I have nothing but positive things to say about this place. A friend and I signed up for the…read more"Ladies Night Out" and were in for a fun surprise. We had no idea what to expect going in, but we were extremely happy to see such a cute and intimate set up! The host, Jennifer, planned this night SO WELL. She had macaroons, cookies, coffee/tea for us to enjoy, with relaxing music playing in the background. Jennifer also had a massage therapist, Anna, join and offer each of us a massage (amazing!). As for the activity itself, the watercolor painting was really fun and relaxing to do. We were able to turn our watercolor art into cute bookmarks. (Stickers, hole punchers, and tassels were all provided!) On top of everything provided, we even got a small gift bag to take at the end of the night. My friend and I can't wait to take another one of Jennifer's classes in the future

Had a wonderful relaxing art class at Once Upon A Canvas! I loved her wide variety of activities…read moreand goodies! The class was focused on self care/mindfulness which I absolutely loved! It's been a long week and this was just what I needed. She had someone there to do massages, had tea, coffee, yummy sweets, key chain making, and a beautiful art project. I drove all the way from Sacramento to attend with my mom and I would absolutely drive all the way back down here again to take another class here. Can't wait for my next class!!

Very cute little gift shop and pottery studio. I've always wanted to come in and finally got to…read morevisit. They close at 6 so if you come after that you will miss them. Staff were very informative about their classes that are offered. I have been searching for a local pottery class and was so happy to see this one. I look forward to taking a class soon.

I signed up for a handbuilding chip and dip bowl project class. The cost was $72 which includes…read moreeverything (tools, clay, apron, instructions/help, glaze) and the class itself took 3.5-4 hours. The class size was about 8 people. We arrived 10 minutes before 11am and the gallery was not opened yet. So we strolled around Benicia and by the time it was 11am everyone else was checked in and sitting. My friend and I were two of three newbies. The other attendants had been there before. Our instructor was Robbie. Robbie is fantastic! Ceramics can be a lot more difficult than expected. But Robbie made it fun and it was easy to follow along. The small class size made it personalized and easy to get further help if you feel you missed a step or wanted help or ideas on further customizing your project. Robbie provided many ideas for how previous classes added a unique touch to their chip and dip bowls like widening the dip bowl area, stamps, a different edge that is straight rather than wavy etc. We were shown glaze options at the end of the class including samples of what the finished color would look like. My friend chose Nutmeg and I chose the grey-green glaze. In about three weeks I got an email that our pieces were ready for pick up! Robbie was there again! She carefully wrapped our projects for me. We also chatted a little about the other classes (flowers) and their inventory. I couldn't be more pleased with the end result and the class itself was really fun! I see why people keep coming back to do different classes! The store itself has a great variety of art pieces. They obviously have ceramics. Including a little clearance cart at the front of the store. Student pieces which are also discounted. They have metal work. And jewelry. They have cards from local artists. What a wonderful addition to Benicia! I'm sure I'll be back again soon either for another class or just to browse what beautiful pieces they have for purchase.

Marion is truly a gifted healer. She is companionate about helping people feel better. Her approach…read moreis gentle and kind, without judgement. She is very easy to work with, and will be with you every step of the way. I feel blessed to be able to work with her and receive her many years of wisdom and experience. She is an inspiration in my life, and her health coaching program is worth every penny! I highly recommend Marion to anyone who truly wants to feel better and develop healthy habits for life!

From the owner: As an artist and health coach I understand the impact of stress on our health. It is of most…read moreimportance for our well-being to find a momentum where we can get back to our breath and creative being without worries. We need to relearn how it feels not to worry - but just be and enjoy the momentum. Working creative transfers us into an environment where we can quiet our mind. In this state we are able to view and review our thoughts. We can recognize what it is that really matters in our life. Through changing our perspectives we can rejuvenate, heal our relationships and transform our life. During the process of creating your own Mandala you can let go of stress, forget the daily hustle-bustle and playfully engage in revealing your inner beauty. I offer one on one and small group private Mandala Journeys. ​

This studio is filled with great instructors and students. It's always kept clean and organized…read more There are many options for glazing, and different options of clay that are held at the studio for purchase. I appreciate this place being more of a class setting than those one-time activities for date night or to hang with friends, because ceramics takes awhile to get a good handle on. Plus there is a process of the bisque and glaze fire which cannot be done in a day. My recommendation is to take the 8-week class and show up to every class. At the end of the course, I'm sure you will have a better understanding of pottery.

I'm 4 class into the ceramic wheeling throwing class with instructor Chung. We have an hour of…read morelearning and then a few hours of practice. During the practice sessions, Chung would personally assist each of us on how to improve our throwing technique. Sometimes, we'll see instructor Yee, whom adds on the extra fun of banter in the classroom. They also have open studio so that students can practice during the week. Special out out to Cassandra! Thank you for being super responsive and delightful to be around. Overall, everyone at the studio is amazing, and i love the welcoming atmosphere!!

The best kept secret in Concord! I had the privilege of visiting this gem for an art project. I was…read morewarmly welcomed by the owner, Fro, and her student. You will find an array of paintings, photographs, mixed-media, watercolors, and more. Local artists are featured in a rotating gallery every month, or every other month. There is art in every section of the cottage, including the bathroom. I am inspired to show some of my work, as encouraged by Fro. If you are looking for texture and movement, you will not be disappointed. There is ample parking and plenty of natural light.

This little gem of an art studio is tucked away right outside of downtown Concord. Great classes…read moreand art work at this cozy cottage. Amazing garden in the back. The owner is absolutely so sweet. She will make you feel right at home.

We came in for a team building day and had so much fun- it was a little bit stressful to pick out…read morean item to paint on the spot so try to research ahead of time if you can. The instructions were clear and easy and our finished items were so cute!

What a cute little ceramic painting studio in downtown Benicia. $6/person for studio fee with a $3…read morehelper if needed plus the item you choose to paint. The ones we were looking at ranged from $5 to $17. $5 for the flat pieces like the crown and gingerbread and $17 for the unicorn. All you have to do is paint it. They will glaze and bake it for you. Pick it up in a week after a month they throw it away. Super friendly owners. My niece had a great time I would take her again. Also...If you have extra bubble wrap that you get from shipping packages please consider giving it to this location as they use it to wrap up their customers fragile artifacts. Recycle. Reuse. Repurpose!

If you're planning a birthday look no further!!! Seriously they do a wonderful job and it's not…read moreoverwhelming soooo much fun and no need for favors because the art is the party favors!!! We had a variety of ages and all of the kids had such a wonderful time. Thank you Abby, Kiara and the whole team this is one for the books which reminds me I left my book oh well I'll get it next week with the pots! (The pinch pot section isn't pictured because everyone was having too much fun making pinch pots)

This place awakened my toddler's inner artist. Ever since going, we have made time for art…read moreeveryday. Prior to going, he was mostly interested in banging crayons around like they were drum sticks. Since visiting, he has started coloring, painting, using street chalk and markers.

Came here with my six-year-old son and wife. We watched the Beauty and the Beast Jr play. It was a…read moregreat experience. The young people did very well. I was intrigued by the stage and how they managed to appeal to people no matter where they sat. I'd love to come see another production.

Just enjoyed a performance of The Little Mermaid here today! The staging was wonderful and everyone…read moreknew their lines and where to go. Most importantly the kids had an amazing time! Covid precautions were maintained. Well done!

This a great local resource for woodworkers. The Mt. Diablo Adult Education program offers may…read moreadult woodworking classes for beginners to advances woodworkers, along with open shop classes. The woodworking 1 class is a great introduction to all the equipment through the process of building a beautiful step stool. The day and night classes include men and women of all ages. The fees are very reasonable to get access to great equipment. The teachers are knowledgeable and very willing to help. For more info: https://mdae.mdusd.org/

I'm taking a woodworking class here, and I'm thoroughly satisfied with the level and quality of…read moreinstruction. The tools in the wood shop are great, and the instructors really know their stuff. What's more, those guys sure know how to keep a sharp edge on their equipment. Tuition is, in my opinion, up to what one would expect to pay in today's economy, especially considering that everyone is scrambling for cash to stay afloat, even the local government and its affiliated programs. The registration process on the archaic website is a touch on the byzantine side, though. It looks a lot like the very first website I ever coded when I was 16 years old. Uhh, now that I think about it, it looks like the website I designed a few years ago. But I'm no web designer, so hah! Point being, you're gonna have to dig around a little bit to find what you're looking for, but once you've found it, the actual act of registering for a class is pretty straightforward. Now, back to the woodworking instructors: Between the Bill and Dave, they've got about 70 years experience, 20 fingers, 20 toes, and 8 eyes (they both wear glasses). So I trust them to teach me the ways. I don't know if I'll ever be able to snatch the pebble from their hands, but I'm confident that they're showing me how to keep all my phalanges and body parts so that I could snatch that pebble, even if only in theory. I plan on taking many more courses here, especially in the "Working with Wood" category of classes. Now go forth and learn something new!

Maria Talacona is an amazing artist. Her studio in Benicia on Columbus Parkway was always my…read morefavorite. She went to Sonoma for many years where there was a greater demand for fine art but now she is back to Benicia on First Street. Her work is wall to wall amazing and honestly, I have so many of her pieces and I actually just bought another piece that I am waiting to be framed. I always tell her that I can't think of anything else I would want on my walls. I have a lot of art from Jim Buckles, Eyvind Earle, and Caroline Young but I must confess I have more works by Maria Talacona than any other artist. Her works are so near and dear to my heart because she is local and I know her so well. She mainly does fine art commissions for the Napa Valley Wine Community but here in Benicia, she is well known for her florals, grapes, and olives. At her studio downtown, she has a wonderful kitchen line with plates, towels and oven mitts that were in all the stores like Kohls, Target, and Walmart. She has won many awards but she gives back to the community by teaching Paint Nights on Friday Nights from 6 pm to 9 pm. I went to her Friday night class and it was super fun and I did really well. She does a Family Fun watercolor workshop three Saturdays a month (she is closed the 2nd Saturday of each month). They are super affordable as well. Anyway, I am her number one fan. Anyway, I hope Maria captured all I had to say when I wrote a testimonial for her website but also I just had to share again how I feel about her awesome work.

SPA TIME FOR YOUR CREATIVE SIDE: took my great friend for decades to an art class here. We've…read moreenjoyed many a resort beach spa uplift yet chill outing over the years. So my hope was to have a new but similar experience & knew I'd succeeded when she said 'this feels good". The vibe setting ( so Benicia quaint) was peaceful & accommodates a range of activities & # of people: for Art studio class; original even custom Art/prints/ framing/Custom Jewellery!!!! and Gallery. Great to view, purchase, and or participate. We left there making plans for our next escape there.