Fantastic summer programming for older kids. My 12 year old enjoyed the one week afternoon art…read moreclass/camp more than either she or I expected. The instruction was top notch and the projects were diverse and engaging. Overall we love pARTiculars for all their community art and jewelry. It's a go-to for gifts over the holidays. The fact that it's also a community hub is icing on the cake. We're lucky to have this gem in Lafayette!

Great assortment of art at decent prices. The shop is set up really well and there is a lot to see…read more There's something for everyone - from postcards to jewelry to large oil paintings. I love to support local art, and it's great when I'd also love to have that art in my home!

A close (and fun) friend suggested that we spend the Friday morning after Thanksgiving in a…read more"Scraptastic" class at this North Boulder location, and I am so glad that I went. The overall atmosphere within Erinn Diekman's glass art workshop was so terrific, and I had such a great time. Erinn was truly kind to this arts & crafts novice, the newbie of all newbies, but she made it such a fun experience as I learned about creating art work (making bowls, plates, wall hangings, ornaments, coasters, etc) from scrap glass in all sorts of colors, transparencies, shapes, and sizes. Whether you're an amateur like me, or a serious artist, this is a really fun way to spend a couple of hours, either by yourself or with friends & family. Erinn is patient, friendly, helpful, and brilliant, making the whole experience pleasant. Strong recommendation.

Love Jen and her crew!! Always an amazing time. Great products and lots of variety and fun pieces!read more

AR workshop is a great place to have a fun night with friends, family, work or your spouse! So…read moremany different projects to choose from, there is something for everyone. You can design your project to be as modern and sleek or rustic and farmhouse as you want. Jen and her amazing team will help you achieve your vision. Bring your own drinks/snacks...alcohol allowed! Plan to spend 3ish hours there, it is a process....but the results are worth it! You'll walk away with a piece of art you'll want to proudly display in your home. The projects also make great personalized gifts for weddings, anniversaries, new home, new baby, etc! Great for girls night out, date nights, parties, etc.... it is such fun! Jen runs her businesss with heart, and you can tell! You won't be disappointed.

This review is just for the Chili Bowl fundraiser at the Pottery Lab. This is the 10 th anniversary…read moreevent and it has evolved into a very enjoyable event. As a neighbor, the starting years were very problematic with trash, noise, and disorganization. The chili contestants ave improved their quality and serving ability. There are different contestants from the earlier years. There are many styles, red and green chili, meat, vegetarian and vegan.They really have Boulder covered. There are adequate tables and chairs and especially convenient trash bins. The number and size of the bowls has improved. Now that Groundwork's is in charge, there is more than just pottery to buy in the craft sales as they teach other arts at other locations. The staffing is plentiful and staff easily identified by quality shirts. I tried chili from several options though I could not use all five tickets that come with the bowl as I need to have yet another meal today. I chose from restaurants where I have eaten , a catering service I have used and The Academy Senior Living which happens to be in the same neighborhood with a really good chef who used to cook at a now closed by retirement, restaurant where we ate regularly. I didn't want to do more than that number and decided familiar places gave me a judge of general capability on a dish I rarely order out. My ranking first in overall flavor, appearance and ingredients goes to the Post which surprised me as I rarely chicken chili anywhere and I do not like beer at all. But the ingredients here really came together, chicken, beans, corn, topped with cotija, cilantro, lime . My second goes to The West End Tavern which was excellent with brisket and a bbq sauce style, cheese on top. Good, but more expected and brisket good quality and tender. Third ranked is the Academy for sheer inventiveness that really came together. Pineapple was a treat to find to sweeten and spark and the crunch of the toasted corn nuts added a lot. At a $25 price for a bowl to keep and support programs here, it's well worth another year to participate again.

I took a beginner clay class and it was disappointing. The instructor did not want to be teaching…read moreand basically started out the class with a brief instruction and told the class that she would not tolerate questions during class time if it required her to repeat something she already said. She basically worked on her own pieces, did not circulate to help the students or foster a sense of community, and was rude. Her instruction regarding glaze appearance after firing was incorrect so the pieces did not turn out like she described they would and she did not provide glaze samples. She did not seem to care in the least. I filled out the feedback survey accordingly. More recently, I decided to give it another try and take a class but the registration link is inactive (registration is open) and the website is not maintained well and looks unprofessional (works overlapping words). They can do so much better!

Mainly, madelife is an event venue.. Finally tonight after hearing about it for months I got to go…read moreto an event there. I love the black box room, a state of the art performance venue with an excellent sound system and great acoustics. Those who utilize this space for their events can bring their own refreshments potluck style.. I could only be there for less than an hour and definitely look forward to going to another event at madelife.

This space filled with various local artists. From jewelry to hanging art to furniture, you're…read morelikely to find a piece to fall in love with. Open and enormous windows give lots of natural light on this clean and modern space which made it easy to spend close to a half an hour oo'ing and aww'ing at the unique finds. We were greeted by the nice dude who was working and felt welcome.Shipping prices on some art pieces were a little steep - next time I'm in Boulder with a car, I'll go to town!

So I had never done one of these wine and paint things until this past Saturday night at Posh. If…read moreyou are reading this review right now, thinking about whether it would be a good idea to try it for the first time, I strongly encourage you to get on their website right now and sign up. I surprised my lady friend by leaving the sports bar we were at (and not finishing the football games we were watching... painful, but it was worth it) and walking one block over to Posh for a night of drinking and painting. She LOVED it, and we both had a blast drinking wine and attempting to paint the Telluride Valley. We got there a bit early and were the first ones in, we picked our seats and then the owner, Chelsey, got us our paint and offered us a drink. The beer and wine by the glass is only $3.25 which is great, or you can buy a bottle of wine for $13, we opted for the bottle. People started trickling in and the actual instruction started a little bit later than the posted time. Chelsey is great, she makes it easy to follow along, she plays music and dances around her studio while she's waiting for the students to catch up to her and she will help you achieve your vision of how your painting should look. The way it works is she goes step by step, explains how to do each step as simply as possible and then gives you time to complete that step. The outcome is that everyone is having a great time, each person has a similar but very unique painting and at the end of all of it you have an awesome, out of the ordinary night out on the town and a nice canvass painting to bring home. You have to go check this place out!

3 1/2 stars. For our first visit at PoshSplat, my daughter…read moreand I went for "independent studio time" since they did not have any public class during the day on a Friday. We've been to other studios to paint following an instructor, and it was always a lot of fun. This place has a great selection of paintings you can choose from, and then you just copy the one you select, or just do your own. The lady who was in charge of the place that day was friendly, but both my daughter and I very quickly understood that it was better not to change the water where you clean your brushes, or ask for another paper plate (that you use as a palette.) When my daughter asked where she could change her muddy water, she was told that she really did not need to, as the paint should get to the bottom of the pot and the brush would get clean if it stays on the surface. We looked at each other, quite surprised. After a while, I really needed to get some clean water and was told that the lady would do it for me as there is no available sink for the clients. Looking at the paint stains in the bathroom, I doubt this advice is followed by most, but I understand that they want to protect their plumbing and the environment. So after that, since we did not want to bother her, we just painted with brown water (and my daughter never changed hers.) I wonder what happens when an entire class (about 20 people) is asking at some point for fresh water.... I never had that issue at other places, and this was a big surprise and disappointment (that and the fact that you are uncomfortable asking for another paper plate.) I get that they don't want to waste, but you have to keep it reasonable. In the end, we've decided that when we want to paint again, we'll go back to Whimsy in Westminster, where they have a sink in the studio for the clients to use freely, where they give you whatever you need to paint comfortably, and where parking if free and easy. If you want to stay in Boulder though, it's always fun to do one of these session. Drink an extra glass of wine and you won't even bother about rinsing your brushes. Now that's a thought, maybe I should try that next time!

They have very good customer service. I didn't get what I wanted but I didn't lose any moneyread more

I undertook the long drive up to Colfax to go to the opening reception (featuring a friend of a…read morefriend of mine). It was hosted at the Abend Gallery. This show runs from March 2nd through April 7th, 2012. The tagline is "1 Gallery, 2 Shows, 3 Points of View (Ann Gargotto, Jean Shom, Cheryl St. John) + Cake and Pretty Horses (Michael Dowling -- Solo Exhibition)". The Gallery is quite large and is a very nice, eclectic space. I heard that there used to be a grocery store on this location. Currently, the Gallery is set up in such a way that the main rooms are subdivided to allow focus on individual pieces and groups as your circulate through the gallery. The last room was set up as a larger, more open area. This room was devoted to "Cake and Pretty Horses". I saw some thought provoking, and emotion inducing, paintings. Some reminded me of O'Keeffe's, some were very evocative landscapes, others would not have looked out of place at the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, MT. The pieces that I came to see were the ones by Michael Dowling. Yes, there were a ton of horse paintings. I think my sister, when she was was 11, would have been enthralled. The play of light and shadow in his work was very cool. I particular enjoyed the "Round Cakes 1" (sp) painting, which was done on the bottom of an old, round table. It almost seemed to be pulling all the ambient light into a black hole (if you will) with a small, understated, yet illuminated, cake demanding your focus and attention. Michael seems to have a wry sense of humor, when you talk to him. As part of the reception, Abend gallery was pouring red and white wines, they were offering soft drinks, and they had a yummy selection, of cheese, crackers, dips, veggies, fruit, and sweets.

Amazing experience! Bryan is so informative on all the things my wife and I were going to do…read morethroughout our lesson. He explained the process, allowed and answered question, very interactive and made it fun and enjoyable. The pieces of our work were amazing thanks to his knowledge and patience. If you ever have a chance to meet Bryan, take a lesson, you will enjoy it tremendously.

Amazing glass blowing! BGOLD is an accomplished artist, craftsperson, and also a musician. Most…read moreimportantly, this small business is run, by a kind, caring, honest hardworking couple. They are assets to the community.