Not sure why this is reported as permanently closed. I just took a class there this past weekend…read moreand it was great! I took a beginner woodworking workshop, with Joe as the instructor and loved it. Learning new things in general is fun and even though I have no future in carving wood because of my own lack of patience and skill, I would still take another class! The workshop was all day from 10-5, and the instruction was great, very informative, helpful, and patient. Emphasis on safety while treating us all like adults. High quality tools and equipment that were in great shape, and high quality materials and wood for us to work on. The classes here fill up really fast and there are wait lists for a lot of them. I believe the capacity was five students due to covid, but in the woodshop we were in, there were only six workstations anyway, so I'm guessing the normal class sizes are not big either. Lots of classes on the website and new ones seem to be listed regularly. There's a lot of workshops but I hope they offer more weekly classes. They didn't answer the phone during posted hours but are very responsive and friendly with email response. I'm really looking forward to trying out more here when more classes open up!

This is one of the few folks schools west of the Mississippi. Folk Schools started in the…read moreAppalachian mountains as a way to pass on mountain and folk crafts. Arbutus Folk School always has a wide range of classes, including ceramics, blacksmithing, basketweaving, and other textile arts. There is a small gallery store too. They co-sponsor the Olympia Old Time Music Festival and other music concerts, classes, and a monthly open mike. It's a great place to take classes.

Had a terrific time attending the beginner's watercolor class with Andrea. I've painted before and…read morethe class offered some fun techniques I hadn't heard of. The group was engaged and kind, with other artists in attendance who shared their interesting styles as well. A fun, relaxing evening of supportive and enjoyable folks!

Wow, this gallery has such a diverse collection of the most beautiful art from all local artists…read more There is something for everyone and in every price point. The owners are very helpful and super friendly. So happy I stopped in today.

As one of the Gallery Boom artists I can say, I have found my happy place. I am also the artist…read morethat runs the watercolor class Thursday and Friday Check my social media for times. RayTen Creative Design. Hope to see ya soon.

Wow! What a discovery this place was! I didn't even have Gallery Boom on my list of bookmarks in…read moreOlympia. We just happened to park by it as we were going to explore and grab a bite to eat in downtown Olympia. I asked the cashier how long the place has been around and I was told it's been around for about two years. I'm a bit shocked that no Yelp entry has been made yet. Gallery Boom is a gallery that features over 100 local artists and virtually all of the work here is for sale. The prices on a great deal of the art pieces asked by the artists seem very reasonable. Since this gallery features so many artists the variety on what type of art there is here is quite vast. I bought several things here... a dried mushroom under glass, a purple crystal, a Christmas ornament with moss in it, a UFO rear view mirror hanging ornament and the bigger purchase a small lamp. Pictures of most of those things to follow. I was very excited to get this lamp as the artist makes all kinds of sizes of lamps that are inspired by sci-fi, UFO's, the Space Needle and other similar building structures like it. I first came across these lamps at another Olympia art gallery, Matter Art Gallery. That gallery has since gone defunct and I was very sad to no longer see these lamps but now I know a great physical location to go to for these lamps (the same artist like many of the other artist either have their own website, a point of contact or an Etsy account as well). It was great reconnecting with those artistic lamps again! The cashier said that reaching out to nearly all of the artists is easy and they are very receptive to communicating with the public. This also reflects onto the gallery itself as it doesn't come across stuffy or pretentious in the slightest. The cashier also mentioned that the art for sale can rotate out relatively quickly and that their is almost always something new to examine in a relatively short amount of time. Not only that but one pass down the aisles here just doesn't seem to do it justice. It seems like each time you walk where you already were you see something that didn't catch your eye the first time. So you can spend a lot of time here just doing that. I'm totally addicted to this place! I am SO coming back here but I'm going to wait maybe several weeks to a month for new art pieces to get brought in. If nothing else I'm most likely going to buy another one of those lovely lamps!

Not sure if this business is still open but I called and left two voicemail over the course of…read morethree weeks because I wanted to sign up for a private Pilates class and get pricing. No call backs and when I drive by the location, I never see anyone there or the lights on, but Yelp still shows up with business hours. Oh well, on top the next place.

I've been taking pilates classes for just a few months but have really enjoyed them. There are a…read moreton of options which is really nice: short lunch-time mat classes fit in with the work week really well but then it's nice to also add in longer evening classes. I've only tried the mat classes so can't speak to their several other class types. There's always something new in the mat classes so never repetitive and target different strengths. Primarily only taken classes with Heather and really like her style! She's easy to follow and has a nice tone to her instruction. She's really flexible and nice about scheduling and using the package too. I've seen a few deals (Living Social & Groupon) around too so makes it more affordable to try out.

I really wanted to love this program and teacher. Unfortunately, we had several negative…read moreexperiences which completely outweigh the benefit of the uniqueness of her model of teaching. We signed up for two months of monthly programs (meeting twice per month) for our two kids, who after their nervousness had passed began to really enjoy the program, and we had intended to continue with the weekday programs this fall. However the teacher/director began canceling at 2am or midnight the night before (long after kids were in bed, lunches and bags packed, plans were made for adults). Not only did she cancel so late, but she claimed it was due to lack of enrollment (wouldn't it be more appropriate to determine that at the least earlier in the day the day prior when people who ARE enrolled would get the notice before the morning of? It left me thinking she must just be out partying. She promised via text that she would offer make up days for what we'd paid for and never responded to me again.) On top of that, she had awarded us financial aid for the second summer session (which was supposed to cover four meetings) and then canceled all but the first one. So she ripped us off on top of that- don't award financial aid to low income families who cannot afford to send kids to programs like this ordinarily and then treat them like they are second-class students. I sent her multiple emails attempting to work out a solution and get some reassurance that this isn't her normal way of treating her students and their families. We never received any explanation, no negative feedback about our kids, nothing but positives, and then suddenly ignored, canceled, and feeling highly disrespected. No response from Brooke after two months. So absolutely not recommended!

From the owner: Environmental Connections Outdoor School provides high-quality outdoor education in the Olympia…read morearea. Come join us to learn about animal tracking, edible and medicinal plants, survival skills, primitive fire and shelter building, all while becoming connected with nature, community, and self.

We had an awesome and fun time "Sip and Painting" with Konnex and Ricki, our artist trainer. She…read morewas very friendly and helpful. We painted for my birthday and several of us had never painted before...Ricki made it easy to follow along and to enjoy the process. I highly recommend this group and Ricki if you want a fun, different and creative activity to do.

I love Konnex. Rikki is incredibly talented. Not just with her artistic skills, but also being…read moreencouraging and patient. She helps you create something amazing that you wouldn't have thought you could do before. It's really a fun and fulfilling experience!

My name is Jérémie, I just completed my CDS course in Olympia. It was such an amazing experience,…read moreall of the instructors and staff were very helpful, respectful and supportive. I had such a great time and made some good friends. I highly recommend this school for anyone seeking commercial drivers licenses. Thank you so much again for everything!

My experience with CDS (Commercial Driving School) in Olympia has been absolutely amazing. Everyone…read moreworking here has been kind, personable, respectful, and patient with me as a student. The Evening Instructor, Dave, has been instrumental in my success as a driver. He has taken me aside and helped me, and other students, every step of the way. Being able to pinpoint areas we need to work on, and how to get out of a tough situation i.e; Backing at an odd angle, being stopped on a hill with traffic directly behind the truck, how to safely downshift, etc. He also stands behind his students as an instructor. He genuinely wants everyone to succeed. Very cool, very funny, awesome guy. The Pre-Trip Instructor, Nicole, has been awesome. When you're handed the Pre-Trip paperwork to study, it can be extremely intimidating. She instantly came up with solutions on how to memorize certain areas in various ways, from simplicity such as highlighting acronyms to using phrases and sayings to help solidify parts of the vehicle in your mind. She has no issue bouncing back and forth between students to make sure everyone is progressing at an appropriate pace. Very smart, very funny, super patient. Even if these two individuals aren't around for whatever reason, there are other people you could use for help as well. I was stuck memorizing an area and the Senior Vice President of the company had no issue giving me the time, helping get an area down. The ladies in the front office are super helpful as well. This company wants to work with you, not throw you on an assembly line, so to speak. 5/5 Would always recommend to anyone interested in acquiring a commercial driver's license.

JZ Knight opened her compound to the public for an 80% off sale. Grounds were strange with shooting…read morerange and multiple trailers parked all over it. Warehouse was huge and she did have a great sale. Her items are pretty fuffy and expensive to say the least. I looked at a small wooden jewelry box that would have normally been a maximum of $25 at any antique shop. She wanted $1250 for it. Even when you take 80% off that it is ridiculous. She overcharges for everything. She may have nice products but not many can afford them.

Outstanding school. Most unique and remarkable curriculum on teaching you how to concentrate along…read morewith classes in biology, neuroscience and smattering of physics. A couple good restaurants nearby in town of Yelm. Mr Dougs has a good breakfast. Simply Organic, the Cinema restaurant and La Gitana for pizza I recommend.

This school is the worst the instructor is the worst. And then they make you pay extra for a drive…read morewhen you already has paid 500.00 dollars. Don't go to this school. I made a mistake sending my child here.

My son just went to this school due to convenience, I personally witnessed the way this Debbie…read morewoman speaks to the students - belittling, condescending, unprofessional. I did not pay $600 for someone to treat my child this way, when i can do that for free. Please DO NOT take your child here. We should have stuck with 911 school. If I could give zero stars I would!

I felt very welcomed when walking in the office. I met Nico my drivers instructor in the lobby and…read morehe was very welcoming and friendly. Before we started the test he made sure I was comfortable and made sure I didn't have any question. Nico explained what the test would look like before be began driving. While taking my test he made sure he gave me enough time to turn lanes or make a left turn. I had my last instructor in Lakewood tell me when to turn last minute which caused me to "lose points". Here they definitely make you feel comfortable and they don't judge you when you make a mistake simply kindly explain how you could do better or differently at the end of the test. -Esmeralda E.

Martin was an amazing driving instructor. He truly gave his all to ensure my daughter received…read moreintentional instruction, compassion, humor, and understanding as she went through this process. He is a wonderful teacher, who also took the time to connect with me, and let me know how to help prepare her on our own drives to get her ready for her driving test.