I have known Hilary Maslon for many years as an artist and art teacher in NYC with an MFA and she…read moreis very creative. Her class will educate the basic artistic principles of developing skills and confidence when your child tunes in. She will focus on their creative thoughts while being confined at home during these times of stress and their need to express their surrounding environments. She allows a fantasy world to be developed in each child's exploration of his/her artistic skills. This will give a child an activity to express their creative thoughts into a conceptional three dimensional usages by utilizing household items i.e. bottles, soda cans, soda caps, toilet paper rolls, corrugated cardboard, or fabrics. Her instructions will guide children from drawing skills to creation of three-dimensional animals to fantastical buildings as viewed in this MoMA exhibit of 2018. https://youtu.be/qiP83u5Zd9o I'm sure her classes would be inspiring, because she is so inspired.

I took Hilary Maslon's Abstract Class because I wanted to expand my art into a different range. It…read morewas such a fun class and I learned so much about Abstract Art. Hilary is very knowledgeable and happy to share much information and make the class a joyful experience. I have been an artist for many years and have taken art classes all through my school years including collage classes. I highly recommend Hilary as an art teacher of Abstract Art. I would definitely sign up for more of Hilary's classes when available in my area.

Friendly helpful service. Excellent selection of supplies. Decent pricing. Will returnread more

The folks who work there really listen to you and help you find what you're looking for. They have…read morea relatively small selection of materials but they do have a little bit of all the basic stuff, and they have a beautiful selection of handmade papers and cards and gifts for all ages. They are supportive of young artists, too. With classes and places to draw while they're visiting. It's got a relaxed vibe and I really like going there. It's very different from the large, busy art stores in The City. It's valuable in its own way. They also offer classes for grown-ups.

My boys loved attending Little Tree Studios for art classes. They drew beautiful castles, and some…read moreamazing dragons. My son describes Nicole, their art teacher, as "super nice, helpful, and very caring." That's an 8-year old talking. They developed an even greater interest in art and drawing. It made my heart melt when they came home with their framed art :) It's now hanging in the walls of our home, and we hope to bring them back for more classes.

We have been here several times for different kids activities, and each time we are more impressed…read morewith how creative and thoughtful Nichole is in her approach to kids' art projects. We have been here for date night a couple times, where the kids do a cool project associated with an animated movie, on a Friday evening for 3 hours, while we grab dinner in the Mission. We threw a birthday party here for our 7 year old daughter and her friends, which was a big hit. And we had our 5 year old in a week camp during school spring break, where he and a cast of 12 kids were guided in creating a performance play. Each time our kids have been thrilled and excited about their activities, while Nichole and the staff have an organized and attentive approach.

Kids birthdays in November are tricky to plan for. The weather could be spectacular outside, or it…read morecould end up being grey, cold, foggy, or worse, rainy and wet. My beloved firstborn likes to paint, color, draw, do something creative. So I thought, why not have a party where they create something fun indoors? I searched online for art and kids party, and found the Art Maker Studio in San Rafael. And am I glad that I did! There's good info on Yelp and on their website, but what sold me is how responsive Renee was with my millions of questions via email. She answered quickly and was very organized about everything! There were different options for the kids art project for a party, and my daughter decisively opted for the jellybean mosaic art project. I tried to persuade her to choose the ceramic art or painting, but the idea of jelly bean mosaic captured her imagination and she was excited! There were 16 kids between the ages of 3-6 that took part in the art project, a few younger siblings hanging around, parents helping out with the party and art project, and the kids had such a blast! We brought our cake and snacks, some decorations, but Renee was ready with the tables, chairs, music selection, and lots of jelly beans We did the cake first since we brought ice cream cake, snacks, then the gallery and studio tours were fantastic! The older kids could totally envision being artists and putting their art up. It was fascinating and inspiring The art project itself was a lot of fun. A few kids even wanted to complete multiple jelly bean mosaic pieces, and what was so great is that they got to take their masterpieces home So if you're looking for something unique and creative for your kids and their friends to do during a birthday party, I can't recommend this place enough! I might even have my own birthday party for adults here one day.

My kids, ages 12, 9, and 6 all love their classes at Art Monsters. The studio is in an art gallery…read morecentrally located in downtown San Rafael. The kids get to tour the gallery and draw inspiration from local artist. The class were so fun! Lots of different mediums and techniques are used to create everything from puzzles to pots. The instructor, Renee, is an artist and a mother. She is engaging and encouraging and made each class interesting!

Second location of a great little art studio for children's art classes. Located right downtown in…read moreCorte Madera (corner of Corte Madera Ave and Tamalpias). Lessons run weekdays usually and they have summer camps.

I had an extremely enthusiastic little boy who tagged me because I forgot to hang myvHC placard. It…read morewas laying in full view on the dashboard. I was issued a ticket. Then I drove one block and parked again and he gave me a second ticket. I took both to the appeals office where they were both thrown out. And he was reprimanded. I was grateful. !!! I now have a permanent sticker on my License plate. Excellent!!!

It's the local junior college in Marin County. The parking machines are really dated, but if you…read morebuy a parking pass, I guess that doesn't matter. They do have free parking, but it's way out by the athletic field and the portable buildings. I've taken several classes here, and like any college campus, It takes getting familiar with to know where to go for what. They do a good job having people out the first week of school, trying to guide people and show them based on their schedule where they need to go.

ACA is dreadful…read more.. Just before my son got into ACA, his camp behavioral therapist said to me she believed he was being coached by the other parent to alienate him from me. And she was willing to work with me to ensure my relationship with my son remained healthy. Later, she started working at ACA and said her director Shana had told her she could no longer communicate with me. Dismayed, I reached out to Shana to resolve the issue, but she wouldn't respond. I then contacted the teacher again who emailed me stating my son hates me and the sooner I'm out of his life the better ... unreal. She did a complete 180 on me. Her response was probably due to her worrying about her job more than anything, which shows the power toxic people have over others. Regardless, teachers should never speak to any parent like that. After that, I show up to pick up my son and see Shana approaching my car with a stern look on her face. She then leans into my car window and demands I pay her. I told her to step away from my car, she then threatened to call the police and record me (she did neither -- essentially manipulating the situation), and all this happened in front of my son and his classmates. To say this behavior was out of line and unprofessional is an understatement. After the altercation Shana emails me (and for some reason, my ex-wife) threatening that I can't go on her property again ... the result? I must pick up my son from the adjacent church. On top of all that, the school accused me of stealing the papers my son brings home, which is asinine -- don't you keep copies?! Even worse, when speaking with the San Rafael school district they communicated to me the information received from ACA is unreliable, in other words my son isn't getting the education he deserves. And here's the real kicker, if you have any issues with this school you'll have to go to court. Why? Because it's a non-accredited school that answers to no one. Children should be in environments where there's structure and kindness, not toxicity. If you're thinking of having your child in this school, I highly recommend you do your homework to help with your decision making. I'm not the only parent who has had trouble with Shana.

Stop right here if you are searching for a school that is accepting, nurturing and goes above and…read morebeyond to work with kids that may struggle socially, behaviorally or academically in a larger school setting. Prior to ACA, my now 7 year old with ADHD, was in TK distress at a Novato public school. We made the move for Kindergarten and now 1st grade. Best decision ever!! The Director, Shana, has a gift of understanding what children with special needs (ADHD, ASD, Social Pragmatics, etc) need and how to help any parent through the challenges it may present. At ACA, my son has been given the chance to thrive academically with all the extra social and emotional supports that are often unavailable in public school. ACA is truly a diamond in the rough and deserves a major shout out!!!

I had the pleasure of stopping by Fiber Circle Studio last weekend with my mom. She highly…read morerecommended checking them out, and I'm so glad we did. Some other yarn shops can feel very gatekeeper-ish in my experience, but I didn't get that vibe at all here. As soon as I stepped in, I was greeted warmly by a table full of people and an employee leading a class or group. I didn't require any assistance, but the employee made a point to come over and briefly check-in in an unobtrusive way, which was much appreciated. The space is bright and airy, and the merchandising is on point. They have a surprisingly good variety of yarn, considering the space isn't gigantic (I'm used to Dharma over in San Rafael). Things are clearly labeled and priced, and patterns are available for knitting and crochet, ranked by difficulty, along with a list of where you can find them online. My mom ended up buying some lovely yarn that was made in the USA. Overall, the vibes were great-- it seemed like they were having some kind of class in the back, and it sounded like people were having fun. I perused their website and was impressed by the variety of workshops they offer. They also offer scholarships to workshops, which I don't think I've seen any other yarn store do. Love it when businesses give back to the community that way!

I had a dye class to attend and needed 100% wool yarn that I could dye. The lady working was super…read morehelpful and tried looking up the yarn that I picked. She gave me recommendations and I ended up going with this beautiful yarn that started out white. This is the color it was after I did a solar dye with acid dyes during the class. The store is amazing and has so much to offer. It is clean and organized and easy to find things on your own. I really appreciate the finished products that are sprinkled around the store to give inspiration.