i heard about oko designs on instagram and have been wanting to try stained glass. angie, the…read moreowner, is very knowledgeable and great at teaching. when i went for the daisy workshop, there were other workshops happening concurrently so angie was going around teaching essentially the same skills but for different final products (daisy or photobooth). i wish i got a bit more instructor supervision as there were about 20-30 people that day, but i'm still very happy i got to try stained glass and make a piece! i highly recommend checking out oko designs if you're wanting to dabble in stained glass. a workshop is a perfect afternoon activity with friends or even for a date!

I'd heard great things about OKO, so I decided to take a one day stained glass workshop (the "daisy…read moresuncatcher class"), and had the most incredible time! I knew absolutely nothing going in, but Angie was an incredible instructor and took time with each of us to answer questions and help us with the techniques. I've never been very artistic, but this class actually felt approachable and fun even at my skill level, and I can see it being even more rewarding once you gained more experience. Definitely a good intro to a unique form of art, and you get to bring home something cool that you made yourself in just a few hours! I took the class alone, but it would be a great date activity or with friends! There are a ton of cute restaurants and cafes nearby to make a day of it! So glad I took this class!

This review is based on my experience with the instructional classes at the studio…read more I'm not an artist but I strive to live in touch with creativity. For a long time, I've made art but struggled with feeling like what I was doing was really creative. Michael, the owner and instructor at the studio, has transformed the way I think about the creative process through the avenue of figure drawing. His classes are the most meaningful part of my week. If you're looking for an instructional class focused on technique for drawing more accurately, this may not be the right place for you. Instead, the classes offer a new connected way of living--engaged with beauty both around you and internal to you. So much of the class is about unlearning not just how you draw but also how you value the creative process. It is the most challenging class I've ever taken and there's no amount of brute force I can apply to get it other than trusting the process and the instructor. Nonetheless, as frustrating as it is, there's nothing else I do that is more rewarding. It takes a lot of effort to strip away your aesthetic value system to get at the core of what you find beautiful, but if the result is a more meaningful existence, then that investment is priceless. Some practical aspects of the instructional sessions. Michael strives to provide only the best models to inspire you not to capture their poses but to feel something in yourself. The medium is stick charcoal and newsprint is available cheaply at the studio. The class is a lengthy commitment of 20 weeks of three-hour sessions but is highly structured and builds on successive lessons. Michael also allows you to make-up classes. Although there is a high upfront cost, for the hours of instruction and model time spread out over the weeks, it's a steal.

Excellent in all ways: location, furniture, back up supplies, equipment, atmosphere and,…read moreespecially, the models.

My 8 year old daughter attended 2 weeks of summer clay camp here and really loved it! She made a…read morevariety of different pieces, including some pottery wheel work. Tori was the instructor and my daughter really liked her. The only challenge with camp was that the hours were 9am - 12 pm, which was challenging for a 2 working parent family like ours. I hope they'll offer a full day option in the future, as some other pottery studios in the city do. Separately, we took a parent/child pottery wheel workshop at Speckle Studio today - I was so glad to see this offered! I'm excited about the fact the studio offers 4 week sessions and weekend classes, and look forward to enrolling in a class soon. I am so thrilled to have a pottery studio on Cortland and hope it thrives!

Such a fun and community-oriented studio! I took Paul's handbuilding class twice and then recently…read morebecame a member.

The class was a great introduction to pottery! Victor was patient and went around helping everyone…read morewhen it was time to make our individual pieces. We also came late, but thankfully he still allowed us to join in. He helped set our clay up and caught us up to speed with the others. We could make up to 3 pieces and the glaze was chosen for us beforehand. I hope my pieces come out good! Would come again to practice my pottery skills! Keep in mind, parking around here is a little rough since there are a lot of one hour parking spots. Overall great experience for friends, dates, family and kids.

Kaytea was awesome! Yesterday I took my team to a private pottery wheel throwing class and everyone…read moretold me how much fun they had. Kaytea is very knowledgeable, funny, and helpful. Me and most of the team have personally never done this before and we appreciated her patience, humor, and story telling. I've always been interested in wheel pottery as a personal hobby and I'm leaning towards coming back here on my own time :) plus the studio is super cute!

The instructors here are top notch ! Highly recommend !…read moreVery patient and thorough. I creating some keepsakes !

Chris was very sweet and knowledgable! he made the instructions simple without being condescending,…read morehelped us all see the beauty in our wood for cutting boards, and have an enjoyable night! We are planning to go back for another class. Super fun evening!

Took classes here for several terms / years, and stopped going in Feb 2026. Most of the teachers…read moreare great (shoutout Jenny and Ryan), except the owner Adam. He repeatedly was rude, condescending, and belittling to me when I asked for help (umm... who's gonna tell him it's a school?!?) He also found it appropriate to make a racist joke to me (called my keffiyeh, a "terrorist rag"), and often made sexual jokes, in a room full of women. When I texted and emailed about my issues, Adam ignored me. No response (and have the receipts for it). I disputed my class charges to which he did not fight... but was majorly disappointed in my experiences overall. Would not go back nor recommend.

Amazing experience! Adam is the jeweler you want by your side for a unique DIY engagement or…read morewedding band ring from start to finish. The process with him is engaging and fun; he is an excellent teacher with methods that are easy to follow. Adam's experience shines through guiding us beginners, helping to possibly avoid common pitfalls, and he is patient when you miss his queues. Adam approaches his work with joy and integrity, always remembering he's working with people, not simply a transaction. He is transparent about costs. And he is forthright based on his experience. Adam is more than fair and reasonable in all respects. For my wife's engagement ring, which was more complex for a beginner, Adam informed me it would take longer and require more of his hands-on assistance. The result was a stunning, unique piece that my wife and I absolutely love. I can't thank Adam enough for his support and expertise in making this happen! I wish there was a better-than 5-star option! This is a way to be a human and do business, well done Adam!

This is my first time leaving a Yelp review. We had a group…read moreof 14 people, and Yi's class was very fun. Yi's a great instructor and an amazing singer.

A unique experience to definitely do in SF!!!…read more A bottle of red wine, chill music, homely atmosphere, & art. Yi is the shiiiz. Not only was she easy to talk to, she taught so well, and spoke to us as peers. She made it fun and chill, and had a glass of wine with us! 1 con - we got started late. 10,000 pros - her art studio was amazeballs, her art itself was brilliant, the music set the artistic mood, and then others in the class + the ease of learning Yi made it made the WHOLE NITE PERFECTO!!! :: melt my heart now!! :::

I just completed a 4 week intuitive painting course with Claudia yesterday & it's been interesting…read more& powerful experience. I initially found the center through an instagram ad that was advertising their free open studio & decided to check it out. The intuitive painting course is not your typical course. The focus is being in community, learning to listen in & lean into your own intuition & creativity. There's no formal technique, no critiques or comments, but there is a lot of guidance & prompts to help you tap into your creative spirit. The goal is to create a painting from within & quiet the inner critic. It's about the process of letting go of "perfection" & to be create whatever comes up. It may sound a little woo-woo but the beauty of this process is that there's no right or wrong or good or bad painting - it's about your experience. If you're still unsure, I'd recommend dropping into a class to see what it's about. I definitely plan to take more classes in the new year.

I'm glad I experienced this they were so nice and the principle behind is pure…read more Not really my jam though, as an adult too much freedom and not enough structure. You're not allowed to talk or interact with other people. You are painting alone, together. But ironic that the facilitators can interrupt/critique you as they wish.

I spent so much $ and wasted time here. The hand sculpture class is a joke. She never remembers…read morewhen you have class, she's late, She got her dates wrong.... Throw class teacher very profesional and on top of her stuff. Hand building, no returned phone calls, material is still at the store and nobody there to help you collect items. Spend your hard earned $$ elsewhere!!!

I took the beginner and immediate class at Artillery. All the instructors are super talented, kind…read moreand patient. Now, I have the monthly membership and it's been such a creative oasis to build and connect with community in the Mission District. There's always cool workshops happening where members receive discounts. I love their community involvement and sustainability practices. Free to use glaze and firings. Clay by the pound. Free recycled clay. Lots of tools to use. Great garden area.

Tiphaine was a great watercolor instructor. She taught us different techniques and brush strokes…read moreas well as some color theory. The paintings were challenging but Tiphaine guided us with the initial sketching through to the final stroke of the brush. I highly recommend Tiphaine if you are interested in learning how to paint with watercolors or if you want to take your skills to the next level.

J'adore! Such a fun night! The space was so peaceful and welcoming. I was so impressed by how much…read morewe learned about color theory and technique. It was a wonderful experience and I can't wait to book another lesson soon!