The Pottery Studio is an absolutely gorgeous studio space. The natural light, high ceilings, and…read moreopen space make the perfect workspace where creativity flows. They play relaxing classical music. The space is well kept and always clean. The prices may be on the pricer side for a hobbyist, but as a serious artist I find the membership price to be incredibly affordable for such a beautiful studio. The staff here is absolutely amazing. I'm a member so I can't speak to the class experience but I've watched from afar and they seem great. They also have a couple free parking spaces!

In terms of a welcoming, beautiful, open space to work on some personal projects, this place…read moredefinitely hits the mark. If you're a complete beginner looking for some structure to learn the pottery basics, I can't say this is the place I'd go to. Originally had booked a one-time evening class and on the day of the event we all arrived only for the teachers to not know there was a class and had nothing planned. The people working there were super accommodating and I was offered a private make up class at a discounted rate. While I really liked our teacher, the makeup class was very unstructured and I would have appreciated something a bit more organized so I could learn basics instead of what felt like floundering around with play-doh. When I came to pick up the pieces, I noticed there were a few missing and some things we wanted glazed were not so they cannot be food safe now. All that said, my handicraft pot turned out well and I use it as a vase. Id only recommend coming here if you already know the basics and want a clean open studio to work in.

The Pottery Loop is one of those rare places that's both incredibly creative and deeply relaxing…read more Whether you're new to pottery or have some experience, this studio makes you feel completely supported and encouraged to explore your own style. I've taken both wheel and handbuilding classes and truly loved them. I ended up making three pieces--two on the wheel and one from handbuilding--and the entire process, from shaping to glazing, was so rewarding. The staff, especially Mike, are amazing--patient, knowledgeable, and fun to learn from. They create a space that's relaxed but still focused, which is exactly what you want in a creative setting. They also offer 6-week classes if you're looking to go deeper into the craft. I haven't had time to commit to one yet, but based on my experience, I'd 100% recommend it to anyone who wants a consistent, immersive creative outlet. They do have a 24-hour cancellation policy, which is fair, though it can be a little tough if something last-minute (like getting sick) comes up. But overall, this place is such a joyful, hands-on, and well-run experience. I can't wait to go back again!

I can't say enough wonderful things about this pottery studio and the classes! From the moment you…read morewalk in, the space feels warm, creative, and welcoming. It's the kind of place where you instantly feel inspired to try something new. Mike, the owner and instructor, is truly incredible. He's patient, knowledgeable, and has a natural way of teaching that makes everyone feel comfortable. He takes the time to explain techniques, offers helpful guidance, and encourages creativity without ever making you feel rushed or intimidated. If you're thinking about trying pottery, this is absolutely the place to go. Mike has created a studio that feels like a little creative community, and every class is something to look forward to. Highly recommend to anyone looking to learn pottery, unwind, and make something special!

My daughter loved she made new friends and she learned about her culture even more then she knew…read more My daughter was worried about ice but the teachers and security made her feel safe she loves marwen and we will come back .

For years I've passed Marwen by train or bus on my way to/from the Loop. For years I wondered what…read moreMarwen was, but was never curious enough (read too lazy) to find out. At some point I decided that Marwen must be the corporate headquarters of some outdoorsy clothing brand because the name reminded me of Erehwon, the mountain outfitter. Well, mountain outfitter it's not; this is what Marwen is all about (from their website): "Marwen was founded to provide Chicago's youth with stimulating and diverse opportunities to channel their adolescent energy into personally rewarding and developmentally appropriate outlets. Chicago is a city rich in history, architecture, art, and culture, and it is Marwen's intent to leverage these resources, providing our students with an out-of-school program that provides access to opportunity, while remaining highly relevant to their individual and collective experiences." The fabulous Kelly S told me about "Show Me Marwen" which gave me a chance to check the place out, for free to boot! The event was really cool, but a little crowded. I liked that they asked attendees to not only wear name tags, but add color-coded stickers to show how they were affiliated with Marwen (student, alumni, parent, friend, etc.), it really gave it a community feel. The alumni and student artwork on display was amazing and ranged from photographs to paintings to pottery to claymation videos. I was in awe of all of the creativity in the room. The only downside was that when I left Marwen I felt about as creative as a cucumber.

It was nice to be able to buy from local artists. The place is clean and comfortable.read more

I have been taking classes here for over 2 years and absolutely love it. The instructor, B, is…read moreamazing. She is very knowledgeable and inspiring. I started in acrylics and have moved to oils. The space is very inviting and the other students are extremely supportive. I love coming to class here, chilling out and focusing on something creative. I high recommend this studio.

Three of us in my family just took the Saturday 90-minute ViaClay "One-Time Experience" and had an…read moreabsolute blast!! My sister and I are total beginners, never stepped up to a potter's wheel before, and we learned so much! We each created two dishes/vessels under Sarah and Joe's helpful guidance! I can't wait to see our items glazed when I return in two weeks to collect our creations. My college-age Studio Art major kid has been wheel throwing for 8 years, and is very at ease with most aspects of making pottery, but also said they learned somethings today, too! They were given the time, space, materials, and guidance to create 3 amazing flower vases in 90 minutes. Bonus: Every station is set up, fully stocked, and ready to go AND we didn't have to clean up our stations afterwards, so all 90-minutes were used for instruction and creation! It was a great value! ViaClay has two sections: a pottery studio, where it looked like experienced artists were hard at work, and a beautiful, spacious, and super clean pottery classroom where 12 of us took class today. I know children's day camp is also offered here. My kids would have loved that when they were younger. We all wore masks and there was plenty of space to move around. Gorgeous high ceilings, loads of sunlight, nice cool air conditioning on this 90 degree summer day in Oak Park. Plenty of nearby parking, just $2.00 at the meter. The studio owner, Gabriel Tetrev, checked in on us as well. We had a wonderful experience! My sister has already booked another session for us to return to celebrate our niece's 16th birthday at ViaClay. And I plan to return tomorrow, Sunday July 25, for their kiln sale where the studio's artists get to showcase and sell their wares. Please support local artists. Artwork is work!! Please buy their beautiful pottery! And take pottery classes at ViaClay!!

Clean facility. Very professional, friendly knowledgeable staff. Throughly explained step by step…read moreinstructions on how to create my masterpiece. I had an amazing girls night out sipping wine, chatting, and being creative. Class went so well I am considering taking the 6 week course. Shout out to Jack and Carmen for being amazing hosts!

Workshop 88 is a newly founded space where people with common interests; generally in science,…read moretechnology, and/or the digital and electronic arts, can socialize and collaborate. Come share ideas, have fun, learn something new or make something. Meetings and classes are open to the public so if you are interested, drop in. Check the website or follow them on twitter @Workshop88 for details on meetings and other upcoming social events.

Workshop 88 is not closed!…read more They are a lively community of creative talented makers who are active in the maker community, attending Maker Fairs, teaching classes and more. The space is well equipped with 3D printers (dual head, PLA, ABS, delta types), a laser cutter/engraver, vinyl cutters, a wood shop, lathe, mill, metal working tools and much more. There is no access to the space from Main Street which probably led to this confusion. Access to the space is via the parking lot behind main street, the parking lot entrance is actually on Pennsylvania Ave, North and East of the address on main. They have open house Thursday nights - come check it out!

Great place, had some wonderful clay figure classes and are trying to recover from Covid…read more Joseph

Potential students beware! I paid for a 3 week blacksmith course with this school. The transaction…read morewas done though a site called Sawyer. Once the first day came to go to class, I arrived to a completely empty place. I stood at the door waiting to enter but no one ever came. After almost 1 hour of standing in single digit weather, non-stop ringing the door bell and calling the provided number 23 times, I gave up. After dealing with Sawyer's customer service, I was told me that no refund could be provided and to continue trying to reach out to the unresponsive school. Please save your money and avoid this scam of a school like the plague.

I love making things with my hands; I love the sense of accomplishment it gives me. My grandmother…read moretook up upholstery in her 70's and made some beautiful pieces, one of which I inherited. The fabric on the piece isn't really my style and I decided that if it was going to be re-done, I wanted to be the one to do it. There aren't many places to learn upholstery. I am lucky to live a few blocks from the shop; my classmates weren't so lucky, they all lived at least 20 miles away. I wasn't sure what to expect with the beginner's class, so it's worth noting that in the beginner class you most likely won't work on an actual piece of furniture.* What you will do is complete four projects that give you the skills to move on to actual furniture. The class is very hands on, you will thread a machine and start sewing in your first class. There are no prerequisites for this class; half of us hadn't used a sewing machine before. Owning a garment machine, there were a few things that took getting used on upholstery machines. There are two instructors; Jeff, the owner, taught my class and one of his staff taught the other. I can't speak to the other teacher's style, but Jeff is very laid back and a firm believer of learning by doing. Jeff is very generous with his time, knowledge, tools and materials; many students don't finish all of the projects in the allotted class time, but you're welcome to come back and finish after your session is complete (provided there's room). You're always your harshest critic, but I was so flattered when the manfriend thought my final project was something I had bought. I really loved this class and can't wait to start the intermediate class. The intermediate is like an independent study, you bring the piece you want to work on. If you've meandered by and seen the work in the window on Lincoln, those are student pieces. * One project is a bar stool cover. If you've got a piece to work on, you can use it. TIP: There's a lot of close work in the class and it's easy to get into a groove. Wear comfortable clothes you wouldn't mind getting dirty and bring your glasses, water and a snack.

I just took the "Beginners' Upholstery Class" with Jeff Kraut and LOVED it!…read more The class covers upholstery techniques that can be applied to automotive upholstery, furniture upholstery, and bag making. It is taught on industrial sewing machines (no previous sewing experience necessary). I already knew basic sewing and I definitely picked up lots of new tricks/techniques. Some of the topics we covered: * setting up the machines and basic sewing. * quilted stitching on vinyl (like on the back of a car seat or stuffed chair) * adding piping trim * zipper installation and sewing a small case * stapling construction and making a panel (like recovering a chair seat or a car side panel) * beginning pattern making and making a seat cushion Projects might vary a little from class to class. I've posted photos of my work. The class was Mon & Wed, 7-9pm for 5 weeks. It's located just down the street from Trader Joe's on Lincoln. Easy parking & near the El. You can get more info from Jeff at canvasboss@yahoo.com. I'm looking forward to the advanced class!