They are amazing people - I feel welcome and the teachers are outstanding!!!!…read more Thank you

I have taken several courses here including 2 8-week jewelry classes as well as an 8-week…read moremetalsmith class. What I love most about Pratt is the instructors are not only unbelievably strong technical instructors but also amazing artists. I didn't just want to learn how to MIG weld, I also wanted to learn about creating a composed sculpture. That's exactly what I learned in Bill Baber's class. Pratt's facilities are top notch! Highly recommended!

We are so stoked for this place!! This is excellent for families to spend a wonderful quality time…read moretogether. Especially w little ones to explore their creativity while enjoying some delicious beverages. Exceptional service and perfect ambiance. This will be a regular for us.

Eva was wonderful and we really enjoyed making Tofu with her. It was super interesting learning…read moreabout the process and being able to press our own tofu! It tasted great, and she even made homemade miso soup to share with the group!!

I really can't say enough good things about the Seattle Artist League. I have an art degree, and…read moreI'm not exaggerating when I say I've gotten more out of my time at the League than I did during my undergraduate art education. I've taken painting classes with Jordan Horton, Erin Milez, Lendy, and a critique workshop with Ruthie V., and every class has changed the way I make and think about art. The instructors are thoughtful, generous, incredibly knowledgeable, and (maybe most importantly) really know how to help you grow without making you feel like there's one "right" way to be an artist. The critique workshop has been life-changing, I recommend it for everyone. I used to DREAD art critiques in college. They often felt negative and intimidating, and I came away from them feeling worse about my work rather than more curious about it. Ruthie completely changed that. I finally feel like I have the tools to actually look at art and talk about what I'm seeing, respond thoughtfully, and then understand why something is working, or why it isn't. And that hasn't just changed my own artwork. I now enjoy going to galleries, museums and looking at art more than I ever did before. I notice more. I'm more curious. I now have a vocabulary for things I could feel but didn't know how to articulate. I've learned A LOT during my time here, I've taken more risks in my art and I've fallen in love with making and looking at art again and it's the best feeling. If you're thinking about taking a class (or two!) at the Seattle Artist League, do it. Doesn't matter if you're a beginner or have been making art for years, there is SO MUCH to get out of this place.

TL;DR: SAL's pottery classes are quite good and the studio community/open studio hours are…read moreterrific. That said, the owners are such a negative force, you may want to think twice about supporting them with your money. The rave reviews here about the quality of Seattle Artist League pottery classes, instructors, community, and generous open studio polices are all to be believed. I took my first class at SAL in Fall 2022 and continued with classes and practice until this month. In my 2nd year there, I was hired to be a PT pottery studio tech. After 10 months, the studio owner directed the pottery studio manager to fire me and I returned to being just a student. I won't repeat the defamatory lies the owner invented to justify her decision. My allegiance was to the pottery studio manager, staff, teachers and community. I had positive feedback from them and didn't care about losing the owner's good opinion or the 8 hours a week at min wage. At the heart of all the goodness in SAL is a rot most repeat students and staff tiptoe around. It is the untethered, erratic, impulsive, and, often, abusive behavior of owner Ruthie V., enabled by co-owner, Lendy. It's responsible for high staff turnover, particularly among staff that must work when Ruthie is on site, as well as women who present as experienced, valued leaders who cared about student experience. Ruthie's administration of day-to-day operations is impulsive, with no view to process or consequences. Class spaces are double booked. Classes with low enrollment are canceled with no communication to teachers or students. Classes are announced and filled with no instructor scheduled. Open studio hours are suddenly pre-empted with no communication to staff or update of the calendar. Studio staff are left to manage the chaos Ruthie leaves in her wake. She has no tolerance for problem-solving and will deflect blame on the person who identifies the problem, using whatever lies she needs to shore up her story or justify their ouster. Staff walk on eggshells and the energy in the space when she's there is tight and anxious. We're living through a time when bullying, dictatorial behavior is being normalized. We each must decide whether we speak up, sometimes at great risk to ourselves, or stay silent and become complicit. SAL is a microcosm of that dilemma. Last week, while I was in my second volunteer shift during the annual studio deep clean, Ruthie found something entirely innocuous she could twist into a lie that served as justification to ban me from the studios forever. Lendy delivered the message, lying about staff in the process. Students are paying customers; I had prepaid for nearly $800 of upcoming classes. SAL refunded the money but it speaks to how impulsive Ruthie is that she would risk that loss and the reputational one based on some perceived slight to her fragile ego. I was not allowed any defense. Finally, SAL operates as a 501(c)3 nonprofit with fiscal sponsorship through Shunpike. Washington RCW 24.03A.490 requires nonprofits to maintain a Board of Directors. As a Board member of an arts organization for ~5 years, I know one of the oversight responsibilities is to set HR policies and be a resource for staff to address issues with management. SAL's website lists no BOD and I can find no evidence that Shunpike fills this role for them. SAL appears to be out of compliance as a nonprofit. There are many pottery studios in Seattle, with various offerings. Your choice of them is an investment of your money and a reflection of your values. I want SAL's pottery studios to prosper and, at the same time, I cannot be silent about the environment there even if my voice turns people away from the studio. Actions matter. Truth matters. Make your investment accordingly.

Whether you have always wondered about trying ceramics or have been doing it for many years, sign…read moreup for a class (or two, or three) here. I've been glazing ceramics and doing some handbuilding since I was a kid, but always wanted to learn the wheel. I took one wheel class, had a blast and decided to sign up for an 8-week class- and then another. Dirk is an outstanding, patient teacher and a fun, upbeat guy. I learned so many new things from him and the other students, who had different skill sets at all levels. The studio is such a welcoming environment, I really looked forward to class as my outlet each week. If it were possible I would still be taking these classes, but I moved to Pittsburgh. With Dirk's teaching and advice I was able to set up a mini studio at home where I'm still handbuilding, throwing and glazing. But I still miss the great teaching and company at Dahl Arts. Take a class here- you won't regret it!

I have only taken one class with Dirk while visiting Seattle. I really loved everything about the…read moreclass!!! His studio is so cool; its filled with his original sculptures which are absolutely mind blowing!! They are beautiful and creative which made me wish I could take classes there on a routine basis. I took a wheel throwing class with him and absolutely loved it!! I was having problems centering and with a few tweaks he totally changed how I approached the clay. His methodology is easier for me to grasp and retain. I think he would be an awesome instructor for any type of hand building, sculpture or wheel throwing! The studio had a creative and welcoming vibe which made me want to return!

I recently took a wet felting class with Janet King. It was all that I could have hoped for. Janet…read moreis an amazing artist and was a wonderful teacher. The school was very helpful in helping with accomodation and travel info. Whitby Island is so beautiful, and the town of Coupeville a delight. Cant wait to go back.

I took a nuno felting class here two summers ago and loved it! We had double tables and plenty of…read moreroom to work in addition to large sinks, a drier and outside clothes lines. We could work safely in to the evening. I'm registered for another class this coming summer and look forward to visiting Coupeville again! It's a wonderful town.

Delicious coffee, friendly service and a unique atmosphere that has you reflecting the old days.read more

A fantastic school taught by some great people. Really reasonable tuition and a lot of individual…read moretime with the teachers.

Such a lovely studio for kids' classes...we have been thrilled with the classes my elementary…read moreschool child has been taking! With schools doing less and less art education, this has been a wonderful opportunity for an intro to different artists and styles.

I've been going to this amazing art school on and off for 20 years. That's the way it goes with…read moremost of the students, they make this place a kind of second home and stay for decades! There are a number of teachers -- not sure how many right now -- so there's a range for style and focus, a comfortable place for all comers. They have everything from youth classes to advanced; some of the students do outstanding work have gone on to show in galleries and art shows. TLC Workshops (http://www.tlcworkshops.com) holds workshops at Arts Umbrella studio, hosting some of the best professional artists in the business. It's in a fun location, too, back corner of Country Village on Bothell-Everett Way.