Awesome class at Alberta Beach at the Beachside Grind will…read morecome again definitely Cool wood projects

Lots of selection Chalk paint available to buy…read moreLots of country household items Neat painting section make your own signs Neat store

Think of the Edmonton City Arts Centre as a cruise ship far out at sea, with lots of activities…read moreplanned to keep you happy. The catalogue headers give a good idea of the breadth available: cooking and baking, crafts and handiwork, dance, mind and body, music, photography, pottery and sculpture, silversmithing, soaps and lotions, theatre, visual art, and writing. The hunnybunny has done some silversmithing, pottery (pix added to this review), and painting, and we've done a cooking class together. There's a lot you can use to distract yourself from a particularly heavy snowstorm :-) The classes have been well planned and leave you with a nice artifact to commemorate your new (or growing) skill. The teachers personalities vary, so not all students will click with all teachers, but the centre seems pretty responsive in allowing switching between classes.

I recently came for a cooking class at this venue. I went in the front entrance and the staff…read moreperson at the front desk directed me to the stairs to the second floor. For a Sunday morning, they had a room with art class, children's programming on computers, and then the Antique room where the cooking class was. The class had about 9 students and there were tables and chairs set up. When it was time to cook, the kitchen got a bit crowded with 2 stoves and people standing around the middle counter space. We had to maneuver around others to find cooking utensils and bowls. But all the cupboards and drawers are labelled so it wasn't too difficult to find what you're looking for. The knives were sharp and they have lots of cutting boards. There are also lots of pans and some deep ones to hold lots of food. We cooked, ate, and then cleaned up. They even had containers for those that wanted to take some leftovers home. The venue is convenient with parking and also accessible by walking or transit. It's an older building as the washrooms are dated but everything was clean and in working order. I would come back and take a class here again.

This is a creative & one of the more affordable kid friendly party places. It's a shame a lot of…read moretheir locations have closed, but this one's still here & much has improved since my last visit. It's a really cozy space, in a small stripmall in the Ellerslie area, but that means parking is not a problem here. A bonus is that's its next door neighbour is a pizza place so it's pretty easy to cater your party at this studio. A new addition that I've seen more recently is their wall of merchandise to expand your creative capabilities at home... everything from sketching supplies to polymer modelling kits, and even resin supplies for smooth & durable art finishes. They also have lovely art displays created in house for your wandering eyes. I would suggest booking early for kids parties as those weekend spots fill up quickly. On the 2 occasions I've gone, the children did splatter painting in their special paint splash room; and making mini unicorns with modelling polymer at the other party. Event space runs for 2 hours which includes time to consume the food you bring & open presents. Plus they have smocks for kids who aren't quite appropriately dressed for getting messy. The art that's made is also the keepsake/ giveaway for that party... obviously there'll be a delay for painting projects to allow drying, but the polymer ones can be taken home same day. There is a washroom at the back of the facility, which has child friendly stools, but I've noticed the sink drains really slowly there. The nice thing is that they have a bucket of soapy water near the art station you are at, so kids can wash hands before eating. They do have some adult classes as well which I think would be fun, but have yet to do. Staff have been patient in my experience with this venue & I'd recommend this place for family friendly arts & crafts activities.

I took a workshop with the owner. I asked him to help me and he said, "this is the last time. Don't…read moreask me again for heip." I was taken aback because first, I hadn't asked him for any help until then, and second I paid for this workshop and that was his job to teach. I went back once after that and he was still arrogant and overbearing. I don't recommend this school unless you're pretty tough skinned and don't mind being scolded. Way too controlling for me.

From the owner: Pro's Art Atelier teaches the techniques of drawing, perspective and composition in oil painting…read more Students are guided through the styles of Classical Realism, Naturalism, Gesture and Impressionism. Students work in a relaxed, non-competitive atmosphere. People work in the school as one big family, helping and encouraging one another. Many students work hard to better themselves, but still think of the group not just of themselves. Students are able to use tilting desk tops or easels. The students can leave Still Life sets up and work on them continually every time they come. The gallery is located throughout the building and is a sumptuous display of artwork. The public is welcome to come in and browse/view the works any time a class is in progress. The visitors are free to talk to the individual students and ask questions regarding their art. Workshops are of numerous types. We have in class drills during regular classes so that we may work altogether on the same theme during that one class, example: painting trees or a face. Occasionally workshops are held Saturday afternoons, Sunday or Thursday mornings. We also have live model drawing and painting classes. We also invite a variety of guest instructors from around the world to teach. Past teachers include Zhoaming Wu, Sherrie McGraw, Robert Johnson, & Rick Weaver.

I don't buy a lot of stuff here, but it's the first place I go when I need anything crafts-y like…read more The coolest thing I bought was fabric printer paper. I like paint pens as well. I have not been to any of their art classes, but they always look well attended. The angle parking out front is always full. There is so much stock in there, it's overwhelming, but the staff is very helpful. It's technically off Whyte Ave, but I'm adding it to my cool East Whyte ave list.

I enjoy abstract painting and a little sketching here and there. If I am on Whyte Avenue and need…read morebrushes, pencils, pens, or sketchbooks, I head to The Paint Spot. The selection is great, prices are reasonable, and staff are helpful. Students get a discount with ID, and the staff themselves are artists, so they really know what they are talking about. Other supplies available at The Paint Spot include canvasses, cutting materials, and, of course, paint of all kinds. There is even a gallery in the basement featuring the work of local artists, and The Paint Spot is central to the annual Art Walk on Whyte.

Came to Viva for a fun experience throwing clay for the first time. Heather our instructor was very…read moreinformative and helpful throughout the whole 90minutes of hands on learning. Your first throw, the instructor guides you through the 5 steps of throwing clay and then on your second you're on your own. Heather will assist if you need help. You can pick the best project of the 2 or pay for both if they came out better than you expected. You get to choose your glaze out of a bunch of colors and then studio staff does that for you. As well as an extra $5 charge for handles if you're making a mug. After the class is finished you get the opportunity to buy local artists pottery from a large selection of works if you wish. We would definitely book another class with Viva to keep perfecting our skills.

I discovered Clayworks Studio Link through a "fieldtrip" when I was working at a childcare centre…read more They came over and did a workshop with us at the centre, and it went great. The kids and staff (including myself) loved it! The lady from the studio brought over all the supplies, and everyone received their own ceramic tile to paint. She had an array of stencils available for those of us who hadn't a clue what to do. She was very patient with the kids (we had a large group) and helped them out with their tiles. Afterwards, the tiles were taken back to the studio to be fired up and glazed, and were given to the kids a couple weeks later. I highly recommend Clayworks for your next party or if you work with kids. They host painting parties, workshops, and various pottery classes at their studio. They also offer school outreach programs and teacher workshops. For drop-in painting, the price you pay for your piece includes everything from the paint to the glaze, so the number is already calculated for you. It's a great way to fire up your imagination, and hey, Christmas is coming up soon -- why not do something different?

This is an absolutely magnificent space! We attended a plant night talk by Dora of Nature's…read moreElements which was a vivacious and educational talk where we learned a bunch about when and how to plant/start your garden she is uber knowledgeable and did a great job, we then planted several plants of our choosing. Highly would recommend this event for anyone interested in learning about growing anything The venue itself is gorgeous every single wall has some piece of art on it that is breathtaking, there are a couple of smaller businesses That reside in the space as well as studios for artists. I learned that there are paint nights hosted by the very man who panted many of the paintings in the space so expect something creative to flow from that class. Whether you need a large space for a cocktail party or a boardroom for an important meeting you can rent the space through their site, I know I'll be checking it out

From the owner: Spark is a Sherwood Park event space and art gallery with a unique flair for designing the coolest…read morepromotional products and apparel for companies in the Edmonton area. Email joy@spark.ca to inquire about having your event at Spark Centre.