For our sixth anniversary, the iron anniversary, my wife and I took the beginners A Taste of…read moreBlacksmithing. We both had a great time hammering, twisting and bending the iron into beautiful 'S'-hooks that we will have for a lifetime. The instructors were fun and patient with lots of insightful tips and tricks. If you've ever wondered what it's like to be a blacksmith this is definitely the place to go! Note: The attached pics are from the PHF website, not the hooks we made! ;)

I've now completed two courses here: A Taste of Blacksmithing and Wrought Iron Bracelets. Now, I no…read morelonger want use any tool, wear any ornament, or eat with utensils that I haven't forged with my own brawn, because if I haven't forged it, IT'S CRAP. This new way of being is the direct result of my awesome experiences at Prospect Hill Forge. Admittedly, my first S hook turned into a J hook because (to my chagrin) I hammer like a blind, palsied drunkard who has alien hand syndrome. But, I am determined to go from sad J hook to dragon armor, and I believe Carl and Mike can help me unlock this achievement. My bracelet came out much better. Progress! Here's what to expect: - Show up dressed appropriately. Jeans and boots! This isn't a beach holiday, fool. And be on time, because the whole class gets held up if one person is fashionably an asshole. - Gear up: leather aprons, glasses, and ear protection are all provided. - Heed Carl's preliminary safety bit: It covers what to do if you get burned, what to do if you drop stuff, etc. Luckily, I have not been burned yet, but it is destined to happen sooner or later. Many aloe plants are on hand in case of an emergency. - Watch Carl forge something. No need to take copious notes; he has them written on a blackboard. - Go to your forge, put your iron in the fire, and start hammering away. Be generally disappointed in yourself once you realize Carl only makes it look easy because he's been doing this since the 70s. Don't let your tears hit the hot iron because it will cool it down faster. - Expect either Carl or Mike to check on you numerous times to 1.) correct your stance, 2.) correct your grip, 3.) offer helpful pointers, 4.) salvage the piece of slag you just totally mangled in your ignorance. - Miraculously, end up with a finished piece of work! Be the envy of all of your friends. Impress your grandmother. Some cautionary words: - If you have OCD, this place would most likely give you a brain aneurysm. The forge is kind of chaotic, much like my dad's garage. And if you are afraid of dirt or fire, this is probably the wrong skill for you to learn. - Don't ever show up wearing white. Before or after Labor Day. - Drink plenty of water. They have a water cooler there should you need some. - While I'm on the subject of hydration, the bathroom is guaranteed to terrify you. But don't let that deter you from keeping yourself properly hydrated. And don't hold it either. You'll get a bladder infection. Other helpful info: - I was able to successfully navigate my way to this place from the Waltham commuter rail stop. It was roughly a 10-15 minute walk. - If you drive, there seems to be adequate parking. - I personally found that my experience was better during the day rather than in the evening. You really need to be awake and alert, or else you will make stupid mistakes, and probably kill someone.

Awesome place for a fun crafternoon!…read more I came with a few friends on a rainy day to do a project, and had never done anything with mosaics before. We bought about 3 hours of time which is really the minimum amount of time it will take for a project. They had all of the supplies and colors and textures you could ever want and helped us every step of the way! It was about $15/hour plus the cost of the actual item you are putting the mosaics on. And note, you will need to let the tiles dry for 24 hours and grout it at home (if you are not local and can't return) The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, and it was a great experience.

Nice teacher, good glass selection, good choice of shapes for making fused plates and bowlsread more

My nine-year-old daughter has been going to ActonArt for over four years and I can't recommend it…read morehighly enough. It's well worth the drive from Cambridge, and judging from the number of other folks who come from as far away, many agree. Whenever we have to miss a week due to illness or vacation, my daughter is more sad about missing art than anything else. I also appreciate the diversity of subjects they have in the drawing classes; many different objects and people from world cultures are represented, and John always gives a little talk about what they're drawing, whether it's a famous building or a particular species of animal or an important historical person. I'm impressed with the quality of teaching both in terms of skills and how much the teachers seem to care about the kids.

From the owner: ActonArt provides drawing and fine art instruction to students ranging in age from five years to…read moreadults. Our curriculum driven program is designed to teach to the strengths and abilities of general age ranges, however our class sizes are limited and small so we can focus on the needs of individual students as well. Our program and class structure has evolved over the years into a comprehensive presentation of core concepts and developmental skill building projects built around student friendly topics and drawing subjects. We offer classes that are specific to elementary, middle-school, and high-school children, intermediate and advanced level students, and even students who are developing portfolios for further study in art schools and colleges. We also have procreate, home-school, and adult classes for people looking for personal enrichment and individual skills development.

This is an awesome community resource with very unique classes. I'm looking forward to taking more…read moreclasses there!

I find the Academy convenient because there are many classes under one roof and saves me time from…read moredriving around. My child also went for the summer camp and had a great time. The instructors were super friendly. They give her great tips with her artwork and allowed her to add her own personality to her art work. My friend's kid did the children's theater and we loved going to watch their production of Wizard of Oz. My kid and I took Bollywood dance exercise classes which was fun. This is hands down one of the best places around! Plenty of parking and very convenient location.

I took Alexandra's Art Lab class for three session. I learned a lot and at the end of it, I had a…read moregreat painting that far exceeded my expectations! Alexandra taught us about color theory, color mixing, and a bit about composition. I'd definitely take a class at Art School 99 again!

I loved going here! I haven't painted since I was a child and this was a very fun class... we…read morelearned the basics and techniques on the first night and produced paintings in other classes. It was a relaxing and fun way to learn and be creative.

This school continues to impress. They have really great drawing classes, painting classes, and…read moreworkshops. Whether you are a beginning artist or a professional artist, they can help you achieve your goals!

Best place I've ever went to commint to drawing. Cindy is the best teacher I know. Everyone learns…read moreon a different place so it doesn't seem like your slow.

Amy is a gem. We were running late, but she was very flexible and upbeat. She even stayed late with…read moreus, I was so impressed. We did a Saturday night Sip and Sew, with 3 of us as completely beginners and 1 experienced sewer. She catered her lessons to each of us. We had the option to make a tote bag or pillow. I went for the tote, with a long handle to wear as a cross-body bag. We certainly got a bit buzzed with the sipping part, but she was so patient with us. I hope to go back and learn more about sewing, what a fun new skill to learn! One location note, we thought it was at the Hipstitch place on Spencer Street, but found out the class was at the retail store at 1280 Washington St. Which is very close, like less than a minute from Spencer St. Our fault for not reading the email thoroughly, made us really late. Just a heads up to future Sip and Sewers!

This review is for hipstitchers Wellesley -- not Newton…read more Business refuses to answer a phone call or numerous emails asking to cancel a class 22 days away for a credit due to a child being in school . Only response was 10 minutes after booking a course asking to apply the new customer 10% credit only to be told "no we can't do that. We will apply it to you next class". Refusal to respond at all to any other communication. Same company that will tell you you can't get a credit if you don't cancel with enough leeway. Hypocritical and terrible customer service. Will never book a class again.

Overall Good Experience! I signed up for the 2-hour + road…read moretest package. If you are an experienced driver or licensed internationally I would highly recommend this package. They teach you how to take the road test and YOU WILL PASS! Customer Service: if you want decent customer service immediately ask to speak with Ruth. No one else was helpful. I work 8:30am-5:30pm in downtown Boston and with every other receptionist I couldn't get any lessons for the following 4 weeks. Slots magically opened up when I spoke with Ruth. She was able to schedule me on a Sunday and at 5pm on a Friday. And when you sign up for a lesson there is no confirmation email or text. You just have to remember when your test is and hope that you're correct. My first lesson was with Alex and he was great, very talkative but great. He clearly knows what he's teaching and he wants you to succeed. My second lesson was with Z who was also very good. I was his last lesson of the day and he was not as attentive as Alex had been. It was clear that he had formal training and knew what they would be looking for on the test. The one frustrating thing was that they both teach different and it would be nice if all drivers taught the same tips and tricks. You take the road test with another person and an instructor in the back seat. It's really short and quite easy.

My son had his "supposed" driving test today at 7:00 am in the morning in Braintree. It didn't…read morebegin until 7:30 am. We live about an hour away without traffic. We were there early since they sent him a notification (first come first serve). We were by 5:45 am. Once they arrived they started to setup "tests" in the parking lot of the RMV in Braintree which was closed. My son was then tested in their Driver's Ed car primarily (90%) in the parking lot. I watched as they asked him to perform parallel parking, signaling, and a 3-point turn. The person who was testing him (which we don't know if they are a RMV representative) failed him for a 3-point turn because (he was too far to the left of the cones". Why would cones positioning matter when a 3 point turn is executed to have you make a left toward the curb, and then reverse far enough to pull forward again to drive to the opposite side of a road. Again, this test was performed in a parking lot, not on a street where you can observe proper execution of a 3 point turn. While at the so-called "test", my son found out that of the 25 odd people there, they were all re-testing because they had failed the first time. Scam is written all of this operation. In addition to this charade of a test, he was supposed to have had a hour driving practice in the car he would be tested on August 5th. Instead we only received 30 minutes due to the company not specifying that for practice driving in their vehicle he *must* have a printed copy of his permit. We wasted 30 minutes discussing why this was necessary and then finding a UPS where we paid to print out a copy of the permit (which was on his phone). This company repeatedly did not respond to emails or calls leading up to the practice driving or the "test". The owner John stated that he had to fire his office person because she was not doing her job. Problem is, once he told us this, he didn't remedy the situation. In total I spent $250 and are not *any* closer to my son having his license. I will be reporting this company to the Mass Attorney General's office.