I don't consider myself a natural artist, but after taking Introduction to Silkscreen with Emily…read morehere I feel like a spark of potential was finally lit. I thoroughly enjoyed the flexible after-work hours where I could relax and concentrate on just a few set tasks that go into making a screen and prints. The small class size felt both intimate and collaborative. I also loved how the teacher provided great materials to experiment with and Kala had all the necessary equipment. I'd love to come back and take more silkscreen later in the year!

Kala has some great art programs. One of them is Drink and Draw, a post-work evening activity that…read moreinvolves drinkin' an' drawin'. It's a rare opportunity for working folks who love art (but never get to do it) to be artistic and creative. We also hoped it would be an opportunity to meet people, relax, unwind, drink some wine, and hang out... but we discovered one fine weekday eve that it was lots of Draw but very little Drink. There are some serious art students in Berkeley! The art instructor was knowledgeable, talented and inspiring, and brought some great materials for us to use - handmade paper, high-quality ink, brushes. We did have to supply some of our own stuff, like scratch paper, pencils, erasers. She taught us new techniques and was very hands-on. A few completed projects even looked frame-worthy. Kala offers great programs if you want to do art in the evening. However, if you actually want to hang out with friends, catch up, and Drink with your Draw, you may want to go to a bar. Just sayin'...!

I wish I were writing a review of the facilities, instructors, class quality, or my experience in a…read moreclass, maybe even showing a picture of my cool finished art... but I can't, because of failure after failure on the part of the management. I received a glass flameworking class as a surprise for Christmas, paid for, with the option for me to move it to a number of dates. I chose the March 8th date. It's been THREE MONTHS of multiple calls, voicemails, and emails per week to The Crucible. We have gotten ONE single response the entire time: something to the effect of "so sorry we dropped the ball - we'll get back to you," then.... nothing. None of our calls or emails or voicemails have been returned. The March class date has now passed, and not a single offer of a refund or a reschedule. We're doing a chargeback, which we really hate to do since it's so detrimental to the business, but... if it weren't for all these other reviews I'd wonder if this place even exists? Three full months of effort on our end and not a single useful human answer?Hoping this review plus the chargeback gets us some sort of resolution.

I took two different welding taster classes. The first was great. The person teaching the class was…read morevery nice and helpful. The second was the opposite. This teacher stayed in one location which was farther away from where I was seated. I couldn't hear her instructions as a result. I managed the best I could. But she became increasingly frustrated with me even after I explained I couldn't hear her clearly. Bad experience totally negated my previous good experience.

BEST art class in the Bay Area! If you're serious about improving your technical skills in drawing…read moreand painting, and want to create works that resemble the old masters', this is the place for you! I came here last summer (I haven't been back since due to school, unfortunately), but this place is amazing! You get one-on-one personal instruction with the wonderful grandfatherly instructor, David Hardy, who you can always strike up interesting conversations with! He was reading us a book on Southern Belle manners in a mock-Southern accent while we were drawing at one point, which was so funny! It's a serious class, but not stuffy, and it's a great experience! I hope to be able to come back in the future and improve some more!

The Atelier is an incredible school, one unlike any other in the Bay Area. Between the owner David…read moreHardy, instructor Rob Anderson, and the students, there is so much raw -ability- compressed into that small studio! And it rubs off on you! I have been a student here for six months, and in that time I have seen my work reach new heights of depth and realism. I've learned a new way of -seeing-, of using my materials, that I can hardly recognize my work from last year as belonging to me. When you enroll at this school, rather than simply throw you in 'art 101', what happens is that the instructors will sit down with you, talk with you, and spend a good while getting to know you personally and figuring out where you're at, developmentally speaking, in your artwork. Then when they're pretty sure of where you need to be, you're set up with a station all of your own, and you can begin working. And not in grim silence, either - while it's still quiet enough to work, there's usually conversation, and music. It puts you at ease. And that's possibly my favorite thing about this school - the atmosphere at the Atelier is very friendly, with every student an ally and friend who can help you figure out any difficulties you might be having and provide another point of view. You don't have to feel isolated. There are two separate, slightly different courses taught. The students in the daytime hours study under Rob Anderson, who I have not yet had a chance to learn from. My experience comes from the evening classes, the Old Master program. Which is, as it happens, taught by the old master himself, David Hardy. This program is designed to transition you smoothly from drawing, to monochromatic oil stains, to limited color painting, to full color painting, over the course of about two or three years. You'll be working from still life arrangements and plaster casts of sculptures, under lamps which replicate the spectrum of sunlight, but you have the option of coming on certain other days of the week and working from live models. The student sets his or her own pace - when you seem to be ready to move to the next phase of the program, you do so. there's no waiting for the following semester. There's so much I could go on about regarding this school. Since I've enrolled, I've made more friends than I ever did when I took classes at Laney, or Berkeley City College, or even the Academy of Art. I've never, not once, felt like I was going it alone. And that's such a rare and valuable thing. This school is really special.

Our son has been in this school for four years, and will likely go for all seven. A great fit for…read morehim, and a vibrant community of artists. The school is in a good place financially, having expanded their campus and programs. I can't say enough about the faculty and staff - they're dedicated public school instructors that truly care. Their Executive Director, Mike Oz is an Oaklander through-and-through, and has been there 20+ years.

If your child is interested in theatre, DO NOT COME HERE…read more The theatre department used to be awesome many many years ago. It is now and has been a wreck for years. They are understaffed and there is a huge turnover in teachers. They will hire just about anyone these days. There are only a COUPLE shows they put on every year and they are a train wreck. Honestly if your kid is interested in theatre or musical theatre, look elsewhere. They are better off getting their talent recognized and appreciated by a place like Berkeley playhouse. Somewhere where they actually put on good productions. You don't believe me, ask every other parent with a kid in theatre. Better yet, ask a student. They will tell u the same thing.

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

It's hard to write a negative review of an art center because I really value any place that helps…read morepeople 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.

I did a pinch pottery workshop with Hue. It was 3 weeks, one session for two hours each week…read more The class was nice a small (handful of people or so), the format relaxed and Hue was so helpful, sweet and encouraging. I had such a great experience - this was my first time doing any type of pottery. The first class we just got the basics and played around and made a few small pieces. The second class we were able to add color to the clay itself, and then also in tandem, begin a "final project" aka bigger piece. During the third and final class, we learned about glazing and got to glaze our pieces! A week later, we were able to swing by the studio to grab our pieces at our convenience. I was able to make 5 pieces - some people probably made more like 8-10. I signed up for a full length class (two months) next session since I loved it so much! Can't wait to be back! And shoutout again to Hue who is awesome!! Would love to have her again as an instructor.

I love the Berkeley Art Studio! I took two classes here last year; one in Painting Fundamentals…read morewith Oil and another in Figure Painting with Oil (both with Scott Leddy). The first class is a great introduction to painting with oil, and the second was a continuation with live models. Having had been away from art for years, these classes were able to bring the connection back. They definitely made my one evening a week. Scott is a great instructor; he has a relaxed style of teaching that I definitely enjoyed. I also liked sharing a class with other art enthusiasts with different skills and styles. It was so fun to walk around the class and see how everyone would interpret the same model! The classroom was spacious, equipped with the tools we needed, and had amazing views of campus. Classes can be a little bit pricey if you're not a student at UC Berkeley (like me). Remember, you need to buy all of the materials. But, they're definitely worth it. If you're a student, you should definitely take advantage of them. I miss these classes!

My 6 year old kiddo comes home with the most impressive art pieces when she attends classes at…read moreCorner House Studio, and while I know it's not all about the final product, clearly there is some legit instruction and creative inspiration that takes place. As a mom and an artist, It's such a beautiful thing to witness your kid falling in love with creativity. I love the location, responsiveness has been top notch, and my kiddo is happy, which makes me over the moon.

Obsessed with this place!! My son is 7 and just finished his second "season" here. I'm truly blown…read moreaway with the pieces they've worked on - we've hung them up everywhere because they're so unique and interesting. They learn a lot of art concepts too so pretty cool hearing him talk about organic shapes, how to use the light, etc. Also took the first adult workshop and absolutely loved it. Recommended big time for both kids and adults to check this place out!

It feels a bit weird leaving a review while I'm still enrolled in the program, but, when I saw…read morethere was only 4 reviews, and knowing that Apparel Arts oriented towards online education due to COVID (temporary or permanently, I'm unsure), I figured there might be people who have not heard of the program who are searching online for sewing classes, and might do their research on Yelp. I started taking classes almost a year ago with no experience - I seriously had hemmed a few rips, sewed a few seams, and that was about it. In that year, I have become more confident in my patternmaking abilities, and, have started to finally feel comfortable with my sewing skills. I have made around 20-30 projects in muslin, completing the projects from body measurement to final products. Over the next few weeks, I'm hoping to begin transferring some of these patterns to fashion pieces that are actually wearable - that's something, if you asked me a year ago, I would not believe. A lot of it is a testament to the quality education and instruction, but, as they will tell you in orientation, there is a sufficient amount of homework you have to be serious about completing, because like any skill, the more practice you have, the better. Still, even in some of my more obvious mistakes/beginner questions ("What is a dart?", "Why can't I make patterns in pen if I'm extra careful?") to now some of my more slightly more practiced questions ("How do I use bias tape?"), Suzi and Allison have always answered my questions with both empathy and detail. The shift to online education probably isn't the most natural for fashion/sewing/patternmaking, however, the instructors have committed to an in-home studio that allows these classes to go on relatively without a hitch (and even if there is one, they are always very quick to address it!). The curriculum has shifted from at your own pace to more of a linear pedagogy, but I don't mind, as sometimes I would find myself a bit stuck on wanting to perfect a skill when there would be plenty of opportunities later on. Usually most classes are a combination of lecture, some patternmaking (if it's a patternmaking class), and a sewing demo. Videos are made available after the class, which, for someone who needs to hear something 2 or 3 times. So yeah, I'm just very grateful I've had the work/classes at Apparel Arts to keep me busy through this hellacious year. It's given me joy to build a skill from the ground up, and, a skill that I didn't think would even come naturally to me. If you are doing research on taking a sewing class, I can only say good things about my experience here.

I've been attending the very popular Pattern Drafting class for a year. I come all the way from…read moreSanta Cruz. This alone should tell you how much I love and respect this place. After much research on what design and sewing program to enroll in, I chose Apparel Arts because it seemed to be setup more flexibly than a college environment. And it is. The teaching spaces are well appointed. You can often drop in and just work here. It feels professional. The teachers are outstanding-knowledgeable, fun, and work hard at keeping us all going, given we are at different levels and places in the program. I love how engaged the founder/owner, Suzi, is. She's very involved, gets to know us, and still teaches and helps us out. This says a lot to me. And the way all the staff and students celebrate one another's creations and successes inspires such a sense of community. Despite the traffic I run into with the commute, I absolutely love coming and am usually invigorated and inspired when I leave. I cannot recommend Apparel Arts more highly.

We had a Clay Date to celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary. Having never done anything like this…read morebefore (literally my only experience was watching Ghost), I had no idea what to expect. In short, it was awesome! Caty was an informative instructor who gave each of us the support and care that we needed to be successful. I'm so proud of what we created. We'll use all of the pieces for years and remember the special experience even longer.

Caty is a wonderful instructor. Loved the vibe and space. It's small and intimate and Caty gives…read moreyou space to learn and practice. I was able to come back after trying claybody to trim my piece. I felt like it was easy to understand and follow Caty's examples and instructions. Will be coming back for more classes.

I can't say enough about Deborah Harris! I took an oil painting class from her last fall after…read morefinding her through Yelp--and, wow is all I can say! What a great experience. Deborah doesn't just teach her students technique (which is highly useful in itself), she teaches them how to draw and paint what they see. She also provides background, focus and direction for each classroom assignment. It's like night and day from any other instructor I've had in the past! Whether you are a new or seasoned artist, you will enjoy a class with Deborah, whatever your medium. And don't be intimidated by her success as an artist and teacher! She is one of the nicest, most nonjudgmental people I've ever met :). Thanks Deborah!

I loved the painting class I took last semester. There was a small group of women of all ages in my…read moreclass (just happened to be all women) that grew close over the 10 weeks of painting. I really enjoyed hearing the stories of the other women and listening to music while painting, it was a truly unique experience. Deborah is a top-notch artist who really knows her stuff. My painting has improved dramatically because of her.