We were there for The Festival of Arts show and I expected more considering all the hype. The prices were extremely high and I get that this is how they make a living. The best part was the weather was nice. Fairhope art show is much better with much more choices. read more

Coastal Arts Center - Decent crowd but not that many artists - Art Galleries Near Me - Orange Beach, Alabama

A FREE community art center located in Orange Beach. Right near the Senior center, open Monday-Friday & offering free events often. A large gallery inside to stroll around and look at art along with a gift shop with creations by local artists. Outside a glassblowing and pottery studio offering classes to create your own artwork & take home! Located right on the water, I recommend strolling around the grounds and walking down the pier, with beautiful views of the bay. read more

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Playing with Glass at the Hot Shop in Orange Beach I have always been fascinated with glass. I have my own kiln and do quite a bit of fusing. I have always wanted to learn to blow glass and work with it. It's been a bucket list item for probably 10 years now. I was so excited when I found out that I would be heading to the The Hot Shop. The Coastal Arts Center in Orange Beach is a cultural arts campus and includes The Hot Shop, The Clay Studio, and the Gallery & Gift Shop. As we walked to The Hot Shop we saw other glass creations. I was so excited I could hardly contain myself. Our instructor, Kerry, did a great job of explaining everything before hand and then helping us as we went through the process. She was very clear with each step and very encouraging along the way. We could choose what to make from 3 different projects. I chose a flower. It was so cool and definitely exceeded my expectations. I loved working with heated glass and trying to beat the time it cooled to pull out my flower. It was such a cool process. We did have to leave our pieces overnight so they could set and cure in the kiln. We were able to pick them up the next morning. Sara made the blue and white paper weight and mine is the flower. I have mine sitting on my desk right now. I can't wait to make something else next time I'm there! It's a great experience and you get a really cool piece to take home that you made! read more

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What a lovely art museum with local artist work for sale. Additionally they have a glass blowing shop (the hot shop) where you can watch demonstrations as well as take a class and blow your own piece, which we did. There are paintings, glass and pottery pieces for sale. And a gift shop with a lot of cool jewelry, books, and other gift items. The center itself is a lovely property, beautiful grounds and a view of the intracoastal waterways at the back of the property. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Center is easy to access with plenty of parking and only about 3 miles from the beach. We did opt to do the glass blowing class at a cost of $85. You had a choice of blowing a starfish, a flower or a paperweight. I opted for the starfish. Tge staff walks you through each step and helps along the way. It was fun but you can buy and already made starfish for $40. For me I would opt to just buy in the future as mine did not look as good as tglhe ones made by the professionals. But I can now say I have blown glass... read more

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Incredible staff. Beautiful artwork from regional artists. Absolutely stunning location. They have a glass blowing hot shop, pottery shop, and ongoing arts programs. They also sponsor an award winning festival every year in March. read more

Coastal Arts Center - Art Galleries Near Me - Orange Beach, Alabama

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I love that you can see what the talented artists in the area are up to and even take a class making pottery or glass blowing. It's very cool and showcases some awesome art! read more

We were one of the first here for "Light Up The Arts 2019". It was great to finally get there as both my sweetheart & I have long talked about embarking on a discovery of new hobbies for our retirement. She is thinking pottery and I was thinking painting perhaps. We saw a lot of what this art complex had to offer, we've read & heard really good things about their programs they're quite impressive. Some of the stuff going on is the Hot Glass demonstrations and Make-Your-Own fused/blown glass in The Hot Shop. The Pottery demonstrations and Make-Your-Own clay items in The Clay Studio. The have a Gift Shop area with some cool and unique artwork, jewelry and sculpture by local and regional artists. Childrens and Adult art classes. Summer art camps and much more. *Appointments time required for lessons at The Hot Shop & The Clay Studio call 251-981-ARTS (2787). For all information check out: https://facebook.com/CoastalArtCenter/ Some Art Center History: The Coastal Arts Center of Orange Beach was, until 2015, located in the city's first hotel. Built in 1923, the boarding-house style hotel featured 11 bedrooms and one half bath upstairs while the family resided in the downstairs portion. The facility was only accessible by water until Canal Road was completed in the 1940s and originally served workers in the turpentine industry. Due to severe structural damage the building was torn down in spring 2015. Historical elements collected from the hotel (columns, wood flooring, doors and windows) are featured in the new gallery. The center, previously managed by the Friends of the Arts nonprofit group, became a wholly-run Orange Beach city facility in 2013. The city continues to work with the Friends of the Arts to help make the center a well-rounded oasis for the arts. There's a two day annual Arts Festival in March, which I attended over the weekend, that has lots and lots of artist booths, food vendors, live music, kids playground, demonstrations and more. Oh and your dogs are welcome here! The annual Christmas event has food, music and programs that is quite lovely and they put on some other special events throughout the year. Bottom line: There's some very friendly and helpful people on staff as well as volunteers at a beautiful facility with something for people of all ages. Highly recommended!! read more

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Great time here watching the glass blowers. Beautiful sitting on the bay, and a must stop.

Visited this venue for a friend's wedding. It was an unbelievably beautiful location. The staff and grounds were amazing. I would definitely recommend this venue to anyone looking for something in the OBA area. read more

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This is a really fun place to go and to take visitors to.. When we first went they were blowing glass and that was so cool to see.. and all the shelves of glass for sale .. We usually buy a piece each time we go there.. They have lots of events around the holidays.. The new art gallery and gift shop are beautiful .. It is river front so that is nice to just sit on the porch in back.. They do have several different classes you can sign up to take..There is also a new clay shop that has lots of different items I have never seen before.. The new grounds are just lovely to walk around ..In fact I think we will take another trip down there today. The glass flowers are on sale for mothers day .. I have a few of them in my patio plants .. read more

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What a fun spot! Not ideal for small kids but super fun demos for older kids, a beautiful building with lovely local art and amazingly friendly staff. Off the beaten path for something not too touristy in orange beach and gulf shores. Bring a picnic and pull up a rocker on the back porch to enjoy a wonderful afternoon! read more

Art Gallery, art lesson, glass making, custom designs, river front scenery, pottery shop with lessons and designs for sale. This is a must see while in Orange Beach! The Coastal Art Gallery is in the location of the original first hotel in Orange Beach accessible only by boat in 1923, boarding house style on Wolf Bay. Director is Desiree Blackwell. Just Do It Simply wonderful! read more

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On spring break 2021, myself and my two daughters (9 and 13) signed up for the flameworking class with Greg Hoff. We had an amazing time, I would highly recommend this for anyone! Greg was super patient and such a talented artist! We left there with amazing momentous such as marbles and a glass pendant we each made that we have worn since the class. Please check out this place if you are in Orange Beach! read more

This is an absolutely beautiful arts center with equally gorgeous grounds. I love that they have working studios on premises that even offer classes. Staff was helpful with an inquiry about an artist. It was a great visit for us and we would love to visit again. read more

This was a great unplanned trip. Spending time learning about glass blowing was very interesting. read more

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What a beautiful gem! Seriously, spend your morning here watching glass being blown, admiring pottery in the shop or touring the local art inside. You can make appointments to make blown glass or pottery yourself! (Maybe next time?)The grounds are so tranquil. We came back in the evening to wander the grounds on the bay and catch the sunset. Wow! read more

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You can schedule and take a beginner glass blowing class with your group and have the item to enjoy at your home in the end. It's fantastic fun! You have to wear covered shoes to protect your feet and come prepared with cold water because it's hot. It's called The Hot Shop for the glass blowing experience but they offer pottery and other things to do at this Coastal Arts Center. The staff members are great! Make an appointment today for you class! read more

Coastal Arts Center - Orange Beach, AL - Art Galleries Near Me - Orange Beach, Alabama

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Varied selection of blown glass works and paintings for sale by local artists. The arts center is housed in a historical building and is next to the glass blowing shop and a park on the river. A worthwhile outing after our lunch at nearby Shipps Harbour Grill. There were even some more inexpensive works and clay turtle necklaces that were hip enough for tween boys. The glass blowing shop has a morning class but it books up weeks in advance. The Coastal Arts Center handles registration for this class. read more