If you want quality ceramics and pottery from local artisans, head to Material Things near the D.C…read more border in Brentwood, Maryland. Inside several spaces in an industrial building, they sell to some of the area's top restaurants. I picked up four large bowls for my wife and she loves them. Material Things also runs regular classes to teach people their craft.

I am so happy to report back and say that I loved my experience at Material Things. I participated…read morein an 8 week course with about 12 students where I started out having a hard time making anything. By the end of my course I've made some beautiful bowls and mugs along the way that I'm super proud of. During my time in classes with Kiel (wonderful guy but he has recently moved to AZ) he created a chill space each week. The class had some beginners and also some intermediate throwers and Kiel did a seamless job helping everyone and sharing his expertise. During the class each week we were able to throw on the wheel to create new pieces and take our creations from start to finish. For the $360 price tag I think that it was a great investment into a new hobby. I made about 10 different pieces that I took home with me at the end of that I'm very proud of. Also I want to give a huge shoutout to the owners for opening up the space during the very stressful Election week so that anyone in courses could come and have an outlet every single day. Typically their open studio hours are 4x a week but they made the decision to offer them everyday and for extended hours. Their kindness deserves so much praise and I wish nothing but the best for this business. I'm looking forward to taking future classes with the owner Katie and also inviting friends to join me :) Thank you to the Material Things Team

I've taken ceramics and mosaics through the Art League at the Madison Annex, which is essentially a…read morebuilding with different studio classrooms. Although the Art League is technically located the in Torpedo Factory, most of their classes are held here. I actually like that it's not located in the heart of Old Town, because street parking in the area is usually available and students can also use the lot behind Sport & Health. If you're enrolled in a ceramics class, you're also able to pay for open studio time which is pretty cool. I've gone and met some really amazing artists who can be a great resource for additional input for your art projects. Overall, the environment is diverse, welcoming, and lots of fun. I absolutely love taking classes here and would highly recommend the Art League.

I figured it was about time I did another review for this place. (an update) I really recommend…read morethis place for those who are interested in the arts (aside from music and acting and such). Depending on the class you're taking, it can be really fun, or just really relaxing. I take manga/comic classes, which I take basically every semester, it's just a class I really love. They now have an adult class for that class, so hopefully, the adults won't waste their money anymore, for a lot signed up for the ages 10 to adult class and were for some reason disappointed to see a class full of kids. So it was really good that they finally added an adult class. I also took an expressive figure drawing class a couple of times, which can be a difficult class if you don't fully understand the action line and such yet. (but I recommend taking the class! Ms. Susan is a super enthusiastic/encouraging teacher! one of my favorites there!). And they now have digital art classes! I have yet to take it, but I'm happy they added a class for those of us who draw digitally! The classes are around $200 for 7-9 classes, one class a week, and most are 2 1/2 hours long. There are all sorts of classes that you can take, a lot of different types of teachers, and students that take it as well! MY ONLY CON ARE THE BATHROOMS RIGHT BY THE ENTRANCE! I really recommend buying wet ones or other types of cleaning wipes, for little boys (and possibly some grown men honestly) tend to go on the seat. I prefer going to the bathroom before waiting for my bus, but it seems 9 out of 10 times I go in the bathroom, there's always a little and (very rarely) a lot of drops all over the seat. Id still use these bathrooms over portapotties though. (for Alexandria birthday firework thing, I actually did walk to this building to go to the bathroom instead of using the portapotties)

I took a class here in the spring and bought all the supplies on the list to complete the class…read more Except for the soldering iron which I already owned, I bought all the supplies from the VA Stained Glass Company and it came to under $600, including glass. The class was $100 and spread out across 8 weeks, with one assignment per week. I ended up completing my first project within that time span, and I was well-supported to have my questions answered in class or received help with the tricky parts -- of course I took on the hardest beginner template (which every shopkeeper warned me against) because I'm a creative masochist. I am glad I went for the extra challenge because I really like the piece I made. Finally, I'll sign up for the class again when I am ready to make my next piece. I like how the pace kept me accountable, but didn't rush me, and for $100 having a mentor like Diane and her staff to go speak to each week is an incredible resource. I feel incredibly grateful that amazon hasn't wiped out this community resource, and I marvel at her dedication to stained and fused glass and her prowess and patience at sharing it with the community. Note regarding buying supplies: Yeah sure, I am a young generation internet wizard but being a fan of open source and the ways of Stallman (who was right) I DID NOT purchase resources online -- I kept the profits local and focused at this gem of a resource to our community, which means I bought EVERYTHING from VA Stained Glass. If you are looking at taking a class with Diane, and need to buy supplies, you should DO the same. Buy directly from her for all of the reasons I've listed here and allow me to re-iterate just what a priceless resource VA Stained Glass is for our community.

My wife and I took the "Introduction to Stained Glass" class, so we could have a chance to learn…read morethe basics and finish a project without having to make a big investment in tools, etc. (definitely worth it). It was so much fun we decided to take the plunge and took the "Beginning Stained Glass" class too! We're very pleased with how our projects turned out, and now, with the detailed, hands-on (and patient!) instruction we've gotten, we have the confidence to take on some projects on our own. To anyone who's thought about trying their hand at stained glass, but feels a little intimidated by it, let me tell you that it's not nearly as difficult as you might think. In fact, it's actually pretty easy. And I can confidently recommend coming to the Virginia Stained Glass Company to get some instruction. Our experience was wonderful, with all of the staff, the other people in our classes, and the other customers who had bought studio time and were coming in just to work on their projects (I think the fact that people are buying time to work here on stuff they could just as easily do at home says a lot). The atmosphere was always relaxed and friendly, and I really enjoyed it.

I can't say enough good things about this place, one of my creative homes here in DC! Dan has…read morecreated such a beautiful, light-filled space that's equipped with pretty much any tool or equipment you might need to bring any idea to life. The classes themselves are fantastic - you'll learn by doing, but also by watching an expert demonstrate for you, and getting as much help as you may need throughout. It's a good balance: you'll build your skill set and learn the practicalities of metalsmithing, but also learn to understand your own creative vision, which you can work on during open studio hours. The vibe is really chill (Dan plays great music!), all the teachers are kind and helpful and supportive, your fellow students are all interesting and fun, and overall this is the kind of space where you feel like you're able to make mistakes and still learn and grow from them. If you've ever wanted to learn the true craft of metalsmithing to make fine jewelry, this is the place to do it.

How do I give 6 stars? 7 stars? 100? Dan and JewelryClassDC deserve them, and more…read more I worked with Dan to make my engagement ring and it was an unforgettable experience. It can feel like a real leap of faith to do something so personal and important in such an unconventional way, and to put your trust in a stranger and in your own ability to learn something you have never even considered before--but I am so glad I took it. I have an experience I will remember for the rest of my life, my fiancée (she said yes of course!) has a beautiful, truly one-of-a-kind heirloom she adores and values beyond measure, and we have a story we will tell over and over again. She is already getting questions about where I found her ring, and her friends are already gushing about how amazed they are I made it. Honestly, I am amazed too. I wasn't sure I could make a ring that looked better than a beginner's craft project!--but that was before I met Dan. I had a personal design idea that not only do they not sell in stores, they don't even really sell jade cut how I needed. As far as I can tell, no one had done this before. Well, now someone has, it turned out incredible, and it's all because Dan made it possible. He went above and so far beyond. As a craftsman he is not just skilled, but meticulous, and determined to make sure every product he works on meets his high standard of excellence. As a teacher he is patient, knowledgeable, and eager to share and show what he knows--which is a lot.  And to top it all off, he is a real man of his word--exactly the kind of person you want to put your trust in when dealing with precious metals, stones, and memories. In short, they don't 'em like Dan anymore--that goes for his character, and his jewelry. If you need jewelry made, if you need jewelry worked on, if you need a guiding hand to make something yourself--do yourself a favor and see Dan and his team at JewelryClassDC.

This is a glass fusion studio. I went with a small group (about a dozen) to take the Fused Glass…read moreBasics class. The outcome was a 6 inch bowl designed by me. This was a pretty fun outing -- with a surprising number of budding artists in our group. Credit must be given to the 2 owners for making the education part fun, informative, and interesting. The first 30 minutes is a presentation of how to handle the glass, break it, shape it, stack it, etc. Each person starts with a clean slate. There are loads of different types of supplies -- very thin shards, speckles of glass, all colors and then tools to shape your design. From an uneasy feeling that we were going to fail, the intro gave us the confidence to produce our masterpieces. You will not take home your masterpiece that evening. It has to melt and be shaped, so expect some days to pass and a return trip to pick up your item. If you're with a group, you can bring snacks, but snacking pretty much ends when glass manipulation begins. The two artists circulate and provide design advice but you are the artist.

I took the "Introduction to Glass Mosaics" class this weekend with a friend and had a very positive…read moreexperience. The project was to make a trivet. We walked in and all the materials and tools were laid out for each of us at stations. They had 4 examples of completed projects for us to review and even templates to make it easy if we didn't want to create our own design (although seems like everyone did their own design in our class). The teacher, Missy, was very thorough in her initial explanation of steps to complete the project and walked around to make sure to answer questions or give guidance. The good part was that with this particular project (not the case with others), we walked away with our trivet and didn't have to come back to pick anything up, which was a relief since it's not close to my house (while it was totally worth it for the 3 hour class, might not have been fun to drive all the way back another day just to pick something up). This was a fun activity to do with a friend or on your own and would definitely recommend it.

We loved our Sip and Paint experience! Our instructor Stanley was the BEST! We hired Sip and Paint…read morefor a private team-building experience for work, and folks said this was the best experience they have had. I highly recommend attending one of their classes or hiring them for a private event!

Foremost, Stanley was fantastic. He's kind, gentle, funny and ridiculously talented. We did the VIP…read morebutton art experience and we are still reeling. It was meditative. It was deeply satisfactory. It was fun. It was fresh. It was everything. We made stellar artworks and simply had a great time doing it. This is worth every penny and more.

This a wonderful space for artists and for the community. PG County does a wonderful job ensuring…read morethere are classrooms and galleries for creatives. The artisan shop has a nice variety of local items like art, jewelry, ceramics to purchase at great prices.

I always see this place in passing, but one day I decided to stop in…read more Brentwood Arts Exchange has all types of cool happenings. The space is amazing: Track lighting, natural sun light from the window paneled entrance, large white walls. The design is simple and sophisticated, great place to rent out for an event. Note: they also have a class room that can be rented for presentations and demonstrations. You can purchase original paintings, sculptures, pottery, and jewelry here.Greeting cards of all sorts available with unique and current pop, political- cultural messages and lovely artwork too! I bought this beautiful ring made of rock by Ebony Westbrook, it's called an Upcycled ring. The term upcycle means to reuse (discarded objects or material) in such a way as to create a product of a higher quality or value than the original. Yeah a new one for me too! Prices here are very reasonable. A nice place to get that artistic friend /mentor a mature, rare, and eclectic keep sake. For me, as I get older going to the mall and making certain trendy commercial purchases just feels like I'm purchasing junk. So, I am always happy to find nooks in the county or city, where I can get someone something that actually is hand made or represents something timeless. The staff is very kind and friendly. The art exchange gives art classes for children as well as adults, also lots of local art exhibitions take place here, as well as musical performances, everything from Hip Hop to Electronica. I feel an urgency to support this place, because far too many times art hubs get evaporated by big business and we don't miss them until they're long gone. May this place NEVER rest in peace- LET'S SUPPORT LOCAL ART!

These are an amazing group of women who quilt and sew. They are super friendly and knowledgeable…read more It's a community, a culture of individuals of all stages from beginners to people who've had 60+ years of experience who come together to learn and create. The energy is amazing and allows you to flourish as a creative!

HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE. Completely UNPROFESSIONAL and WOULD NOT recommend this place to anyone. I…read moresigned up for the beginners sewing class. The class is not structured for beginners. The pace is too fast, they don't go over the basics, they speak to you as if you should know what you're already doing or should know terminology that a beginner wouldn't know. More than half of the class each week walks out with unfinished projects and during the class you can see on our faces and in our body language that most of us felt stressed, overwhelmed and frustrated by the lack of instruction. On the first class we were told to "go to YouTube to see how to finish" our pillows. The schedule was supposed to be from January 10 - April 18 with 3 dates on which we wouldn't have class (January 17, February 14 and April 4). They refused to cancel the class on January 31st even though driving conditions were terrible because of the ice storm - so those of us who chose to prioritize our safety already missed a class and it was impossible to catch up the next week given the pace. Then on February 13th I receive an email saying we have class tomorrow on the 14th. I emailed back and said no, that is not what the schedule says and I cannot make a class since I had other plans. They then said they have to CHANGE THE SCHEDULE (FOUR WEEKS INTO THE CLASS) due to "instructor availability." I explained that as a busy wife and mom who has a very busy job I cannot continue with the new schedule and try to do make up classes. I explained that after FOUR WEEKS of class I still did not know sewing basics because they were NEVER explained. After FOUR WEEKS I still could not thread my needle or refill my bobbin unassisted because of the lack of instruction and pace of the course. I asked that they refund my money for the rest of the course (I said I was happy to pay the $200 for the 3 classes I attended and the 1 missed due to the inclement weather) but I couldn't continue due to the schedule change. They have refused to refund the $400 for the remaining classes. They tried to point to their no refunds policy - but that is VOID because THEY breached the agreement by unilaterally changing the schedule. So I am now in a battle with them for my money - because THEY changed the schedule because it appears that THEY did not properly plan to ensure they would have coverage for the classes. It's so unprofessional and completely ridiculous. Also their "instructors" may be able to sew...but there is a lacking in the teaching part. Only ONE instructor explained things and that was the only week I came home with a finished project (but I had to stay an extra 30 minutes to be able to complete it). And their "customer care" person Julie is TERRIBLE at her job. Despite the name - they do not seem to actually CARE about their customers. THIS IS NOT HOW YOU RUN A BUSINESS. I really wanted to support this local small business - but they have made that impossible. I was so excited about this class, but they have taken what was supposed an enjoyable experience and ruined it. I DO NOT RECOMMEND that you patronize their business.