I attended a product photography class and learned so much in 2 hours that I will have to study my notes! There is so much photography and editing capabilities on our smartphones that the average user has no idea what's available. The class was hosted in a beautiful barn-converted building on the ground of several other buildings dedicated to a variety of art-making mediums. You can join as a member to get discounts on their activities and classes or pay non-member fees but there's so much to do and see, you will surely want to come back. My only wish for the class which would have increased 1 star would be handouts of the material presented. read more

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I had my first class ever at fine line creative arts center. It was in October and I took an amazing professional glassblowing class. Alan was absolutely so patient and detailed and very accommodating since I was a beginner. I highly recommend this class and all the classes here. It's definitely worth the money and super fun, I cannot wait to take my next class. Such a great experience. 5 stars!!!! And by the way, if you ever walk around the property, you will find such a neat art that were made by the artists. I always enjoy walking around outside of the buildings and inside too. You will find inspiration and such unique Art everywhere. Such a neat place! Thank you so much. read more

Fine Line Creative Arts Center - My beautiful glass blown pumpkin I made in the professional glass blowing class with teacher Alan - Art Galleries Near Me - Saint Charles, Illinois

Delightful arts center on the edge of town. It looks like it was started in an old barn and just expanded from there into other (some new) buildings. Now it is a pretty well-developed facility, with its own on-site parking. You can purchase materials for many creative arts projects here - they even have a nice selection of yarns and needles for the knitting arts. They also give lessons/classes in most artsy crafts for groups, and have presentations from time to time. It is amazing how many different arts and crafts they touch upon here - metalworking, ceramics, glass and paper arts, painting, textiles, and the list goes on. Whatever you are into, you'll probably find it here. Neat resource for the surrounding community. read more

Fine Line is one of the best art centers I have been to and great resource to the community, and surrounding suburbs. I have had the pleasure of being a student in two classes so far, and the teachers have each been friendly and knowledgeable in their fields of expertise. I only wish the courses were a little more intensive, especially considering the prices of some classes. They offer a variety of classes, including pottery, woodworking, weaving, painting, and drawing, and even one on one tutoring for some of them. Depending on the class, you have access to a wide range of material and free studio time as well. It's worth noting that the art center is located on a gorgeous property, and has a private prairie across their parking lot. The classes are often on the expensive side, so the membership is well worth the cost, as the fee can be made up in as little as 2 classes. read more

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I took my first class at Fine Line Creative Arts Center, and I don't think I'll be going back due to the teacher I had. I took a landscape felting class and found her demeanor to be lacking in positivity, creativity and energy. She put drawings on the table at the beginning of class and asked us to pick one as inspiration. When I picked mine, she looked at me and said "That might be overly ambitious." So in my head I'm wondering why she put it on the table then as an option. Plus, it's only supposed to be inspiration, right? Not exact. So, then we began to create our backgrounds for the landscape. Even though everyone was working on theirs, for some reason she had to look at me and say I'm putting too much effort into it. Again, in my mind, I'm thinking...what? I was simply doing a background that matched my inspiration. No different than anyone else in the class. She actually began to make me feel self-conscious a little and so I didn't do as much work on the background that I would normally have done, but thankfully I had taken felting at a different place (and better place) so I knew she was wrong in her comment to me. I think the most disturbing part of my experience was when I was in the gallery. People were finishing up their backgrounds and I was done, so I walked into the gallery to look around. I was interested in purchasing a ceramic wall hanging and wanted to take a photo to send to my husband to discuss. For some reason, her animal sense of smell drew her out of the classroom to scold me in the gallery for taking a photo. Shouldn't she have been taking care of her students instead of acting like a cranking mother? Not even the girl at the desk near the gallery treated me this way. Well, since I seemed to be the one she was focusing on to take our her aggressions, I opted to not have lunch with the group... sit outside... and enjoy the warmth and silence of the sun. Anyways, with this experience, I started to realize that the only friendly person I happened to notice at this place was the lady in the gift shop. At least she smiled and had a good energy about her. I do glass art but have been trying new things this year, and I don't need to go to a place that is going to squash my creativity within the first few minutes of the class and then treat me like a child. I won't be back. read more

I have had both great and no so good experiences with their classes. Drawing classes for "beginners" - don't signup if you are a beginner unless the course says it is FOR beginners; if it is a mix of talent you will waste your money, Aside from that I have had great experiences with the instructors and the facilities. There is a nice display of artists' work and some can be purchased. read more

The Fine Line was very cool. At first I didn't quite understand what it really was, however when I picked up the brochure I learned that they offer a wide variety of art classes, and facilitate some pretty cool creative endeavors. The entire barn-themed area was very cool and interesting and seemed very peaceful. Ideally, my next visit will be for a class, however I'll have to wait for some extra cash to come my way; not to say a course would be 'expensive' I just don't quite have the means/time for an extra expense like that. They also sell art supplies and I think every color of yarn that ever existed. TFL is certainly worth a visit. read more

I love coming here. The people are so friendly and inspirational. There are year-round classes in textiles, ceramics, jewelry and metalsmithing, blacksmithing, glass art, lampworking, painting, paper arts, felting, wood, and more. I would really come check out their Christmas Show tons of gifts for the holidays. Also the people are so kind they really are helpful. They also have a day in January that is called Exploration day and you get to really learn several different thing and they serve food. read more

Good classes, & a good school. Many worthwhile things going on here. -1 star = incorrect information over the phone (called the day before, & asked specifically about the blacksmithing class (weather permitting was listed on the web site). Was told it would be available. The weather had not changed from 24 hours previously, & blacksmithing was not available. - 1 star = went to their 'open house' (exploration day) & " had to be preregistered " per telephone. When signing up for a membership, they would not give you the member price for that day's class. Technically it works, but is (i.m.h.o.) not a very good way to recruit a new members who are willing to spend a couple of hours getting there & back. read more

I'm currently finishing up my first wheel throwing class here and have really enjoyed it. My instructor is incredibly knowledgable, patient and nice to everyone and within 3 months I have learned a great deal. Also, included in classes, they let us practice in the studio and make pieces whenever it's not in use for class. That's really nice -- I'm there up to three days a week. The only reason this isn't five stars is that it's a bit disorganized -- it's hard to tell when classes are b/c no schedule is posted, they've often been out of clay and glazes and it takes a long time to get pieces fired and finished due to no real schedule. But these are all things I barely think about due to the enjoyment, overall. For those looking for a casual environment to explore the craft, it's perfect. read more

Nestled in the beautiful Fox River Valley, this art center was a peaceful and inviting place place to learn a new skill. It's definitely a place I'll come back to, for shopping for a special gift made by a local artist, or some fiber for my next project, or just to enjoy the setting. Check it out! read more

I heard about this place through a friend and finally made the trip to this wonderful retreat this morning. I went with another artist friend and we were treated by two ladies working there to a walking tour of the facility. They offer classes in weaving, pottery, drawing, paper making, collage, print making, jewelry....I'm sure I'm forgetting some but it's an amazing little oasis of really great artistic energy. The grounds are beautiful and the classes are taught by renown artists. I can't wait to go back and take a class. read more

Fine Line Creative Arts Center is an amazing collaborative community on a beautiful campus that now exceeds 12 acres. The diverse class openings and guest workshops with famous instructors are amazing, and both galleries onsite offer beautiful work, much of it for purchase. There are several special events per year, and one need only read the printed schedule or online descriptions to get all the information needed for a perfect visit! read more

This is an amazing place to discover the creativity inside of you. Everyone from staff, teachers to other students are helpful and friendly. The atmosphere is perfect to foster one's latent talents. I have found it an inspiring and encouraging place. So many ways to find the artist in me. read more