Got a Intro to Wheel session as a birthday gift. Sara, our instructor was great. Very helpful…read more Class was scheduled for 7-9 pm- ended at about 8:30 pm.

I like to come here for the free wheel throwing on Friday nights from 6-9 pm. Being able to throw…read morefor free (you don't keep the pieces or guarantee that you finish them) is great if you're just looking for a place to practice. They sell various pieces made for donation, and donate to a different cause each month (or week?). However, during this time on Friday, the wheels are all usually full so I would recommend going right at 6. If you're new and you ask for assistance you'll get a great tour and they will work with you to get a wheel. Otherwise, the rest of the times I have gone have been a fail in securing a wheel:( My favorite part about this place is that the neighborhood cat likes to hang around. He's just the cutest little guy and is always working so hard at the front desk!

Had a great date night here making a ramen bowl in a class with a group of people. Class was about…read moretwelve individuals but the lone instructor did a great job of explaining and demonstrating how to make the bowl from clay. Instructor was also available for one-on-one attention if you had questions or needed extra assistance. Fun experience in a loft workspace above the downstairs art gallery. Very busy with other classes and individuals all working on their projects. Parking is on your own. If you know downtown Seattle, then be prepared to give yourself extra time to find on street parking or a lot that's not full. Use transit if you can!

They butcher your Date Night pieces after charging extra to fire them. Six of the bowls we made…read morewere "trimmed" so savagely they wouldn't even stand on a flat surface. The wheel instructions given were vague and we were largely left to fend for ourselves. We made the best of the night itself, but as artists they should know how this kind of careless post processing will disappoint people who attended in good faith.

I have been a student of Ruthie's for 3 years and she taught me to paint. I have been a student at…read moreSeattle Artist League since it opened and it is teaching me to be an artist. Ruthie meets the student where they are at whether a beginner or an experienced artist. She will provide tools, resources, information, and historical context to help the artist find a solution among options. Nothing is spoon fed, nothing is formulaic. (Unless of course you want that, and ask her directly, but this is not where the value in her teaching lies). Ruthie's goal is to help her students paint like themselves. If you want a class to learn how to paint just like the teacher, her classes are not for you. If you want a class that helps you navigate the struggle of seeing, rendering, and communicating so that each time you approach the canvas your intentions can be realized, her classes are for you. Seattle Artist League fosters a supportive, collaborative environment where students are encouraged to experiment in a group setting. Even when the lesson is hard, it is approached with a creatively playful attitude that does not detract from the learning but prevents anyone from taking themselves too seriously. Ruthie and Seattle Artist League deserve, and have earned, every positive review. They have created an inclusive and welcoming community of artists who have a shared goal of improving their work, making creative discoveries, and enjoying the process. The only rules are respect your fellow students, respect the model, respect the facilities.

TL;DR: SAL's pottery classes are quite good and the studio community/open studio hours are…read moreterrific. That said, the owners are such a negative force, you may want to think twice about supporting them with your money. The rave reviews here about the quality of Seattle Artist League pottery classes, instructors, community, and generous open studio polices are all to be believed. I took my first class at SAL in Fall 2022 and continued with classes and practice until this month. In my 2nd year there, I was hired to be a PT pottery studio tech. After 10 months, the studio owner directed the pottery studio manager to fire me and I returned to being just a student. I won't repeat the defamatory lies the owner invented to justify her decision. My allegiance was to the pottery studio manager, staff, teachers and community. I had positive feedback from them and didn't care about losing the owner's good opinion or the 8 hours a week at min wage. At the heart of all the goodness in SAL is a rot most repeat students and staff tiptoe around. It is the untethered, erratic, impulsive, and, often, abusive behavior of owner Ruthie V., enabled by co-owner, Lendy. It's responsible for high staff turnover, particularly among staff that must work when Ruthie is on site, as well as women who present as experienced, valued leaders who cared about student experience. Ruthie's administration of day-to-day operations is impulsive, with no view to process or consequences. Class spaces are double booked. Classes with low enrollment are canceled with no communication to teachers or students. Classes are announced and filled with no instructor scheduled. Open studio hours are suddenly pre-empted with no communication to staff or update of the calendar. Studio staff are left to manage the chaos Ruthie leaves in her wake. She has no tolerance for problem-solving and will deflect blame on the person who identifies the problem, using whatever lies she needs to shore up her story or justify their ouster. Staff walk on eggshells and the energy in the space when she's there is tight and anxious. We're living through a time when bullying, dictatorial behavior is being normalized. We each must decide whether we speak up, sometimes at great risk to ourselves, or stay silent and become complicit. SAL is a microcosm of that dilemma. Last week, while I was in my second volunteer shift during the annual studio deep clean, Ruthie found something entirely innocuous she could twist into a lie that served as justification to ban me from the studios forever. Lendy delivered the message, lying about staff in the process. Students are paying customers; I had prepaid for nearly $800 of upcoming classes. SAL refunded the money but it speaks to how impulsive Ruthie is that she would risk that loss and the reputational one based on some perceived slight to her fragile ego. I was not allowed any defense. Finally, SAL operates as a 501(c)3 nonprofit with fiscal sponsorship through Shunpike. Washington RCW 24.03A.490 requires nonprofits to maintain a Board of Directors. As a Board member of an arts organization for ~5 years, I know one of the oversight responsibilities is to set HR policies and be a resource for staff to address issues with management. SAL's website lists no BOD and I can find no evidence that Shunpike fills this role for them. SAL appears to be out of compliance as a nonprofit. There are many pottery studios in Seattle, with various offerings. Your choice of them is an investment of your money and a reflection of your values. I want SAL's pottery studios to prosper and, at the same time, I cannot be silent about the environment there even if my voice turns people away from the studio. Actions matter. Truth matters. Make your investment accordingly.

Spacecraft is a wonderful crafting shop on Capitol Hill. The shop is brand new and dedicated to…read moreproviding space and supplies required for a HUGE variety of DIY projects. Spacecraft fills a big void in a day and age where people have less space at home to invest in their creative endeavors. You can see that the ownership has a great sense of pride in this shop, every little detail makes the space cozy and inviting. In addition to providing a launch pad for a variety of independent projects, Spacecraft is also hosting workshops led by experienced artists and crafters. It is so amazing to see a store like this pop-up in the "New Seattle era," one that encourages the exploration our individual creativity while also fostering community. Well done Spacecraft and welcome to the neighborhood. I can't wait to watch you grow!

Super awesome crafty space! I am totally going back. You can go in and make all of the things and…read morethen someone else cleans up after I mean how good is that? The place is set up with supplies for loads of projects, yarn, hooks and needles, beads, wood beads to paint, card making, stamps, Washi tape, colored pencils, acrylics, watercolors, big and little canvasses, hot glue, glitter, pipe cleaners, puff balls, ribbon, Embroidery supplies, there is more I'm sure I'm forgetting but that gives you the idea. Nice big wood tables to create on. They also have classes in Addition to open studio time, I highly recommend it!

Such a fun place to come for an activity!…read more We went early on Saturday which I highly recommend! If you walk in after 11 am, you most likely will be looking at a long wait. However, it's worth it IMO! Weekends are busy and there's generally a wait. However, I opted to paint outside and got seated right away. They have a great selection of items to paint. I picked two jars. They have a variety of supplies that allowed me to bring my vision to life! The number of colors they have to select from is vast too. They have a wide range of brushes and tools, and I appreciated their two sizes of paint pen detail bottles--perfect for writing! Nicky was so helpful and accommodating. He reviewed how the pair a work and the process thoroughly but succinctly. He brought my chosen pieces out to the table since I had my dog with me. It is dog friendly outside! Not sure about inside. Check out was pretty seamless, and Erica did a great job with my checkout! The prices for the pieces are comparable to ones I saw at another similar establishment, which was good to see. If you're looking for a fun activity, check out Paint the Town!

Super cute spot. I used to come here about 10 years ago, and I love that nothing has changed in the…read morebest way. It feels very calming and nostalgic being here. They have a great selection of items to choose from to paint, along with a wide variety of colors. The ambiance is adorable and the staff is friendly.

This place is AMAZING. I've always wanted to paint and Dabble made it so easy to get started. I…read morebrought my own gessobords, but other than that, I didn't need to buy any other tools or supplies. I'm now obsessed and have painted every day since I joined, with three finished paintings that I'm really happy with. Dave, the owner, is so warm, welcoming, knowledgable, and supportive--he'll leave you alone if you want to just do your own thing, or he'll chat with you about your art if you want feedback. The space is set up incredibly well, ready for any kind of visual art you might want to do. The classes are fantastic too. I'm so happy that Dabble exists!

This is a super well laid out, super well lit super cool art studio available to the public!!…read more I was shipping art prints at the renowned Greenwood post office and happened upon this on my way back - the owner was available and was gracious enough to give me a tour of the space! They have TONS of professional tools!! Including silk press, vinyl cut, a station to assemble prints/zines etc, a station with a hood to do spray paints!! Looked like they had all kinds of paint brushes one might try, LOTs of professional sinks in their clean up area, even a fridge, small lockers, cubbies and a microwave if you need to put in an extra long session. All set up in the most organized and functional fashion, it's SO COOL!! They also offer classes to learn new techniques! The studio rate looks to be $10 an hour for individuals and $20 for a family unit, ( it's gotta be Guardians and kids who live under the same roof, it's not necessarily a group rate) I was shocked to see so much cool stuff at once so this list isn't complete and I've yet to get everyone together for a visit, but upon first glance this looks like an incredible community asset!!

Tuft Ruft was so amazing! Me and my partner came the other day and we were a little late because of…read moreparking, but they were so accommodating! Because my boyfriend and I had a big piece, we were a little behind and they let us stay for a little longer! Despite that, they never made us feel guilty about it and were super nice! I definitely would come back and probably will to make another rug! And our cats loved it! They also have a really cute dog named Chocolate and he was so sweet!

Great session, the instructor was really encouraging throughout the workshop…read more Learned a lot about tufting and the entire process behind it.

We held my daughter's sixth birthday celebration in the Pottery Studio at Fayezart this afternoon…read moreand it was a home run with the birthday girl and all her friends. Faye has been working in clay for a quarter of a century and has a great faculty for getting even junior amateurs excited about pottery projects. Over the course of their two hour party the kids did three different projects -including one on the potter's wheel- and still had time to break for cake. The Pottery Studio at Fayezart is a great big well-lit space located in a funky house three doors up from Salmon Bay Park in Ballard. There's a little space with a table inside a sun porch for parties on rainy or chilly days, plus a patio with a profusion of furniture for beautiful sunny days like today. The park was the perfect location for my daughter and her friends to meet before class and decompress (and burn off some cake calories) afterwards. FYI, for those parents looking to get their kids (or themselves) into something out of the ordinary the studio offers after-school classes for kids as well as sessions for adults. For parents looking for an original kids birthday party idea, I highly recommend Fayezart.

A homey playground for all ages, this Ballard neighborhood sanctuary is just a stone's throw from…read moreSalmon Bay Park. A lively, oh-so-liveable enclave conveniently located 2 blocks from easy bus route on 15th Ave NW. Myself and some other eco-conscious ladies came to Faye's studio to enjoy an afternoon of pottery making bliss. Consensus all around was that we'd found one of Seattle's best kept secrets! A feeling of accomplishment and conviviality prevailed. The vibe is cool, the atmosphere creative, the hostess the mostess!