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'...!

I did a pinch pottery workshop with Hue. It was 3 weeks, one session for two hours each week…read more The class was nice a small (handful of people or so), the format relaxed and Hue was so helpful, sweet and encouraging. I had such a great experience - this was my first time doing any type of pottery. The first class we just got the basics and played around and made a few small pieces. The second class we were able to add color to the clay itself, and then also in tandem, begin a "final project" aka bigger piece. During the third and final class, we learned about glazing and got to glaze our pieces! A week later, we were able to swing by the studio to grab our pieces at our convenience. I was able to make 5 pieces - some people probably made more like 8-10. I signed up for a full length class (two months) next session since I loved it so much! Can't wait to be back! And shoutout again to Hue who is awesome!! Would love to have her again as an instructor.

I love the Berkeley Art Studio! I took two classes here last year; one in Painting Fundamentals…read morewith Oil and another in Figure Painting with Oil (both with Scott Leddy). The first class is a great introduction to painting with oil, and the second was a continuation with live models. Having had been away from art for years, these classes were able to bring the connection back. They definitely made my one evening a week. Scott is a great instructor; he has a relaxed style of teaching that I definitely enjoyed. I also liked sharing a class with other art enthusiasts with different skills and styles. It was so fun to walk around the class and see how everyone would interpret the same model! The classroom was spacious, equipped with the tools we needed, and had amazing views of campus. Classes can be a little bit pricey if you're not a student at UC Berkeley (like me). Remember, you need to buy all of the materials. But, they're definitely worth it. If you're a student, you should definitely take advantage of them. I miss these classes!

We had a Clay Date to celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary. Having never done anything like this…read morebefore (literally my only experience was watching Ghost), I had no idea what to expect. In short, it was awesome! Caty was an informative instructor who gave each of us the support and care that we needed to be successful. I'm so proud of what we created. We'll use all of the pieces for years and remember the special experience even longer.

Caty is a wonderful instructor. Loved the vibe and space. It's small and intimate and Caty gives…read moreyou space to learn and practice. I was able to come back after trying claybody to trim my piece. I felt like it was easy to understand and follow Caty's examples and instructions. Will be coming back for more classes.

My 6 year old kiddo comes home with the most impressive art pieces when she attends classes at…read moreCorner House Studio, and while I know it's not all about the final product, clearly there is some legit instruction and creative inspiration that takes place. As a mom and an artist, It's such a beautiful thing to witness your kid falling in love with creativity. I love the location, responsiveness has been top notch, and my kiddo is happy, which makes me over the moon.

Obsessed with this place!! My son is 7 and just finished his second "season" here. I'm truly blown…read moreaway with the pieces they've worked on - we've hung them up everywhere because they're so unique and interesting. They learn a lot of art concepts too so pretty cool hearing him talk about organic shapes, how to use the light, etc. Also took the first adult workshop and absolutely loved it. Recommended big time for both kids and adults to check this place out!

BEST art class in the Bay Area! If you're serious about improving your technical skills in drawing…read moreand painting, and want to create works that resemble the old masters', this is the place for you! I came here last summer (I haven't been back since due to school, unfortunately), but this place is amazing! You get one-on-one personal instruction with the wonderful grandfatherly instructor, David Hardy, who you can always strike up interesting conversations with! He was reading us a book on Southern Belle manners in a mock-Southern accent while we were drawing at one point, which was so funny! It's a serious class, but not stuffy, and it's a great experience! I hope to be able to come back in the future and improve some more!

The Atelier is an incredible school, one unlike any other in the Bay Area. Between the owner David…read moreHardy, instructor Rob Anderson, and the students, there is so much raw -ability- compressed into that small studio! And it rubs off on you! I have been a student here for six months, and in that time I have seen my work reach new heights of depth and realism. I've learned a new way of -seeing-, of using my materials, that I can hardly recognize my work from last year as belonging to me. When you enroll at this school, rather than simply throw you in 'art 101', what happens is that the instructors will sit down with you, talk with you, and spend a good while getting to know you personally and figuring out where you're at, developmentally speaking, in your artwork. Then when they're pretty sure of where you need to be, you're set up with a station all of your own, and you can begin working. And not in grim silence, either - while it's still quiet enough to work, there's usually conversation, and music. It puts you at ease. And that's possibly my favorite thing about this school - the atmosphere at the Atelier is very friendly, with every student an ally and friend who can help you figure out any difficulties you might be having and provide another point of view. You don't have to feel isolated. There are two separate, slightly different courses taught. The students in the daytime hours study under Rob Anderson, who I have not yet had a chance to learn from. My experience comes from the evening classes, the Old Master program. Which is, as it happens, taught by the old master himself, David Hardy. This program is designed to transition you smoothly from drawing, to monochromatic oil stains, to limited color painting, to full color painting, over the course of about two or three years. You'll be working from still life arrangements and plaster casts of sculptures, under lamps which replicate the spectrum of sunlight, but you have the option of coming on certain other days of the week and working from live models. The student sets his or her own pace - when you seem to be ready to move to the next phase of the program, you do so. there's no waiting for the following semester. There's so much I could go on about regarding this school. Since I've enrolled, I've made more friends than I ever did when I took classes at Laney, or Berkeley City College, or even the Academy of Art. I've never, not once, felt like I was going it alone. And that's such a rare and valuable thing. This school is really special.

I have been wanting to learn to sew with a sewing machine and this was a great experience! The…read moreinstructors are helpful and knowledgeable! I felt confident that after the class I could pick up my projects at home and get started! I'll definitely come back for more classes!

Best small business in the neighborhood. Every-time I go in I'm greeted with kindness and warmth…read more The owner is super sweet and talented. Can't wait to my second class coming up next month. Bringing a new friend along for the experience. Reasonably priced for the small class experience. Module #1 beginner sewing class.

My son just attended a birthday party in this little hidden gem. The space is inviting and the kids…read morehad so much fun . The instructors were so kind and engaging with the kids . My little boy is already asking to go back again ! Definitely recommended !

We just had our 10 year old's bday here! Every thing was great, and the kids really got in to the…read moreproject we picked (felt succulent gardens). Planning to come back soon for an adult night (or another private party with my girl friends!).

Loved my acrylic painting class with Mokhtar Paki! Highly recommend. It helped me develop my style…read moreand understand the medium.

It's hard to write a negative review of an art center because I really value any place that helps…read morepeople access their creativity. But I have had such a comically bad experience with this place that I feel I should warn others. In January I found a Spring Session class I wanted to register for that was set to begin 3/15. It was in their catalog as a "New Class". However, when I went to their registration portal the class was not listed. The first time I called them, the receptionist said he didn't have access to the registration system and to call back later. The second time I called, they told me that they had added the class and I could register online--but I soon discovered it still wasn't listed. The third time I called they said they added the class but that I wouldn't be able to register until March 10th (which is when registration opens for LATE spring session, whereas this class was set to begin on March 15th, the early spring session). Huh? Registration is open for only five days before the class begins? I asked them to check again, and they called be back later that day and said the early spring session had been added. ...Nope, it definitely was still not in the system. Exasperated by their incompetence, I finally tracked down an email address for the instructor and emailed her directly. I didn't hear back, but soon after that the class showed up and I could finally register. So I did, and made an online payment. Two weeks later, I received an email with a receipt for a refund, with no explanation I assumed this meant the class had been cancelled, but no one called or emailed me to tell me that, and the refund never posted to my bank account. I had also never received any information about the class (materials list, curriculum, etc.) so I still currently have no idea what's happening. When I try to call them, their extension is "unavailable", as is the "operator" AND the "backup operator" that the system auto-routed me to. I really want this place to improve because they're one of the few organizations offering adult art classes in Oakland. But as is, it seems to be a bit of a mess.

I made a gorgeous sf giants baseball themed bracelet at an oracle park event! The staff at…read moreDrangonfly designs made it super easy, explained how to do it and did the hard work of the clasp and finishing. They have oodles of pretty beads and charms, even a choice of silver or gold hardware. On the way out several tween girls asked and ran off excitedly to make their own. Highly recommend.

Our experience with Dragonfly Designs was so wonderful! We hired them for our daughter's 8th…read morebirthday party, and we had such positive interactions from the beginning with them. They were very responsive to my early inquiries and answered all of my questions very thoroughly. Once we decided to book with them, they walked me through the entire process from start to finish, made sure we were prepared for the big day, and checked in with me regularly. On the day of the party, they had 5 people at our home helping with our group of 22 children, and it was such a smooth, fun, creative, under-control party. The jewelry and tie-dye kept the kids engaged, all of the workers were very helpful and organized, and everything ran smoothly from start to finish. I would definitely use them again and recommend them to anyone without reservations.

My 8 years old has been taking Saturday morning classes with Mr Doug. She really enjoys every class…read moreand always brings back masterpieces! Mr Doug is a truly amazing with children. He is passionate about teaching young artists. Mr Doug is also a nice person to chat with, always patient with everyone.

My 12-year-old has been taking art classes with Doug for several years now. There was the lost…read moreCOVID stretch, of course. To give you a sense of how much my kid loves this art class, I'll say this: There were precisely two things she missed the most during COVID, and that was going to Disneyland and Doug's Sunday morning art classes. Doug is really knowledgeable--I did art reviews at the Rhode Island School of Design for a while, so I have a sense of elements that make up art. Doug knows this really well, and this allows him to help people develop their art. Because he can break down what makes art, he can demystify the process for his students. Doug's intelligence really shines through when he helps his students focus on technique. Doug is also incredibly terrific with kids. He's not some dictator or sergeant. He gives gentle advice (again, advice that is *really* smart), and he knows how to push, how to inspire, and how to let a kid's imagination run. He's patient and calm, and he smiles and laughs. This is a person who really does love art, and he wants to share that love with others. Dropping my kid off at Doug's place, I see kids who are younger, teens, and adults. He has a capacity to speak to each of these age groups. It's impressive, and we're really appreciative that our kid gets to attend his classes.