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    Downtown Art Center

    4.9 (16 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Downtown Art Center Photos

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    Reviews With Photos - Downtown Art Center

    Sidewalk sign
    Nadine C.

    Artwork in Downtown, Honolulu, Hawaii... Not knowing anything about art, my dentist suggested that I go to Downtown Art Center to ask about a painting that I inherited. She said to "go upstairs". Okay... I found metered street parking and looked for the entrance. Thank goodness - there was a helpful sidewalk sign in the front. I saw the stairs, climbed up, and asked the receptionist about my painting. She didn't know the artist offhand, but showed me how to use Google to learn about photos in the gallery on my phone! Ahhh... That was educational! Thank you for your help in this spacious, bright, clean space!

    The umbilical cord to entrance
    Rand E.

    Came for their new center blessing ceremony. It was so fun to see this space now and it's expansion. The ceremony was conducted by an episcopal and native Hawaiian minister. It included a prayer and cleansing & blessing ceremony. So fun to explore the whole upper and lower workplaces and galleries. Hope this gem can withstand the times. Also found out there were jazz performances every Sunday in January and many other events sponsored as well. Check out their website!

    Suri S.

    A great space to come and appreciate art and culture. They usually have different artists throughout the year showcased here. "Fire & Water" is the theme this month - The Hawaiian Islands are the result of these elements. There are benches to sit and relax too. The ladies working are always very nice and welcoming too. Come check it out till December! Free street parking on Sundays and open till 4pm.

    Irene M.

    This is why I love to wander and get lost... Driving has it's benefits I'll never give in but when you go for a stroll you do see things much more vibrant and clearer when you take it slow...DAC or Downtown Art Center is one of them. Located in the same building as the Satellite City Hall and so is the Municipal Parking is right there even the elevator takes you right besides the entrance of both floors. Two floors yup the first floor are beautiful art for sale though you need to ring yourself in to view them I decided to check the upstairs first beforehand and that level needed no request to be let in. What a stunning spacious are filled with all sorts of art I took a few of my personal favorites and left some for you to enjoy which I do recommend as it's totally free admission and I do recommend to visit their Hale Makana gift shop as it's filled with so many beautiful items and as a crafter myself there's nothing more I love than to support the arts. This nonprofit group takes donations which I did drop in the jar and took home some beautiful cards I'll send to someone to brighten their day and is just a great place to casually enjoy the beauty all around you follow them on Instagram @downtownartcenter as they do have events and classrooms as well and bring home a piece of art...support local artists! Thank you!

    Hubby's bowl
    Lois I.

    Hubby and I went the HEART street festival today....We were so fortunate to participate in painting a blank bowl with raku style. So fun, each bowl was so distinctive and fun to paint, for $15.00 per bowl, it was soooo worth it. We painted our bowls (no lines, fast), then went to have lunch. 1 hour later, our bowls were fired, cooled and ready for pick up. They were then wrapped in newspaper to protect our works of art. I wish, i could go back and paint another bowl.

    Pink Sphere, Handblown Glass by Hugh Jenkins
    Cyndy K.

    Cyndy's Bottom Line: Great art exhibits and artwork for sale. *Admission is free, Donations are welcomed *Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 11am - 6pm *Parking available on-site at Chinatown Gateway Plaza municipal lot. Entrance at 1051 Bethel Street Downtown Art Center (2nd floor) strives to teach, entertain, inspire, and inform by creating a home for a wide variety of arts and creative programs. *Scheduled exhibitions and events show casing Hawaii's local artist. *Hosts art and community-related classes and workshops for all age groups from fun filled art classes to self defense classes. *On the first floor there is a arts and gift shop that sells a wide range of artwork by local artists. You will find art, jewelry, sculptures, collectibles and beautiful hand blown glass work by Hugh Jenkins. Open on Tue-Sat, 11:00-4pm. *Website: downtownarthi.organic *Instagram: @downtownartcenter *Facebook: Downtown Art Center

    MW aka Mark White ceramic artist
    Rob B.

    Aloha, DAC is a beautiful collaboration with the City and community to create a wonderful Art Center to display local talent as well as teach to want-to-be local talent. As I'm the latter, I enjoy taking Saturday Art for Arts Sake classes to express myself in other mediums of art. I truly enjoy meandering through each months exhibit of amazing local talented artists works. If you've not been here, you need to make your way down to see each months great display of work. There is a store on the first level that features more local artists and selling on a regular basis, nice. And if you're like me and want to dabble a little, come and enjoy a class. You will be inspired, I promise. Enjoy!

    Shantell C.

    Checked out the art exhibit and Mother's Day craft fair. Large art space, albeit a little hard to find off the main road as entrance is upstairs.

    Acrylic on Canvas by Francis Oda.

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    Ask the Community - Downtown Art Center

    Review Highlights - Downtown Art Center

    *Admission is free, Donations are welcomed *Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 11am - 6pm *Parking available on-site at Chinatown Gateway Plaza municipal lot.

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    Art Tent Studio

    Art Tent Studio

    4.0
    (4 reviews)
    0.8 mi

    MY NIECE ATTENDED HERE! HER MOM ASKED ME TO WRITE ON YELP AS SHE DOESN'T HAVE AN ACCOUNT YET…read more AFTER HEARING HER STORY! I AM BEYOND UPSET! My daughter attended an art class at your studio and created a drawing of a tropical fish. We were told that because her artwork was so well done, the studio wanted to use the design to create stickers for sale. In return, my 8-year-old daughter was promised a sticker of her own design. When I later followed up, I was informed that I would need to come to the studio in person to pick up the sticker. Since we do not live nearby, I politely asked whether a few stickers could simply be mailed to us using regular postage. Instead, I was told that my daughter would receive only one sticker and that I would need to purchase any additional copies. What disappointed me most was not the value of the sticker itself--it costs only about fifty cents--but the way the situation was handled. Our family spent over $500 on classes during winter break, and I felt that mailing a few stickers featuring my daughter's own artwork would have been a thoughtful gesture, especially after the studio chose to use her design for a product. It has now been over six months, and we still have not received the promised sticker. My daughter continues to ask about it, and it is difficult to explain why something she was promised never arrived. Had the sticker never been offered in the first place, there would have been no expectation and no disappointment. This experience left me feeling that customer appreciation was lacking. While the monetary value involved is very small, keeping promises--especially to a child--is important. Unfortunately, because of this experience, I would not choose to enroll in future classes or recommend the studio to others.

    I'm so happy that I found Art Tent. I pretty much found them from a google search trying to find my…read moredaughter an art class. Art Tent is located on South Beretania right across the street from the Honolulu Police Station. They have a drop off spot on Beretania by Bo's Kitchen but the long term parking is in the back of the building. The back of the building is on Kinau Street and is in the 800 Mauka Plaza parking. There's a lot of parking back there. My daughter just finished up her second session at Art Tent Studios. She took the late class on Saturday for grades 1-3 with Mrs. Okano. At first we didn't know what to expect with art class. We didn't know anyone who attended art class here but we just wanted to try because my daughter loves art. It was such a good experience. Her teacher, Mrs Okano, is so creative with all their projects. Each week they were working on something new and interesting. My daughter was always excited to be going to art class. It's really nice that the class size is small and Mrs Okano is a great teacher. She's very patient with them and has them really explore their own creative side rather than each kid just make a copy of the teacher. At the end of the two sessions there was an art exhibition. We got to see all of the art work from all of the classes they offered. My daughter had about 6-7 projects that she completed. You could really see her growth from the first project to the last. We signed up for another session with Mrs Okano and can't wait to see what new things my daughter will be learning.

    Photos
    Art Tent Studio
    Art Tent Studio
    Art Tent Studio

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    Mudd Studio

    Mudd Studio

    5.0
    (8 reviews)
    0.2 mi

    My wife is addicted! She and a friend took a wheel throwing class over a year ago and they both…read morequickly became members soon after. Our home is now quickly filling with a large assortment of mugs, berry bowls, sake cups, rice bowls, trinket dishes, incense holders and the list goes on. On a positive note, we now have no shortage of Christmas and birthday presents. As mentioned, Mudd Studio offers wheel throwing and hand building workshops of various lengths (1 day, 3 day, etc.) They also offer studio membership. As a member, you have 24 hour access to the studio as well as use of the equipment, supplies, glazes, etc. My wife has never mentioned a negative thing about the place or people there - only that it is a positive, supportive and inspiring community. Its location in Chinatown (Smith Street) makes it a great addition to the local art scene. Support local businesses!

    My husband surprised me with a 3-day wheel class for my birthday, and I can't recommend Mudd Studio…read moreenough! Our instructor, Paola, was fantastic--she explained each step clearly and gave us plenty of space to experiment and practice at our own pace. She struck the perfect balance between guidance and freedom, and I always felt supported. Between the two of us, we made four pieces: two cute little ice cream bowls, a pretty little green cup, and a small planter that I'm absolutely in love with. The class was fun, relaxed, and such a great way to connect--not only with each other, but also with the other classmates in our small group. I can't wait to go back and keep learning (and creating)!

    Photos
    Making a large vase is always a fun challenge
    Making a large vase is always a fun challenge
    Family group learning to wheelthrow
    Family group learning to wheelthrow
    Mudd Studio

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    Oahu Art and Tech

    Oahu Art and Tech

    5.0
    (3 reviews)
    2.6 mi

    I have been looking for an art class for my son. My co-worker found this place on IG. She sent me…read morethe profile. I looked through all their post. I knew my son would love this place. I showed him the posts and he told me to sign him up right away. You have to register and pay online through their site. The Art and Tech Sunday Day Camp is perfect for our schedule. The hours are from 9AM-4PM. You can do full or half day. We need a little rest on Sunday's so the 1PM-4PM works out well for us. I'm glad I left a little earlier from Kaneohe to find their location. GPS takes you right there but there is on signage for OAT. I didn't know it was upstairs from all the restaurants. I called the number they have listed on yelp and they let us know to go up stairs. Two of the teachers greeted us at the door. They showed us around and explained what they were going to learn. His first art lesson was with Andy Lee. He is an artist for Marvel, Dragon Ball Z, etc. He was teaching Chinese brush strokes. My son jumped right in and started using the brush. After 2 hours of Art class he went to Tech class where he learned to make a vacuum out of a water bottle , card board and batteries. Yesterday day was his 2nd Sunday and he learned 3D pen art and how to construct a mini elevator/lift. He loves everything about OAT. They also give them a little time to play with big building blocks and robotic toys. He wants me to leave him there from 9AM-4PM so he can learn more. Maybe next session. I'm glad I found this place!!! I'll keep updating and posting vids and pics.

    My sons love here . They have so much fun over here .The teachers are really patience and nice …read more Highly recommended

    Photos
    OAT Logo
    OAT Logo
    Oahu Art and Tech
    Oahu Art and Tech

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    Kraft Stories

    Kraft Stories

    5.0
    (8 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    I booked the tufting class as a birthday surprise for my friend on Airbnb experiences. I saw some…read moreTiktoks a few years ago of tufting class and was sad that we didn't have anything like that here. So when I was looking for activities, I was so excited to see this class show up! We had to reschedule one time but they were super understanding and I was easily able to reschedule on the Airbnb app! The owner Chiara, was super friendly and welcoming when we arrived! She went through all the steps and safety to ensure our experience was seamless. We brought our own designs and got them approved by her but she also has examples you can use as inspiration too. If you bring your own design, for first timers I recommend something simple with simple lines and colors so you don't feel too rushed. You also have to draw your own design on the canvas but done worry too much if you're not confident in your drawing skills. The process is very forgiving so it'll still turn out good even if you don't draw your design perfectly! We had so much fun and loved how our pieces turned out! I highly recommend booking a tufting class here to anyone!

    This place rocks! An awesome 5 star experience to enjoy!…read more I booked the Turkish mosaic lamp workshop experience with Kraft Stories (KS)! All Star Yelp Elite Friend Irene M. joined me in this crafty DIY adventure. It's easy to book a workshop on the KS website. I received an email confirmation of my class and payment. A reminder is also emailed to you. Website: https://kraftstories.com/pages/honolulu There are a variety of art workshops available each week. Currently the Rug Tufting Workshop is in hot demand! The Turkish Lamp workshop is scheduled for two hours. We went a bit overtime. Oops. Our instructor was Kardi. She is so helpful and priceless, as she guided us on each step of the process. Her patience with me gained her five stars! ; ) Refreshments are offered to you during the workshop and bathrooms are available in a separate upstairs location nearby. Thank you Kraft Stories Nur and Chiara, and Instructor Kardi for a wonderful experience. Time to take another KS workshop! Enjoy the pictures!

    Photos
    Kraft Stories
    Kraft Stories
    Kraft Stories

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    Na Lima Mili Hulu No'eau

    Na Lima Mili Hulu No'eau

    5.0
    (11 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    Mele is warm and inviting and very knowledgeable in the art of feather lei making. She is patient…read moreand shares about the history of this art form as she teaches you how to make various types of leis, flowers, kahili etc. she is a fabulous teacher and has such an infectious laugh. The hour just flew by.

    Aunty Paulette & Aunty Mary Lou have a huge place in Hawaiian history, because they have…read morecontributed so much to the preservation of the talent for feather lei making. The talent and aloha of these two icon oozes out when you go and visit their shop on Kapahulu Avenue. I was first introduced to feather lei making when I used to dance hula for Na Lei Hulu I Ka Weiku. When my kumu (dance teacher) asked us to make a lei hulu (feather lei) for a dance performance, I was super dissapointed because I knew it was going to be a LOT of work. But WOW - that was perhaps one of the best things that I have ever done in my history of dancing hula. Since my first feather lei making experience, I have visited Aunty Paulette & Aunty Mary Lou almost every time I go back home to Honolulu. I always learn something new, and both are always willing to share their no'eau (knowledge) with me. I just wish one day I could have a small percentage of their talents. They are not only knowledgeable on making lei hulu, but they know a LOT about Hawaiian history, the protocol for Hawaiian culture, and people who have influenced the development of the Hawaiian culture. The store is a nice and cozy little store. The store offers very reasonable and very unique feathers to make leis. Feathers from the goose, to the rooster, to the peacock, to peasant, etc are all in the store ready for your selection. Prices are very reasonable, and Aunty is always willing to give you a quick tip or hint if you ask. There are several ready-made lei hulu for sale in a display case - made by the aunties and their haumana (students). My favorite thing in the store is the royalty cape made purely of yellow and red feathers. It's one of Aunty Mary Lou's most famous masterpieces! Aunty Paulette & Aunty Mary Lou - mahalo nui loa no kou no'eau. Nunui ka hau'oli au no kou makana mai ia'u. Malamalama.

    Photos
    Maui workshop
    Maui workshop
    MAMo Night Market in Kaka'ako
    MAMo Night Market in Kaka'ako
    New Kahili for Hulihe'e Palace

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    New Kahili for Hulihe'e Palace
    The Gem Studio

    The Gem Studio

    4.6
    (86 reviews)
    3.5 mi

    My friend and I decided to learn how to make some jewelry, and I'm so glad we did! So the gem…read morestudio is located inside the international marketplace (we parked at Target and took the elevator down to the first floor). If you're coming from Target, walk straight until you see an open area to the right; it's around that corner (across from Maui Divers). Super easy to find! When we walked in, we were greeted by Jen, who happened to be our instructor as well! There are charms to pick from on the left side of the store, a table of different gems in the middle, and, to the right, a station for permanent jewelry! You'll have a base pay for what you're making, and then you'll be charged for the gems or charms when you add them on (prices are behind the gems, and charms will have a price in each of their little cubbies). My friend and I initially wanted to do the silversmith class, but we were so intrigued by the inlay, so we chose that instead! Honestly, it was super easy to make! The band has an empty center for you to crush the gems of your choosing (they offer a variety to choose from). So you crush your gems, then put a little, and I mean LITTLE, bit of resin in the empty center, place your gems on it, then cure it with the UV light and continue all around until you're done! Then you do the big curing, your artist will smooth it for you in the grinder, then you polish it by hand, then polish it on the machine! In total, it took us about an hour and a half. I honestly had so much fun and learned so much that I can't wait to do it again! All in all, my friend and I have already decided that we're coming back and trying a different project!

    Lia took me here for my birthday to Gem Studio and I loved it! Benny was our instructor and she…read morewas terrific! I would definitely return again!

    Photos
    Handmade jewelry workshops!
    Handmade jewelry workshops!
    Shop front. On the first level, across from Michael Kors.
    Shop front. On the first level, across from Michael Kors.
    One of the tables and to the back is the polishing station

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    One of the tables and to the back is the polishing station
    Honolulu Museum Of Art School

    Honolulu Museum Of Art School

    4.2
    (21 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$$

    Signed up for "Some Like It Hot" because I want to learn more about jewelry-making and had my first…read morelesson today. First time visiting the Art School and first time working with a handsaw. Metalsmithing is no joke! My left tricep is sore just from holding the copper piece in place. The instructor, Juvana S., was professional, approachable, friendly, and seems knowledgeable. I found myself wishing the class was a YouTube tutorial because I need to watch/hear some things on repeat and also pause when needed. The class went on a good pace though since my fellow classmates were mostly new to this type of thing. The Metals Studio has everything (I guess) stocked and laid out. The three hours went by really quickly. I can't wait to learn more in the weeks to come!

    I went to the Pecha Kucha night (20 slides, 20 seconds each) on Friday to get a flavor of this…read morestyle of presentation (to implement in my classroom). We showed up minutes before intermission and right away I noticed... 1. The sound quality was poor (you could barely hear from the back where most of the crowd was standing) 2. There were limited stools to sit on but a majority of the crowd was standing... 3. There was a tent with free beer but they don't serve during the presentations (intermission looked like a scene from Walmart on Black Friday) The presentations were... not what I expected. The next Pecha Kucha night is on March 9th and I think I'm going to give it another shot. Chamorro Grindz was the featured food truck but we ate before we came (the reason why we were an hour late). The highlight of the night was when I discovered that teachers can check out artifacts to share with their students ... for free.

    Photos
    Honolulu Museum Of Art School
    Parking fee
    Parking fee
    Honolulu Museum Of Art School

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    Downtown Art Center - artclasses - Updated August 2026

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