My nine-year-old daughter has been going to ActonArt for over four years and I can't recommend it…read morehighly enough. It's well worth the drive from Cambridge, and judging from the number of other folks who come from as far away, many agree. Whenever we have to miss a week due to illness or vacation, my daughter is more sad about missing art than anything else. I also appreciate the diversity of subjects they have in the drawing classes; many different objects and people from world cultures are represented, and John always gives a little talk about what they're drawing, whether it's a famous building or a particular species of animal or an important historical person. I'm impressed with the quality of teaching both in terms of skills and how much the teachers seem to care about the kids.

From the owner: ActonArt provides drawing and fine art instruction to students ranging in age from five years to…read moreadults. Our curriculum driven program is designed to teach to the strengths and abilities of general age ranges, however our class sizes are limited and small so we can focus on the needs of individual students as well. Our program and class structure has evolved over the years into a comprehensive presentation of core concepts and developmental skill building projects built around student friendly topics and drawing subjects. We offer classes that are specific to elementary, middle-school, and high-school children, intermediate and advanced level students, and even students who are developing portfolios for further study in art schools and colleges. We also have procreate, home-school, and adult classes for people looking for personal enrichment and individual skills development.

The buildings are falling apart and they accept literally everyone, so be prepared to be the only…read moreperson in the class without crippling disabilities Your tuition goes nowhere helpful

Represent! I loved my time here, even in 31 Essex, which I…read moremay be the only one to say that. I wish they had an MFA program, because I would surely take it. After working a brief stint as a gallery director, I know first hand how poorly other school prepare you for the "real world." The only two submission packages which I received, in the three months with TemporaryGallery, that showed any sense of professionalism were from MCAers (they will remain nameless, as they both are very humble and get rosy over compliments). But I don't only have to compare the school to others to note why I love it: Scott Hadfield, Barbara Moody, Luara Tonelli, Marjorie Augenbraum, and the list goes on. Small class sizes and great teachers make this school. Every teacher gives a new a fresh perspective, none jaded by the years of professing. OH I CAN'T FORGET LEN! Len is amazing

The staff is amazing…read more My daughter is nine years old, and has been attending various classes at Creative Arts for the past 2 years. They offer pottery, music, voice, acting, and much more that I am sure I am not including. I highly recommend Creative Arts if you have a child interested in learning more with terrific instructors.

I enrolled my daughter in classes for the summer of 2019 and am so glad I did. With art, music and…read moretheater, they have something for everyone. She was enrolled in a week of theater and multiple weeks of art instruction with a wide array of art classes to choose from. With an artshow each Friday, we enjoyed the opportunity to see the the kids amazing artwork on display. We ended up with multiple frame-worthy pieces, one of which the clerk at the frame shop said she'd never have guessed was created by a 6 year old, it was that good. My daughter had a great time, the staff was fantastic, they offered before and after care which was critical for us working full time and we were incredibly pleased by the overall experience. We re-enrolled for February vacation, are planning for summer camp, and see ourselves as lasting patrons for the years to come.

Our daughter enrolled in the Music Department majoring in violin since 2022-23 academic year…read more Violin to us is merely one of the ways for our children to socialize meaningfully, and, as a result, we regularly yielded to her reluctance to practice and never planned her future in music at all. Even so, she auditioned and got accepted to advanced ensembles (with two local youth orchestras), playing with full symphony orchestras ever since she was at age eight. When she started WHS, she was a very good player, but no way exceptional like kids from musical families and she noticed the differences herself. However, three years later, our daughter is assessed to be on a soloist and chamber musician track with composition to boot. During the time she has been at WHS, she was given so many opportunities to the music world outside school, such as NEC Prep YPO, Honors Chamber, CHIPS, and collaboration to lead orchestra part in professionally produced operas live with music establishments like Boston Lyric Opera and also has her composition works performed not only at school, summer camp (senior division), but also aired on NYC Public Radio, WQXR, showcased as a young artist. For a high school student, that certainly is unbelievable! Seeing our daughter flourishing into a confident, accomplished young lady, we know without the care and dedication from WHS's beloved faculty members, it probably would have happened at all! Thank you from the bottom, Walnut Hill! We highly recommend Walnut Hill School for the Arts to aspiring students interested in the Arts with no reservation.

Disappointing. It's 50K+ per year + fees. They make you go thru hoops to provide a ton of…read moreinformation, academically and financially. They don't listen to your requests/communication. A bit of hubris/attitude when you talk to folks there. Then they come back with a 5K financial aid. What a joke. This school is only meant for folks who are very well off or dirt poor (my guess). If you are blue collar/middle class, forget about it. Just move to a town with a very good school system. This is an elite snob factory.

This is an awesome community resource with very unique classes. I'm looking forward to taking more…read moreclasses there!

I find the Academy convenient because there are many classes under one roof and saves me time from…read moredriving around. My child also went for the summer camp and had a great time. The instructors were super friendly. They give her great tips with her artwork and allowed her to add her own personality to her art work. My friend's kid did the children's theater and we loved going to watch their production of Wizard of Oz. My kid and I took Bollywood dance exercise classes which was fun. This is hands down one of the best places around! Plenty of parking and very convenient location.

My daughter took art classes from Lisa all through high school. She is a wonderful teacher! She…read moreteaches technique in watercolor, oil, pen and ink, etc. Highly recommend!!

From the owner: This in-home studio is the perfect setting for Individualized instruction in drawing and painting…read more Student's age 5- adult of any ability level are welcome. Nationally awarded artist Lisa G Bailey works and teaches in most mediums: watercolor, acrylic, colored pencil, pen, marker & oils. New students are offered a free consultation to plan a program that meets their personal needs. Private and small group (Max.8) weekly classes are offered throughout the year. Students learn the eight keys needed to become a successful artist: increase awareness, tune perception, stimulate & encourage imagination, enable self-expression, expand art vocabulary, understand fundamentals, practice technique and develop a person style. This studio offers a safe and allergy friendly environment where students can succeed while gaining self-esteem.

I have been taking art classes with Claire Gagnon at Chez Claire Art School for 8 years and can…read morestate with assurance she is the best! Claire teaches the basics of sketching Acrylics and Watercolor with patience , constructive critique and a vast amount of art experience. She is an accomplished artist but for all levels of student experience Claire teaches to any and all levels

From the owner: Chez Claire Art School specializes in personalized drawing and painting classes in Dracut, MA. We…read moreoffer group classes, workshops, private and on-line lessons, and paint parties. Students are guided to discovering their own creative process in a relaxed and safe atmosphere.

I bring my 4 year old and 2 year old during school closures to their Art Sense class. It is…read moreperfect, because they both can be there together. They both really enjoy the class and my 4 year old always ask when we can go to the next art class. The class is 45 minutes long, but I would say the first 10-15 minutes is free play where they set up a few art inspired stations for the kids to explore, approximately 20 minutes of more structured art class, then 10 minutes for clean up and story time. The -1 comes from two things... 1 - It can be costly to do drop in classes for both kids. It is $35/kid, though they do give a 20% sibling discount, so it is $63/2 kids, plus the $2 service from the site vs. $100/month/kid which would be equivalent to approximately $25/class. It is a way more affordable to enroll monthly but they do not offer Art Sense classes over the weekend so it is not really supportive of kids that attend school during the week. It would be nice if they had an option to buy X amount of classes upfront at the $25/rate that could be used amongst multiple children. We've tried other art classes in neighboring towns and I would say Kidcasso is probably at the higher price point. 2 - This only happened once but there was one class where the teacher did not show the end product upfront for the kids. I am not sure if this was intentional to allow creative freedom but for one of my kids that appreciates a bit more structure to build confidence, I could tell she was more cautious and waiting to see what other kids were doing or asking me for some guidance. The other times when she knew what the end goal was she was more confident creating her artwork and leverage her creative freedom to still create something that was hers. For my other child, she did not care because she doesn't follow rules/directions anyways. It didn't impact the experience for my children, but it was something that was noticeable for one of my children in how they approached that specific art class.

My 2 grandsons, ages 8 & 5, have taken classes with Miss Kelsey in Wakefield. The first ever…read moreclass they attended, they drew Van Gogh's Haystacks. We were amazed at the end results. Both boys have their drawings proudly displayed on a shelf in their bedrooms. Since then, they have thoroughly enjoyed the class and eagerly look forward to the next visit.

This is my favorite store! All the merchandise is beautifully made, colorful and useful. It is…read moremostly contemporary, which is my style. I can't get out of here without buying something! I have purchased jewelry, ceramics, glass, candles and more.

They seem to have forgotten it is the holiday season. They wrapped a Christmas gift in orange…read moretissue paper (what happened to seasonal colors like red, green, white or blue?) and used yellow and orange ribbon on the unwrapped box and declared it is wrapped for Christmas. It looked like it should be presented at Thanksgiving. Defintely out of touch with the season. Also less holiday options. Had been a loyasl customer for years, will not return because of the attitude I received when asked for a Christmas theme wrapping.