My boyfriend surprised me with a Indy Fused Glass class for my birthday! We've been watching Blown…read moreAway and have wanted to try it. Glass fusing is a great first step to glass blowing to understand the element of glass The owner is awesome and very patient with answering questions! You have a ton of options to choose from and really able to make it your own. You can explore different types of glass, textures, colors, etc. I would totally recommend taking a class here!

Amazing experience and the result was a beautiful piece. I signed up for a class as an activity…read morewith low-covid risk (small class sizes, large studio, and masks) and I've always wanted to try it. The owner/artist/teacher was great. Very hands on without being overly hovering. It was really cool to have so many options both in what we made and the colors and styles to choose from. The class was listed as two hours but we were not rushed in any way which I really appreciated. I also learned a lot about glass fusing! We will definitely come back to make something else- it was fun and our projects turned out great. This would definitely be something fun to do with a group of friends or coworkers.

This gallery has a little bit of everything, but its real standouts are its sculptures. There are…read moremany works of Frederick Hart on display here...beautiful and rather large sculptures rendered in acrylic. These truly looked like pure crystal and they are fascinating to view from every which angle you can manage. The gallery also features some smaller sculptures in what appears to be precious and semi-precious crystals and minerals. One of our favorites was a bird that had been carved from what looked like rose quartz and amethyst, perched atop a rough amethyst "chunk". Nothing in this gallery was affordable for us, but we sure enjoyed taking it all in. Some of the Frederick Hart pieces carried five-digit prices, but we also saw a few things that were around a couple thousand dollars.

This has been the most calming, therapeutic 1.5 hours in a long time! Erin O'Rear owns and runs the…read morebusiness and she is so passionate and creative with making everyone feel comfortable with clay pottery even as first timers. She offers a wide variety of classes to suit your needs so check her out on Facebook or email at erorear@gmail.com. Erin usually advises booking 2-3 weeks ahead to figure a timing and day of your choice. Erin was super flexible with letting us understand, learn and create our clay pieces. It was a wonderful learning experience and I highly recommend it for solo, couples, families or even as a group at work or friends,

Great addition to community. Art gallery for beginners to experts to throw clay, glaze, and paint…read more Erin is always helpful and instructive while educating. If you have younger artists you should definitely check out the art classes and camps.

We had 7 in our group & it was a neat experience! The guy that taught us was very nice &…read moreknowledgeable. It was easy to understand everything & our pumpkins look great, can't wait to pick them up tomorrow. I highly recommend this place - bring your friends and make something! Perfect for ladies night or even a date. The price was well worth the experience!

I came through for the Prodigious Glass Pumpkin Patch sale and WOW - so many beautiful glass…read morepumpkins to select from colors to shapes and sizes!! There were quite a few other glass art items that I fell in love with too but stuck with the pumpkins this time. Everyone working was so friendly and helpful. Not pictured is the back room with studio which had so many beautiful items! I'm definitely coming back to see about a glass blowing class and possibly purchase some other items!

How often do you get to make your own heart-shaped, hot blown glass paperweight?…read more Lisa Pelo of Hot Blown Glass LTD sells her glass work in CCA Gallery (I own one of her Indiana shaped bicentennial paperweights) and offers workshops in the Carmel Arts and Design District on select Second Saturday Gallery Walk days. In the fall, she did glass pumpkins and this time it was heart-shaped paperweights for Mother's Day. Spots are limited, so hop to it and register online to guarantee a spot. It was fun to watch others take their turn and see passersby stop to "ooh" and "aah". Cost was $30 - if I'm going to spend money on a gift, why not make it custom and handmade? My creation turned out beautifully - I made it on a Saturday and picked it up at CCA on a Tuesday. I overheard her say she also offers classes at her studio on the west side - could be worth looking into if interested!

We came from out of town for a private class and we had a blast! Lisa and her team made our…read moreexperience very entertaining and we love our pieces. Our work had to cure overnight so Lisa worked with us to ship our pieces to us afterwards. 10/10 recommend

While shopping with my wife on Small Business Saturday, we stopped in at the Circle City Industrial…read moreComplex (CCIC) to check out Indy Artsy and Project Lia. While in the Indy Artsy shop, we noticed a door with a sign for Art Threads Studio and entered into a small gallery with paintings and fabric based wearable/usable art. The space has a narrow hallway that has art from a few local artists. The hallway opens into a small gallery with a counter and a display of items created by the artist who was working that day. She makes items with fabric and primarily creates shoes and umbrellas with colorful patterns unlike anything you will find commercially. While shopping, we got a chance to hear her describe some of the work of the other artists in the shop with details we may have overlooked with just a quick browse. The artist also mentioned that in 2019, Indianapolis had its own fashion week which included a chance for five selected school age designers (under 18) to compete in a challenge and have their garment worn in a runway show. The host of the shop had two of her students from Evansville be selected in this statewide competition. (The artist is moving to Indy which allowed her to open this shop.) If you are a fan of unique clothing and accessories, stop by this shop just beyond downtown in the CCIC. Note: If you've never been to the CCIC, there are lots of small studios and it can be a challenge to find them, so when I do, I like to let readers know the easiest way to find the business I am reviewing. There is a lot of free parking in the lot across the street from the complex. Review #3374

Did you know that The Conrad Hotel has a gorgeous, well-curated art gallery within its walls?!…read moreAccessible either through the hotel lobby or through the gallery's own entrance on Illinois Street, anyone can walk through the doors and enjoy the art, for FREE. Just be sure to check their hours, as they're different from the hotel's! The gallery only has two locations: NYC and Indianapolis. I feel pretty blessed that our city has such an esteemed spot. Boasting both local art and world-famous art, this gallery switches out exhibits every few months, and holds a first Friday party when they have a new one. Currently, their winter exhibit is called "Rock, Paper, Metal" that will be up until February 2020. Long-Sharp Gallery curates the art in the entire hotel. The Conrad has world-renowned art allllll throughout. Boasting names like Dali, Picasso and Warhol, you'll be amazed by what you encounter by simply stepping inside. There are even several art ambassadors on hand to take you around the hotel and show you some of the masterpieces. So fun!

Long-Sharp Gallery is a lovely space that would be a perfect stop during an intimate date-night…read more Located right inside the Conrad hotel, it features artists whose aesthetic seems to lean toward contemporary and modern styles. What I really love about the space is that the collection is not just limited to the designated gallery space; you can find pieces from the collection throughout the hotel's public spaces. Also, pieces from the collection are featured in the museum's gallery rooms, which are available for use in the hotel itself. Long-Sharp is free to visit; simply make an appointment with the gallery staff, or stop by during their normal open hours.

Peter Grant's bills itself as a lifestyle store and I'd say that's pretty close to the truth…read more Mostly, the lifestyle items in this store include lots of beautiful, extremely comfortable-looking furniture, a few eye-popping, gallery quality pieces of art - especially the large Raku pottery works. However, there are also some cool smaller goodies like hand-blown glass pen holders, some very angular and modern blown glass oil lamps, paintings, pottery dishes and the like. I think what I liked most about this store was its merchandising. I really felt as if I was walking around in somebody's house or vacation retreat - very nicely appointed vacation retreat - and the store had that warm, inviting feel that soft lighting and careful object placement helps foster. Even on an unseasonably hot day, the store felt calm and cool and made us want to linger - we briefly considered a short nap on one of the double recliner-style loveseats we noticed..... Most extravagant and kick-ass item: the huge steel indoor/outdoor gong crafted by artist Tom Torrens that sits just inside the front door....amazingly cool.