If you live in the Chicagoland area and have always wanted to experience the potters wheel, then you are in luck! There is an amazing ceramic studio that has pottery classes and even OPEN STUDIO hours for beginners. Here is the website check it out! http://parkwestceramics.com/

This is where I go to get all my ceramic supplies. They are a small privately owned company based right outside of Chicago. Check them out at  http://ceramicsupplychicago.com/

If you have never been to the University of British Columbia Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, BC, Canada, you should save some money and go. Their ceramics collection is vast and wonderful. I spent over five hours there looking at it all. If you cannot go, you are in luck because they have an online collection (although, it is much more amazing in person).
http://collection-online.moa.ubc.ca/