Loved my acrylic painting class with Mokhtar Paki! Highly recommend. It helped me develop my style and understand the medium.

It's hard to write a negative review of an art center because I really value any place that helps people access their creativity. But I have had such a comically bad experience with this place that I feel I should warn others. In January I found a Spring Session class I wanted to register for that was set to begin 3/15. It was in their catalog as a "New Class". However, when I went to their registration portal the class was not listed. The first time I called them, the receptionist said he didn't have access to the registration system and to call back later. The second time I called, they told me that they had added the class and I could register online--but I soon discovered it still wasn't listed. The third time I called they said they added the class but that I wouldn't be able to register until March 10th (which is when registration opens for LATE spring session, whereas this class was set to begin on March 15th, the early spring session). Huh? Registration is open for only five days before the class begins? I asked them to check again, and they called be back later that day and said the early spring session had been added. ...Nope, it definitely was still not in the system. Exasperated by their incompetence, I finally tracked down an email address for the instructor and emailed her directly. I didn't hear back, but soon after that the class showed up and I could finally register. So I did, and made an online payment. Two weeks later, I received an email with a receipt for a refund, with no explanation I assumed this meant the class had been cancelled, but no one called or emailed me to tell me that, and the refund never posted to my bank account. I had also never received any information about the class (materials list, curriculum, etc.) so I still currently have no idea what's happening. When I try to call them, their extension is "unavailable", as is the "operator" AND the "backup operator" that the system auto-routed me to. I really want this place to improve because they're one of the few organizations offering adult art classes in Oakland. But as is, it seems to be a bit of a mess. read more

Fantabulous art center! They even have drumming, ceramics, coding! Very ASD and neurodivergent Welcoming! HIGHLY recommend!

The after school program is really great! It's the best for working parents because they're open till 6:30 pm. However, the summer camp is extremely disorganized. No one seems to know what's going on. It's crowded, and my kid did not like the camp. You can't even tell who's the camper and who's the counsellor. It took almost 40 min. to get through the first day registration! Kid says, "mommy, please don't send me there anymore." read more

For the last several years, when anyone asks our kid what he wants to be when he grows up, he will consistently answer, "an artist." Last year (2nd grade) he was sad that not enough kids were enrolled from his school for them to offer transportation to Studio One for their after school program. So when we told him he was going to Summer Camp, he was overjoyed. Studio One camp offers two kinds of programming, one more art geared and one less structured and more recreation oriented. Both options are reasonably priced, and even the recreational one includes lots of art activities. What our gregarious, high-energy 8 year old loves is the mix of art and free play. The facilities include everything from a full ceramics studio (offering adult classes, too) to a computer lab, & our kid has produced ceramics, learned weaving, animation, made pop up books and musical instruments.... He's also had a lot of time for free play. It's pretty hard to get 'in trouble' at Studio One, and the social pedagogy is very active around kindness and inclusion. When I arrived recently, I saw my boy get hit accidentally in the leg with a jump rope & the kid swinging the rope --immediately & unprompted-- plopped down to make sure he was ok. Shortly after, he & four other kids were playing the time-honored, grownup-disturbing game of 'jailor' (oh boy). They were having a blast, and under the appropriately light but attentive supervision of 'Sr.' (read 19 yr oldish) councilors, two of whom have been part of the community since *they* were kids. Generous snacks include lots of fruit, carrots, cheese, milk, crackers. Yes, we wish they could all be non gmo & organic, yes, we understand the systems that make that unfortunately a 'luxury.' Some well meaning Jr councilors brought Doritos yesterday... oh well. I read all the reviews on here, including the negative, and I want to say that I can imagine that the parents of a very shy kid would want to visit with their child to see if it feels right. Honestly, it's the kind of environment that was overwhelming for me as a child sensitive to noise and bustle. It is sometimes loud, sometimes loosely structured. It is perfect for ebullient kids who need a little expressive antidote to the school year/day with its sitting & structure. During certain times of the day during free time, your kid might be anywhere upstairs or down where kids are supervised, but not in an assigned area. Don't worry, they aren't lost! read more

Studio One Art Center is the only arts studio publicly run by the City of Oakland Parks and Recreation department. Built in 1894, the original unreinforced masonry and wood structure was designed for use as an orphanage. It wasn't until 1948 that the site was considered for the location of a city-run arts program. The building is currently undergoing major seismic retrofitting, interior rehabilitation and exterior site work. Costing upwards of 10 million dollars to complete, this rehabilitation project is funded by Oakland's Measure DD for clean water and safe parks. The retrofitted building will re-open it's doors to the public in late Fall of 2007, and will offer classes in clay ceramics and sculpture, jewelry making, painting and drawing, photography, theater arts, and more. read more

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My daughter attended Studio One's after school program from Kaiser Elementary School. The staff and instructors became a part of her extended community. She is now in middle school and still takes clay classes there and hopes to be a counselor in training at some point. This organization is a gem within the community and the neighborhood. read more

Really disorganized. While trying to register for a class over the phone I was told it was full but that another class had opened up on Thursday evenings. After paying for the class I checked online to find out it was actually on Tuesday nights-an evening I could not attend . The next day I called back, explained the situation and was told they would credit back my card. After a few days I checked and no credit back. I called back and was told they accidentally applied my money to any future class I may want to take at Studio One. Recognizing their mistake they then said that they would mail me a check but it would take 4-6 weeks. 5 weeks later and no check I called and was told they had sent a check-but to a wrong address. They now have told me that it will be another 4-6 weeks until I receive a new check. I'm not holding my breath for that. Despite my request to have someone return my call to help resolve this matter I have yet to receive one. read more

The building is great, the people who work here are great, and my man & I had a great time teaching kids how to make ice cream here. BUT, the City of Oakland is seriously underfunding Studio One, and almost all their classes for adults seem to be M-F 9-5. AND their schedule is impossible to find online, and when you do it is a horribly broken and ancient interface. read more

Studio One is such a great find! I'm currently taking a fabulous weekly ceramics class in this beautiful new building. It's a very loosely structured class, which I appreciate, led by a knowledgeable and supportive instructor to provide a general lesson, tips and tricks along the way, and answers to burning questions. It's not inexpensive but it's certainly comparable to other ceramics studios. With class enrollment, the first bag of clay is free - mine has lasted 4 weeks now - along with all the glazes, tools, and firings you can make good use of. I've enrolled in classes at other studios before and, after a few weeks, it felt like a bit of a chore. Now, I'm honestly sad that I won't get to throw any pots on Presidents Day [or MLK, Jr. day, which has already passed], but it's nice that they do observe those holidays, and I did get a refund for the canceled classes. Fortunately, for $15, I can show up on a Saturday for a few hours and use the studio to make up for lost time. read more

I've sent my daughter here a couple of times for Summer Camps but will never do so again. It became clear to me that this place is little more than a holding pen for kids. There doesn't appear to much of a curriculum and the children are very poorly supervised. The staff consist of very young people with little to no training. In fact in 2015, as I was dropping off my kid on the first day of Summer, I witness a group of about 15 staff being toured around the facility as part of their training. I heard the trainer advise them not to answer any questions from the parents but to direct them all to the office. Really? On the first day of camp you're training your staff? There are several dozen kids arriving and the staff aren't trained yet?! For as chaotic and unclear as the drop off process was, the pick up process was worse. No one seemed to know where my kid was. When I asked staff that were floating around where I should go to find my daughter they gave me vague answers like, ":Check upstairs" or "She might be playing outside." Apparently no one actually knew where the different groups of kids were. After walking around inside and outside the building and not finding her, I had to resort to yelling out my daughter's name as I walked around the facility in order to find her. The last time I was at Studio One I was attempting to drop off my daughter for the second day of a one week camp. My daughter cried and begged me not to go. She had been to Studio One camps before so I thought she just needed some encouragement. After some encouragement and cajoling from me to stay at camp, I finally realized from the look in her panicked eyes that she did not feel safe at Studio One. I brought her to work with me that day and scrambled for childcare for the rest of my work week. The even crazier thing was the lack of interest or concern expressed when I called to let them know that we wouldn't be coming back, I called the administrative office later that same day to let them know that we had left at drop off that morning and would not be returning because my daughter didn't feel safe at Studio One. Dead silence on the phone. There was no, "Oh! Did something happen?" or "Is there something that we should be aware of?" or "Is your daughter ok?" Just silence. Later that afternoon my husband called and ask to speak to the director in charge. She was appropriately concerned and apologetic, and agreed to give us a refund of our camp tuition since we only attended one day. Years later, we are still waiting for a refund. I could go on about more specifics about the lack of supervision like when my daughter got hit in the head with a wiffle ball bat but I'll just leave it here. read more

Wonderful to see them return to their newly remodeled location. Staff has always welcomed our children. Our two teenage children have enjoyed their class for close to 5 years. One can select from a wide range of classes and levels of experience. I was surprised to see the center hosting a wide variety of events for the neighborhood: from after school activities, Friday outdoor film nights, kick boxing, etc. Check out their activities - one might find a new hobby or simply rediscover and old one. We are very grateful to this year's special offering for student attending Oakland Tech - my "teenage" son thanks you. Free classes have allowed him to relax and simply enjoy being a young kid. read more

This a great art program. I went here in the 1990's and it was where I learned to make pottery and find my artistic talent. I am a very creative person and the classes helped me figure that out. I have made many ceramic/art pieces that are still a part of my home decor today. If you're looking for a fun relaxed atmosphere to end your children to for art classes this is the place! read more

I've been taking ceramics here for more than a year. Friendly staff, nice facilities. For ceramics, the sessions are more open-workshop-style, rather than traditional classes. It's not the best place for brand new students to learn, but a great place for returning adult students to pick their craft back up. The level of engagement of each instructor varies, with some providing pre-set demos every week (e.g. Blanca) and some providing tips and tricks or specific demos by request (e.g. Ben, Saadi). The instructors are all very knowledgable and talented. read more

I wanted to second Angela N's comment that S1 is a great find, but more for the children's after school program than the adult classes. I enrolled my second grader in the after school arts academy this fall after hearing glowing reviews from other parents at our school. Here are my key features for this program: PROS- *For $20/day, S1 will pick up your child from his/her school, and deliver them safely to the facility. You can choose how many days a week you want, and not be penalized for doing less than five days. *The basic $20 program includes a homework workshop, club time (free play if no homework), snack/beverage, art projects, martial arts, and even African dance! Yah, I know! *Add-on programs, such as swimming at neighboring Temescal pool, cooking, photography, tennis, and theater, make for an interesting and engaging week for the kids. Most of these are an additional $5-$10/day. *Large, super clean, modern facility with lots of street parking, and additional parking behind the building- learned about this on the downlow though. Also very accessible for wheelchair, with ramps and an elevator. Nice planning inclusion Parks and Rec! *If your child(ren) attends one of the few schools where S1 does pick up, then you've got it made. Unfortunately, we do not, so that is why I deducted a star. Pickups are made at Kaiser, Piedmont Ave. Elementary, Chabot, Sequoia, No. Oakland Community Charter, Anna Yates, Bella Vista, and Emerson. Call to confirm though so there's no surprises! *Oh, and best thing for parents **6:30 PICK UP TIME!!!** Woohoo!! *They also offer limited scholarships. NEEDS IMPROVEMENT- *During the first week, there were a lot of hiccups and general hecticness, to be expected for sure, and the registration process definitely could use some improvement! The poor girl at the window does all of the intake and answers most questions, so there's no 'quick questions' or in and out on that level. Definitely lost another star for that. *Also, there were a few 'lost' kids last week, but the kids were in other play rooms from the rest of the group. This place is pretty spacious, so I can see how it may take a minute to find a particular child. Overall though, my kid loves this place so far, especially the young rec team (lots of playful, energetic 20-somethings who can match the kids'), and I think it is very cool that she has already dug her hands into clay, glitter, and other crafts. *The older posts commented on a sucky website, which still doesn't offer much information, or even a staff directory, which would be helpful. But it is a wonderful and clean space, and there is lots for the kids to do. read more

This is a review for their children's summer arts camps. My kids attended for the first time this past summer. I have a very artistic child who is 10 and figured a fine arts camp would focus on interesting and varied media. Not so. The program struck me as more of a child care program rather than really inspiring kids to create art. My kids were bored and there were also a lot of kids in the program that caused problems for the other kids. Some of the teachers were just plain rude to the kids. But, most importantly, my kids did not like it and we won't be back next summer. I'm not sure I'd rate the program a 1-star. I think 3 stars is probably more appropriate for the program itself. But the 1-star rating is for the administration. At the end of the 4-week fine arts program, the kids performed for the parents. Studio One hired a professional videographer/photographer and offered the parents who attended a DVD of the performances for $10. I paid my $10 and in late October (today), I have still not received my DVD for a performance that happened in July. I have emailed and been told that "it's on its way". I just called the office and was told that the person who deals with this is out and that I should call back some other time in hopes that I get her. What??? You owe people money or a DVD and you tell them to do the work and call back? I'm not at all hopeful of seeing my $10 again or getting a DVD. You're a business, Studio One. Act like one. read more

I wanted to fall madly in love with this place, but I'm sad to say that the adult drawing classes here are awful. I took Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain with Diandre Drake, and it was a disaster. I was so excited to be drawing again, and was drawing all the time. I went to class excited to show him my work and he refused to look at it. He only wanted to see my homework assignment. OK, maybe not every teacher is going to encourage outside work. Good teachers with passion about their subject and desire to help someone grow probably do, but maybe it's not a job requirement. However, when I showed him my homework drawing, he said it was unfinished but couldn't elaborate. When I asked him to please explain what made it unfinished so that I could learn, he explained that he is self-taught and basically can't discuss art. He can only teach you his way, step-by-step. Well, I could read a book for that kind of instruction. I was so disappointed in the class that Studio One gave me a free class. I signed up for Basic Drawing with Jesse Woods. I really liked him as a person - he's interesting and charming. But as a teacher, he often showed up late (one time over 40 minutes late), once didn't show up at all, and he seemed more interested in talking than teaching. What he wanted to talk about was always interesting, but we didn't spend nearly enough time drawing. When Mr. Woods didn't show up to class, Studio One gave the entire class a free class. That seems to be their routine. It's a pity because Studio One Art Center could be such an amazing resource for adults who want to create art, but it just seems like they don't care. If you want to learn to draw and can take classes during the day in SF, I highly recommend anything that Virginia Banta teaches at Sharon Art Studio. Sharon Art Studio is also inexpensive and run by the SF Park and Rec (Studio One is run by Oakland Park and Rec). For now, it's worth making the trek to the City. Hopefully one day soon, Studio One will be run and taught by people who are passionate about art and about teaching art. What a happy day that will be! read more

Super fly remodel and an all-around great idea. Went to a poetry reading here for the first time and discovered that, at 25, I still wet my pants! read more

Previously I gave a one star review because it was impossible to find their classes on their website. Since then, they responded to my email and offered to mail me their catalog. It seems they are still working on the new class schedule and will post it soon. Thanks to their prompt reply, they have earned five stars! read more

We tried this summer camp for a week long session because the marketing said it was a music and language camp. Not so. Very little music was taught ( they spent one day at the local pool.) Our main complaint is that the staff, consisting of young, untrained kids had little to no interaction with the campers in any kind of positive way. They are clearly there as safety guards without any positive influence on the kids. Want a great camp? Go 50 feet away (literally) to Steve and Kate's. There the counsellors are engaged, they have a REAL curriculum and the campers are energized and happy. Not just throwing utility balls at each other's heads while the "supervisors" look on disinterested. read more

I'm reluctant to write about Studio One b/c it's one of the East Bay's best kept secrets and I like the small class sizes! I have been taking figurative sculpting lessons with a live model here for a couple of years now and the instruction is fabulous, and you can't beat the price. Studio One has now moved back into its former digs and it's INCREDIBLE. It was completely remodeled and retrofitted and it's such a treat to make art in such a beautiful building. read more

my boyfriend and i took our first ceramics class here this summer.. it was one of the first classes offered after their grand re-opening.. I didn't take any classes there when it was practically a dump (apparently, this place used to have a sign that said "enter at your own risk").. it was sort of a joke at first that we took this class (you know, patrick/demi ghost, whoopi.. hahaha), but we soon realized that it was such a great experience learning how to throw and mold clay into useful objects...well, the avocado was just for fun, not to mention my boyfiend's "no smoking' ashtray... plus, the temescal district is pretty hip, and my favorite fried chicken sandwich place "bake sale betty" is just around the block on telegraph ave... studio one art center makes the temescal district just another reason why its one of my top places to hopefully buy a house one day... read more

Studio One Art Center - grassy waves - Performing Arts Near Me - Oakland, California

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Ok, so my daughter is not a fan of kindergarten. The rules and more particularly, her teacher, who is on the stern side. We signed her up for art camp for the three days before Thanksgiving so she could go have fun. And people, SO MUCH FUN WAS HAD. She came home in the BEST mood and SO happy. We figured she'd be drawing and painting, but nope, she did that plus yoga, drama, and playing games outside. This place is INCREDIBLE. We'll be going back very soon! read more

I've had my kids enrolled in their weekly summer arts camp and was so impressed with the facility and staff. This is an amazing local resource. The camp rates are so affordable and they have great kids programming. I will send them here again next summer for their fine arts series for sure. read more

Visited for the first time last night for a poetry slam. Awesome location for poetry. I believe we were in the main room. The white walls and ceiling lighting made for a perfect combination. The artwork throughout the building was also interesting. Nice to see this type of venue/studio/business in Oakland. read more

Wonderful instructors and great new facilities--walkable from MacArthur BART. Beautiful brochure (mailing list) but you have to commit early for the class to fly. You can always pull out. Great activities for youth. read more

One of the last decent Black and White Photography darkrooms in the East Bay. This is the "old school" darkroom for film and paper developing / printing. Studio One has about 14 enlargers for various size film formats. There is a volunteer darkroom monitor who can help you with any problems or questions that you may have. Seriously, this is a nice mellow darkroom with a great sound system. The prices are half of what other places charge. Digital photography is everywhere, but there's nothing like going into a classic darkroom with the red lights and the sweet smell of fixer. They also offer short 4 week classes in beginning B&W photography if you want to learn the basics of photography and darkrooms printing skills. read more

This place is a local gem. Space is bright and clean and green. Teachers are often career artists and have a lot of experience, yet they're very relaxed and helpful. I've taken several sessions of glass fusing, one beadmaking workshop, and am now trying metal casting for jewelry. Prices for classes are well below most private studios, it's a great deal (plus discount for Oakland residents). read more

The children's ceramics program here is excellent! Most ceramics studios only let kids hand build, but Studio One emphasized wheel skills which is more challenging and very rewarding. It's a great activity for kids to learn, it really teaches the importance patience, consistency and effort. read more