Great gallery, all about bringing art to the community. They give a higher return back to their…read moreartists than most other galleries in the Bay area. They also hold art and craft classes for adults and children, and poetry readings on most Friday nights, too. Paintings, ceramics, photography... there's a small sculpture garden in the back, too. Go check it out, if you're in the area! They're like a block from the Ashby BART station.

This is a wonderful place with a wonderful owner. I first came here to support one of my dog…read morewalkers who is a painter when she's not walking dogs. Amy Jo does pet portraits and some of her pieces are being shown at the gallery for their "Animals & Sea Creatures" show which is going on right now. It's a great array of styles and mediums, and the energy of the place is so relaxed. There's a charming garden area in the back for sculptures and a seating area. The owner, Rinna, has coupled with Hopalong Animal Rescue to have a couple of benefits, which is such a great idea - the next one is on 7/25, so check it out!

The Compound Gallery is a (hidden?) gem of the Bay Area. It's *free* to enter/browse and there are…read morepieces here ranging from affordable to pricier. 1) I enjoyed David Fullarton's collection, "Everything's Getting Worse and I'm Not Helping," as well as browsing local artisans' pieces. The curation of this gallery feels cohesive. The pieces here are rich with meaning -- great conversation starters, so it's definitely an excellent place to bring a friend or two. 2) I wish I caught the name of the owner/director I met there yesterday -- he was so warm and a great host! It was my first time, and he took the time to briefly show me around the different areas of the gallery whilst entertaining my questions about the history of the gallery/its artists. He also shared upcoming events and exhibitions (artist talks, for instance), inviting me to stay connected! 3) Parking here is pretty great (I was at the gallery on the weekend). There's also a small park across the street -- great place to hang out and debrief after enjoying The Compound. I highly recommend The Compound Gallery -- I know I'll be back soon.

I was a member for a little over two years. I learned screen printing there and I'm genuinely…read moregrateful for that. There's a lot to like about Compound and I'm bummed that I got such a sour taste in my mouth right at the end. Pros: - Fantastic equipment covering a huge range of making and printing. REALLY nice setup for screen printing. Bummer that you can only do water based but it makes sense overall from a mess and fumes standpoint. - Open at all hours - which is nice - Matt and Lena are friendly and welcoming when you join and were generally friendly to be around Cons: - At $250 a month, I paid over $6,000 total even though times/eras would naturally happen and I'd not use it for 2-3 months. This really stings. Month after month it just felt like too much for what it actually was. - Often times, you end up having to wait a long time to get certified to use certain things. Was frustrating that something as simple as the conveyor drier needed a $50 course + waiting for many months when it could be taught in 5 min. - Communication is fairly slow on support tickets. When I was leaving I couldn't locate my flat pack storage area as I hadn't used it but wanted to make sure it was clear since my friend had missed clearing hers out entirely. The owners didn't know where it was either - Almost always empty. Great for working but not great for meeting people or feeling like part of a community. When I occasionally would talk to people , they would often say 'so odd that this place is always empty.' - The message board is pretty much only used for griping about cleanup vs. anything very inspirational or community oriented. Sour taste right at the end for me: I accidentally left a new thing of emulsion in the screen printing fridge. I emailed them, waited 5 days, then followed up, then waited another 5 days, messaged on Instagram, then biked over in person. I saw Lena in the gallery, tried to wave her down, and she ignored me and walked the other way. I asked the front desk if I could speak with her and was told she was busy, leave a note. I left a note. Never heard back. I eventually just ordered another one and moved on. It's not about the $30. That's obviously trivial. But it's just frickin harsh. I spent a lot of money at that place over two years, cleaned up, and was friendly and can't even get a basic response? I wasn't badgering them... I sent one email, waited, and followed up at a normal cadence. Even a 'sorry, we had to clean out the fridge!' Anything. The fridge was packed to the brim with old emulsion that no one bothered to clean up, if anything it would help to free up some space. My friend had a similar experience, she accidentally left something behind (I think in her flatpack area as well) and instead of a simple heads up email... they charged her extra months. She had to fight/plead to get that removed. How you treat people when they are suddenly no longer paying you $250 a month says a lot... The equipment is genuinely great and if you're going to use it constantly, I'd still say its worth it. It's a gem of a spot in many ways! But if not, I'd look into more focused + more affordable spaces elsewhere like ace makerspace or a slew of others that have popped up. And whatever you do, don't leave anything behind !

I love this gallery! They have all different kinds of art, from cute little cactus arrangements to…read morefull-on illustrations. I purchased several prints from here - including the pictured one of the cats wearing fish heads - and several cards as well. Everything is beautiful, handmade, and original. The owners are lovely and welcoming, and everything is well priced. Definitely worth a visit, but bring some $$$. I would come to all of their openings if I lived closer!

We visited for the first time to see a small show of a friend's artwork. What a cool little shop…read more It seems to mostly sell the work of the craftspeople who have studios there. The items are so diverse. There are many cat-themed items -- not cat lady items, more like "cat dude" items. It's close to the Ashby Bart and the people seem very friendly and low key. They have some wonderful and reasonable art, lots of cool prints. I couldn't tell when they are open, but think it's worth a call if you are looking for a unique gift or artwork for your own space.

Look no further for the perfect place to select the finishing touches for your home, office or…read moreanywhere you are wanting to make beautiful. Making beautiful home interiors is my profession and I always need help finishing up projects which is why I am so grateful to have Slate Gallery. Danielle and her partner Shelly are extremely knowledgeable about the artists they represent and they curate a beautiful collection. They are also able to source art from other galleries so when they don't have the exact thing a client wants they are able to pull from other local dealers. And not only that, they bring the art to my clients after they have spent time learning about what they want and where it is going to hang in the house. We have come to rely on them greatly here at LMB Interiors and our clients rave about their great service. I highly recommend.

I finally got to stop in at this new gallery in Temescal on my way home. The exhibit there now is…read moregorgeous, works by Jessica Martin, an emerging Bay Area artist. New exhibits every month, I look forward to finding a bit of Breathing Space at Slate when I need an art fix. Open Thu-Sat 10-5 + Art Murmur first friday nights, 7-9pm.

I don't consider myself a natural artist, but after taking Introduction to Silkscreen with Emily…read morehere I feel like a spark of potential was finally lit. I thoroughly enjoyed the flexible after-work hours where I could relax and concentrate on just a few set tasks that go into making a screen and prints. The small class size felt both intimate and collaborative. I also loved how the teacher provided great materials to experiment with and Kala had all the necessary equipment. I'd love to come back and take more silkscreen later in the year!

Kala has some great art programs. One of them is Drink and Draw, a post-work evening activity that…read moreinvolves drinkin' an' drawin'. It's a rare opportunity for working folks who love art (but never get to do it) to be artistic and creative. We also hoped it would be an opportunity to meet people, relax, unwind, drink some wine, and hang out... but we discovered one fine weekday eve that it was lots of Draw but very little Drink. There are some serious art students in Berkeley! The art instructor was knowledgeable, talented and inspiring, and brought some great materials for us to use - handmade paper, high-quality ink, brushes. We did have to supply some of our own stuff, like scratch paper, pencils, erasers. She taught us new techniques and was very hands-on. A few completed projects even looked frame-worthy. Kala offers great programs if you want to do art in the evening. However, if you actually want to hang out with friends, catch up, and Drink with your Draw, you may want to go to a bar. Just sayin'...!

Someone else described it as pompous, and that felt pretty accurate…read more The art itself was weird in a bad way, very dark, heavy vibes that just didn't feel enjoyable or inspiring. The whole place felt small and honestly not worth making a trip for. What really made it worse was the staff behavior. One worker or volunteer took a photo of us and then awkwardly hid behind a wall, which was unsettling. Another staff member kept staring at us the entire time, then eventually approached to say we couldn't have a water bottle inside and had to check it at the front desk. That would have been fine if the front desk had mentioned it in the first place. The inconsistency just added to the uncomfortable atmosphere. Overall, not worth the visit at all. If you are deciding between museums, Oakland Museum of California is much better and a far more enjoyable experience.

I went there today for an international film named "La ciénaga". I love the fact that they show…read moreinternational and other interesting films there! Hollywood movies are getting so boring to me with the same old formulas, so this was a great find! Inside was very spacious, modern, and clean. Bathroom was super clean, too! Location is very near downtown Berkeley ( 2min walk) and so convenient! I would definitely go back:)

Hugo built several shelving units for display art glass. The design was well thought out and…read moreperfectly built. He did extensive research to find the best type of material to place the glass on so they lighting could come through. The price was very reasonable. We really enjoyed our experience working with Hugo.

Contacted the studio to replace an old and decaying frame for a beautiful and important piece of…read moreart, and they did an an incredible job restoring the piece as well as picking out the right matting and frame to show off the beauty of the piece. They displayed high levels of experience and care when dealing with this piece, and clearly demonstrated their expertise in this matter. Very fast turnaround times, and overall very pleasant and easy to work with.

Amazing place! I look for Japanese antiques, however, they have a large collection of not only…read moreJapanese, but Chinese, Korean, etc. items. The warehouse is huge. It's kind of appointment-only, but they're easy to reach. I have purchased a few unique items from here, and the owners are very sweet.

I'll start by saying I showed up with my friend, and I was "underdressed" for sure for this place…read more Think graphic t-shirt & jeans. My friend (Japanese woman) was tastefully dressed and put together. The front door is not marked, like you have to know where you're going in order to enter. So we missed that. I was trying to find the entrance and found their larger bay door with metal gate across. I almost walked past, then walked back. Two Asian men were inside and seeing me stop, they struck up a conversation. I don't think they wanted to let me in, but asked how I found the place and I told them we were searching for antique shops and this was one on our list to visit. They let us in and made us feel welcome. My friend and I browsed the entire ~3500 square feet of their collection, which was very dense and hugely impressive. Mostly East Asian antiques, even my friend (who prefers European) was fascinated and we both agreed it felt like we were walking through a museum, but up close. The least expensive thing I personally saw a price on there was a small bird figure I really liked at $600. I also overheard a man try to bargain on something that was 15,000 and I saw many items in that range and above. One of the garden statues I really loved was $9,000. The man at the desk encouraged me to also see their website, where some of the pieces are listed (with prices, if applicable). Some items were only "price on request." Later in our browsing, a Caucasian woman approached us and wanted to find out more about us. I got the feeling she didn't think we belonged. She kind of stuck around us, and then asked if I owned any Asian pieces already. When I told her we'd bought a house in Japan she softened slightly, and recounted her years living there. I'm not the target client for this shop (yet), but perhaps someday. I will definitely not forget them.

I'm a longtime customer and a huge fan of Sobu…read more Their carefully curated inventory is a beautiful blend of exquisite furniture and wares for your home, some of which are their own beautiful designs. Their service is impeccable. They're honestly the nicest people I've ever known. I love everything everything about Sobu.

Love Sobu so much that our friends think we somehow share in the ownership structure ha! We…read moreparticularly love the oak pieces and have had a few for quite a long time but their rug collection is also very nice and we have two. Even though we've moved out of Oakland we still come visit whenever we are in town and regularly order to LA where we currently live. So glad to have discovered this store many years ago when we were living there and I think folks in other cities are missing out if they haven't discovered it too. I can't wait to buy my next piece - we have like 3 that were just waiting on a sale to buy :-)