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    The Crucible

    4.3 (155 reviews)
    Closed 4:00 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated 2 months ago

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    Al L.

    I was always curious about the Crucible and finally got the chance to understand what is Crucible when I attended the 2019 Spring Open House. Crucible started in 1999 and has evolved to become the largest nonprofit premier fine and industrial art education center in the United States. It is located in West Oakland, a block from BART. As an art center for adults and youths, beginners to advanced students can take classes in various fine and industrial arts of bike shop, blacksmithing, ceramics, enameling, fire& performance, foundry, glass blowing, casting, coldworking, flameworking, fusion and slumping, jewelry, kinetics and electronics, leather and textiles, machine shop, moldmaking, neon and light, stoneworking, welding and woodworking. I'm glad I was able to finally attend an Open House to get to know this great art center for all ages.

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    A very cool place to see many artists at once. I enjoyed speaking to the various artist about their classes offered.

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    So much fun fire art! And the teachers are very knowledgeable! I've become addicted to working with molten glass!

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    Ask the Community - The Crucible

    Can you use the shop for your own woodworking project for a fee?

    Hi Vigneshwar, We have a lab program available to Crucible Members who have taken Woodworking I with us. If you are interested you can sign up to become a member here:… Read more

    What kind of youth classes and camps are offered?

    Throughout the year, The Crucible offers weekend and after-school classes, and weeklong camps during spring and summer for youth ages 8-18. They are all in the industrial arts, like foundry, glass, blacksmithing, neon, ceramics, and more.

    Is the event this weekend dog friendly?

    Yes!

    How safe is the area to park your car?

    You looking for a scaled number, like something between 1-10? Or just a written opinion from a car owner? Let's see....… Read more

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    Review Highlights - The Crucible

    You get to learn so many different things, fire eating, blacksmithing, making marbles, etc.

    Mentioned in 15 reviews

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    Kala Art Institute - Print studio

    Kala Art Institute

    4.8(18 reviews)
    3.4 miWest Berkeley

    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'...!

    Photos
    Kala Art Institute - Building

    Building

    Kala Art Institute - Electronic Media Center

    Electronic Media Center

    Kala Art Institute - High Schoolers viewing exhibition in Kala Gallery

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    High Schoolers viewing exhibition in Kala Gallery

    The Atelier School of Classical Realism

    The Atelier School of Classical Realism

    4.8(5 reviews)
    2.7 miTemescal, North Oakland

    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.

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    The Atelier School of Classical Realism
    The Atelier School of Classical Realism
    The Atelier School of Classical Realism

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    Studio One Art Center - Under Construction - pouring SOG foundation

    Studio One Art Center

    3.9(29 reviews)
    2.7 miTemescal, North Oakland

    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.

    Photos
    Studio One Art Center - In 1894 as an orphanage

    In 1894 as an orphanage

    Studio One Art Center - 2010

    2010

    Studio One Art Center - Measure DD Logo

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    Measure DD Logo

    Berkeley Art Studio - This was my "final project" and big piece that I made from the class.

    Berkeley Art Studio

    3.8(21 reviews)
    4.7 miUC Area

    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!

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    Berkeley Art Studio
    Berkeley Art Studio
    Berkeley Art Studio

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    Apparel Arts

    Apparel Arts

    5.0(6 reviews)
    1.2 mi

    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.

    Photos
    Apparel Arts
    Apparel Arts
    Apparel Arts

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    The Crucible - artschools - Updated May 2026

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