I took a class here as a teenager and it was top notch! I have talked to many students who have…read moretalked classes here recently, and you know what, they can't speak highly enough about it! Yes, the rumors are true! It's just as good now as it was 45 years ago! Hats off to all the great teachers for encouraging all the students from around the world (yes, I knew a young woman from Italy who attended classes back in 2005!). A big standing ovation to all the teachers keeping this great institution world class all these decades later! You are the greatest!

My experience with this college has been extremely disappointing. One of my biggest concerns is the…read moreway on-campus job opportunities are handled. From my experience, it feels like Black students are not given the same opportunities or consideration when it comes to certain positions on campus. It has been extremely discouraging, especially when students are trying to work to support themselves while attending school. On top of that, many things on campus are unnecessarily overpriced. Students are already paying high tuition, yet basic things can feel excessively expensive. I hope the school takes these concerns seriously.

Right now with all the COVID-19 craziness going on, taking online courses through Vitruvian is a…read moregreat way to develop talents, during the shelter in place orders and social distancing. The online course offers hours of detailed video direction. The videos are high-quality and give great depth and detail into instruction. I am about halfway through the course and I absolutely love it. David the instructor is extremely detail oriented. If you are looking to develop your drawing skills, I highly recommend their Beginners Course in Drawing. One of the reasons I love this online corse it is because you can work at your own pace and you can go back and watch the videos as many times as you need to. David is extremely responsive. Anytime I have had a question or a concern he responds very quickly. I'm giving them 5 STARS! :)

Some are intimidated by the words "realism" and "traditional," but if you want to learn to draw,…read morepaint and sculpt well, no matter your personal style or aesthetic, Vitruvian is the BEST place to go. Not only are both instructors/owners extremely skilled, but they have decades of combined experience in instruction, and know how to systematically and effectively develop an artist from beginners to veterans They're both also great people to be around, and classes can be as fun as they are challenging. They're new Saturday format is extremely flexible, and great for beginners, and people with irregular schedules.

This was an excellent class series! Michael is a wonderful instructor and truly passionate about…read morehelping you to learn. I walked away actually able to fully navigate and create throughout the entire Adobe suite. I would highly recommend his workshops for any and all Adobe learning you're looking to do. I'm excited to take on another series of InDesign classes in the future to better my skill set. Worth every penny.

Great class - lots of info. Mike is a great teacher. Took Photoshop Level 1. Feel like I got enough…read moreexperience to start working on my own with confidence. The location was very convenient with a parking garage across the street. A great experience all aroynd.

Such a cool place! We attended a birthday party here and they got to make clay pots! Loved it!read more

I had my son's 9th birthday party at Magical Minds Studio in January 2026. Everything about our…read moreexperience was great- the party planner, the people who worked the party, the crafts used for the party, the flexibility and kindness (and patience!!) of everyone- it was all phenomenal. Thank you so much for everything! We will be back for some more fun :)

This place is wonderful for classes and parties for both kids and adults. I just did a family…read moreclass doing a type of media I never tried before! The staff is so friendly and helpful. We are lucky to have an art center in our small town. Kids need art!

"This place changed my (son's/daughter's) life"…read more This is the single most common quote I've heard the past three years as a parent of a Senior and Junior dancer at The Academy. Both my daughters have said this, many parents have said this to me and recently, a returning academy alumni who now writes for Gwen Stefani, Selena Gomez, and Justin Bieber said The Academy saved him. The environment, academically and through the arts is extremely challenging and difficult for both daughters to a point to where I wonder at times if it's too much. But then as we complete the school year and reflect on their growth, accomplishments and the connections they've made, it feels very much like a place like no other in preparing them for a demanding future. The most important thing you can do is get out to a performance where you may conclude as many do, that it seems impossible these are only high school students. Then visit the school itself where you'll see how accepting and diverse the culture is which seems to enrich and nurture our children in ways high school never did for the majority of us.

My daughter goes to art classes here and it's a wonderful experience. So glad we found this through…read morefriends.... It's an actual Chicago high school, yay glad we found it!!

I booked a fluid art session for my date and our instructor was Allie who was incredible. She was…read morevery chill and made our experience amazing. My date enjoyed the whole experience - easy and effortless and we had a good laughs with other fellow participants. I highly recommend this for a date activity.

Came here for a girls weekend. Had a lot of fun with the art, the people were so nice and the art…read moreturned out great. They were so helpful when we had to ship our art pieces once they dried and delivery was smooth. One suggestion: we paid for their best PPE. I am a tall girl but not THAT tall. The poncho was not long enough to cover the top of the lower leg and shoe covers. I had a pair of pants get ruined by the bright acrylic paint that hit me right at the exposed inch of pant leg and I had to then wear those pants to a nicer dinner... little embarrassing. They should definitely consider adding an option of a longer version of the poncho. Tall people beware!

I wish I lived closer! I came from Detroit twice for the 12 hour figure drawing marathon and I…read moreloved it. I am a member and f Detroit's Scarab Club and I wish we had something similar. For $25 you get 12 hours to draw/paint with top notch models in singles and pairs. Poses are usually 25 minutes or less and they always have a studio for 3 hour poses. The artists with whom you draw are often professional or retired professional artists. Plus, you get lunch!

Such a cool place and such a cool concept! I've gone to events a few times and the staff has been…read morenothing but sweet and accommodating. We need more places like this in Chicago! The atmosphere and art on the walls is also gorgeous.

The Academy is not like other art schools. If you're looking for a school where you can slack off,…read moreparty on the weekends, and have a good time learning "art", this is not the school for you. The Academy takes art seriously as a career, and expects you to as well. As a result, they have a really harsh attendance policy, the teachers are strict on turning in your projects on time, and there is a LOT expected of you. Additionally, this is not the school for those looking to go into modern art or "learn how to express themselves" as the Academy assumes you already know how to express yourself and is there to teach you how to draw. That being said, if you actually want to be successful as an illustrator/graphic designer/fine artist (sadly their 3d and web design departments seemed pretty lacking), you WILL improve by going to this school because they will force you to. I was an illustration major, and it was really amazing to see how some of my friends went from not being able to draw anything to having their own unique style. The school is small, but it's really nice because you get way more one on one time with your professors than you would if you went to a university. And for something like art, it's really nice to have your professor come up behind you and tell you you're drawing the head too big before you've already committed to having a ridiculous sized head on your piece. And as one of the other reviewers pointed out, you won't get into your major until your second year. This is because they want to ensure your fundamentals of art--which apply to every field of art--are strong. Just like how a normal college forces you to take GenEds before going into your major. TL;DR The Academy is a tough school. Most people can't hack it expecting something similar to the Art Institute's hands off approach. This is not that. You will work hard, learn, and become a better artist because of it.

School made false promises to help find work. Never helped. Pushed Sallie Mae on students for…read moreloans. Only leave you in a great deal of debt. Worked hard in hand with banks taking advantage of young people with big dreams.

I am 22 years old and I am female I am at Paul Simon…read moreChicago Job Corps Center. I've only been here a month but I like the program.

Ultimately, the only reason why you should EVER go to Chicago job corps (Paul Simon) Is to get a…read moreG.E.D. The staff is disingenuous, hypocritical, racist, rude, and sexist. The concept of respect is absent and they will treat you like a tool and expect you to respect them back. There are positives, but the negatives massively overlap. If you're Caucasian don't come here. If you're a man don't come here. If you want a job in your trade don't come here, by the time you leave you will still be unemployed and if you do get a job it's more than likely not your trade skill. Your stuff will get stolen if careless, if you're normal all the Gangbanging and all the ghetto kids will annoy the ever loving f**k out of you. Generally, Paul Simon Chicago Job corps is an option if you're on your last leg and you need a job so bad that you'll turn full masochist when you come to this facility. There are good people but they ultimately feel like sprinkles on a sh** Sundae. (My counselor tried to tell me not to even write this review, just so they can meet their quota) Basically don't talk to anyone, be a kissa#*, get your s**t and go if you want to be successful here.