a lamb from a bar of soap and by observing her seamstress aunts as they created clothing. As she made doll clothes alongside them, they shared sewing tips and techniques, nurturing what would become her first artistic skill. This early encouragement sparked a lifelong desire to explore a wide range of artistic techniques and ultimately led her to earn a BFA from Cheyney University.

During this time, Davis also studied at institutions such as Fleisher Art Memorial and Schuylkill Academy and trained with master artists. Art was—and continues to be—her therapy. As an educator, she encourages students to create work that inspires continued engagement long after class has ended.

Her story quilts, created with scrap fabrics, photographic images, found objects, and embroidery, have been published in We Are the Story, Black Pioneers, The Calling, and As Long As I Have Breath in My Body. Her work has been exhibited at the African American Museum in Detroit, Philadelphia City Hall, North Carolina City Hall, the Underground Railroad Museum in Cincinnati, the Textile Center, the James Museum, the Colored Girls Museum, Moody Gallery, and other venues. She has participated in several recent solo and group exhibitions and has been featured by ABC News, The Philadelphia Tribune, The Germantown Courier, and Wolf Nation.

As a dedicated teaching artist, Davis has taught at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Free Library of Philadelphia, the Johnson House, Wynnefield Residents Association, the Nile Swim Club, Germantown Friends School, Emelen Elementary School, Fleisher Art Memorial, and Peters Valley School of Craft.