We've been extremely impressed with Skokie Kids Art. Our two kids have been attending for nearly…read morethree years, and the impact on their creativity has been remarkable. The program strikes a rare balance between teaching art techniques and giving our kids freedom to experiment on their own. Mr. Leo and Mrs. Sonja are both deeply involved and truly understand how to structure sessions in a way that challenges our kids while keeping them engaged, inspired and confident. This isn't a commercial, one-size-fits-all art class--there's a level of personalization and care here that really sets it apart - which is what we appreciate the most. Over time, our kids haven't just "taken art classes"--they've become real 'creators'. They've had their own community exhibitions and are frequently praised by their school teachers for their creativity and skill (and even won a few prizes). Skokie Kids Art is not just an art class--it's a place where our kids learn how to think creatively and take pride in their work. We couldn't recommend it more highly.

My kids went to Sonya and Leonid Osseniy for 5 marvelous years - great teaching, attention to…read moredetails, personal involvement, inspiration with classical approach in its best. I highly recommended this school! Ella Epton

Cuuuuuute alert! For all you artsy crafty mavens out there, this is your stop. It's a shop filled…read morewith a well-curated selection of paper goods, books, coloring books, custom art, fabric lamp shades, and gifts in varying price points. From the second I walked in, I was engulfed by a most delightful smell, perhaps a candle burning somewhere? I was greeted by the owner's assistant, Kate, who gave me an overview of the shop and some of the classes they offer in the back, like coptic bookbinding, collage, crafting, and self-motivation classes. They also have a meet up group called The Grown*Up Girls Club where you can meet up with other like-minded individuals and explore new art/craft/maker techniques. The Club meets the second Sunday of every month. The Collage Cafe is a newer business located in an adorable corridor mixed with other art-inspired shops. You can go door to door and visit each one while you're at it! Can't wait to stop back in. But, as I'm writing this, when I go back I realize the selection is too overwhelming for my taste (in a good way of course) because I want one of everything.

One day my young daughters and I where walking by and came in into this beautiful place, what a…read morewonderful store! The owner is such a great lady, great host, kind and knowledgeable. I scheduled a coloring evening for a group of friends from church. We had a delightful experience! The place was set up with a wide variety of water colors, wood colors pencils, markers, etc. the pages provided were also varied, from really intricate to more simple so we were all able to pick something that suited our taste and level of artistry. We already scheduled another event and are looking forward to it. Definitely a great place for gifts, classes and more.

A friend introduced me to the Open Studio Project and I am now taking a 6-week class, Connecting…read moreWith The Creative Process. I love it! The emphasis is on your inner process and the "messages" that your art work might be helping you express and discover; not on the artistic value or expertise of whatever you choose to create. Go to their website www.openstudioproject.org and then "classes and workshops" to learn more about the special method that's used. I highly recommend it for folks who want to explore their inner creative child. :)

A nurturing environment that provides a safe space to explore your inner landscape through the…read morepower of art. Wonderful people. Magic happens here. And you discover during the process that all that magic is right inside of you. Highly recommend it for great self care and of course, for playful fun.

I took the Nuno felting all day class with a friend. It was wonderful. Ausrine is incredibly…read moreknowledgable, patient and encouraging. We came home with our own finished scarves and can't wait to take more classes with Ausrine! Highly recommend!

A few weeks ago I went with my mom for our Groupon felting class. We went there, not knowing what…read moreto expect. Our teacher Ausrine welcomed us in her well organized, beautiful studio. I was impressed with how well she explained the process of wet felting and gave us excellent support as we got to try to do this on our own. My mom and I had a great time and ended up with a lovely memento of our time together. Ausrine's class was also very inspirational. I loved it !!!! I look forward to going back, to learn more!!!

Kid's birthday party with an amazingly creative project that really engaged the children. The…read morepottery maven was kind and happy and really knew how to work with kids. I want to make a turtle now!

My mother in law bought us a private pottery lesson! We had a great long two hour session, with an…read moreaaaaaamazing instructor, Carrie. 10/10 would recommend going and signing up for ANYTHING she teaches! This place rocked my socks off I had so much fun I'm prolly gonna sign up for regular classes starting in April I think she mentioned!! Go! Call! Reserve a spot! You won't be disappointed!

The Flying Dolphin Studio and John- Michael were amazing. I was able to learn new techniques in…read morecalligraphy while enjoying the ambiance. The hospitality once there is also top notch. I would definitely recommend this class and location to my friends.

Initially, I was a little apprehensive to approach the studio as it seemed to be in an apartment…read morecomplex on the third floor. But John-Michael warmly welcomed all ~12 students with hot tea and coffee, quickly making my apprehensions go away. We were provided a pen and folder with information and practice sheets on the Chancery Style of writing we would learn. John-Michael was an excellent teacher who studied Calligraphy for years. He helped us understand that we should think of the Chancery Typeface in shapes, rather than single strokes (like normal hand writing). He was open to questions and showed students step-by-step how to make each letter and number. At the conclusion, we were given practice sheets to strengthen our newly found skill. I would absolutely recommend the introductory course to anyone who is seriously interested in studying Calligraphy and to those who want to enjoy a new experience! I personally had taught myself various hand-lettering scripts, so I appreciated the more formal training.

I've been a student at One River (adult classes) for the past couple of months and wouldn't…read morerecommend it more! The students are sociable and lovely. My teacher is kind and helpful. I'm learning new skills and have re discovered my artistic abilities I haven't practiced in years. I look forward to attending each week! Would highly recommend for any skill level. Supplies are provided and make up classes offered if you miss a session, love it!

I have been attending classes there for two years. It has been a very pleasant experience. I joined…read morewith little or no art skill. 20 years ago I did some sketches. One River School is great. The location is wonderful and I agree the teachers are good and they allow us to make up classes if we have schedule conflicts or illness. The teachers are hands on instructors. I can't think a place that would offer or better service to an art student. I definitely give them a thumbs up. 5 Stars!

Total arty art school vibes…read more I was thinking about cobbling together a screen printing setup at home and realized I should probably find a refresher class somewhere. Just so happens that this Evanston Art Center had a screen printing class coming up! I signed up and walked into class expecting that all the arcane screen printing processes have been made obsolete at last. Back in the day we had to flood screens with chemikills and expose them to light like neanderthals. Welp, it turns out that is how it's still done (boohoo) but indeed some of the technology has advanced in ways I didn't expect. Anyway, great gallery, great classes, great teachers and staff!

3.5 I'd searched…read morefor museums in Evanston to avoid driving to Chicago for some culture and the Evanston Art Center came up. This place has a lot of potential, particularly upstairs - there are blank walls galore - but there's just not very much art there at the moment. Evanston is small, but had I known I could blow through this venue in 5 minutes, for a 10 minute drive, I probably would have skipped it. That said, the art that was there was great and I enjoyed seeing it.

I enrolled my child based on the camp schedule presented on the website, which described a variety…read moreof art classes and mediums that campers would learn throughout the week. It sounded like a structured program where children would be introduced to new techniques and build artistic skills. That was not the experience we had. Instead, much of the week consisted of coloring pages and free drawing with very little instruction. To make matters worse, my child came home upset after being told by one of the teachers that they weren't doing their art the "right" way, which seemed completely at odds with the camp's stated philosophy of encouraging creativity. I agree with another review that described this as feeling more like basic childcare than an instructional art camp. If that's the type of environment you're looking for, it may be a good fit. But if you're expecting the variety of classes and hands-on art instruction advertised on the website, our experience did not match those expectations.

BEWARE! I enrolled our daughter in 2 weeks of camp after reviewing their website and seeing the…read morevarious mediums they were going to "teach" her how to use. $1000 later and there is nothing to show for it. Now I don't care about her coming home everyday with a project completed or even every week. I have a BFA myself so well understand art as a process. And less than finished projects I thought she would be provided with guidance on certain skills that need to be learned and which can cause many kids to give up on creating art at her age because they just don't know how to do something. Their website makes it seem like they have distinct classes throughout the day. Instead my daughter worked on drawings of pokemon throughout the day with little to no instruction or guidance. She did mention day 2 someone helping her learn how to layer colors on a preprinted coloring page. I am so disappointed and angry and feel like this place misrepresents what they offer. If they were up front about creating an environment for kids to be self directed with art without a published schedule at least I'd know what I was signing up for. When I spoke with the person in charge (manager? owner? She never introduced herself) I was told that my daughter had selected to sit by herself and that they provide a stress free environment for creating art. I would have liked to be informed that this was happening so I could check in with my daughter but instead I was only told this when I expressed anger at wasting my money. Feel free to give them your money if you'd like to spend it on glorified babysitting.

Very kind instructor, great pottery workshop! Great 1:1 instruction with small class sizes.read more

Alley Cat Studios clawed and scratched their way into a space in Evanston to bring their dream of…read moresharing their artistic expertise with the community. It's a wonderful space and Kandi is multi-talented with a community-centered approach to art. The space is a wonderland of art from unique pottery designs, muraled walls, furniture in various stages of renewal and a comfy unpretentious art vibe. This is the kind of businesses that makes Evanston great. Looking forward to visiting often and taking the classes of the art forms I've always wanted to explore! Stay cool Alley Cat! ‍