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Creative Growth Art Center

4.6 (18 reviews)
ModerateArt Galleries
Closed 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Updated 2 weeks ago

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Recommended Reviews - Creative Growth Art Center

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Joanna M.

Someone recently asked if I had any resolutions for the New Year. I silently thumbed through the usual medley-drink less, eat more veggies, no coffee after noon-but said that I didn't have any. Then my neurons fired, my eyes lit up and I proclaimed, "go to Creative Growth as often as possible." Nique F and Markus N both penned reviews that capture the ineffable spirit of this awesome and awe-inspiring place. I don't have much to add, but I'm going to leave my virtual enthusiasm anyway, for yelpsterity's sake. CG is a fully equipped studio that brings art therapy to adults with developmental disabilities and regularly features their works in their adjacent gallery. On First Fridays they keep their doors open late so that you can peer through the eyes of these talented folks who see the world so differently, yet so directly. There can be as many perspectives on one object as there are New Year's resolutions, and the staff and volunteers at CG help these artists actualize their talent by providing the space, supplies, and loving kindness. During their First Friday holiday show, this place was abuzz and aglow, and not just from the drinks being consumed by yours truly. I appreciate that there wasn't a fetishistic devotion to the abnormal, or an 'us'/'them' paradigm. I often couldn't distinguish shopper from artist from staff, and everyone interacted as neighbors, friends, or friends-to-be. The items I purchased here are some of my favorite things in my apartment-a ceramic elephant, a great sketch by Sylvia, and a Christmas gift for a friend which is yet to be gifted, but that I will miss seeing everyday. I am resolute. I will be here. Every first Friday. Won't you join me?

Eli S.

What a wonderful place. I just purchased a piece from Creative Growth for a Valentine's Day gift and was so happy to have found this spot of sunshine tucked away on 24th. Looking forward to going back soon.

The store front of the gallery.
Marie-Louise O.

This is a VERY inspiring establishment. Full of treasures to discover, not only in the Gallery and on the walls, but the people here too! Check out my blog as I walk through the pages of the book "This is Oakland" and document my experiences with many of the cities gems. www.discoverthisisoakland.tumblr.com

Great place 2 go!

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Review Highlights - Creative Growth Art Center

Leave it to Markus N to bring me somewhere profound enough to get me choked up on my cherry margarita.

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The Compound Gallery - The Art Shop

The Compound Gallery

4.4(25 reviews)
2.5 mi
$$

Artists beware!! The owners of this space are more concerned with taking your money rather than…read moreactually supporting artists. The lowest monthly fee is $250, and that's just to join the space (and access a teeny tiny cubby space to keep any personal belongings). If you actually want to use any of their equipment or facilities (which is the whole point of becoming a member) they charge you an additional $50 monthly fee ON TOP OF your membership fee. PLUS, there's a $50 fee to take any orientation class, which is mandatory before you're even allowed to touch the equipment. They even charge you to use their printers!! I'm surprised there's not a fee to use the restroom...You get locked into a minimum year lease, and then are micromanaged with how you use the space. With creative culture dying in the Bay in favor of Big Tech, what artists need now more than ever is an affordable and accessible space to create and build community, without a financial barrier. THIS PLACE IS NOT IT.

The Compound Gallery is a (hidden?) gem of the Bay Area. It's *free* to enter/browse and there are…read morepieces here ranging from affordable to pricier. 1) I enjoyed David Fullarton's collection, "Everything's Getting Worse and I'm Not Helping," as well as browsing local artisans' pieces. The curation of this gallery feels cohesive. The pieces here are rich with meaning -- great conversation starters, so it's definitely an excellent place to bring a friend or two. 2) I wish I caught the name of the owner/director I met there yesterday -- he was so warm and a great host! It was my first time, and he took the time to briefly show me around the different areas of the gallery whilst entertaining my questions about the history of the gallery/its artists. He also shared upcoming events and exhibitions (artist talks, for instance), inviting me to stay connected! 3) Parking here is pretty great (I was at the gallery on the weekend). There's also a small park across the street -- great place to hang out and debrief after enjoying The Compound. I highly recommend The Compound Gallery -- I know I'll be back soon.

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The Compound Gallery - New location in Emeryville

New location in Emeryville

The Compound Gallery
The Compound Gallery

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E14 Gallery

E14 Gallery

4.9(10 reviews)
1.0 miOld Oakland
$$$

LOVE this shop!! The owner even let me come in before the store was open as and make my purchases!…read moreI was visiting from Chicago and staying at the nearby Marriott, but working during the hours the shop was open. I popped over before my last shift hoping to catch it open, and it wasn't yet, but she was there stocking and let me in! I had such fun and picked up some beautiful locally-made art and treasures. Loved the cool decals, pins, so much art! Great place to pick up gifts and souvenirs from Oakland- not typical "souvenir" stuff, but the really cool prizes other people will love and ask "Wow, where did you get that???" Prices are very reasonable. Love that everything is locally sourced. Amazing shop!! If you are in Oakland, even for a day, stop by and purchase local art.

This is a cute little art space and I loved it. We only went by because we were waiting for my…read moresister to exit her hotel, about a block or so down the street, and were strolling around and ran into this little gem. The art is nice and cool, and they have a lot of art from local people. The person managing the gallery was next door doing some painting in a studio and he came over to welcome us. He had very large depictions of Africa, some were collages and some were painted. I would love to see them featured next to each other on a blank wall. But they were scattered about the shop. My picture features the art of Woody Johnson, a friend of my dad and my husband's. I'm quite familiar with his art and this is a new style. They have paintings of different sizes for every budget. Some big pieces, smaller framed pieces, some prints, and everyone in there was local. It's nice to support local artists and very necessary. They need the money, attention, time and love too. I will definitely be back!

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E14 Gallery
E14 Gallery
E14 Gallery

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Joyce Gordon Gallery - Nina Fabunmi

Joyce Gordon Gallery

4.5(14 reviews)
0.7 miDowntown Oakland
$$

About three weeks ago I received an invite on Facebook to attend the opening event of a photo…read moreexhibit by Philip Hennen at the Joyce Gordon Gallery. I have never met Mr. Hennen, but I was always impressed with his photos titled Mood City posted on that website in one of the groups I belong to. His main focus were the urban areas of Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco, which brought back memories of growing up in the area. I love his work, especially the ones of Oakland Chinatown and West Oakland. The Joyce Gordon Gallery is a well lit gallery in the downtown area of Oakland. The ambiance is a comfortable one without being pretentious. What an amazing gallery to have works of the African American artists on display. Indeed this gallery and Sanchez Contemporary (Uptown) are welcome sites to the City of Oakland. I usually don't head back to Oakland in the evening, but Mood City beckoned my husband and me to attend this event and to show support to a Facebook friend. The presentation of the photos was beautiful. I finally met Mr. Hennen through another Facebook friend, Vanessa Williams, who was also at the event. Much appreciation to this gentleman who was very pleasant and engaging in conversation with everybody attending this event. The minor drawback to this gallery is trying to find street parking in the area. Public transportation (AC or BART) is easier than driving around the block or blocks in search of a parking space. Then there is also a parking garage close by. When in the area, stop by this gallery and admire the works on display of local artists.

This is a cool space that is conveniently located near downtown Oakland (transit hub). The main…read morespace itself is wheelchair accessible, but as for the single gender-neutral bathroom, I'm not so sure it'd be easy to get in there due to the angles and width of the doors, especially if your mobility equipment is wider than a typical doorframe. They have some nice artworks of black and African or African diaspora people on display right now. I came to the gallery as a part of an evening event in BlackSolidarityWeek and I appreciate that they allow this space to be used for such events and talks. It seems there's a lower level that requires stairs to access, did not get to see what was in there at the time.

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Joyce Gordon Gallery
Joyce Gordon Gallery
Joyce Gordon Gallery - Nina Fabunmi

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Nina Fabunmi

Kala Art Institute - Print studio

Kala Art Institute

4.8(18 reviews)
3.1 miWest Berkeley

I don't consider myself a natural artist, but after taking Introduction to Silkscreen with Emily…read morehere I feel like a spark of potential was finally lit. I thoroughly enjoyed the flexible after-work hours where I could relax and concentrate on just a few set tasks that go into making a screen and prints. The small class size felt both intimate and collaborative. I also loved how the teacher provided great materials to experiment with and Kala had all the necessary equipment. I'd love to come back and take more silkscreen later in the year!

Kala has some great art programs. One of them is Drink and Draw, a post-work evening activity that…read moreinvolves drinkin' an' drawin'. It's a rare opportunity for working folks who love art (but never get to do it) to be artistic and creative. We also hoped it would be an opportunity to meet people, relax, unwind, drink some wine, and hang out... but we discovered one fine weekday eve that it was lots of Draw but very little Drink. There are some serious art students in Berkeley! The art instructor was knowledgeable, talented and inspiring, and brought some great materials for us to use - handmade paper, high-quality ink, brushes. We did have to supply some of our own stuff, like scratch paper, pencils, erasers. She taught us new techniques and was very hands-on. A few completed projects even looked frame-worthy. Kala offers great programs if you want to do art in the evening. However, if you actually want to hang out with friends, catch up, and Drink with your Draw, you may want to go to a bar. Just sayin'...!

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Kala Art Institute - Building

Building

Kala Art Institute - Electronic Media Center

Electronic Media Center

Kala Art Institute - High Schoolers viewing exhibition in Kala Gallery

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High Schoolers viewing exhibition in Kala Gallery

Creative Growth Art Center - galleries - Updated May 2026

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