I don't buy a lot of stuff here, but it's the first place I go when I need anything crafts-y like…read more The coolest thing I bought was fabric printer paper. I like paint pens as well. I have not been to any of their art classes, but they always look well attended. The angle parking out front is always full. There is so much stock in there, it's overwhelming, but the staff is very helpful. It's technically off Whyte Ave, but I'm adding it to my cool East Whyte ave list.

I enjoy abstract painting and a little sketching here and there. If I am on Whyte Avenue and need…read morebrushes, pencils, pens, or sketchbooks, I head to The Paint Spot. The selection is great, prices are reasonable, and staff are helpful. Students get a discount with ID, and the staff themselves are artists, so they really know what they are talking about. Other supplies available at The Paint Spot include canvasses, cutting materials, and, of course, paint of all kinds. There is even a gallery in the basement featuring the work of local artists, and The Paint Spot is central to the annual Art Walk on Whyte.

Think of the Edmonton City Arts Centre as a cruise ship far out at sea, with lots of activities…read moreplanned to keep you happy. The catalogue headers give a good idea of the breadth available: cooking and baking, crafts and handiwork, dance, mind and body, music, photography, pottery and sculpture, silversmithing, soaps and lotions, theatre, visual art, and writing. The hunnybunny has done some silversmithing, pottery (pix added to this review), and painting, and we've done a cooking class together. There's a lot you can use to distract yourself from a particularly heavy snowstorm :-) The classes have been well planned and leave you with a nice artifact to commemorate your new (or growing) skill. The teachers personalities vary, so not all students will click with all teachers, but the centre seems pretty responsive in allowing switching between classes.

I recently came for a cooking class at this venue. I went in the front entrance and the staff…read moreperson at the front desk directed me to the stairs to the second floor. For a Sunday morning, they had a room with art class, children's programming on computers, and then the Antique room where the cooking class was. The class had about 9 students and there were tables and chairs set up. When it was time to cook, the kitchen got a bit crowded with 2 stoves and people standing around the middle counter space. We had to maneuver around others to find cooking utensils and bowls. But all the cupboards and drawers are labelled so it wasn't too difficult to find what you're looking for. The knives were sharp and they have lots of cutting boards. There are also lots of pans and some deep ones to hold lots of food. We cooked, ate, and then cleaned up. They even had containers for those that wanted to take some leftovers home. The venue is convenient with parking and also accessible by walking or transit. It's an older building as the washrooms are dated but everything was clean and in working order. I would come back and take a class here again.

Mariam is an exceptional artist with compassion, generosity and care leading her way. Her…read moreattention to detail and capacity to create a truly unique experience is insightful and holistically engaging.

From the owner: Mariam Qureshi's Art Studio is a vibrant and creative space located in the heart of the city. The…read morestudio offers a wide range of activities for art lovers of all ages, including studio visits, an art and plant gift shop, art on exhibit, art classes, and workshops.

Kids take a weekly private lesson focused on popular rock music and can also join a rock band that…read morepractices weekly and performs a few times a year. The motivation to improve comes very fast when there's a purpose to the learning and the students consistently experience personal and team success. Teachers at the school are young, fun experts at their instruments, and they are always learning a new instrument themselves, so they know how it feels to be a student. This music school is unlike any other in Edmonton. The owners are highly educated, creative, flexible people, and so are the staff. Their methods create high motivation. Your kiddo will WANT to play! Mine sure did. In my experience, Backbeat provides a 100% happy musical experience for kids of all ages. Thank you to Dan and Nella Sabo for bringing this unique opportunity to Edmonton's kids.

Awesome music school for teenagers offering both private lessons and rock bands. Great teachers who…read morereally know teenagers and how to make performing fun and not intimidating. My son started with private bass lessons and then joined a rock band this year. He's a shy kid who now loves playing in a band and on stage.

Came to Viva for a fun experience throwing clay for the first time. Heather our instructor was very…read moreinformative and helpful throughout the whole 90minutes of hands on learning. Your first throw, the instructor guides you through the 5 steps of throwing clay and then on your second you're on your own. Heather will assist if you need help. You can pick the best project of the 2 or pay for both if they came out better than you expected. You get to choose your glaze out of a bunch of colors and then studio staff does that for you. As well as an extra $5 charge for handles if you're making a mug. After the class is finished you get the opportunity to buy local artists pottery from a large selection of works if you wish. We would definitely book another class with Viva to keep perfecting our skills.

I discovered Clayworks Studio Link through a "fieldtrip" when I was working at a childcare centre…read more They came over and did a workshop with us at the centre, and it went great. The kids and staff (including myself) loved it! The lady from the studio brought over all the supplies, and everyone received their own ceramic tile to paint. She had an array of stencils available for those of us who hadn't a clue what to do. She was very patient with the kids (we had a large group) and helped them out with their tiles. Afterwards, the tiles were taken back to the studio to be fired up and glazed, and were given to the kids a couple weeks later. I highly recommend Clayworks for your next party or if you work with kids. They host painting parties, workshops, and various pottery classes at their studio. They also offer school outreach programs and teacher workshops. For drop-in painting, the price you pay for your piece includes everything from the paint to the glaze, so the number is already calculated for you. It's a great way to fire up your imagination, and hey, Christmas is coming up soon -- why not do something different?

I have done many paint nights and have had a great time. In this case it's not the evening or the…read morehost. It's the administrative side. I bought 2 passes at a discounted rate to be used at an event I chose. Well I choose the event over a month ago yet my redemption codes do not work. I have tried for a month to get this resolved but no one will email or call me back to fix this. I have my receipt buying the 2 passes but are useless until someone talks to me. Also my event is now sold out which makes me even madder. So I've been essentially robbed of my $70 pass fee as I can't use them. They expire in 3 months. I also have the 14 emails I have sent this company. My last resort was to hope they see this review and care enough to get ahold of me. Carrie

Paint Nite is a great way to spend an evening with friends doing something a little different…read more Whether you're an artist, a hobbyist or just looking to try something new. Even if you go alone, you're sure to have a great time! My Paint Nite was a charity even for the Edmonton Humane Society's "Poochy Mamas" with proceeds going to EHS's. Our instructor was up beat and very encouraging. He went through the steps a little quickly but had a few assistants there to help out if need be. Whether you needed more paint or some advice they quickly were at your service. My only advice is that depending on where you're located in the room it can be difficult to see what's going on. I had to sneak a peek at others work to make sure I was doing okay! Lol... It was awesome to see everyone's masterpieces at the end! Overall my PN experience was fun!

I took a mosaics workshop a couple of years ago with Margo Anton and it was fantastic. She is a…read moregreat teacher, and taught us all of the skills and principals we needed to work confidently on a creative project that was completed by the time our session was over. She made it easy to obtain the supplies for our projects and her easy way made learning about something brand new to me both fun and enjoyable. The work she has done herself is absolutely beautiful. She's a very talented, self-taught artist who is incredibly deserving of success in her small business. She does commissioned pieces and her samples can be viewed at www.minervamosiaics.com.

I didn't even know about this place until I was googling sensory toys for my daughter and this came…read moreup. We came by one day, and I was amazed at how massive the place is. And the selection of toys! Incredible! My daughter was in heaven! Tons of sensory stuff - slime, squishies, glitter wands, a massive selection of Nee-Doh, etc etc. They also sell Schleich figurines, bunch of kits/sets for science, magic, gems, etc, and other "regular" toys. We mainly stayed in the toy section, so we didn't venture over to the hobby side, but it looked like there was tons of stuff. Place was clean and well organized. Ample free parking in the lot outside.

Policy of leaving items on check-out counter a huge problem! Make sure to buy unique items right…read moreaway, left 2 last of their kind Nitro RC engines at checkout, while continuing to shop, and "another" customer bought them, only for sales rep to tell me, he be back tom for $ return, only to spite me!? Worst Hobby Store and CS possible, better to shop online via Amazon / Ebay etc, have done ever since, their stock so limited not even worth shopping there !? unless your buying Traxxas Crap etc, they do not offer much Hobby Scale quality items if any !! not even Tamiya SuperChamp front tires or rims etc !!?