I can't say enough great things about this place. The space,…read morethe people, the care, the competence, the generosity. It's a gem for anybody that is into ceramic work. It's a diamond for anybody that appreciates good people. Love you all.

Such a vibrant and welcoming studio! I took the 6-week Intro to Wheel course and had a great time…read morelearning the foundational techniques of wheel throwing. Lily was an incredible instructor - so patient, encouraging, and knowledgeable about the craft. The studio itself is nicely curated, with bright natural light, pops of color, and thoughtfully arranged ceramics that spark inspiration the moment you walk in. I can't wait to take another class!

NW Encaustics is an amazing little gem of a studio. It has…read morea fantastic set-up with all the tools, instruction, and house-made wax you'll need to learn this super fun medium. It's also affordable-more affordable than Pratt I believe. Also, the people who take classes there and teach are really fun. It's a laid back, relaxed, and welcoming atmosphere, which I really appreciate. Encaustic painting is easy to do, but there are some techniques that are really helpful to learn, and it's not a completely non-toxic art; the fumes need good ventilation. Also, you use blow-torches... so, having a studio to paint in is a necessity, especially for an apartment dweller like me!

I love both this studio and the community of friendly artists that instruct there. Laid back, yet…read moreprofessional; NWE is a great place to take beginner classes and beyond. Well worth the price if you are ready to dive into the wax!

I have been a member of Rat City Studios for 4 1/2 years and a hobby potter for 10 years. This…read morestudio is amazing. It is in a beautiful garden setting, the studio is clean and organized, studio management is excellent, and the studio glazes are great. Deb Schwartzkopf, the studio owner is not only a wonderful ceramic artist, but a supporter of potters at all levels. I love this community.

Did the Sip N' Spin class and had a great time. I would recommend it for friends looking for a fun…read morenight out or a fun date night. It's a great first time on a pottery wheel. You get a 30 minute lesson and at least an hour to enjoy clay. Best part, it's all the clay you can spin. I took full advantage of that fact to keep trying. You only get to keep 2 pieces which they ship to you after it's fired. Amazing value! Amazing experience! FYI: You really don't have time to drink (sipping is the best you can do) and with your hands are covered in clay don't bother bringing snacks.

If you love rhythm, you'd better show up! I can't remember exactly when the first WRF occurred in…read moreSeattle, but I believe this year is the 15th! A remarkable fact is that it has been planned, organized and run by volunteers from The Seattle World Percussion Society (SWPS) and it is Totally Free! The festival starts on Friday evening (this year 04/13/07) at 7 PM. There are opening ceremonies from 7 - 10PM that will include a sampling of performances by an incredible assortment of percussionists ranging from the near and far East, Africa, Latin America and Cuba. Saturday and Sunday will be filled with workshops on dance, drumming styles, rhythmic variations and a stunning array of percussion instruments, offered by local and world renown teachers. The dance workshops alone are fabulous. You can learn Rumba, Brazillian, Middle Eastern, Cuban, or various styles of African dance. The requisite hippies (reviewer included) will be drumming and dancing our hearts out in small and large drum circles in every possible spot on the Center grounds. Various groups perform in The Center House throughout the day and Saturday night offers a dance party to the live music of some wonderful Afro-Cuban-Latin bands. This is a 'get it on' event of the first order. Sunday offers more of the same, concluding with The Great Northwest Drum Circle, led by the Godfather of Rhythm, Arthur Hull. This is an event that is guaranteed to melt any Seattle Freeze. You will be in a *Certified Freeze Free Zone*. Got a drum or any other percussive instruments? Bring them with you and get involved with this Seattle Only Party and tradition. OOH! I almost forgot. There's a marketplace with some VERY cool instruments for sale. Look for it. Want info & schedules? http://swps.org/swps?dpage=home

Hands down. This is…read moremy thing. I have volunteered, performed, danced and taken class after class. I am now a more fulltime volunteer than before. You need to go. It's free.. lots of international level performers and their free classes. You can't lose.. the beat the beat ta da dum ta t a da da da da da da ta da dummmmmmm

"Envisioning One Humanity" is the theme behind this relatively small, indie museum located in the…read moreUniversity District of Seattle. We're not talking about massive corporate bucks or sponsors here. While much of Seattle seems to be sponsored, The Unity Museum is an individual initiative that opened up in 2012 and continues to grow even through the challenges of surviving through the pandemic. The Unity Museum offers physical and virtual tours. They are primarily interested in folks who are fully vaccinated as Seattle slowly opens up, though they will admit non-vaccinated folks with masks. Dr. Amy Colbert is the curator of the museum and Zabine Van Ness is its Executive Director. It is a non-profit guided by a well educated, informed board of directors. The museum is a subsidiary of United Hearts Networking Institute. I was fascinated by this place - I love small indie museums, though this museum is not wheelchair friendly - 1) It's upstairs in an older building and 2) The layout packs in quite a bit and there are definitely spots where even the best wheelchair user would struggle. Ultimately, for those in wheelchairs I recommend a virtual tour or arranging for an exhibit. The Unity Museum uplifts humanity by celebrating the history of human progress toward unity, social justice, and global peace. They offer rotating exhibits, presentations, and public discourse on local and global topics relevant to its themes. They also do offer outreach exhibits and presentations for the community. They have limited in-person hours, however, if you're in Seattle it's worth going out of the way to check out and support. The Unity Museum is on the bus route within the University District and it's super close to a couple hotels (including the one I stayed at, Graduate). It's also adjacent to University of Washington. While I wish accessibility was much improved, ultimately this place is super cool and I still give it an enthusiastic thumbs up.

An awesome space, a complete individual initiative by a wonderfully energetic and dynamic woman who…read moreis available for conversation, tours and sharing wisdom equally and for all. The doors of the Unity Museum opened in 2012 and this location has been serving the University District since 2014. Exhibits rotate about every three months, including topics such as history of Seattle, the importance of the role of women in society, race and race unity, the complementarity of science and religion, and much, much more. Come and meet Zabine and the volunteers who keep the space warm, questions answered, coffee and homemade cookies on hand for visitors and guests. Come back for more learning and participating in activities including a monthly brunch, fireside chats and so much more. It's a lovely, cozy space with much to offer, learn and share with the community, not just university students, but students at all ages and stages. Keep an eye out for more activities, including a children's story time and classes.

I have taken two classes with Barbara and just signed up for my third. Classes are excellent - a…read moregreat blend of hands-on teaching and self-directed work. Barbara is patient, attentive, and really cares about the work she's doing. I'd highly recommend taking classes with Barbara - the studio is cozy and small, with just enough room for everyone to have a wheel or a spot to hand build. It's a great way to create things that are useful, and even to make awesome holiday gifts!

Barb is an incredible teacher. I love the mix of beginners and returners in her classes. She has…read morelessons each day for beginners, and returners can just throw for three hours if they'd like. She is also available to more experienced people for advice and suggestions. She runs a tight ship and I have so much respect for the system she has created.

took a pottery class ("sip n spin") here under the instruction of Bryan / Brian . really great…read more2-hour class from 1800 to 2000, or 6 to 8PM. the instructor showed us the basics and fundamentals of clay-making as illustrated on a whiteboard and then demonstrated before us. you could easily see the expertise and calmness that just took over. really cool to see. instructor never made us feel bad about messing up and was there to help us out as needed. he would encourage that u do the hands-on portion before he would intervene to ensure that you really learn and get down that muscle memory. we were able to spin 3 times total, but we could only pick one to glaze and then take home after about a week of that process. so, it is not carried out all within one day. they email you when it is ready for pick-up because I do not think that they ship it to u. they hold each piece made in this studio for over a year, so no rush to get it. just remember to come back there! the colors that they have u chose from to glaze has only 5ish options. not much, but they have the nature-like colors and shades of blue, green, black, beige, and brown. when the class was going on during the Wednesday evening, other guests in the facility maintained a respectful silence so that we could hear the instruction class. the class was like $70ish, I think? Pretty worth it if it is your first time to do pottery, like me! sometimes, the door will say that it is closed, but that is not true. Staff just forgets to change it lol

Had such a blast at the Sip & Spin class the other night! Rebecca was an amazing instructor--so…read moreknowledgeable, energetic, and fun. She made what could have been an intimidating experience feel easy and enjoyable. Highly recommend this place!

Fun afternoon painting Haystack Rock from Cannon Beach. It was a well organized event and a fun…read moreafternoon. We wished the tables were larger at the venue so we could actually have our supplies and wine glasses not toppling over but we've been to other venues with Corks and Canvas that were more spread out. I'd give the location (Live That Red tasting room) a 2 1/2 but the instructor and class were wonderful. We will definitely go to another event at a different location.

Recently attended an event night in a cute venue - Gard Tasting Room. I was extremely excited to…read moresee the set up, painting for the night and that glass pours were reasonably priced. We ordered a few snacks and they were tasty. Unfortunately this event ran late, we waited for one late person for 35 mins and then the whole night got pushed back. There was no offering of a hair dryer to speed up dry time and so we had to leave the event early unfinished. I wish the time allotted was more realistic.