The VMFA Studio School offers a variety of great art classes. Members of the VMFA get priority on…read moreclass sign-up. ***LOCATION*** Right across from the VMFA on Grove Ave, not too far from the sculpture garden. It's located in an old Victorian building which can be a little cold during winter months. It took me a second to find, but they have a sign for the studio school. Follow that for the parking lot right in front of the school. ***EXPERIENCE*** I took a stained glass class here and adored it. It was a sold out class that had a very long waiting list. I was grateful to be a member and to be able to sign up early. It was a two day class that lasted from 10am-4:30pm. The only reason this spot loses a star for me is because the class was advertised for one weekend and they changed it without notifying me until the last second. Had my friend taking the class with me not notified me of the email she got (which I didn't), I would've missed this. I had purchased this class about three months in advance and made plans for the weekend they rescheduled it for and had to do a lot of scrambling/canceling to change my weekend plans I had also made months in advance. Our class was led by Jude Schlotzhauer who was very knowledgeable about stained glass and the techniques of making it. I love the way she taught the class. She explained everything to us, had us test out glass cutting techniques, pick out an outline we liked, cut out glass for that, wrap the edges in foil, and flux and solder the pieces together. It was so much fun. She even gave us a sheet with places to get the supplies if we wanted to continue making stained glass. ***PRICE*** As a member, this class was $160. ***BATHROOM*** There are single all gender bathrooms scattered around the building. ***CONCLUSION*** After this class, I want to make stained glass pieces all the time. I had an absolute blast. My friend and I can't stop daydreaming about making more together.

Bought lessons for my nieces and nephews and they really enjoyed the classes. I might try some…read moremyself.

The name of this class is "DSLR Workshops - Take your Camera Off Program Mode". Mr. Dunkley…read moredelivers exactly what he promised. I have had my DSLR for a little over half a year and had only used it outside of automatic mode a few times. Manually controlling aperture, shutter speed and ISO seemed so daunting that I rarely tried it. I had a strong desire to learn more and when I saw the name of this class, I jumped at the chance. Mr. Dunkley has a straight forward and efficient presentation style. There were 100 people or so in the class holding 20-30 different camera models. He managed to give personal attention to all people and make sure every question for every camera was answered and yet, it never felt like there was a pause in the class as he was doing so. . . Very efficient. Add in a bit of humor and knowledge built from years of experience and the 3 hour class seemed to only last half that time. In the end, I learned more about my camera in those three hours than I had in the previous 7 months. In addition to the camera settings, which he explains very well, he gave great advice on which lenses a beginner should and should not use. In the week since I have taken this class, I have taken about 50 pictures that make me say "wow that is a great picture" when in the previous half year, I may have had the same reaction a dozen times. Of course, that was when I just "got lucky" when I was in automatic mode, which I will never use again.

I took the Take your Camera out of Automatic class in northern Virginia. I drove up from Richmond…read morefor the course with my wife. We got a new camera and had a trip planned and wanted to take some quality pictures. I was skeptical, thinking that it would feel like a boring class with a dry lecturer. Well, nothing could be further from the truth. Okello was fun and engaging, he provided practical examples and appropriate metaphors. He had a very tight presentation that had a natural flow. He demystified and clarified many photography concepts and camera functions. I feel that he did a great job at making photography approachable and accessible. great course, great experience.

Can't say enough positive things about the Visual Arts Center (VAC) of Richmond!…read more One, they have free parking in the back for patrons! I could end the review there but I will continue. My partner and I checked out the VAC for one of their Second Friday Art Classes. They offer $15 dollar art classes on the second friday of each month making strides in making art accessible. We ended up doing an air dry clay workshop which was extremely fun (you can see our amazing creations in the photos). Our instructor was kind and taught us some really amazing tips. While we waited for our class to start we roamed around and checked out their exhibits. This is a stunning place to view some art work, so many talented artists pieces are on display, you won't get bored here. We even got to learn about our next date night by examining the community board. The VAC of Richmond is an amazing example of community, learning and wonder. Can't wait to return for my next art class adventure!

Lauri Jenkins teaches sewing and I cannot recommend her enough. She has taken something…read moreintimidating and made it fun. The lessons are scaffolded so you build on your skills with each project, adding a new skill while incorporating what you have learned so far. She is encouraging and will tell you "nice job!" making you feel like a pro when you're not....but you'll be a whole lot closer under her tutelage. She is awesome. Everyone I talked to at the center is super nice and they offer a wealth of classes, many with various levels so you can build on your skills or just a one day class to do something fun and bring a project home. I like to learn and I like to meet new people and I so much enjoy being here. I just hate the parking since I am not a city dweller (lol!) and there is always someone waiting to lay in on their horn if you don't move fast enough. Oh well. There is some parking available in a lot if you get there early enough. I am sooooo wanting to take every class here!! You should too.

My mom and I came here to try glass blowing for the first time, and it was a fun experience. The…read moreworker was kind and explained everything clearly. We were able to help create our own pieces and choose the colors we wanted. I made a cup and my mom made an oil bottle. Overall, it was a great experience, but it's also easy to make mistakes, so it's important not to rush. The imperfections are small, but there are air bubbles in both of our pieces. While we were making the oil bottle, the instructor accidentally tapped it against the door of the furnace area, which left small white marks on the bottle. It's not a huge issue, but it could have been avoided.

I had a fun time at this glassblowing studio! I'd never tried anything like it before... think…read morepottery class, but way more fire involved. When we arrived, we were greeted and asked to complete our waiver forms. You get to choose what you'd like to make from a handful of options: a heart-shaped paperweight, an oil bottle, a tall drinking glass, and a few others. I can't wait to use my oil bottle! Before you dive in, the instructor walks you through everything: how to dip your poker into the molten glass, how to layer in colors (you pick your own palette, and how to help mold and shape your piece before it gets capped off. The studio is on the smaller side and is perfect for a date night, a girls' trip activity, or a unique outing with a small group of friends. We parked on the street since the back lot was full so just plan for that if you're heading over. Shoutout to the women behind this business... you can tell they genuinely love what they do and want every guest to leave with something they're proud of. I can't wait to pick up my bottle in a few days.

This place has fabulous wearable original artwork! There's even more stuff on the website! But it's…read morecool to see the stuff in person before you buy. Brian is great about adding new pieces and designs all the time! I don't know where he gets his energy. PLUS, there's an awesome brewery next door and lots of other talented artists and craftsmen/women in the vicinity. Come check out Crafted every weekend!!

I'm so excited that this brand opened up a physical shop. I only have one piece of theirs but I…read morefollow Brian's artwork on IG and Twitch and I'm always impressed with the way he turns them into apparel. I've definitely got my eye on those boots so I guess now I can try them on! That's pretty cool. Congrats, Brian!

Yelp has done it again. Yelp Elite plant night event from Yaymaker, hosted at Capstan Bar Brewing…read moreCompany. We made succulents and tasted beer. #yelphrva #yelpelite #yayhrva #capstanbrewing Yaymaker Yaymaker... OMG! These ladies were amazing, energetic and funny. I had so much fun laughing while being instructed. It wasn't dry at all. Not to mention, they both were very knowledgeable in regards to succulents. I cannot wait to explore some of their other craft nights. Who would have known there could be so much fun in succulents.?

Could use a little work on customer service. I submitted a request for a private party and the…read moreresponse was snarky. Great way for the competition to willingly take their business.

I am obsessed with Hand / Thrown! Anytime someone is looking for pottery classes I recommend this…read morelocal gem. It's women-owned, inclusive to all, and has some of the best teachers. I've taken a variety of classes with them throughout the years and always ask for a gift card to the studio during Christmastime. They offer single day courses and longer courses. Some of the single day or two-class courses I've taken have been Let's Build a Mug (hand building), Vase building (hand building one course with clay the other with flowers), Slab Boxes (hand building), Candle vessel making (hand building), and a hand building wall pocket class. I've done two Beginning Clay - Wheel Throwing classes at Hand / Thrown. I wanted to try a beginner class with a different teacher because I felt like I didn't understand it the first time. The best part about their several class courses is that they give you studio time to practice throughout the week. So not only do you learn in class, but you can use what you learned outside of class without having to buy a wheel and the materials for home (ignoring clay, you need to buy your own clay after you finish the one that comes with the class). In my time there, they offer you a choice between a plain white clay and a speckled earth tone one. They have a variety of glazes and teach you how to use them. Writing this review makes me feel day dreamy about all the time I've spent there. It's an incredible space with great natural lighting. Their classes can sell out fast, but if you sign up for their email list and sign up within the time the classes are released, you should be good to go. I highly recommend taking pottery classes at Hand / Thrown Ceramics Studio!

So I took one class here and very much enjoyed it, however when it was time for my second class, I…read morereceived an email asking to let them know my ethnographic origin, because it was for BIPOC only. I was then removed from the class because I'm white. Classes go fast, so when I saw it pop up I signed up for it ASAP, not knowing what that meant. Neither did about 8 of my friends that are black. Exclusion and segregation is not for me, so I'll gladly pay more elsewhere to avoid any further miscommunication.

Super neat store with a variety of items made by local artists. The staff is friendly, and they…read moreeven allow dogs! I'd definitely recommend stopping by if you have the chance.

From the owner: Everything is RVA-made! Original paintings and prints…read morePottery and ceramics Apparel and clothing Books, comics, eBooks and illustrations Jewelry Photography and digital art Sculpture and glass art Kids art and items Local beverages Mixed Media and textiles Film and video Home items and decor Gifts Holiday Items Band merch Music (musicians, bands and beat makers) Classes