I love the bright open feeling of the new studio. (Today was my first day in the new space.) Annie…read moreis a patient teacher. She helped me with all the basics and then the challenges when I tried something new. She also has helped people with a lot of experience refine their technique and also top take on new challenges. The studio has the warm feeling of a community and now that we are in a new, larger space, there is finally room for a few more potters.

Popped in to check this adorable little shop out. Possibly greeted by the owner. No greetings…read morewhatsoever, just a big "No openings, try other pottery shops in San Diego" with a smile. How disappointing. I guess we will check out other shops for our creativity.

With a motto of "Create Joy, Grow For Life", this remarkable 2-story art center is the epitome of…read morewhat an artist is looking for. This welcoming creative hub has private art studios, a variety of art classes/workshops, artist opportunities and much much more. It's easy to find on 30th being in the heart of North Park with a community of its own cultivating up and coming artists as well as intriguing art lovers like me by their profound art shows/exhibits in which I had a pleasure of attending one of them in October. Brilliant collab AJ & Priyanka!! There's definitely lots of positive art-making vibes here to the point it got my creative juices flowing to take a class. Thank you Maureen! I highly recommend this art spot to the Yelp Community :-)

Good price, the best price in San Diego Responsible company,…read moreI got hurt on my back cannot attend the class, they even offer to refund. But I just choose to postpone my class one month. Polite staff and professional teacher

I've been driving by this place for months and even with drive by glances it always sounded really…read morecool without knowing what it was. I finally pulled over to grab a flyer, and ending up quickly after signing up for the Wednesday paint to music class with zero idea basically of what to expect. I do paint etc, but truly beginners and every person of every ability are perfect for this class, which really is about expressing your unique style and feelings and self ! I was most pleasantly surprised by how the class just felt like such a sweet community meetup. It was so fun to hear everyone's stories and see it represented in their art; each painting was so so amazing in its unique style and all were so different. Additionally, the studio with the paint walls is so cool and having the freedom to dance and throw paint and get messy was truly just so refreshing and relaxing.

I have attended this studio several times as an art student and enjoyed the "Paint to Music"…read moreexperience. Of course, when it came to booking a special day for a team of colleagues, I was excited to have them experience this joyful creative workshop as well. I made a studio reservation with the owner Tish and paid a premium rate to have a guided experience for the group before she was open to the public. Before the event, I signed a contract with Tish, where she had listed the goals of the rental as "Creative experience for team building and reducing stress" Unfortunately, Tish forgot that she had double booked the studio-- so our time at her venue was not exclusive. During our reservation, the space was shared with another group, it was loud, and Tish was disorganized. It was not the "stress-relieving" experience that was outlined in our goals. Tish is a kind person with a unique artistic perspective, however, I would not make a reservation with her again- as I feel she is not as organized as she could be.

I enjoy the process of creating. Don't necessarily see myself as artistic though so I figured with…read morea mosaic, it would be easier to create something I enjoyed. It was the 2 afternoon glass on glass mosaic class I took. Lauren was the instructor. She's warm, approachable, works well with beginners. Got lots of good tips from her. I have never created something that I love as much as I love this piece. I'll be coming back for more classes and continuing to make more mosaics. I feel a bit like an artist now. It's awesome!!!!!

I finally got a chance to do the indigo dyeing workshop with Lauren and brought my two friends with…read moreme! We had the best time. What an incredible way to spend an afternoon or two learning a really fun approachable new form of art, working with your hands. Lauren was a great teacher, very supportive of our crazy ideas and was a great balance of structure vs. going with the flow and allowing the students interests guide the class. Opening each piece and revealing the pattern was almost better than Christmas morning! Cannot wait to return for more alumni days.

I go to quite a few paint nites/painting and vino's etc…read more.. the problem is that everytime i'm heading out of the house my kids are upset that they can't go... VIP paints has family nights/kids only events/adult only events...how cool is that!?!? my kids both came here and painted snoopy's house...love it! i have a similar painting from a previous event...so happy to have found this place! tons of good spots in the area for pre/post food and drinks..or drop off your kids and have an hour of fun

What a great evening!! Attended a painting session last night with my posse of 7. We laughed, some…read morecried (haha) but we ALL had a great time bringing out our inner Picasso! Great stress relief for the moms in our group! Love that we can bring our own snacks and beverages (and no corkage fees). There are many paintings on the wall so you can see what others have created. Dora was our instructor and she was great. She took her time showing us how to create our masterpieces! I loved how she reminded us to take a drink to help us relax and not stress over our work! Fun time meeting new people and at the end seeing how different everyone's artwork turned out! Some even took liberties and invented new animals....spotted hyena-giraffe (Sandra!)! Haha Parking is the only issue but if you arrive early you shouldn't have to spend too much time looking. Try parking in the neighborhoods behind the studio. Some parked in the Vons parking lot but I advise against it as there are signs you will be towed. Thanks for a great time Dora!! We all had a blast and we will be back!!

My hubby and I signed up for our very first pottery date night here, and honestly... we picked it…read morebecause it has my name in it (how could I not? ). This turned out to be one of the most unexpectedly fun, and messy kind of nights we've had in a long time. Our instructor Josh was fantastic: super thorough with step-by-step guidance while sprinkling in just the right amount of sarcastic humor to keep things light when our clay creations started looking... questionable He made total beginners feel comfortable getting our hands dirty (literally) and embracing the chaos. So pottery is WAY harder than it looks. My husband and I quickly realized we probably won't be quitting our day jobs to become ceramic artists anytime soon But we had an absolute blast trying, filming our wobbly moments, and competing with other couples to see who comes out with the best pieces (we lost proudly). At the end of the night, you get to keep what you make (1 piece for each person) and they'll glaze and heat it up for you to pick up at a later date. Bonus: they had a whole stack of finished pieces from past classes that were never picked up, selling them for $1 each or 10 for $5. I totally walked out with 10 pieces like a boss Despite our lack of natural talent, we somehow managed to produce two actually decent bowls: miracles happen once and a while If you're looking for a date night that's interactive, memorable, slightly messy, and guaranteed to give you stories to laugh about later, this is it Pro Tip: Wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty... and prepare to discover muscles in your hands you didn't know existed

We tried the date night for 2! It was a ton of fun, neither of us had ever done pottery before. Our…read moreteacher Kaia was fantastic and let us through the process and then walked around and helped everyone as needed. Such a fun date doing something new. Low intensity, fun time on the spinning wheel. Would recommend and we will return in the future. :)

The kind of shop you know as soon as you take your first step in, you love it. Every turn there…read morewas something cutesy or pretty to purchase. I saw lots of items I wanted to buy. Baggu bags but also Baggu totes in My Melody or Hello Kitty prints, very sweet looking. Daintiest earrings, rings, necklaces! Greeting cards, candy, baby items, clothing, lingerie, cacti, arrangements, books and adorable stuffed animals plus Labubu accessories too- greeting card, mini figurines, and more. The cashier had the most dramatic, artsy, purple and black makeup on her eyes very captivating. She told me they had 3 stores in San Diego. I need to find the other two. I bought 3 items for $110: $30 mini Boy Smells scent, $6 Love You card and $70 laced slip that I hope will fit. Doc tells me that's your style: see through, racer back. I thought it looked shabby chic in color, very enticing. If you are in North Park, hope you'll visit.

So pretty! Nice to have an associate wandering the floor to…read morehelp out if you have questions. The merchandise is beautiful, soft colors and greens (like green real plants). I wish I could actually shop here but it's pricier than I'm willing to spend.

This was such a fun and wholesome experience. I cannot wait to do another class with my girls. Brie…read morewas so lovely and helpful throughout the entire time. She was patient and helped me when I couldn't keep up in certain parts of the class. The experience is definitely a must.

I took the 5-week Form and Function class with Misha, where I learned to throw, trim, and glaze for…read morethe first time. While I walked away with new skills and 4 pieces that I am proud of, I found Misha's style of instruction difficult to follow and unpleasant at times. Misha began the first class by telling us that she will intervene if she notices our projects going south. However, on multiple occasions she purposefully stayed quiet when a student was having trouble and then when it was too late to save the piece, she said, "I was waiting for you to ask a question." This resulted in students having to scrap their projects without time to retry. I understand that Misha aims to strike a balance between hands-on assistance and letting students figure things out on their own, but her lack of intervention felt like punishment for not following her instructions well enough. I also found it challenging that Misha structured her classes by verbally explaining all of the tasks of the day at the beginning of class. After this intro, she did not speak much for the rest of the class. During several classes, she began to work on personal projects and did not seem approachable for questions. I would have appreciated a few more demonstrations and for instructions to be repeated throughout the class. Because this was a class intended for beginners, I expected a bit more patience and active involvement from Misha. The 5-week course was structured well and allowed students to learn the entire process making ceramics, but the style of instruction made the course harder than it had to be.

I've always been drawn to nature and revisited landscape painting with oil paints about 7 years ago…read moreafter having not painted since grade school. I've been quite fortunate to have painted with several very talented painters who happened to be instructors, as well. The Art Academy has given me the impetus to paint not only more often, but with confidence, especially, at the painting's sometimes difficult initial stages. I dove into the class after having had it recommended by an artist friend of mine. After several years in Stuart's studio class I've learned an entirely new approach to both studio painting and my original goals for plein air techniques. I'd recommend this course for painters at every skill level. Jim M.

Highly recommend Art Academy of San Diego! Stuart is a skilled artist and personable guide to…read morecreating your art. -CynC