Learn to make something beautiful

Learning to throw on the wheel is one of those things that looks impossible until suddenly it all clicks. It's messy, unpredictable, and occasionally hilarious — and that's completely normal, that's kind of the point! Making pottery is one of the best ways I know to lose yourself in creative flow. I've been teaching ceramics for years and I love every muddy minute of it.

Ways to learn…

Private One on One Lessons

Fully tailored to you — your pace, your goals, your questions. We work on whatever you need, from basic centering and learning the process, to glazing and surface design. Perfect for absolute beginners and experienced potters alike.

1.5 - 2 hour sessions · Held at Milkweed Clay Studio. Private Lessons starting at $75/hr - tool library and firing included.

Small Group Workshops

Intimate sessions for 2-4 people — perfect for friends, partners, or a small gathering. A guided experience with time to play, experiment, and walk away with something you made yourself.

2 Hours · Up to 4 people · I will glaze and fire your pieces to completion. Held at Milkweed Clay Studio. Workshops starting at $200 - clay, tool library, firing, and glazing included.

Group Classes

Creating pottery in community is the perfect way to learn.

Find my group classes at:

CityClay Charlottesville &

Piedmont Virginia Community College

Find my group workshops at:

Milkweed Clay Studio

Malenka Luckett hand painting a botanical milkweed illustration onto an unfired ceramic oval platter using underglaze, with brushes and a underglaze test palette visible in the background

Student work:

Handmade ceramic berry bowls by student Reese McCardle, stacked in three sizes in blue, white, and teal glaze with pierced drainage holes and decorative handles, made in Malenka Luckett's ceramics class
Handmade ceramic berry bowl with pierced drainage holes and a six-cup egg tray, both in matching teal glaze, by student Reese McCardle made in Malenka Luckett's ceramics class" Image 3 — Green mug: "Handmade wheel-thrown ceramic mug in sage green gl
Two handmade wheel-thrown ceramic vases by student Reese McCardle — a tall green vase with yellow rim and a small round blue vase, made in Malenka Luckett's ceramics class
Handmade wheel-thrown ceramic mug in sage green glaze with carved sgraffito line and dot surface design, by student Reese McCardle made in Malenka Luckett's ceramics class
Handmade wheel-thrown ceramic mug in mottled blue and amber glaze with carved sgraffito mushroom illustration around the exterior, by student Reese McCardle made in Malenka Luckett's ceramics class
Unfired greenware ceramic tufted planter with scalloped rim alongside two handmade soap dishes — one terracotta with pierced holes, one with blue and white stripes — made by PVCC students in Malenka Luckett's class
Unfired greenware ceramic sculpture of a fantastical spiky creature with large eyes and an open toothed mouth, made by a PVCC student in Malenka Luckett's ceramics class
Unfired greenware wheel thrown stoneware cup cradled in a sculpted clay hand, alongside an anatomically correct ceramic arm, made by a PVCC student in Malenka Luckett's ceramics class
Handbuilt ceramic sculpture by a PVCC student featuring three possums, a spotted salamander, and a cicada climbing a clay block, made in Malenka Luckett's ceramics class at Piedmont Virginia Community College
Handmade wheel-thrown ceramic mug and bowl by student Lisa Bowers in warm golden yellow glaze with unglazed white foot, made in Malenka Luckett's ceramics class
Handmade wheel-thrown ceramic mug and bowl by student Lisa Bowers in mottled green and rust glaze, made in Malenka Luckett's ceramics class
Handmade wheel-thrown ceramic mug and bowl by student Lisa Bowers in deep teal and midnight blue mottled glaze, made in Malenka Luckett's ceramics class
Handmade wheel-thrown ceramic bowl by student Lisa Bowers with bold navy blue glaze panels against a white glaze interior, displayed on a clear acrylic stand, made in Malenka Luckett's ceramics class
Three handmade wheel-thrown ceramic mugs by student Lisa Bowers in varying shades of deep blue and teal glaze, displayed on a wooden crate, made in Malenka Luckett's ceramics class
Malenka Luckett's handwritten whiteboard lesson on pulling and attaching mug handles, including step-by-step instructions and hand-drawn diagrams of handle shapes and mug forms
Malenka Luckett's handwritten whiteboard instructions for attaching a pulled handle to a mug, including steps for scoring, marking boundaries, and adding water to attachment points