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!

Great time at Messy makers! We did a drop in class while my daughter had a week off of daycare…read more Usually the classes are on weekdays--ideal for stay at home moms or Nannies to take kids. I suggested to Amy to do weekend classes for working moms, she mentioned she would think about it. Overall, nice class where the first 10-15 minutes are free play in stations such as painting, kinetic sand, playdough then there is an actual class where everyone does the same thing and then there is story time and after that kids can jump on the trampoline. Most of the kids in the session I went to were younger than my daughter so come in with an open mind! Your 2 or 3 year old may be the best listener in the world, however if all the other kids are not paying attention, you might not get your desired art project. I think my kiddo liked the trampoline the best :) Overall a cool class, if you sign up for a whole session it's approx $30 a class. Once again, come in with an open mind, your kid is not gonna roll out of here being the next Piccaso.

I am a nanny for the most adorable 2 year old and her parents signed her up for the Messy Makers…read moreprogram. From the moment she walked in she loved it ! Ms. Amy has an enchanting backyard that is child friendly and beautiful. She understands child development and introduces age-appropriate activities for the children that cover all the domains: cognitive, social emotional, physical ( fine and gross motor skills), and language and literacy through a variety of open ended art experiences. The activities are child chosen and she even reads a book and offers a yummy snack during the duration. The other parents are friendly and it's a wonderful learning time ! I have my masters in early childhood education and have been in the field for 30 years and believe me your child will love this !

Kid: I love Miss Patrice and Studio Time so much. I really learn a lot and can't wait to go there…read moreagain! Mom: My daughter just LOVES her Studio Time art class, it is by far the best part of her week. She's so happy and she feels so proud of her work. I'm so touched by it. So much positivity and creativity abound! Miss Patrice is a magical fairy and her magnificent instructors are fabulous with the kids.

Today I took a class with Patrice in her fantastic studio. The classes are very small and…read moreintimate. I worked on a Day of the Dead Teatro for Dia de los Muertos. It was fantastic. I am sad the class is over and more inspired to create than I have been in a L.O.N.G. time. I can't wait for her holiday gift making classes. She also offers classes for kids (morning/afternoon/saturday), call early to register early, because space is very limited and the offering is like nothing else in Alameda.

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.

Have taken one class, "Learn to Make Dim Sum"…read more Class offerings were interesting and varied. The website is decent, but the basic info a new student might want was a little buried. For instance, answers to questions like "where is my class, is my class really going to happen tomorrow, and who do I call to ask these questions" were not as easy to discern as I'd have liked. Class was held in the Piedmont High School facility, the main dining hall I believe. The course, instruction, and results of the class were all great. In the end we churned out some very passable Dim Sum classics that tasted authentic.

The beauty of Piedmont Adult School is that you don't get graded for your efforts. However if I…read moredid, something tells me I would do my homework more often and would have actually learned more. All in all, PAS is a great way to brush up on some practical skills or professional skills and have a little fun in the process. Here's a rundown of the classes I've taken from there. *Beginning guitar--Not a bad class. I learned to play a few chords...even transition between two of them in a reasonable amount of time (haha), but that's not really the teacher's fault. I just didn't practice as much as I should have. Grade: B *Beginning sewing--after a few successful efforts of cutting up vintage t-shirts and stitching them up tighter and more low-cut to look more Urban Outfitter-ish, I decided that I really want to learn how to sew. After taking this class, I can't really say I learned how to sew. Seriously the skirt I made was U-G-L-Y! Like the other yelpers mentioned, the teacher wasn't the nicest in the world. Talented yes, but a good teacher no. Her tone was just too condescending. Grade: D *Portuguese: Oi! Como vai? That's all I remember from the class. I was a slacker and only went to 3 of the 6 classes. I liked the class, but I didn't have time to do the homework so I stopped going. The teacher was nice and helpful. I can't really punish the class for my lack of effort. Grade: A *Basic Cooking Class: Fun and helpful. Terry Paulding does a great job educating us on preparing simple seasonal meals. Plus she has a great workspace in Emeryville. This is such a great value for the quality of the class. Grade A+ Updated on 11/19/2007-adding a star *Chocolate Class: Wow a dream come true for me. For some reason I've always thought cooking with Chocolate was difficult. Willow Waldeck has taught me otherwise. She's a wonderful teacher. I walked away from each class with tasty chocolate desserts of bakery/restaurant quality: chocolate truffles, chocolate decadence cookies, almond chocolate torte, chocolate molten cakes. My love for chocolate has only deepened with this class. Grade: A+++

My child learned new techniques and mediums at this establishment. When the owner was still the…read moreinstructor it was a better environment. My child came home with some nice pieces when the owner was the instructor. The owner has since retired. Assistant Kathryn took over all instruction. Kathryn clearly has some personal issues that needs to be taken care of privately, not taken out on children and parents. EVERYONE has problems. No one needs to hear about how you taking over this business is stressful and that your husband is sick and that you have to take care of them. I take care of my father in last stages of Parkinson's but Im not screaming that at every Tom, Dick and Harry. If you want your child( (12 years old) to be told to their face in front of you, that your child does't take art seriously and that they will be a failed artist, then go throw away your money here. Why kill a child's spirit, confidence and ambitions? My child had no idea what she had done wrong. If you do not enjoy helping/working with children then you should not do this category of work!! My child has found great success at Kala Art Institute, Kids "n" Clay, Liv & Chiu and the Richmond Art Center and Academy of Art College SF programs. I told several families looking for drawing education to go to Monart in which this provided new revenue for them. I have no idea if the business owner has knowledge of this behavior. I have never reviewed anything before, but felt this needed to be.

I love Monart! Ms. Mona the owner is extremely talented and has a great method for teaching any and…read moreall ages and skill levels how to draw. I took some of her classes (someone who takes pride in the fact that I can't even draw stick figures) and I was able to easily follow Ms. Mona's instructions while enjoying myself. Previous comments mention Katherine, an assistant for Monart who is NO LONGER with the program. I have been involved with Monart for years and they have a zero tolerance policy for behaviors such as what Katherine had been demonstrating. While the owner does currently live in an assisted living situation (also previously mentioned in other comments), she has recently expanded her Monart crew with some AMAZING individuals. I highly suggest if you are considering signing up yourself or your kiddos for art classes to go with Monart and her methodology.

Great school! My niece attended here two or three years and has since graduated with the Class of…read more2026. From my understanding, Oakland School for the Arts (OSA) is a nonprofit public charter school. They have a immersive arts program, and they serve hundreds of kids tuition-free! We've been to many student shows and concerts. You can easily tell the student's improvement from earlier in the school year to the end of the year, and from the junior high students to senior high students. By the time they are in high school, their stage presence and performances are even better. It's a beautiful thing! Best high school vocal performances I've seen. I don't know all the ins and outs of this school, but from my standpoint, OSA is a great school especially for kids in the local Oakland area. The faculty and staff that I've seen are dedicated, and they truly care about the kids' education and growth. One teacher even attended my niece's 18th birthday party and spoke at the event. That says a lot about the school and the faculty/staff at OSA.

Our son has been in this school for four years, and will likely go for all seven. A great fit for…read morehim, and a vibrant community of artists. The school is in a good place financially, having expanded their campus and programs. I can't say enough about the faculty and staff - they're dedicated public school instructors that truly care. Their Executive Director, Mike Oz is an Oaklander through-and-through, and has been there 20+ years.

We recently moved to Rockridge and discovered Palaka music classes for our daughter. She took one…read moreclass and talked about it for weeks! We look forward to taking more classes!