I was so excited to come here for my friend's art exhibit. The artwork was showcased beautifully…read moreand I was blown away by the creative vibe in this gallery. There was a lovely table set up with hors d'oeuvres and a wine bar. It was so exciting to talk with the artist about his work and mingle with fellow art lovers. The staff was friendly, professional and helpful! I was delighted a couple of weeks later to pick up my painting and I can't wait to display it in my home!

I had a great experience at For Art's Sake the other day. The staff was extremely friendly and the…read moreatmosphere is very relaxed. They have a huge selection of frames! I had trouble deciding which one to choose. Luckily, their framers were there to steer me in the right direction and now my artwork looks 10x better!

The name of this class is "DSLR Workshops - Take your Camera Off Program Mode". Mr. Dunkley…read moredelivers exactly what he promised. I have had my DSLR for a little over half a year and had only used it outside of automatic mode a few times. Manually controlling aperture, shutter speed and ISO seemed so daunting that I rarely tried it. I had a strong desire to learn more and when I saw the name of this class, I jumped at the chance. Mr. Dunkley has a straight forward and efficient presentation style. There were 100 people or so in the class holding 20-30 different camera models. He managed to give personal attention to all people and make sure every question for every camera was answered and yet, it never felt like there was a pause in the class as he was doing so. . . Very efficient. Add in a bit of humor and knowledge built from years of experience and the 3 hour class seemed to only last half that time. In the end, I learned more about my camera in those three hours than I had in the previous 7 months. In addition to the camera settings, which he explains very well, he gave great advice on which lenses a beginner should and should not use. In the week since I have taken this class, I have taken about 50 pictures that make me say "wow that is a great picture" when in the previous half year, I may have had the same reaction a dozen times. Of course, that was when I just "got lucky" when I was in automatic mode, which I will never use again.

I took the Take your Camera out of Automatic class in northern Virginia. I drove up from Richmond…read morefor the course with my wife. We got a new camera and had a trip planned and wanted to take some quality pictures. I was skeptical, thinking that it would feel like a boring class with a dry lecturer. Well, nothing could be further from the truth. Okello was fun and engaging, he provided practical examples and appropriate metaphors. He had a very tight presentation that had a natural flow. He demystified and clarified many photography concepts and camera functions. I feel that he did a great job at making photography approachable and accessible. great course, great experience.

I have only had positive experiences at the CTVAC. They have open call art shows through out the…read moreyear. You should check it out when you can. :)

The Charles Taylor Arts Center is the proverbial gem in our own backyard!!! They have an exciting…read moreand diverse schedule of visual art exhibitions focused primarily on the creations of artists living and working in Hampton Roads and the state of Virginia. It is great that they promote contemporary art makers and provide an opportunity for the untalented people like me an opportunity to interact with the artists. The emphasis is on group exhibitions which offer a broad range of artists, media, styles, content and perspectives on our world. Just go and support our community!!!!

Spirited Art is SUCH a great idea! No artistic skill necessary and you still end up with a (semi)…read moreprofessional looking painting! I took my mom here as a Christmas present and we both had a blast! From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was lively and welcoming. We had about 12 other people in our class, and although we each painted the same picture and followed the same instructions from the teacher, all of our paintings looked slightly different but equally as impressive! The calendar on their website displays photos of the different paintings that correspond with the dates they are being offered. Just choose one you like, make sure the date works with your schedule, and purchase it directly online. There are a variety of options to choose from; everything from cartoonish images to Monet-inspired paintings. If you're a diehard fan of certain Virginia colleges, they also offer University of Richmond, VCU, and JMU themes. When you arrive, everything is already set up for the painting (colors of paints needed, brushes, and a blank canvas). There are aprons at each seat as well. The studio itself is a large open space with long tables towards the back where the painting actually occurs. The teacher we had was super friendly and the atmosphere was very relaxed- everyone was chatting the whole time. Painting AND wine?! Spirited Art has partnered with the Wine Loft, which is directly next-door, so there is at least one designated server per class. Not only is there a list of wines available (many at $5/glass), but there is also a painting-friendly menu of snacks that are easily eaten during the class. I think you are free to order anything from the Wine Loft's menu if you'd like, but they've created a more streamlined menu of suggestions conducive to the painting class. To help the servers keep track of orders, they use a cool system of numbered poker chips that attach to your easel with Velcro. I will definitely be back to test my skill on a different painting (and enjoy some more wine, of course)!

We held an office party at the Wine Loft then moved on to paint. What a fun filled afternoon we…read morehad. The instructor was so patient with all of us. Everyone really enjoyed themselves. Would highly recommend this activity and Spirited Art.

I work for the Center as a contract instructor and have for over 20 years. I value that they…read morerespect my privacy by not giving out my personal contact information to every student because I could not possibly juggle all those messages and still plan lessons. Having the fabulous staff coordinating schedules and attendances in one location is so beneficial. And knowing that I get paid even if a student is out assures me my bills get paid! I try to work with my students closely to catch them up or if possible find a small amount of time to make up for time lost but that is not always possible with my busy schedule teaching in multiple locations. Many years ago, I also had my children in music lessons there and it was a wonderful experience where they were nurtured and valued. When we did have an emergency, the staff helped us to work out a solution for a make up or kindly credited us to ease our worries during the crisis. I never asked nor expected a refund if we canceled for basic illness or other reasons. We were always credited if the Center closed due to weather. This is standard practice in most lesson-based businesses per my experience, much like signing up for a community college class or having a child in preschool. It is a small price to pay for the quality instruction you are getting from professional musicians and artists in the Richmond area. The staff are always looking to be helpful and listen to any concerns, as one might expect from a church-run program.

We went to this center for a music lesson and the teacher is really good. However be careful about…read morethis place's policies before you sign any contract. The director is a extremely controlling person and she does not allow any communication between parents and teacher and everything has to go through a little phone/voicemail system she is in charge of. Worst of all, they make you make a commitment to a semester of lessons without any options of doing a make up lesson, even if you tell them two months ahead. We had to walk away from the teacher we like after two trial lessons. The director also owner of this place is impossible to work with. If your child has a busy schedule and you are looking for some flexibility, don't waste your time talking to them. They make the teachers sign no competition contract so the teachers cannot respond to you or communicate with you. Even North Korea is communicable now, but not this place!

My friends and I came to this location when there was the Clay tour of RVA…read more This studio is a lot smaller than the Clay store downtown in Shockoe bottom, but doesn't change the talents that each artists hold. We were able to watch one lady in action and it was so amazing seeing her make each individual pedals for her flower and how it comes together at the end. I wish I could describe her artwork. They also hold classes here if anyone is interested in working with Clay! If I remember correctly, they said the classes are about 8weeks. Not too sure of the pricing, but I'm sure all that information could be found on their website.

From the owner: RVA's only full service community pottery studio. Offering small class size, open studio, private…read morelessons, Clay Dates, Clay Parties, our own cone 6 glazes for sale, glaze making services and independent firing services.

Great Focused degree school for the fine arts.. the school is young (less than 3 years old) but…read morethey are accredited through the Atlanta Art Institute.. the gallery is constantly changing and is open to the public the student show will run from October to January you should stop by and see the wonderful work that the schools students are producing (including my own :-))

Having one on one interaction with your professor to understand the learning needs, is better than…read moreno attentiveness from a professor and learning little to nothing.

Cute little building that does, on a smaller scale, what the Visual Arts Center does in Richmond…read more They have supplies and classes. I know a lot of ladies who live in Mathews and have a great time taking one or two classes here. It's a great way to meet folks in Mathews. It's led to my mom's year or so long obsession with making "toothbrush rugs" which are not made OF toothbrushes, but with a needle-thing that looks kinda like a toothbrush. Great little place, I would totally recommend it. How awesomely fun would it be to come to Mathews for a summer and take a class here in between visiting the shops/restaurants and going to the beach?!

From the owner: The Bay School offers art classes and workshops for adults and children. Classes are offered in…read morePainting, Drawing, Basket making, Mosaics, Jewelry Making, Rug hooking, Pottery and much more! The Art Speaks Gallery is a bright, airy space showcasing local and regional contemporary art and craft.