If you want a proper art experience and a patient art teacher, Maren's Art Lab is your best choice…read more I booked a kids birthday party at her art studio and she was so patient and understanding with all my questions, comments and such. We had a 2 hour party for about 14 kids. She had a helper in as well. The studio at the Main squeeze was so spacious and well lit, Kids were placed at a safe distance on each table. She had them start out with decorating goody bags and then introduced tracing the outline, tracing each parts and then gently guiding them towards the painting the colors in. She and her helper did their best to help kids out with the tracing and outlining. She kept the kids very engaged and as the canvas dried she made an air dry clay unicorn horn with them. Of course every 6 year old wants to put various colored crystals on their unicorn horns! As everything was drying she did a small song/dance party for the kids. The goody bags were filled with candies and cute stuff. My daughter loved her birthday party and her friends enjoyed it as well. Highly recommend this place for any kind of art parties and seeing how patient of a teacher she is, if you are inclined towards art classes, she would be a great choice.

My kids took a Harry Potter camp here and loved it. They produced some really fun art pieces and…read morehad a blast doing it. I enjoyed the fact that the kids had a gallery exhibit on the last day so that parents could see what they had done over the course of the week long camp. The instructor was great with my kids. I think we will be back.

Last spring I took a watercolor class here with some friends. It was fun. Today, I was at Indy Art…read moreCenter for an event. We did Pilates, yoga and breath work in the library. How cool is that? It's a beautiful campus. Lots of fun stuff to look at and create. I like the location a lot. It's surrounded by trees and near the Monon Trail. Support the Arts whenever possible! AI is just not the same.

Attended a sold out showing of the Radiance Film Festival featuring film shorts by Ball State…read moreUniversity students in the Frank Basile Theatre, with new seating. The building also has several small galleries with interesting artwork on display. Parking is scarce for an event of this size, so arrive early!

This is an adorable spot that I had no idea existed until a friend asked me to attend a wine and…read morecardology class here. Such a sweet space with several designated parking spaces right in front. I arrived a few minutes early to our class and was able to look around at the great selection of gift and home products at the front of the space. For our class, snacks and drinks were included in the price and we had a lovely time laughing and learning more. I look at their schedule of upcoming events and they host so many fun events! Perfect for girls night out.

Create Art Studio is an amazing place for any art enthusiasts or people that just want to explore…read moretheir creativity! I've been to 2 workshops and both have been incredible. The founders Chrissy and Alissa are so nice and welcoming every time! The instructors are also so warm and the vibe of the place is just perfect, of course I have to mention the refreshments are on point too :) 100% recommend taking a class and they have parking!

My friend and I had the best time designing our own custom sneakers. The vibe was relaxed,…read moreinspiring, and perfect for getting creative without feeling rushed. There were tons of paint colors and supplies to choose from, and the staff was super encouraging and helpful if you needed ideas or guidance. I went with a cartoon-style design on mine, with a sketch outline, bold details, and a hand-drawn look. I LOVE how they turned out. They look like wearable art! My friend went in a totally different direction, which made it even more fun seeing how unique each pair became. It's such a cool concept for a girls' night, date night, birthday, or just something different to do. You walk out with something you actually get to wear and show off. Highly recommend if you're looking for a creative experience that's both fun and memorable!

This was a top favorite birthday gift/experience! While I ran out of time and will have to finish…read morepainting my shoes at home, I learned a lot and was able to get the largest part of the process finished. We all really enjoyed the experience and were so pleased with the help and advice we received from their instructors. I was really appreciative of the way they really stepped in to help my 2 children as they needed, allowing me to keep on working away in my own art project. They have some examples to help give you ideas and believe them when they tell you that they can help you draw items onto your shoes for you to paint. It felt like they are dedicated to helping people carry out the vision they have for their project.

We came in for a Valentine's Date date night. The class was sold out if that helps to set the tone…read more The staff was super nice and friendly. They seemed to be running around like they were understaffed, but I am not sure. Our class was scheduled to start at 7:30, but it didn't get started until right after 8pm. I'm all for giving people a few extra minutes to come in and get settled, but 30 plus minutes is a bit much for a scheduled class. We were rushed the entire time and had 30 minutes less to complete our paintings. Overall I enjoyed myself because I like painting, but I'm not sure I would go back if the experience would end up being similar. I sat next to a drunk couple and did not get to finish my painting fully. The drunk couple sucked, but I understand we can't control how others act when drinking, but we can definitely control when the class starts and being set up better.

I booked a 2 hour session to spend a winter weekend with my friends. Painting with a twist is in a…read morevery popular location at Carmel. You will find options to eat right before or after and also shop so it's a good plan to spend a few hours there. Neeha our instructor was great and we enjoyed trying our hand at making a bunch of flowers in a vase. They also have a small bar where you can get some drinks, soda and water. A birthday party was happening simultaneously in a room within which was pretty cool. I love places that offer something for everyone. Do check it out!

We had our daughter's birthday party here and it was fantastic! All of the kids made beads and then…read morea bracelet for themselves and one for the birthday girl! Aja was beyond wonderful with everything- organizing the party, keeping the group entertained, and fun! I can't recommend Yours for the Making more, it was a great day!

It is really fun and the owner leads you through it carefully, even for people like me who have…read morelittle art skill. I think it would make for a great girls night out party. The options you have for the signs is enormous.

I love that you can have craft time without the cleanup! I had just discovered Hammer and Stain on…read moreFacebook after some girlfriends were discussing making craft events part of our get together this year. The best part is there is no clean up after or even before having a girls night! We had all gone to another place and while we had fun Hammer and Stain is a lot more affordable and they have a lot of craft variety. I love they have different projects from door mats to all sizes of signs. And they are priced accordingly. While I love my larger projects it is also nice to have some smaller things to do. I won this class on Facebook, but we had just been talking about picking a night to come. Before leaving we checked out the future projects room and there was some fun stuff! I know I want to do some smaller items for my 3 tier tray and my friend saw a cool football she wants to do. The location is perfect! They have their own parking lot. There were 3 large tables and our projects were there waiting for us. You sign up online and pick a project that they will have for the different classes. I have such a hard time deciding, but love the sign I chose! I went with paint instead of stain and love that I can get help even though I have done it before. It's nice to have someone there to help with color choices. I am bad about using too much paint so it was good Mansa was there to guide us! I am always the one who ends up with paint on me. Of course it washed off, or I would have teal fingers today. I love seeing the other projects and really like the paint wall so you can choose colors and stains. They have a website and a Facebook you can follow! I always recommend connecting on FB so you can keep up with all their classes and events. They have a fun Valentines day class where you make a tray and decorate cookies! Our plan is to do a St. Patrick's day class with friends. I can't wait to see all the upcoming classes. It's fun to actually make decor for your house or give as gifts and I am really glad we found Hammer & Stain!

From the owner: Hammer & Stain Central Indiana is a DIY wood studio where guests transform unfinished wood into…read morepersonalized works of art in fun instructor-guided classes. Our guided classes, private parties, fundraisers, birthday parties, ladies night, date night and events make it fun & easy to create a piece you, your friends & your loved ones will love!

As someone with a disability who is also a creative, there's no question I resonate with ArtMix's…read moremission to transform the lives of people with and without disabilities through the creation of art. ArtMix is an Indianapolis-based non-profit organization that has been in existence since I was a kid in school, though it began life as Very Special Arts. They have four core programs, a variety of special projects, and quite a few opportunities to support them ranging from visiting their art gallery to joining them for First Fridays and others. As they note on their website, in the early days of public education for those with disabilities it was uncommon for us to be integrated into regular classrooms. An organization like this was used to fill in that gap. While I was often discouraged from creativity, this was an organization that encouraged it. The fact that I'm now a published writer, film critic, producer, and occasional actor is proof positive of how positive their influence can be. It should be noted that shopping in their gallery is by appointment only. Like a lot of non-profits, they have a small staff. The core programs for ArtMix include urban artisans, entrepreneur artisans, community classes, and artists-in-residence. In terms of accessibility, despite being in a challenging building they do well with ramps at the back entrance (and free parking in the back lot). The building itself is locked - there's a call box that you'll use (again, they request appointments). First Friday events are cool, the gallery is wonderful (and does support artists with disabilities. Yay.). I'm very pleased with this organization. It's only gotten better over the years. While I'm no longer that student sitting in a classroom, ArtMix reaches out even more these days and is truly a community organization. If you've never checked them out, I definitely recommend it.

Interested in supporting local artists, giving back, and purchase beautiful art? Art mix is the…read moreperfect place for this! I went for the second year to their holiday open house to do my yearly ornament shopping for family and friends. There are beautiful, one-of-a-kind ornaments, plates, bowls, and other ceramic pieces. All of the pieces are carefully made by the artists, fired on-site, and then made available in their gallery. I have been thrilled by the items I've purchased and the recipients love them!

I really liked Moorman's when it was still down in Broadripple...it was completely cluttered and…read morechaotic, but I enjoyed that about it. I haven't been in this new location very often, but I do here when in search of something rare in the way of a fragrance. Now, I would say that Moorman's probably caters more to the classic and likely won't have the latest of the latest like Nordstrom, but I have found items here that I cannot find anyplace else - at in a least a bricks & mortar shop - in town. I am particularly a fan of some classic French fragrances, especially Eau de Rochas and Byzance by Rochas and I know that I have bought them here in the past. Come to think of it, I believe it's time for another visit to Moorman's......

If you can't find it anywhere else in town 9 times out of 10 they'll have it at Moorman's. Just…read morewalking into the place is a heady experience. This is the only place in town I can find Lapidus for Men and Cafe' a reasonably priced old school perfume that's excellent for everyday. They also carry the best (longest lasting) essential oils in town and will bottle them for you in a choice of bottle sizes. Some of the staff are willing to mix oil scents for you and some are not so happy about doing this, so it's a gamble, but if you want to mix up your own signature scent this is the place in town to go. As for the line/lines of soaps they carry, I hesitate to use the phrase old fashioned, and prefer the word vintage. These vintage scents evoke sense memory's of how my grandma smelled as she was readying for church. What's a better comfort than that scent?