Cuuuuuute alert! For all you artsy crafty mavens out there, this is your stop. It's a shop filled…read morewith a well-curated selection of paper goods, books, coloring books, custom art, fabric lamp shades, and gifts in varying price points. From the second I walked in, I was engulfed by a most delightful smell, perhaps a candle burning somewhere? I was greeted by the owner's assistant, Kate, who gave me an overview of the shop and some of the classes they offer in the back, like coptic bookbinding, collage, crafting, and self-motivation classes. They also have a meet up group called The Grown*Up Girls Club where you can meet up with other like-minded individuals and explore new art/craft/maker techniques. The Club meets the second Sunday of every month. The Collage Cafe is a newer business located in an adorable corridor mixed with other art-inspired shops. You can go door to door and visit each one while you're at it! Can't wait to stop back in. But, as I'm writing this, when I go back I realize the selection is too overwhelming for my taste (in a good way of course) because I want one of everything.

One day my young daughters and I where walking by and came in into this beautiful place, what a…read morewonderful store! The owner is such a great lady, great host, kind and knowledgeable. I scheduled a coloring evening for a group of friends from church. We had a delightful experience! The place was set up with a wide variety of water colors, wood colors pencils, markers, etc. the pages provided were also varied, from really intricate to more simple so we were all able to pick something that suited our taste and level of artistry. We already scheduled another event and are looking forward to it. Definitely a great place for gifts, classes and more.

Classes at Studio 215, have a peaceful environment that allows you to develop at your own pace with…read morethe great guidance of the artist Sarah Kaiser-Amaral. Studio 215 also provides long sessions with live models!

Sarah Kaiser-Amaral offers small group classes in her spacious, well-lit studio, as well as…read moresponsoring life-drawing sessions twice a month. I've worked with her for several years, privately and in classes. She's both an inspired artist and an inspired teacher--generous, engaged, articulate, funny, and committed to meeting each individual where they're at and helping them to progress to the next level of accomplishment. Great for beginners as well as more advanced artists.

A friend introduced me to the Open Studio Project and I am now taking a 6-week class, Connecting…read moreWith The Creative Process. I love it! The emphasis is on your inner process and the "messages" that your art work might be helping you express and discover; not on the artistic value or expertise of whatever you choose to create. Go to their website www.openstudioproject.org and then "classes and workshops" to learn more about the special method that's used. I highly recommend it for folks who want to explore their inner creative child. :)

A nurturing environment that provides a safe space to explore your inner landscape through the…read morepower of art. Wonderful people. Magic happens here. And you discover during the process that all that magic is right inside of you. Highly recommend it for great self care and of course, for playful fun.

Total arty art school vibes…read more I was thinking about cobbling together a screen printing setup at home and realized I should probably find a refresher class somewhere. Just so happens that this Evanston Art Center had a screen printing class coming up! I signed up and walked into class expecting that all the arcane screen printing processes have been made obsolete at last. Back in the day we had to flood screens with chemikills and expose them to light like neanderthals. Welp, it turns out that is how it's still done (boohoo) but indeed some of the technology has advanced in ways I didn't expect. Anyway, great gallery, great classes, great teachers and staff!

3.5 I'd searched…read morefor museums in Evanston to avoid driving to Chicago for some culture and the Evanston Art Center came up. This place has a lot of potential, particularly upstairs - there are blank walls galore - but there's just not very much art there at the moment. Evanston is small, but had I known I could blow through this venue in 5 minutes, for a 10 minute drive, I probably would have skipped it. That said, the art that was there was great and I enjoyed seeing it.

Kid's birthday party with an amazingly creative project that really engaged the children. The…read morepottery maven was kind and happy and really knew how to work with kids. I want to make a turtle now!

My mother in law bought us a private pottery lesson! We had a great long two hour session, with an…read moreaaaaaamazing instructor, Carrie. 10/10 would recommend going and signing up for ANYTHING she teaches! This place rocked my socks off I had so much fun I'm prolly gonna sign up for regular classes starting in April I think she mentioned!! Go! Call! Reserve a spot! You won't be disappointed!

Very kind instructor, great pottery workshop! Great 1:1 instruction with small class sizes.read more

Alley Cat Studios clawed and scratched their way into a space in Evanston to bring their dream of…read moresharing their artistic expertise with the community. It's a wonderful space and Kandi is multi-talented with a community-centered approach to art. The space is a wonderland of art from unique pottery designs, muraled walls, furniture in various stages of renewal and a comfy unpretentious art vibe. This is the kind of businesses that makes Evanston great. Looking forward to visiting often and taking the classes of the art forms I've always wanted to explore! Stay cool Alley Cat! ‍

Love love love love love. That's five loves! A 6th love is deserved for getting my fabric order…read moresent on time to my SIL on time for Christmas. I shopped and shipped everything directly from their website and never had to pick up the phone once! Oh, make that a 7th love for carrying Heather Ross fabrics. I'm obsessed with #HeatherRoss. I love to sew. I am crafty, and I have a huge love (can you tell?) with fabrics! Thanks to Evanston Stitchworks, you'll find really fun and unique designs at their shop (currently available online). This isn't your typical fabric store. They support really cool independent designers and quirky fabrics for quilting and making clothes...well for sewing anything really. They also offer knitting supplies and all the books you might need to learn how to sew or knit. Evanston Stitchworks also offers many crafty classes (currently virtual). A few years ago I took their beginning knitting class. For some reason my brain gets all discombobulated when I try to knit, but the class was really fun. The owner was patient and kind and did everything she could to help me fix my mistakes along the way. Everyone else knocked it out of the park, so it's just not something I'm good at. I'm so glad this small local business exists, and I'll continue to purchase fabric from them. Speaking of fabric, don't you just love the designs I picked out for my two little nieces? They are Heather Ross designs, and my SIL is planning to make dresses for them. Can't wait to see how they turn out!

Since I love looking @ different types of fabrics, yarn, and needle crafts, decided to visit here…read more So glad I did! This shop is really cool and has a lot to offer. Excellent quality of all their products! Unique fabrics that are gorgeous. The needlework kits, cross stitch and embroidery, were very unique too. Sashiko products are also sold here too, which is what I decided to purchase some of. Some of the items for sale here I had never seen anywhere else. The staff person working was knowledgeable, helpful, and nice. I also thought the prices were good because of the high quality of the items. Will visit here again on my next trip to Evanston.

We've been extremely impressed with Skokie Kids Art. Our two kids have been attending for nearly…read morethree years, and the impact on their creativity has been remarkable. The program strikes a rare balance between teaching art techniques and giving our kids freedom to experiment on their own. Mr. Leo and Mrs. Sonja are both deeply involved and truly understand how to structure sessions in a way that challenges our kids while keeping them engaged, inspired and confident. This isn't a commercial, one-size-fits-all art class--there's a level of personalization and care here that really sets it apart - which is what we appreciate the most. Over time, our kids haven't just "taken art classes"--they've become real 'creators'. They've had their own community exhibitions and are frequently praised by their school teachers for their creativity and skill (and even won a few prizes). Skokie Kids Art is not just an art class--it's a place where our kids learn how to think creatively and take pride in their work. We couldn't recommend it more highly.

My kids went to Sonya and Leonid Osseniy for 5 marvelous years - great teaching, attention to…read moredetails, personal involvement, inspiration with classical approach in its best. I highly recommended this school! Ella Epton

I've been a student at One River (adult classes) for the past couple of months and wouldn't…read morerecommend it more! The students are sociable and lovely. My teacher is kind and helpful. I'm learning new skills and have re discovered my artistic abilities I haven't practiced in years. I look forward to attending each week! Would highly recommend for any skill level. Supplies are provided and make up classes offered if you miss a session, love it!

I have been attending classes there for two years. It has been a very pleasant experience. I joined…read morewith little or no art skill. 20 years ago I did some sketches. One River School is great. The location is wonderful and I agree the teachers are good and they allow us to make up classes if we have schedule conflicts or illness. The teachers are hands on instructors. I can't think a place that would offer or better service to an art student. I definitely give them a thumbs up. 5 Stars!

Simply amazing customer service and great style. This shop is fun, whimsical and cozy. They do a…read moregreat job, from small to large and they patiently work with you to find the best solution to your framing needs. Prices are pretty much on par with every other high end framing business in the area, so know that your getting a good deal when you do business here. Framing ain't cheap these days. The artwork and pre made frames for sale are nice features, including a live in parrot which adds another level of unique quirk to the shop. I can't recommend this business enough. Well done Alley Gallery!!

I had spent about 20 minutes when I dropped off my art on how I wanted it rematted. It was returned…read morewith no mat. None. How do you miss that? I need to take it elsewhere to get it redone. Will not return.