I have been going to the Clay Work studio for three years now and I love it! The classes are…read moreamazing - jam-packed with info - but they also offer 'independent potter' status, which gives you access to the entire studio. And the other potters are amazing, eager to help, and full of useful information.

Clay Work Studio is a wonderful spot to learn and grow. There is a place for everyone from very…read morebeginners to experienced potters. The classes are great ~allowing for lots of open studio time! It is nice to have opportunities to practice what you learn in class on your own. The potters are very welcoming and everyone is respected regardless of where they are at with their craft.

I've been taking handbuilding pottery classes at another space in town but I wanted to try out…read morewheel throwing before committing to a full semester. My hand/eye coordination is not great (which is why I tend to gravitate towards sculpture and more controlled building) but wheel throwing is such an amazing artform I wanted to give it a shot, but I knew if I didn't enjoy it right off the bat that I didn't want to be stuck for weeks doing it. Luckily, Yourist offers a "try it out" wheel throwing session once a month and I was able to sign up for the May session along with my husband, cousin, and aunt. It was so fun to do this experience together with my family and I surprisingly took to the wheel pretty easily. During this session you're given a tutorial on the equipment then a demo with explanation of how to throw your own bowl, including posture, hand positioning, and tips for success. Then you're given three balls of wedged clay and are let loose to practice on your own as they instructors work the room to help you if you're struggling and cheer you on if you're doing well. You're then welcome to keep any three of the bowls you make and they'll fire and glaze them (based on your choice of glaze for each piece) for you for pick up a month later. First piece is $10 with every additional piece $5. I'm proud to say that I made 2 very nice bowls and one bowl that turned into more of a sake cup after I got too ambitious and the top of my bowl collapsed. But they all looked nice in their own way so I decided to keep all three. The glazes they have are really lovely, too, and make any piece, no matter how wonky (like my sad sake cup) look beautiful. I also found I loved the experience so much that for my next class I signed up for a hybrid wheel throwing and handbuilding class so I could get better at both. I also really enjoyed my time at this studio and have bookmarked several classes I'd like to take there in the future, including day workshops focused on specific topics. Once I feel confident enough in my foundational education I hope to also join the community workspace where, for a monthly fee, you have access to their studio to work independently. It's such a welcoming environment, I highly recommend checking it out!

This is a cool little studio. I was actually just stopping in at the convenience store that's in…read morethe same little strip mall and thought I'd stop in to see what Yourist was about. They have a tiny one-room gallery, but it's full of nifty pottery. Some of the items are mostly decorative, but the display also included useful items, like an olive oil/garlic plate, a soap holder, mugs and so on. There were many items for sale under $20 and even several under $10, and this would be a good place to pick up unique gift items for the artsy friend on your Christmas list. The other half of the Yourist building is a studio/art school. They offer classes for beginners and more advanced students, ranging from a beginner's class in throwing pottery on the wheel to a class in learning to glaze and paint the pottery you've already created. In addition to several classes for adults, they offer after-school kids clay classes as well, at pretty reasonable rates.

"A creative adult is a child that has survived." - Unknown…read more Calling all craftaholics!! AR Workshop is a DIY shop where you can sign up to do pre-determined crafts throughout the week and weekends. Examples include cake stands, signs, tote bags, and clocks. The inside is adorably decorated with a modern rustic theme. There are large tables where you and your group can sit at to work on your crafts together inside. You can also book a private event in advance through their website which is pretty easy to navigate. There is ample parking space which is always a plus. I came for their grand opening with a friend. This event was well-planned and so much fun! They had teal decorations and balloons everywhere and were well-stocked with alcoholic drinks, water bottles with their logo, sparkling juice, a charcuterie platter, shrimp with cocktail sauce, and burritos. Guests were able to make a simple craft which were small wooden boards with various stains and cute phrases stenciled on top you could choose to paint with a variety of shades and colored glitter. They even had a cute photobooth 'van' outside, live music, and raffles throughout the evening. Seriously well-planned, my friend and I had a great time. This would be a great place for showers, bachelorette parties, birthdays, and special celebrations. I'm excited to come here for another event in the future!

Meh. If you're into mediocre decor, this is the place for you. But beware, the employees don't…read morealways get your design right. One person in our group actually had an employee tear off her stencil before she was finished so she didn't even get to take her work home since they had to "fix it" for her. And if you step away from your project for more than a second, the employees take the liberty of doing whatever they want with it. I definitely wouldn't recommend this place if you expect your work to be "yours." They take it upon themselves to do whatever they choose to your project. I actually left without them even putting the legs on my stand because they split one of my friends projects by nailing where they shouldn't have. They ruined the whole look. I recommend going elsewhere or ordering your own design from Etsy.

Spun Ann Arbor is a fiber artist's dream!! I first heard about this establishment through Knitty…read moreNatty's YouTube when Natalie and Kent went on their cross country LYS tour. The video was fun and made this establishment look like a warm & welcoming space. I appreciated learning more of the owners' origin story as Natalie interviewed them. All of that to say, I was more than motivated to check the place out. When I walked in, I was not disappointed. Located in Kerrytown, Spun has a local charm to it. The store itself is a great size where it's large enough for patrons to explore without feeling too crowded yet still able to maintain a cozy hipster vibe making it a great reflection of Ann Arbor. The sheep artwork (designed and drawn by one of the owners) is creative branding and contributes to the memorable experience. The yarn selection is massive and easy to navigate because of how well organized it is based on yarn weight. The amount of yarn may be overwhelming to some because there is a lot to look at - not a bad thing, only something to take into consideration. I thought it was quite extensive which left me speechless! Some may find it helpful to have a shopping list going in or know ahead of time what your timeframe is because you will want to spend time exploring each aisle. I had researched ahead of time on their website though found that when I looked at the yarn in person, some of the color hues I was expecting were different in-store compared to the photo listing online. I didn't mind as I had time to look and adapt, perusing in person so I was able to choose something else. I appreciated that there were quite a few local dyers, artisans, and spinners spotlighted - from the yarn to the notions/yarn bowls offered. Staff was welcoming - Annri introduced herself, provided a basket, and made herself available if I had questions. It was very friendly of her! The selection of yarn ranged in price where many would be able to find something in their budget. I felt some items were on the pricier side but that's considering the college town factor as well as that I only recently began transitioning to independent dyers, natural fibers & hand-spun. I did appreciate that there were several economy priced yarns offered which seemed like more options compared to other LYS' I've visited but still considerably less in proportion to Spun's independent dyer options. I walked away with stitch markers, two sets of double pointed needles, and four skeins of yarn! What a great haul! The staff was also kind enough to wind it for me free of charge which I greatly appreciated. I only had to wait in line and return for my skeins after 30 minutes. I could have easily spent all day at Spun!! It sets the standard for LYS and I'm excited for my next visit!!

Just loved this yarn shop! I stopped in for the 2024 SE Shop Hop. It had been quite a few years…read moresince I had been here - in fact, they were not even in this location last time I visited them. I loved the layout of the yarn - everything was so easy to browse. There were several different areas to sit and knit or browse through magazines. I did find a few yarns to try and a new felt project. I will definitely be coming back here again.

Family Fridays : painting soup mugs! So fun except for the little loudmouth jerk that won't STFU!…read more My little and had so much fun painting our mugs. It was a great experience to do this together. Two hour time was perfect. Good instruction and great supplies. I love the colors and getting creative though this is not my wheelhouse, it was still a lot of fun. Classes are very affordable. The instruction was great and gave me some ideas to play with layering. I had a little problem with using a gift card but they were great in the office to get us signed up and squared away. We'll definitely be back!

I've now taken one full semester of a pottery class (intro to handbuilding) and I loved the…read moreexperience so much I've signed up for another which begins next week! The structure is great, you have your set times for class but your registration also comes with 26 independent studio hours and 25 lbs of clay so you can use during the semester to come in and work at your own pace. I spent many a Saturday here zoning out with my headphones and working on my pieces, which was really relaxing. They also have pretty much all the tools you'll need, a variety of glazes to use, and not only do you have access to all of it as a student they handle all the firing of your pieces as part of your registration. My instructor, Daria is wonderful. So encouraging and knowledgeable. I signed up for my second class with her because I liked being under her tutelage so much! Outside of ceramics there's also classes in jewelry making/metalsmithing, drawing, mixed media, textiles, and more for adults, youth, and teens. There are also special one off workshops and "date night" sessions so you can try your hand at something before committing to a full semester or just having a fun night to spend with a partner or a friend. Outside of the classes the Art Center is just a wonderful place to visit. The front gallery has so many beautiful pieces available for purchase and the rotating gallery shows showcase a number of wonderful local artists and their works. Classes fill up quickly but members are able to register a few days before the general public so to give myself an edge to get the class and time I wanted I signed up a few months ago. In addition to first dibs there are a lot of other great perks like invitations to special member only events, discounts during special annual sale, and, most importantly, the fuzzy good feeling you get for supporting such a wonderful and educational arts non-profit.

Absolutely lovely experience. I signed up for a workshop with 3 of my girlfriends, none of us were…read morevery experienced with fragrances. Kim was such a wonderful teacher. She walked us through the whole process and made perfume making a delight. Our expectations were blown out of the park. We went home with a good sized bottle each of our own perfume! We were already planning our next visit before we left!

This was an experience that exceeded my expectations. Kim explains everything as you learn about…read morethe process of making your own custom scent. It was really interesting and fun. I came home with the most beautiful bottle of perfume. Very fun outing for a group a friends!

We had a lot of fun taking a one-time glass blowing class with Annette. She expertly balanced…read moreletting you get your hands on the tools and helping you out so that your piece still turns out looking good. She also had great little tweaks and recommendations so that everyone's pieces all turned out a little bit different as well!

We had an amazing time Sol (our artist instructor) was amazing and sooo helpful, light hearted and…read morefun. We laughed and learned to trust ourselves. He assisted with fixing our pictures while showing us different ways to achieve the best look. Thanks I'll be back soon

Amazing experience. Sol was a wonderful teacher. We were a group of 10 celebrating a birthday. This…read morewas such a fun experience. Sol was patient and talented. He made the celebration and our art so memorable. I highly recommend this place for a fun group experience.

Earlier this year, Washington Street Gallery moved to S. Main, and they're now abbreviating the…read moregallery to WSG, which I guess makes sense seeing as they're not on Washington anymore. The space is bright and clean, with white walls, hardwood floors and lots of light. They offer a mix of paintings, sketches and prints as well as three-dimensional art, ranging from geometric abstracts to landscapes to whimsical metal people sculptures made from appliances. All are made by regional artists. I'm not really their target audience since I can't really afford hundreds of dollars for original art, but they did have some nice smaller prints at prices the little people could afford. I was tempted by a few smaller pieces that were under $40.

Small art gallery in Ann Arbor, conveniently located off of Main St. I visited two galleries while…read morein the area and this one was my favorite of the two. They had a lot of mixed media pieces, paintings and some prints. Worth stopping in to browse even if you are not in the market.