Really great instruction, not only are the teachers experts at what they're teaching, they're also…read moreskilled at teaching. This is different from most maker spaces, where you're lucky if someone teaching a class is either an expert or good at teaching -- most likely, they're a hobbyist who's just put a little more time into it than you and isn't particularly good at teaching. Some instructors who are excellent (non-exhaustive list): Eric Blanpied for Wood and Metal, Mark Metz for Blacksmithing, David Weisbach for TIG Welding, and the Machining instructors (anonymous because they work at companies that don't want them on social media). The Crucible is one of the highlights of the bay area, worth visiting for a weekend day-long class as a tourist or for the weekly classes if you live in the area.

I wish I were writing a review of the facilities, instructors, class quality, or my experience in a…read moreclass, maybe even showing a picture of my cool finished art... but I can't, because of failure after failure on the part of the management. I received a glass flameworking class as a surprise for Christmas, paid for, with the option for me to move it to a number of dates. I chose the March 8th date. It's been THREE MONTHS of multiple calls, voicemails, and emails per week to The Crucible. We have gotten ONE single response the entire time: something to the effect of "so sorry we dropped the ball - we'll get back to you," then.... nothing. None of our calls or emails or voicemails have been returned. The March class date has now passed, and not a single offer of a refund or a reschedule. We're doing a chargeback, which we really hate to do since it's so detrimental to the business, but... if it weren't for all these other reviews I'd wonder if this place even exists? Three full months of effort on our end and not a single useful human answer?Hoping this review plus the chargeback gets us some sort of resolution.

I don't consider myself a natural artist, but after taking Introduction to Silkscreen with Emily…read morehere I feel like a spark of potential was finally lit. I thoroughly enjoyed the flexible after-work hours where I could relax and concentrate on just a few set tasks that go into making a screen and prints. The small class size felt both intimate and collaborative. I also loved how the teacher provided great materials to experiment with and Kala had all the necessary equipment. I'd love to come back and take more silkscreen later in the year!

Kala has some great art programs. One of them is Drink and Draw, a post-work evening activity that…read moreinvolves drinkin' an' drawin'. It's a rare opportunity for working folks who love art (but never get to do it) to be artistic and creative. We also hoped it would be an opportunity to meet people, relax, unwind, drink some wine, and hang out... but we discovered one fine weekday eve that it was lots of Draw but very little Drink. There are some serious art students in Berkeley! The art instructor was knowledgeable, talented and inspiring, and brought some great materials for us to use - handmade paper, high-quality ink, brushes. We did have to supply some of our own stuff, like scratch paper, pencils, erasers. She taught us new techniques and was very hands-on. A few completed projects even looked frame-worthy. Kala offers great programs if you want to do art in the evening. However, if you actually want to hang out with friends, catch up, and Drink with your Draw, you may want to go to a bar. Just sayin'...!

My 6 year old kiddo comes home with the most impressive art pieces when she attends classes at…read moreCorner House Studio, and while I know it's not all about the final product, clearly there is some legit instruction and creative inspiration that takes place. As a mom and an artist, It's such a beautiful thing to witness your kid falling in love with creativity. I love the location, responsiveness has been top notch, and my kiddo is happy, which makes me over the moon.

Obsessed with this place!! My son is 7 and just finished his second "season" here. I'm truly blown…read moreaway with the pieces they've worked on - we've hung them up everywhere because they're so unique and interesting. They learn a lot of art concepts too so pretty cool hearing him talk about organic shapes, how to use the light, etc. Also took the first adult workshop and absolutely loved it. Recommended big time for both kids and adults to check this place out!

I took the 4-hour stepping stone mosaic class with my 10-year old niece and we both had a lot of…read morefun. First time, taking any class at the Alameda Art Lab but not a newbie to mosaics or the arts. I used to be quite artsy and crafty back in the day and now, it seems like a luxury to find time to do something creative and take a break from adulting! All supplies of cutters, nippers, stepping stone and glass provided with a quick introduction to using the tools with some guidance and instruction to start your art piece. JaYing, the friendly and patient owner/instructor will walk around to assist if needed, check your progress and guide you to ensure you get your item complete. Item is left for grouting and student called when ready. A great class to bond with a friend(s) or family and make a day to get in creative mode and have fun. Personally, it allowed me to take time to enjoy something I really love as I find art very therapeutic along with spending time with my niece. The time flies by... :) The Alameda Art Lab offers a variety of classes from stained glass, mosaics, glass fusing and jewelry making and other fun things. Items are available for purchase for yourself or as a gift. Highly recommend trying out a class!

I absolutely love this place! Both my kids have attended summer camps here and my husband and I are…read moreregulars in her stained glass class on Wednesday eve. JaYing got me my start in stained glass and now I can't get enough! Plus, the community here is wonderful- you can meet some really nice people .

BEST art class in the Bay Area! If you're serious about improving your technical skills in drawing…read moreand painting, and want to create works that resemble the old masters', this is the place for you! I came here last summer (I haven't been back since due to school, unfortunately), but this place is amazing! You get one-on-one personal instruction with the wonderful grandfatherly instructor, David Hardy, who you can always strike up interesting conversations with! He was reading us a book on Southern Belle manners in a mock-Southern accent while we were drawing at one point, which was so funny! It's a serious class, but not stuffy, and it's a great experience! I hope to be able to come back in the future and improve some more!

The Atelier is an incredible school, one unlike any other in the Bay Area. Between the owner David…read moreHardy, instructor Rob Anderson, and the students, there is so much raw -ability- compressed into that small studio! And it rubs off on you! I have been a student here for six months, and in that time I have seen my work reach new heights of depth and realism. I've learned a new way of -seeing-, of using my materials, that I can hardly recognize my work from last year as belonging to me. When you enroll at this school, rather than simply throw you in 'art 101', what happens is that the instructors will sit down with you, talk with you, and spend a good while getting to know you personally and figuring out where you're at, developmentally speaking, in your artwork. Then when they're pretty sure of where you need to be, you're set up with a station all of your own, and you can begin working. And not in grim silence, either - while it's still quiet enough to work, there's usually conversation, and music. It puts you at ease. And that's possibly my favorite thing about this school - the atmosphere at the Atelier is very friendly, with every student an ally and friend who can help you figure out any difficulties you might be having and provide another point of view. You don't have to feel isolated. There are two separate, slightly different courses taught. The students in the daytime hours study under Rob Anderson, who I have not yet had a chance to learn from. My experience comes from the evening classes, the Old Master program. Which is, as it happens, taught by the old master himself, David Hardy. This program is designed to transition you smoothly from drawing, to monochromatic oil stains, to limited color painting, to full color painting, over the course of about two or three years. You'll be working from still life arrangements and plaster casts of sculptures, under lamps which replicate the spectrum of sunlight, but you have the option of coming on certain other days of the week and working from live models. The student sets his or her own pace - when you seem to be ready to move to the next phase of the program, you do so. there's no waiting for the following semester. There's so much I could go on about regarding this school. Since I've enrolled, I've made more friends than I ever did when I took classes at Laney, or Berkeley City College, or even the Academy of Art. I've never, not once, felt like I was going it alone. And that's such a rare and valuable thing. This school is really special.

In May, I shop for a couple birthdays and of course like to keep gifts locally made. So one May…read moreweekend I stopped in this maker's retail space and was delighted to find numerous affordable beautiful jewelry, art, and home & bath creations for sale. The staff was friendly and helpful too in answering all of my various questions. I decided on a few purchases that day, including this card for a Bay Area native friend. For any occasion that pairs well with a gift for a Bay Area enthusiast, I invite you to stop in.

Cute shop with nice selection of crystals. I got a few crystals and a bracelet. The woman who was…read moreringing me up asked me if I knew the price of two of the stones. I didn't, so she went to look. The total came out higher than expected, but I waited until I was home to review the digital receipt. Turns out I was overcharged for two of the stones and charged for 8 items when I only bought 7. Could possibly have been a mistake but enough to make me not want to go back.

Loved my acrylic painting class with Mokhtar Paki! Highly recommend. It helped me develop my style…read moreand understand the medium.

It's hard to write a negative review of an art center because I really value any place that helps…read morepeople access their creativity. But I have had such a comically bad experience with this place that I feel I should warn others. In January I found a Spring Session class I wanted to register for that was set to begin 3/15. It was in their catalog as a "New Class". However, when I went to their registration portal the class was not listed. The first time I called them, the receptionist said he didn't have access to the registration system and to call back later. The second time I called, they told me that they had added the class and I could register online--but I soon discovered it still wasn't listed. The third time I called they said they added the class but that I wouldn't be able to register until March 10th (which is when registration opens for LATE spring session, whereas this class was set to begin on March 15th, the early spring session). Huh? Registration is open for only five days before the class begins? I asked them to check again, and they called be back later that day and said the early spring session had been added. ...Nope, it definitely was still not in the system. Exasperated by their incompetence, I finally tracked down an email address for the instructor and emailed her directly. I didn't hear back, but soon after that the class showed up and I could finally register. So I did, and made an online payment. Two weeks later, I received an email with a receipt for a refund, with no explanation I assumed this meant the class had been cancelled, but no one called or emailed me to tell me that, and the refund never posted to my bank account. I had also never received any information about the class (materials list, curriculum, etc.) so I still currently have no idea what's happening. When I try to call them, their extension is "unavailable", as is the "operator" AND the "backup operator" that the system auto-routed me to. I really want this place to improve because they're one of the few organizations offering adult art classes in Oakland. But as is, it seems to be a bit of a mess.

I love Anita! She is an awesome art teacher and has amazing classes for people of all ages. On…read moreThursday evening's is adult art class. My semester was great and accomplished some really nice pieces with her help. Love how she nudges you to try all different types of media. My next piece was doing charcoal, a medium that I never used before. We just had an art show at the end of the semester. The talent from everyone was incredible! I was especially impressed with the kids art. Wow! She also has summer programs for the kids. Wish I had this outlet when I was there age. Highly recommend! Looking forward to developing my skills deeper over time with her. Thank you so much Anita. ;)

In my second semester and no plans to stop. This has become something of a Thursday evening ritual…read morefor me. I took a chance and signed up after admiring a new friend's collection of art in different mediums and styles and she told me all about Anita's class. This has given me a chance to try being creative, to trust myself and break out of trying to be pixel perfect. There's always a choice of assignment. I like to work slowly and deliberately. Others finish a project and move on to the next in a session or two. The perfect thing is that this is at your own pace, with guidance and education from Anita. I'm learning to appreciate the time and intention that goes into a creating a work. And I find the time relaxing and meditative...it's a wonderful change of pace from my day-to-day work. Give this a go - you won't be disappointed!

A very welcoming makerspace, with good access to various equipment and knowledgeable…read moremembers/volunteers.

Ace is a wonderful space full of workshops and different creative machines. They host many…read morecommunity events and remain accessible to everyone via volunteer program. I've personally learned how to 3D print and I plan on going to one of their many classes and social nights!

Eli and her team are AMAZING! They are wonderful instructors and teachers who really know their…read morestuff and yet are accessible, patient, and understand how to teach complete beginners. I know Eli is also very intentional about who she collaborates and works with, which explains the high caliber of guest instructors who lead workshops and classes. I cannot imagine Elmwood without Studio Sessions! Such a special small business. Please support your small businesses! which also means understanding why their policies are what they are--last-minute no-shows and cancellations are extremely detrimental for experience-based businesses. Anyway, I'm excited to take more classes in the future!

I have been wanting to learn to sew with a sewing machine and this was a great experience! The…read moreinstructors are helpful and knowledgeable! I felt confident that after the class I could pick up my projects at home and get started! I'll definitely come back for more classes!