A hidden gem in highland town. The neighborhood and art galleries in the area do a first Friday art…read morewalk the first Friday of every month. It's a special cozy few block event. During first Friday the gallery owners offer wine and feature a different artist. This gallery is perhaps the biggest one of all and Felicia really loves local diverse artists and celebrates all her shows via a mannequin in a gown with all the shows she's had for 10 years. The show I most recently went to on a Saturday was featuring Pothik Chatterjee - his first solo show: Black Butterfly: Queer Brown Magic. Felicia offered us eggnog - delightful sweet with a chocolate chaser. There's a downstairs and an attached gallery with Zweibach creations who makes historical paintings and puzzles and puzzle cards! Currently the prices are too high for me but I did buy some puzzles and cards for the holidays. But if you're a patron of the arts this gallery won't disappoint with the amazing local artists featured here.

A wonderful First Friday at a great gallery that supports a diverse mix of local artists. I'm…read morealways surprised by the ever-changing art and jewelry styles that overseen by an engaging and welcoming gallery owner. Always worth the visit!

Afternoon paint day with girls. Nice place, tons to paint. Would definitely come back. Fun day!read more

Burning Down the House is a nice place for some casual painting experience with friends. The…read morebuilding is fairly small and the parking is limited but we've certainly come back because of the positive experience. The times we've gone, it's been pretty chill and quiet with only a few other groups painting. There's light background music playing. The owner is friendly, helpful, and accommodating when making reservations or picking colors for your masterpiece. There are about 8 tables inside and one outside that you could paint at. The place setting is put out for you (palette tile, sponge, water) and you get to choose the brushes and paint colors that you'd like to use. There are shelves with various types of items you can paint (bowls, cups, pencil holders, figurines, vases, and the list goes on). There are also examples provided on the shelves to provide you with inspiration. Typically, you pick up the item within a week.

If you live in a faux colonial home and decorate with reproduction antiques, then quit reading…read moreright now. If you are still here, then wandering in to this gallery may be inspiration and resolution for your progressive art habit. The stark space keeps the focus on the goods, the last couple shows were on-the-wall classy displays though sculpture plays its role as well. I've been looking in for a while and I think I know their winding way. A theme of sticking with local or local connected artists made some of the fall openings pop with the artist (and family) on hand for remarks and context. That the selections are for the mature humor might tell even more - the "food theme" satire of the mundane as essential being particularly wry, in a California sparkling way... Some of last year's exhibits were definitely date barometer material, and yet provide something off the Washington taboo topic list for dates in Bethesda proper.

You cannot and should not spend a week in Laurel without stopping by the Laurel Museum. The hours…read moreare limited to a few days a week for a few hours at a time, but the museum, located in a refurbished historic house in the heart of Laurel's historic district, should not be missed. They feature one exhibit at a time in the main exhibition area (currently one on the Laurel Leader newspaper, the last one was based off of the popular local Lost Laurel blog) and downstairs have a children's educational play area and a gift shop. The workers are always incredibly knowledgeable on the exhibits and full of tons of Laurel tidbits. The museum won't just be appreciated by Laurel residents or former residents, it's great for anyone interested in history and how small towns have continued to evolve and thrive throughout the changing landscape of our nation. (whew, apologies for that dramatic sentence) Either way, the Laurel Museum deserves your patronage. Add it to your next walk down Main Street :)

Such a charming museum- has a kids area for hands-on activities, as well as historic exhibits…read more Admission is free. Museum staff is really nice!

Beautiful but small gallery! Came here on a Saturday and was just curious. All of the ladies here…read morewere really nice and polite. The pieces were amazing. If I was a wealthy collector I would have bought many things. There was a good variety of abstract and modern art as well as sculptural too so that was cool. Plenty of parking in the parking lot and their other exit leads right to the other food spots in Village Square. Highly recommend checking out if you're in the area! I felt so cultured just by looking around.

I came in one day to the Baltimore location and was looking at a piece near an "office area" with a…read morelarge glasses in office. I don't suspect I was notices because I heard the owner having a horrible interaction with a young employee. This young woman went to bathroom and I over heard thee worst, most unprofessional conversation about her. They commented on her size, clothing, intelligence and "in ability to afford clothing". I can't believe I witnessed such abuse in the work place. I WOULD NEVER BUY ANYTHING FROM ANYONE that would treat an employee like that. Awful. Know who you're buying from.

I was in Stevensville with my daughter and grandchildren and entered this cute shop. We were very…read moreimpressed with all the different items they had for sell by local artists; pillows, books, jewelry, oils, soaps, art supplies, wax/wax warmers, painted shoes, paintings, wood carvings, stones, and so many items I can't name them all here. It was great having a wide variety to pick from! The owner was very knowledgeable and extremely helpful! She even called one of the artists to answer my daughter's question about the exact content in the artisanal wax due to allergies. The paintings and home decor items were unique and representative of the charming community. There were multiple rooms and one even showcased some beautiful paintings. We made several purchases and will definitely visit next time we are in the area!

Maybe I'm just not a good critic of local art, but I really wasn't impressed. I was in…read moreStevensville on a Sunday afternoon, just browing some of the local shops and enjoying a lazy Sunday, saw the sign for this place proclaiming that they had a wide variety of artists, so I thought I'd check it out. Once inside, instead of exciting local art, I found a lot of jewelry, soaps, and a LOT of photgraphs. That was about it. They had a sign in the back of the store indicating that there was more art that way, but all I found was more soaps. Nothing really jumped out at me to say "you MUST take me home!" To top it off, the proprietor kept following me around, not-so-discreetly acting like he was reviewing the books, straightening a display, or some other mundane task, but I really got the feeling that he was suffocating me, perhaps thinking I was going to steal something. When I decided to leave the store, another man (who I assume was the proprietor's friend) said to me, "You can't leave, you need to buy something." Well....yes, I can leave, and no, I don't need to buy anything.

Such a amazing place to visit for pottery making and learning especially for kids. Although, I…read morewould have liked to do more with the kiln and glazing aspects, it was still a very good experience with knowledgeable and patient instructors.

Phenomenal place, great staff, amazing environment for both beginners and intermediate folks. If…read moreyou are thinking about giving this place a shot I highly recommend it !

Bottom Line: Blink and you might miss this little yellow gem of historic Ellicott City. Although…read moreit's small in stature, this historic building is worth a closer look. If you've ever seen the little yellow building at the intersection of Church Rd. and Main Street in historic Ellicott City, that is the Firehouse Museum. Although it's a small spot, it can leave a big impression. The 126 year old fire station is generally only open on the weekends from April through December. However, it tends to be also be open for special events like Midnight Madness in December and you can schedule private tours. The museum is staffed by volunteers and has old fire fighting equipment and a collection of toy firetrucks. The volunteers are awesome and sometimes even hand out plastic fire hats for the kiddos. Personally, I like thinking about what it would have been like to be a firefighter at this station in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Situated on a hill, fire fighters rolled the heavy equipment out of the house and downhill to bravely fight fires in the community. There is a very small, humble jar for donations on the way (which you'll only see if you are looking for it) and I bet the firehouse will appreciate a small donation to keep this historic landmark open.

This is an interesting little site that's only open on weekend afternoons during the Summer and…read moreearly Fall. Most people would miss it, especially since it's not conveniently located right on Main Street. If you do get a chance, though, it's free and worth at least one visit. The museum details firefighter history, especially that of Ellicott City. You'll see some cases with old equipment, historical artifacts, various photographs and clippings, a case of firefighter-related toys, and some information on firefighting techniques through the years. The building is only one room and its small, but the information is still interesting. I give the place four stars for two reasons. The single staff member was very nice and informative. Also, my 5-yo son was fascinated just with looking at everything. I'm not saying this is on the level of a full historic site, but it's a quaint attraction and worth the stop. So, give historic Ellicott City some love and learn a bit about the old firehouse and firefighting.