Great drawing school! My daughter has taken several classes there and really enjoys it. This isn't…read morea simplistic "keep them busy with art" type of place. My daughter has been learning quite in-depth techniques that result in great pieces of art (yes, I'm biased, but its not just my daughter's art that is impressive). Instructors clearly know their stuff, and are great with the kids, too. Highly recommend if you child (or you) truly want to learn about art.

Our children both attended ActonArt. Our daughter began at ActonArt the very first summer that they…read moreopened when she was just 6 years old. She continued to take classes through high school; art continues to be an important part of her life. Our son also took ActonArt classes for several years. He especially enjoyed the summer workshops. ActonArt has a robust and thoughtful curriculum that is always fresh and interesting. Each instructor brings their own unique talent, compassion, and enthusiasm to every class. But ActonArt does not just teach art, it gives students a sense of belonging where it is safe to express themselves. Each student can progress at their own rate without judgement or pressure. ActonArt has spread its love and appreciation for art, touching the lives of so many students- children and adults, alike! ActonArt is a very special place!!

The buildings are falling apart and they accept literally everyone, so be prepared to be the only…read moreperson in the class without crippling disabilities Your tuition goes nowhere helpful

Represent! I loved my time here, even in 31 Essex, which I…read moremay be the only one to say that. I wish they had an MFA program, because I would surely take it. After working a brief stint as a gallery director, I know first hand how poorly other school prepare you for the "real world." The only two submission packages which I received, in the three months with TemporaryGallery, that showed any sense of professionalism were from MCAers (they will remain nameless, as they both are very humble and get rosy over compliments). But I don't only have to compare the school to others to note why I love it: Scott Hadfield, Barbara Moody, Luara Tonelli, Marjorie Augenbraum, and the list goes on. Small class sizes and great teachers make this school. Every teacher gives a new a fresh perspective, none jaded by the years of professing. OH I CAN'T FORGET LEN! Len is amazing

This is an awesome community resource with very unique classes. I'm looking forward to taking more…read moreclasses there!

I find the Academy convenient because there are many classes under one roof and saves me time from…read moredriving around. My child also went for the summer camp and had a great time. The instructors were super friendly. They give her great tips with her artwork and allowed her to add her own personality to her art work. My friend's kid did the children's theater and we loved going to watch their production of Wizard of Oz. My kid and I took Bollywood dance exercise classes which was fun. This is hands down one of the best places around! Plenty of parking and very convenient location.

A local art center that provides children's classes as well as adult ones. They range from painting…read moreto ceramics to stained glass, with a lot of one shot deals (book making or Raku (which looks totally cool)) I took the stained glass class and it was great. You buy a few supplies, but most of it can be found at the center including a lot of scrap glass that is perfect for your first projects. I made an owl panel, a ghost, a Patriots logo, a frame, and two maple leaves in the course of the class. You go at your own pace and everyone is fairly nice. Lots of parking, right by the All things Sicilian store that I always meant to go into but never have.

My children took classes for a couple of years. Mostly the children enjoyed them a lot. The last…read moretime we signed up was when the teacher threw out a bunch of ceramics within a few days of the class ending and without warning that we would not even be able to return on the regularly scheduled day to pick them up. I don't know why the kids did not receive all their ceramics to that point or why an email or flier wasn't given to the parents telling us the deadline but the communication was completely absent. After that I figured we would stick to different art centers.

I bring my 4 year old and 2 year old during school closures to their Art Sense class. It is…read moreperfect, because they both can be there together. They both really enjoy the class and my 4 year old always ask when we can go to the next art class. The class is 45 minutes long, but I would say the first 10-15 minutes is free play where they set up a few art inspired stations for the kids to explore, approximately 20 minutes of more structured art class, then 10 minutes for clean up and story time. The -1 comes from two things... 1 - It can be costly to do drop in classes for both kids. It is $35/kid, though they do give a 20% sibling discount, so it is $63/2 kids, plus the $2 service from the site vs. $100/month/kid which would be equivalent to approximately $25/class. It is a way more affordable to enroll monthly but they do not offer Art Sense classes over the weekend so it is not really supportive of kids that attend school during the week. It would be nice if they had an option to buy X amount of classes upfront at the $25/rate that could be used amongst multiple children. We've tried other art classes in neighboring towns and I would say Kidcasso is probably at the higher price point. 2 - This only happened once but there was one class where the teacher did not show the end product upfront for the kids. I am not sure if this was intentional to allow creative freedom but for one of my kids that appreciates a bit more structure to build confidence, I could tell she was more cautious and waiting to see what other kids were doing or asking me for some guidance. The other times when she knew what the end goal was she was more confident creating her artwork and leverage her creative freedom to still create something that was hers. For my other child, she did not care because she doesn't follow rules/directions anyways. It didn't impact the experience for my children, but it was something that was noticeable for one of my children in how they approached that specific art class.

My 2 grandsons, ages 8 & 5, have taken classes with Miss Kelsey in Wakefield. The first ever…read moreclass they attended, they drew Van Gogh's Haystacks. We were amazed at the end results. Both boys have their drawings proudly displayed on a shelf in their bedrooms. Since then, they have thoroughly enjoyed the class and eagerly look forward to the next visit.

Jason is a master artist who works in painting and drawing. He is also a masterful teacher who is…read moregifted in his ability to approach his students at their skill level and guide them towards where they individually want to go with making art. Jason did not intrude or insist on using his own artist way, but offered me his experience and knowledge to assist me in my ongoing ways of making art. His studio space and his generosity with art materials to use, along with the modern facilities in the building The Art Studio is within on Hanover street allows me to focus on learning and doing more making art.

The staff is amazing…read more My daughter is nine years old, and has been attending various classes at Creative Arts for the past 2 years. They offer pottery, music, voice, acting, and much more that I am sure I am not including. I highly recommend Creative Arts if you have a child interested in learning more with terrific instructors.

I enrolled my daughter in classes for the summer of 2019 and am so glad I did. With art, music and…read moretheater, they have something for everyone. She was enrolled in a week of theater and multiple weeks of art instruction with a wide array of art classes to choose from. With an artshow each Friday, we enjoyed the opportunity to see the the kids amazing artwork on display. We ended up with multiple frame-worthy pieces, one of which the clerk at the frame shop said she'd never have guessed was created by a 6 year old, it was that good. My daughter had a great time, the staff was fantastic, they offered before and after care which was critical for us working full time and we were incredibly pleased by the overall experience. We re-enrolled for February vacation, are planning for summer camp, and see ourselves as lasting patrons for the years to come.

I just completed my second term and Katherine was amazing, once again! This term, summer, is…read morecondensed into 6 weeks, but because I am moving out of the state, Katherine did all she could to help me start and finish my painting in 3 weeks. The painting was a gift to my sister and not only did the recipient love her gift from me, I loved the gift that Katherine gave me. She helped me to understand that time is precious and if it is spent wisely, any goal could be accomplished. If you are even considering taking a painting class, I would give this school a chance. It will change your view on your own creativity and your view on what it means to teach. Katherine is a gem! She, and her school, cannot be replicated or duplicated. I am sad that I will probably not be able to find anything like them where I am moving. Oh, and the ice cream breaks in the summer aren't so bad either.

The Katherine Martin Widmer School of Painting is just an example of the many wonderful things that…read moreare right before you waiting to be discovered. I have lived in the Somerville area for years now and in that time thought about how nice it would be to have a creative space. I dabbled in the fine arts in school, but without the physical space and guidance, lost the motivation to explore further. This school has allowed me the opportunity to do so. The instructor, Katherine, is a wonderful teacher, providing just the right amount of instruction and is one of many reasons why the school has such an encouraging environment. The studio itself is lovely. It's on the third floor with lots of windows and a sky light. Usually the soft voices of Billy Holiday or Nina Simone waft through the air. In addition, the students (many of whom have been attending for years) are from all different backgrounds/ages and are a pleasure to get to know.

Came here during an Open Studio Saturday, see their website for dates. That is when you will see…read moremany of the studios open. First floor has an amazing collection of artist created items from their studios. Glass, paintings, textile, pottery, jewelry. Many one of a kind. This gift shop has regular open hours on weekends and weekdays. Check their hours. I loved peeking into the individual artists studios, most of the artists were present for this open studio event. Meeting and asking about pieces is special. I went back later in the week to purchase a small gift. Wonderful items and selection and prices were reasonable. Priced as low as $5.00 to 1000's. 5 floors with much to see, accessible by stairs and elevator.

Awesome in every way! The ultimate of ultimate. .. It had…read morebeen some time since my last visit...loved it then and I love it even more now . Today ( this weekend) is a special one with a holiday art market. Lots to see. Most of the artists were in their studios with some giving demos of their work. We were a small group & spent several hours visiting . I was so inspired! We did a short coffee break at the lovely place across from The Loading Dock gallery. The coffee fresh & excellent. There was also a food truck outside that looked interesting . Im looking at returning on the next, " first Saturday" because there's just so much to see!