I went to this spot during their pop-in hours of 1200 to 1600, or 12 to 4PM, on a Monday because…read morethat is what their website listed as available. I am not sure why Google says that they are closed on Mondays, because that is not true. I recommend that you call before you head over so you can confirm 2 things:
1. that they are actually open, and
2. that the event listed on their website is happening.
Thankfully, Google was correct about the phone number, so I was able to contact the right person and confirm everything before coming in.
When I walked in, I really liked the atmosphere. There were paintings hung all around the space from different artists and locations, which made it feel very homey and community-focused. You can tell that it is a local spot that highlights the people who live in the area, and I loved that. Even the bathroom was pretty clean! They have sinks in the painting area, which is super convenient if you get paint on your hands, like I did
The pop-in area had about 6 easels, and for the session you can paint on an 11x14 canvas (I think that was the size) for a $20 fee -- $22 after tax. They get the area set up for you, and they offer aprons. I am not sure if the aprons are washed because they did have paint all over them, but that is expected in an art studio... The canvas that they provided was clean and new, too, though the easels had layers of paint from previous sessions, which is also expected. The staff even gets the paint for you before you start your project, which is nice!
I also really appreciated that they had binders full of painting ideas you could choose from, or you could just create your own if you preferred. On top of that, they had stencils available, which was super helpful. I did the "Happy Little Washington" painting, and it required a stencil of the Washington state outline. The staff got one ready for me! They were kind enough to trace it and cut it out for me, so I thank them for doing that -- it made the process so much easier.
I gave this place a slightly lower rating because I felt like the tour could have been much better. I did not realize at first that I could get my own paint, so I kept asking the worker for help when I did not need to. A proper walkthrough of the studio, the supplies, and even the artwork (which is a highlight of the space) would have made the experience clearer and smoother. It all felt a bit glossed over, even though those details are part of what make this studio stand out.
For parking, you can use the retail parking area. According to the worker, they do not rely check there...Just remember that when you arrive, you do not enter through the nearest door -- you have to walk around to the street-facing entrance to get inside.
The staff was welcoming and helpful; I just think a more thorough tour would have prevented me from having to interrupt them while they were cleaning the studio.
Snacks were available, such as candy and chocolate bars, at $2 each, and they had loud music playing on the overhead speakers, which I loved! Super duper good music taste. I thought that my apple carplay somehow hooked up to their bluetooth lolol
