Through my work it used to be free. Now you have to pay for classes and they are all online. So it…read moreis still open just isn't doing in-person classes. I wish they would have funding again because the classes are too expensive for my budget. I took a writing class and the instructor was very outspoken on political matters which I did not enjoy. I don't think they should be talking about politics in a class so that is another gripe but it used to be better. Was a good perk to have for awhile. I also took the Avid class and it was ok - kind of boring but the instructor could have made it more interesting.

I took the Painting for Photoshop 1 class during their spring term. The class was arranged as a…read moreworkshop work/along lecture with the goal producing two background paintings with daytime and nighttime colors. Jesse was hands-on and would pause every so often to assist one on one with those who needed help catching up. The Studio Arts main staff gracious and vert helpful when arranging classes and EPT grant forms.

Every year I park along the street in front of this school and always wondered what type of school…read morethis is. I finally saw the name of the school and find it is part of the L.A. Unified School District. What a wonderful school to amidst all the filming of movies, commercials and theater arts in Los Angeles. Their audititorum off of Grand Avenue is beautifully maintained, and has theater events, according to their billboard. By the way, there are a few two hour free parking spots along the side street off Sunset, thus the reason I park there to walk to the Tax Collector...

This school is a great School under mr. Martinez, the schools ran very well. There weren't any…read morefights in the past 4 years. Grand Arts offers tons of activities and development programs for the children.

Wonderful, caring and thoughtful teachers in the Primary room. My kid looks forward to class!read more

Our experience at Renaissance Arts has been really good. This school is different, and personally,…read moreI am thankful. My son told me, "There are no bullies at Ren Arts". I can see why. The staff is strict and they somehow manage to do what our previous school was not able to do - keep the kids feeling safe. When my kids started, I sat in on many of the classes to help one of my kids adjust. Almost every day for a year I went to the first 2 classes. In a large 8am singing class meant (I imagine) to gather the kids together and provide structure while stragglers arrived, I watched the teacher nip every potential behavior problem in the bud with, "I hear someone talking. If someone is talking while X is asking a question, then we can't hear X's important question". Or, "If you aren't participating then we are missing your voice. We need your voice". Everything here is based on the idea of an ensemble. And the importance of the individual within the ensemble is stressed. The ensemble performances that they do twice a year are truly amazing. Imagine being thrown in with different groups of students in your school twice a year to perform. Part of the reason there is no bullying is that you bond with your fellow cast members. There are some overarching mission statements that you see over and over again that are unique and heartwarming. For example, although there are no tests, they have a lot of essays to write where the kids have the opportunity to express themselves. They are told that there is not right or wrong answer and they just want to hear their ideas. They are often asked to reflect on themes and the teachers don't feel like they have "the answer", but rather are excited to hear what the kids come up with. It feels like college level teaching. To me, this is exciting stuff! I sat in on a second grade humanities class and felt like I was in college: a group of 8 kids plus a teacher sat around the table and discussed King Lear. The kids had so much to say about the age-appropriate rendition of what they were reading. The school also has a social justice bent and the themes of their shows often reflects current events. One of the high school students told me that they read the constitution every year in high school and every time she finds something new. So yes, there is much here that is going to look different from your typical school. It functions differently and so the form will be inherently different. I feel that as long as the child is happy, that is the best gauge of the fit of the school. And my kids are happy here.

Katie B., who I have always been a huge fan of, has had some events in this area and I wish I could…read morehave been to more. The area is new to me and I very much enjoyed some of the shops.I am a guy who at one time only had experience eating in South Central Los Angeles, East Los Angeles, Long Beach and the Hub Cities. I do love these cities and I am happy to experience new unfamiliar places like Atwater Village and Silver Lake. Molly was there to kindly greet everyone, guide the children to complete task and behave, teach craft and chat with the adults. I enjoyed being in her class and I enjoyed seeing my little nephew complete his project. You can tell Molly has experience and education working with young children. On the walls we saw paintings and various drawings made by children. We did an Autumn seasonal craft project with paper, wooden wreaths, glue and various other decorative items. They have no-meter warning on Sunday, all other days there is a 2 hour maximum at a meter which can be paid by quarters or credit card, I do not think they accept EBT. Plenty of parking that day and other parking available if you are willing to walk. There is a garden area out back with rocks and a bench and the sun and air flowing in. I enjoyed the experience very much so as did many of the people I met there. I think the price range is fairly reasonable for the uptown people of this affluent area though maybe not for this downtown kind of guy. I do plan to come back in this area and I would highly recommend this place to any Hipster parents who want to keep children entertained for a while and want to help develop their children's vital skills.

We LOVE Ms. Molly! My daughter goes to her after school and she loves it! She has learned to hand…read moresew @ age 6, which is cool. Her drawing and coloring continues to improve with the encouragement that she receives from Ms.Molly and her helpers. We have gone to parties there as well and they are so much fun for all the children.

This school has been amazing for my kids. We stumbled upon it post pandemic, my son starting TK…read morehardly able to hold a pencil, and I was so blown away by how much he learned in such a short amount of time. The arts programs instantly brought out his passion for all things drawing. Most importantly, he has always been happy there. Five years later and neither of my kids have ever said "I don't want to go to school today". Besides the arts programs, which include music, dance and physical arts, they also have a garden program ran by California Climate action fellows. The social emotional education has been invaluable to both of my children as well. Absolutely love the diversity the school offers and the strong parent community. Volunteers are welcomed and encouraged and I always feel at home there. While we absolutely love it here, individual experiences will always vary, even in the absolute best schools. The school as a whole has wonderful teachers and a great philosophy. It works so well for so many kids, especially if you're invested in your kids education and supporting them from home. Definitely worth a tour if you're just starting off with schooling or in search of a new fit for your kid!

Our family has been part of this school since 2020. Over the years, we watched many families leave…read moreand often thought, "It's not that bad." For our children, it wasn't--until this year. The school year began in complete disarray, with inadequate supervision, students without assigned teachers or classrooms, and widespread confusion. Unfortunately, conditions only deteriorated from there. Throughout the year, students experienced repeated injuries, classroom evacuations, student elopements, frequent fire alarm disruptions, and recurring lice outbreaks that were not consistently communicated to families. One particularly troubling incident involved a substitute teacher who told a student with autism that autism "isn't real" and threatened to "call the cops" on a group of elementary students. Despite repeated efforts to raise concerns with school leadership, the board, and LAUSD, there was no accountability or communication with the affected families. LAUSD has already voted to close the middle school, and the elementary school's renewal will be reviewed during the 2026-2027 school year. I regret not taking other parents' concerns more seriously. We have decided to enroll our three children elsewhere next year. Our focus now is helping them recover academically and emotionally from a school environment where chaos often felt normalized and leadership seemed unresponsive. Parents should understand that this independent charter school operates under highly centralized leadership, with limited transparency or accountability. Many families, including ours, ultimately leave only after feeling they have exhausted every other option. I am genuinely glad for families whose children had positive experiences. However, those experiences do not erase the injuries, trauma, learning loss, and challenges many other students faced. Please consider a school with proven curriculum, healthy leadership and above all - safety.

I've taken many, many classes at The Institute for Art and Olfaction at this point, and I think…read moreI've managed to work my way through just about every teacher. I can genuinely say I've enjoyed every one of them. What makes this place so special is that you don't simply learn about perfumery. You smell, formulate, experiment, make mistakes, change your mind, smell again, and somehow walk out understanding fragrance differently than when you walked in. Most recently I took Shades of Blue and Shades of Yellow with Saskia Wilson-Brown, the founder and lovely owner of the Institute. These classes are brilliant because Saskia asks you to forget, for a moment, what a perfume is "supposed" to smell like and instead asks: What does a color smell like? Blue and Yellow could not have been more different. You're given this beautifully curated palette of materials and then challenged to translate something visual and emotional into scent. Saskia has a wonderful way of teaching that gives you enough direction to understand what you're doing without telling you what you're supposed to create. That freedom is where the magic happens. Then there was Banana Accord with Julianne Lee, which was ridiculously fun. We explored banana from green and barely ripe to creamy, sweet, tropical and candy-like, then learned how to actually construct the illusion ourselves. There were even banana sodas involved. Because apparently serious perfume education occasionally requires soda. And then there is Citrus: Raw to Refined with Jeffrey Paul. I hesitate to say Jeff puts the other teachers to shame because the teachers here are genuinely amazing... but the man BAKED US A CAKE WITH BERGAMOT. I mean, come on. Julianne brought banana sodas and I thought the bar had been set. Then Jeff walked in with a homemade bergamot cake. The banana sodas never stood a chance. Joking aside, that little detail actually says something important about the teaching at IAO. These instructors don't just lecture about aromatic materials. They find ways to make you understand them, experience them and remember them. Whether you are completely new to fragrance or already working seriously with materials, there is something to learn here. I've taken beginner classes, accord classes, material-focused classes and conceptual classes, and I continue to leave with something I didn't know when I walked in. And perhaps my favorite thing about IAO is that curiosity seems to matter more than ego. Perfumery can be an intimidating world. The Institute somehow manages to take the craft seriously without taking itself too seriously. That is a rare combination. Saskia has created something genuinely special in Los Angeles: part perfume school, part laboratory, part art space and part playground for people who cannot stop wondering what the world smells like. I keep signing up for classes. At this point, that is probably the best review I can give.

Completed Perfumery 101 and the class is simply awesome! Amazing resources, lots of hands on…read morelearning with materials and tons of expert guidance in a fun and safe atmosphere. Affordable classes taught in smaller participatory classes all hands on.

If you're looking for something fun and unique, I would totally recommend coming here to do rug…read moretufting. The price is a bit higher compared to some nearby places I found online, but it's absolutely worth every cent if you want the best quality product and experience. This was my first time rug tufting, and I can confidently say you're in great hands. Eryn and Jordan made everything easy to follow, and rug tufting itself is very forgiving, you can make mistakes and still end up with something awesome. We came on Valentine's Day for a date night experience, and it was such a great time. They provided drinks and food (not sure if that's always included or just a special occasion), but either way, the food was amazing, especially the lasagna made by Eryn's husband. Seriously, bomb. For our project, we chose to make a rug of our dog, which is considered a pretty challenging design. Even so, they guided us through every step, and it never felt overwhelming. The final result turned out great and didn't feel overly difficult despite the complexity. The experience is about 3 hours total, but they were kind enough to let us stay an extra 30-40 minutes so we could really perfect our rug. We'll be receiving the finished rug in a few weeks once they complete the final touches, and I honestly can't wait to see the final product. Huge thanks to Eryn and Jordan for making our Valentine's date night such a success. Parking: There's a nearby lot for around $10, but I parked on the surrounding residential streets for free.

So much fun. Wife got me a class for my birthday and we got to make a rug…read more Erin was super helpful and knowledgeable through out the class. It's so easy and fun to do, hundreds of colors to choose from. Only 3 hours which blew by fast. We also get a beautiful new rug for our bedroom .

The Theater: Mid size one floor theater. They have performance of musicians collaborating with…read moretheir students. There is a cafe at the building behind selling coffee, snacks and salad. Lots of seating. The Parking: Street metered parking and a few private parking lots on 2nd Street.

My son attended their community piano school for two semesters. The faculty was great, and we were…read morelooking forward to spending more time with Colburn. However, their administration -- and the vice dean specifically -- are among the most unpleasant, entitled, and inflexible people I've ever dealt with. From making basic arithmetic mistakes to having the audacity to send multiple emails rescinding a discount they themselves offered, every interaction with them was worse than the last. While it's a great school, let's be honest: none of their alumni are truly world-class performers. Not that it would justify their behavior, but I'd be more inclined to put up with their administrative nonsense if their results matched their cockiness -- they don't. I encourage parents to support smaller community schools and independent individual teachers who aren't governed by entitled, shortsighted administration.

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 was given a class as a birthday gift! Got to assemble a lovely stained glass replica of my pup!…read moreJustin was incredible, the studio was lovely, and it was an overall incredible time. Will come again!!

Love the pet stained glass class!!! It was a 3 hour workshop for $165 plus tips. When we arrived,…read morethe design was already created and each piece of glass was already cut and grinded smooth. We watched the demonstrations and proceeded to taping and soldering the glass pieces. Everything we needed was provided including safety supplies such as glasses, heat gloves, and masks. The instructor was very knowledgeable and gave detailed demonstrations. She was balancing doing something in another room. I wished she went around to check on each person, but we could hail her over when we had questions. We learned during the event that the metal used for soldering is made of 40% lead. I definitely hung the finished piece away from pets and children. And we wash our hands every time it's touched. Sign up on their website. They can't be contacted via phone. When I needed to reschedule the class, I did not receive responses to my email or website query. So we went in person to make the schedule change. The event was a ton of fun! The design of our pets captured their essence very well. Great activity to do together with a group of people if you can afford it and like crafting independently in an intro class.