We are SO fortunate to have this resource. No doubt they will soon expand to other areas of Los…read moreAngeles. The gift they are providing to these kids (and us parents) is priceless. All the coaches are incredible. Our kids return home with SO much 'aliveness' in the heart and head. And the fun part is that we are learning as parents how to better connect with our kids. It's so rewarding to see that there is a place they can enjoy learning and growing and being away from their electronic pacifiers! Thank you to Kathryn and Elise for all that they do!

Amazing- 10 stars!!! From the staff to the kids. We've been going there with my two boys for about…read moresix month now and every time I pick them up they always say how much fun they had. Kathryn is so awesome with the kids making them feel included even if they're kinda shy. Thank you Eastside Arts!!!!

I am thrilled Meraki is in a walkable Eagle Rock location, with easy parking and lots of cute…read moresurrounding shops and restaurants. There is an adorable shop up front of perfectly curated fabrics, sewing accessories, projects, and small treasures while the mid area of the space opens into a creative shared table area. If you venture past the rainbow quilts all the way to the back you will find a treasure trove of Juki sewing machines, set to host a group of new to advanced sewers along with a large table area in the back for a variety of craft projects. My children are in 1st and 4th grade and enjoyed the 2 part Crochet class. When it was a bit difficult for my younger one, Debbie scaffolded the entire thing and made it possible for her to learn, feel successful, and feel like part of the group. We have also tried the finger knitting blanket class and now my 4th grader can make gorgeous blankets for friends and family. The sewing classes for 8+ are incredible. My eldest has loved going in to learn how to make tote bags, pillow cases, and a variety of other sewing projects. They also have camps, which we are eager to try someday. Most recently we hosted a very special birthday party here and I can share that it was incredible, lovely, and probably the most present I've ever been able to be at one of my kid's birthday parties, considering Debbie took on most of the labor! 11 children made pillows together, along with adorable rainbow keychains and they really had a blast. I was so impressed to see my little one sewing away on the machine with her dad next to her and the older kids jump right in. Many of them made 2-3 little pillows, even though they had never sewn before! Debbie's instruction is clear, easy to follow, and she has a great deal of patience while sharing how to create these masterpieces. It was really nice having mochi ice cream in the middle table area too- Debbie had everything needed for a party in case things were forgotten. The little fridge helped too! It was very reasonably priced and an unforgettable experience for the kids. We hope Meraki will be on this cute corner for many years to come!

Took a class there to learn to make baby shorts. Bought my fabric there and loved it so much I came…read moreback and bought more fabric for more shorts. They offer kids camps in the summer. You can rent the sewing machines in the back which is also great.

Brett and Jaine were great and the studio is super cute!…read more Hand & Machine hosted us for my birthday party and my friends + I LOVED EVERY MINUTE of the modeling workshop!!! The studio is a really fun environment to experiment and learn. I can't wait to pick up the pieces (they all looked gorgeous). Would RECOMMEND for pros and BEGINNERS

This place is fantastic! Classes are so fun and laid back. Brett and Janie are so talented and…read morehelpful. I have signed up for two classes now and look forward to every class!!! If you want to learn something new or work on refining your artistic talents, then this is the place for you. I highly recommend this studio and Brett and Janie!!

A friend recommended this place to me and told me she found it through a deal on Groupon. I…read morepurchased the same deal which gave me two 90 min classes for 2 kids for $85. The original price is $176. You have to call to schedule the classes with her. The owner was a sweet lady named Yuko. She said doesn't allow parents to stay so I just dropped my kids off and went to run errands. I came back to pick them up and was surprised to find that they made such amazing art pieces! The nicest I've ever seen them do. I'm not sure how much help they got but they said that they did it themselves with some guidance I'm sure. I'm happy with their artwork and want to actually frame and put them up on the wall. I enjoyed my 90 mins of free time and was so glad that they had a good time and even wanted to return. If your child likes art, I would recommend giving this place a try.

My son did the summer camp for one week and liked it so much he asked for more classes! It was easy…read moreto sign up with texting and paying by venmo. He only went for 5 half days and finished two paintings and some clay sculpting! Highly recommend!

Celebrated our daughter's 12th birthday here with some of her closest friends…read more Emily walked me through the plan of an art journaling/collage making with this age group. She was a fantastic art guide for the children- she encouraged collaboration and open thinking, joy and whimsy! Love how the class was all about connection and process rather than cookie cutter pieces. Looking forward to taking a class there myself for me and my friends. They offer lots of interesting classes and workshops too. A true community gem! Thank you, Hive!

Such a gem in South Pasadena…read more A group of mom friends and I did the Thursday art journaling class and it was so much fun! It was so nice to be able to show up and be instructed. We were able to tap into our creativity and have a fun time. Emily, the owner had wine and snacks and explained everything in detail so you didn't need to have any experience. There was a group of ladies that seemed to be regulars and it very much created a community vibe. And the best part at the end is there was very little cleanup. I can't wait to come back during the day when the shop is open in the front and browse for some gifts.

I had a great experience at the Eagle Arts Center's nature printing making class. Valerie and…read moreEugenia were amazing instructors--Valerie explained the mulberry paper process and printing techniques in a way that was both clear and engaging. I brought my son along, and even though he got a bit tired, Eugenia was incredibly kind and attentive. She made sure he was still having fun and even helped me keep him engaged, which I really appreciated. I highly recommend these art workshops, whether you're going on your own or bringing your kids. It's a fun, welcoming, and creative environment for everyone.

we came here for a friend's wedding and it was BEAUTIFUL!!! the building is gorgeous inside and…read moreout. great spot for a 100 person wedding. my only complaint would be that they only had one stall restrooms so the ladies room line got pretty long very quickly.

As time passes it feels more and more of Chinatown is slowly starting to die out. The once bustling…read morestreets filled with vendors selling all types of knick-knacks and groceries have gone from every street to now just a few blocks. Restaurants which used to be filled with families every weekend now slowly find themselves closing earlier and earlier. The strong community that once was is slowly starting to age out and be pushed out. Luckily, there are new businesses finding roots in this part of Los Angeles and Element Art Center is a great example of how arts and crafts can bring life back to a community. After making a reservation for one of their classes and being let into the building you can look around and see how much of this space is made for building, crafting, and designing. With classes spanning from ceramics to stained glass it is a safe space to let your creativity run wild or be instructed. The instructors are young and teach in a way that welcomes questions without judgment. They encourage your creativity but also provide gentle direction along the way. With supplies provided if you are a novice learning a craft it is an artistic adventure without the cliff falls of expenses weighing you down. If you take their classes that last a few weeks or a month it also gives you access to come and go to create at your own pace. Element Art Center is a wonderful time whether you're doing a solo trip or being social with others. This is the kind of business that bring traffic to a neighborhood and help sustain it. Hopefully, more spaces for art will pop down the line in Chinatown but for now, it's fantastic we have Element Art Center to hold it down.

I took the wood spoon carving class. There were about ten of us in the class, and that ensured a…read morelot of great variety, as everyone is encouraged to draft up and carve spoons in whatever style they can imagine. (I admittedly went with a fairly traditional spoon design as I have never really carved before, but some of the folks here gave their spoons handles that were zig-zagged or had wild faves in them.) The instructor was very helpful, attentive, and fun, engaging us all in conversation as we whittled/carved. All the tools provided were of great quality, and they offer a ton of other classes that also seemed really interesting, with one of the people in the class talking up having taken stain glass earlier. I went solo, as did several other folks at my table, so it was a good mix of individuals, couples, and groups all coming together for spoons! It was really fun and I'll likely be back, either to make another spoon or to check out another class.

Art/Work/Place has been an amazing experience for our family. Our 8-year-old has been in Mrs…read more Billy's class for over a year, and we knew it was something special when he came home and gave us a drawing lesson! Our son is naturally quiet and shy, but Mrs. Billy has helped him build confidence by encouraging him to express his own ideas and interests in his artwork and we can't thank her enough for how that has helped him come out of his shell in the classroom and beyond! Mrs. Billy also takes the time after class to update us and offer insights and constructive feedback on his creative growth. Based on our experience, I'd advise parents to take negative reviews with a grain of salt. All the teachers and staff here are genuinely so nice and unlike programs that focus mainly on copying pictures, Art/Work/Place balances technical skill building with creativity, imagination, and play. As someone who works as a designer in the gaming industry and has an art background, I can honestly say they're teaching kids the right way to learn art. Our son is already excited to be back in the fall!

I have to say I'm disappointed in Ms Billy. Initially she seemed like a great teacher - as my son…read morehad positive feedback and seemed to enjoy the class. Gradually my son would come home sad and upset. At first, I brushed off his complaints as maybe he just had a random rough day. Today, I picked up my son and Ms. Billy complained about his projects and all kinds of stuff right in front of my son. My son came to the car crying feeling terrible about his artwork. I asked him several questions about what happened as I didn't want to make any rash judgements about the teacher. He explained that he felt that Ms. Billie was being mean to him and that he was really struggling with clay (it's a new skill for him). I asked if she helps him with his clay a little extra since he's obviously struggling more than the rest of the more experienced students (I'd think she'd spend a little extra time with him). He said no - she was drinking tea and when she came back he had made a snail project where its tongue broke off and couldn't put it back on. He said he destroyed it and my son said she made another mean comment to him: "ohh so you're breaking stuff, instead of making stuff". He was struggling to put on the tongue, which you didn't help him with. Ms. Billy told me it was Gary the snail which didn't go with the CA theme they're working on. Ok. My question is: how is one of your struggling students able to make an entire snail project without you noticing until he's that far along with it? Then, the tongue falls ogf of it, you make a comment to him about it being wrong, he destroys it, you make another comment to him about him about breaking things instead of making things. Ok. If she's going to drink tea instead of helping struggling students then she shouldn't be surprised about them struggling. He said she was helping the other students - not him so much. He also said he got up to grab a toothpick, and she said to him "you're disrupting the entire class" and he was embarrassed that all the kids stared at him. He wasn't being defiant but she keeps treating him as if he is. My son said he was really surprised at how mean Ms. Billy was treating him - he genuinely didn't know he was doing anything wrong, She did sound agitated when she was complaining to me about my son. I know my son - he's not a bad kid and he's super kind. I'm not just saying that because he's my son. He truly is. I'm the type of person that takes criticism well and I'm happy to help correct behavior when necessary. In this case, I really feel that Ms. Billy is not spending enough time with struggling students - in my sons case not understanding instructions according to her. I didn't appreciate her putting my son down in front of both my husband and I. Ms. Billy made it sound as if my son was being defiant - I can assure you my son is not defiant - he genuinely is just having a hard time with the project! He's asking for help from his teacher in his own 8 year old way. He just turned 8 by the way. Mrs. Elizabeth in the front is amazing on the other hand! Very helpful and kind lady.