The school is a jewel! The class size is small and therefore personal. The instructors are smart,…read moretalented and impart the knowledge needed to improve your art skills. I highly recommend this school

Had a great experience painting and drinking here. The instructor, Kyle, was a fantastic at walking…read morethe class through the steps of painting the northern nights. Took around 90 minutes todo and the results were satisfying. Whole class seemed pleased with their results and enjoyed the lesson. They have a variety of wines and canned beers to choose from. Plenty of extra brushes and paints if needed. Will definitely return!

Very cozy venue. They host many different paint nights so you can definitely find something of…read moreinterest. The instructors are very helpful.

Ohoodles of Doodles is located in Sturbridge on the Brimfield line right on Main Street. It is a…read morefantastic place to go with your child(ren) or have a kid's birthday party. We have been multiple times now (both solo and with friends) and have loved it. A wonderful local small business to support!

My daughter has been attending Acton Art classes for years and it has been an amazing experience!…read more She's been able to try different mediums and the instructors are top notch. I'm so thankful that she had Acton Art because of a lack of focus on art in the school system. She'll be attending college with a focus on art and the instruction at ActonArt is a huge reason for her skill!

Great drawing school! My daughter has taken several classes there and really enjoys it. This isn't…read morea simplistic "keep them busy with art" type of place. My daughter has been learning quite in-depth techniques that result in great pieces of art (yes, I'm biased, but its not just my daughter's art that is impressive). Instructors clearly know their stuff, and are great with the kids, too. Highly recommend if you child (or you) truly want to learn about art.

Really enjoyed my time here with one of my girl friends. Thankfully got a $25 Groupon which made it…read morea great deal. The regular price for the lessons, canvas, paint, and apron is $35. Our instructor was very good and gave great tips. We went during school vacation though and most of the room was filled with 8 to 14 year old girls (at least 12 of them) and one particularly large group of young girls that made it hard to follow the instructions because they were quite chatty and loud. I understand it's a social event, especially chatting while painting but I wish they quieted down or whispered during the instructions. I look forward to coming back but hopefully on a night with a more respectful group. Thr chairs were a little uncomfortable but I loved that we could bring food. I took full advantage of it and brought a pasta dish that they allowed me to heat up in their office microwave. Also brought some dessert. It was great! Makes it less expensive night than Paint Nite (which I've also attended). You can't bring a drink in though because they have a liquor license. However my friend brought in her Dunkin Donuts drink and they didn't say anything. Drinks aren't cheap but not crazy overpriced either. They sell beer, wine, and soft drinks. They also sell snacks like chips. They were also very accommodating about changing our reservations last minute. Parking and entrance is on the side of the building and plentiful. There is no entrance on the street facing side. Looking forward to coming back. My husband said "I ACTUALLY like this painting" and had me find a place for it right away, so I'd say the evening at Brush it Off was a success!

I held a fundraiser at Brush it Off for a local nonprofit. It was such a fun night! The location…read morehad everything set up for us. Instruction was provided as needed but otherwise it was relaxing and enjoyable. What a great way to spend time with friends and help raise money.

It's by appointment only , but well worth the visit.. hand made pottery and herb signs. Outstanding…read moresmall business!!

Super high quality, beautiful and unique ceramics. Rona is a lovely human being and a conscientious…read morebusiness owner. So many beautiful pieces to choose from. Support local business. Get a unique gift for yourself, a special friend or family member! Whiskey cups, bowls, soap dispensers, vases, mugs, batter bowls, lamps, hanging lights and so much more.

I decided to take a sewing class this summer because I already had an interest in fashion and had…read morebeen gifted a sewing machine, but I had no idea where to start. Nerissia made sewing accessible and fun. The environment was very friendly, and I felt comfortable asking questions. We had multiple fun projects, including making a sweatshirt and a skirt. All the things we were taught have helped me do my own projects and have given me the confidence to take on my own sewing projects. Since the class, I can now read patterns, easily follow sewing videos on YouTube, and troubleshoot issues I may run into with my personal sewing machine! If you've ever thought that sewing may be something you'd love, give it a try!

From the owner: Life's too short to sew alone in a corner. Welcome to SiaDezigns and Workroom, where you don't…read morehave too! Our design studio is filled with sewing tools, awesome design books, and friendly faces. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, young or old, everyone's welcome. No experience required—join our community and take a class today

Great selection of local art, chocolates, cards & more but the staff is not friendly or welcoming…read moreat all. I wish I could say otherwise because I'd really like to support this place & the local artists represented. While shopping, another guest asked the cashier about if any weaving classes were available in the near future but the only response was a grunted "no." Seems like a friendlier response was warranted so I stopped the shopper on her way out to tell her & her daughter about "A Place to Weave" in Fitchburg, MA. My point is, isn't the Worcester Center for Crafts mission to support the craft community? It isn't hard to do and a friendly word goes a long way.

I discovered this place last year and am so glad I did. This isn't crappity ass crafts. It is a…read moreplace to learn artistic crafts. I took glassblowing and flame work. Glassblowing was very interesting but too hard for me. I'm really glad I took it for the experience and I would probably do it over again just to try it out. It requires a lot of coordination, so if you are as klutzy as me, you might find it too difficult too. As described in their catalog, flamework is: Tthe process of shaping glass rods and tubes into small objects over the flame of a torch. Begin by making beads, pendants and marbles to establish a foundation of technique. As the class progresses, projects will advance to include the creation of solid sculpture and hollow forms such as flowers, holiday ornaments, and perfume bottles. Small class sizes and one-on-one instruction allow students to work at their own pace. I love this class and the instructor, Jake Vincent, is patient and a great teacher. You don't have to be quite as coordinated to do flamework. In addition to glass classes, they have classes in clay, metal, fiber, photography, wood, and design and multimedia. They have a gallery too. I haven't been yet, because the glass studio is in a separate area of Worcester. I've heard its great and intend to go soon. I'll update this post when I get there. Oh, and it isn't as far from Boston as you think. Check out their catalog on their Website.

My 13 year old recently attended a birthday party at Blue Door. Ample parking (in a mini-mall.)…read moreThey were prompt. My daughter left with one canvas she painted with instruction through BDA studio. She also received a goodie bag with a few things from blue door included. Overall a nice place, great alternative bday party option.

Blue Door Studio is a hidden gem located in an out-of-the-way strip plaza in Smithfield, RI. I…read morehighly recommend Claudia Venditto, the owner, who received a masters from RISD (WOW) and is passionate about art and teaching. This makes her an exceptional art instructor and you can see it in the work of her students! My daughter just started taking lessons from Ms. Venditto and I can already see a HUGE improvement in her techniques. There's a showcase at the end of the winter sessions (8 weeks total, 2 hours a week), but was able to take a sneak peak. I got the chance to introduce myself to the teacher today and talk to her a bit. She's warm, welcoming, and very easy to talk to. I also love the high level of professionalism of her business--very important to me. Online registration and payment are available online and confirmation is sent via email, which makes enrollment very convenient. FYI, she's currently a high school teacher in a different town and has to commute. Gotta admire her dedication! Luckily, we live close by. Students who get the chance to study under her are fortunate. Got my info from this article: http://m.valleybreeze.com/2017-05-31/observer-smithfield-west/blue-door-studio-expands-space-smithfield-move#.XD_EkaROmaM

My alma mater is one of the other 4 colleges in the area but I did take a class her as part of the…read more5 college consortium. My oldest followed 2 generations and went to that school as well but my middle son marches to the beat of a different drum. So I was not too surprised when he applied to Hampshire College. My son was very carrot and stick orientated so very focused on grades and he was accepted to 9 of the 10 schools he applied for ... RPI being one of his top two choices with Hampshire being the other. I was intrigued how he would deal with a evaluation based classes. He has adjusted pretty well. So far I am thrilled with his experience and he seems to be fitting right in.

I attended Hampshire from Fall 94-98. Bridging the years where Hampshire went from the grads who…read moretook 10 years to get a diploma (LOTS of "student sabbaticals" which weren't allowed after some school changes) and the "new kids" who fell under stricter guidelines. Pre-2000, a lot of Hampshire students were left with a "sink or swim" style of education. The faculty were amazing (Marion was excellent with Tai Chi and other classes and the outdoor programs were excellent, David Kerr and others were supportive and definitely helped me stay on track. Being one of a small number of financial aid students, the feeling at the beginning of each year was incredibly stressful (if you couldn't prove you had the funds, sometimes making the difference up in cash before matriculation, you couldn't start the school year). Financial stresses aside, it was one of the best times of my life. Hampshire College gave me insights into the way I work and strengthened my belief in self worth and my ability to achieve whatever I set myself up to do. Hampshire is a direct reason why I was able to take more risks after college, pay off a tremendous amount of debt in just a few years (yeah business consulting!) and achieve a lot of the successes I have now. I learned the undergrad education wasn't so much about what I studied, but how I set goals, researched, learned, and achieved whatever I set out to do. Those lessons have given me more than any piece of lambskin was worth. Yes - there were Hipsters at Hamp before Hipsters were a "thing" and there will continue to be the trust-fund babies who opt to float through four years of f-ing around and not really doing anything but spend money and get high. There are more, way more, motivated students who are pushing themselves to be more than what most colleges and universities expect. I'd argue there are more alumni from Hampshire (graduates or drop outs) who've succeeded because they were real examples of what a Hampshire student is - motivated, dedicated, self-assertive, risk-taking, and willing to fail several times to achieve success at whatever they're doing than there are from other more "normal" schools. I loved Hampshire and while it still definitely needs to improve its alumni relations, it's a constant work in progress and it's great to see awesome kids coming and going from there still...