Creative Arts Center of Dallas

A fantastic center where you can explore and learn about whatever aspect of art that you choose--ceramics, sculpture, painting, and my personal favorite--metal arts (jewelry making is my class). Jeff Duryea is an excellent instructor, as well as a patient one. It's amazing how much you can learn here. There's a broad range of people who take classes and workshops here. Check them out online. Plus they are expanding and have all kinds of new space!

I finally got to take the Metal Arts class at the Creative Arts Center. I wish I hadn't waited so long. Such a wonderful class and a great setup for students. Art Garcia is an amazing instructor! In my early classes he was great at helping me learn the techniques. As we continued in classes, he focused on helping me find my creative spirit.

Attended the "From the Street" gallery, a collection of works from previously or current homeless artists from across the country. I loved reading their stories and what makes them feel inspired. At times I felt so moved by the combination of art/stories I struggled to keep my composure. Thank you CAC for hosting this beautiful, inspiring event. I signed up for Robert Moore's Abstract Painting class. He is a cool guy and scored points right off because he was wearing a T-Shirt of some personal artist friends of mine ( and turns out his also) He has a very laid back teaching style which totally works for me.

A creative oasis in an unlikely 'hood. I am sort of shocked by the sub-par ratings of the CAC. My experience far exceeded my expectations, allowed me to challenge myself in a positive environment and they had a damn good vending machine to boot. Yes, the neighborhood is crummy. Get over it. Don't leave your MacBook on the front passenger seat, lock your doors, and use some common sense. I think rating the art center based on location is absurd.While Googling "mixed media painting" classes for Dallas, I stumbled upon the CAC website and I am glad I did. The class that caught my eye was listed as full, but they offer the ability to wait-list yourself and will contact you with any openings. You do not have to pre-pay for wait-list status (which I found applaudable...), and the office staff is kind & cordial in making arrangements to pay for any classes you do register for. (Cash, check & credit cards I know for sure are accepted.....I *think* Paypal is an option for online registration.)As an novice "artiste", I found comfort when I called to ask about skill-level appropriateness and I was put on hold for 2 minutes and then connected with the teacher of the class. That little bit of customer service that lead me directly to the horse's mouth (sorry, Katherine....), eased my nervousness and allowed me to dive in and try the class. Believe me, I was trying my best to talk myself out of it!We were supplied with a wooden canvas, a multitude of brushes, paints, papers and misc supplies to use during the 10am-4pm class. Students are encouraged to bring their own supplies but what you don't have or forgot is generally available.The students in my painting class were all women, ranging from 23 to 60+, the average student between 38 and 55. (I don't know why this matters, but 2 people have asked me this, so I figure demographic profiling is important to some prospective students.) Art backgrounds were very varied....but I have got to say, the work produced by each student at the end of the day was inspired and generally breath-taking. I plan on signing up for more classes here. They offer everything from painting, to drawing, to metal working, jewelry, ceramics, photography and more. The building is actually comprised of 3 bldgs that once housed an old elementary school. Sculptures, paintings and more adorn the lawn and walls of this charming Dallas jewel.Set your self-doubt aside and come create! And for God's sake, lock you car!

I actually attended a photography class here, not a sculpture class. My hubster bought me a fancy camera for my birthday and with all the millions of buttons, I felt a bit overwhelmed and went back to school. Before I talk about the class, let me talk about the school's surroundings. Be careful of the neighborhood since it is in a sketchy area. The very first things our instructor said was "if you have anything laying out on your car seats, you may want to bring them in or put them in the trunk of your car." Yeah, we had to take a 5 minute break to take care of that issue. After that, classes were enjoyable and well taught by Michael Blackwell. He had good knowledge and was pretty patient with our class. But as with any hobby, you get out what you put in. He was great about sending us feedback, ideas, articles and websites. I only was able to attend a few weekend/evening excursions.My advice: try to self-teach yourelf as much as you can. A class is a great starting point but it is a financial committment, but some, like me, just learn better with an instructor.

I'm taking a nightly class and yes, it's in a sketchy area of Dallas but the parking lot is well lit and I've had no issues with crime. Don't leave your wallet on the dashboard and you won't have a problem. Their website made registration easy and the classes are fantastic. I've learned a lot in the few weeks I've been attending and will sign up for another one for the next session. It's like continuing education, but better because it's stuff I want to learn, on my own terms. I looked a long time for arty classes that fit my work schedule. I finally found them.

Every once in a while I discover something that makes me think "wow...Dallas is an amazing place to live." The Creative Arts Center sits atop my list of such places.I discovered it when I learned of their jewelry classes and signed up for a jewelry class that was 1 person shy of making (hopefully next session...hopefully!) But then I explored the rest of their selections... photography and fused glass and welding, oh my!Although my jewelry class didn't make, the fused glass class that I signed up for did. The instructor and fellow classmates were all fantastic and encouraging. I was in a beginner class and the other students ranged from first ever class to Creative Arts Center devotees. The class was well organized with plenty of individual help, since they keep class size fairly small. We had tons of glass to choose from and they even brought snacks!The very cool part was when we walked to put our piece in the kiln and we saw all the other finished and in-process art pieces. There was an entire section of half-sculpted rock sculptures.Class offerings range from 1 night workshops (like the fused glass class I took) to multi-week classes. I've been bit by the Creative Arts Center bug and I have no doubt I'll be back for many classes to come.

I agree with the other poster about the area. I am a single girl, and I have taken evening classes here for the last 4 sessions. They have some serious security cameras, and I don't leave anything valuable in the car. I've never had any issues.As to teachers, I think it's hit and miss. I am currently taking a class with Lynn Armstrong, and she is fantastic. Very encouraging, and teaches many different kinds of work in ceramics. She's very flexible, and is good at helping people find what they're good at. She's a delight, and her work is absolutely gorgeous. I will continue taking classes with her for as long as I can. She's great at teaching to multiple skill levels as people are at different places. She keeps the class light and fun and keeps everyone involved. before lynn, I took my first ceramics class with Jo Clay, and she and I did not get along. She was definitely A very skilled artist, but as a teacher I found her patronizing and overbearing. Seemed like she was always griping about something we did wrong. So I wouldn't recommend her as a teacher. However, her work is impressive, and she certainly has great skill as an artist.Overall this place is great. They always seem to be having a show, or event, or fundraiser and those are always neat. They often have student showcases, and it's fun to see what others are doing.

Came to the Creative Arts Center for a professional development day, and an in service has never been so much fun! It felt like I was back in art school (without the stress of project deadlines) the studios were very spacious and spread out depending on the discipline. I loved how passionate the artists were about the work, they are all very knowledgeable about their craft. As an art educator, it is rare that I get the chance to see that passion anymore outside of the school system, so watching someone teach in such a relaxed and creative atmosphere was wonderful. I took the clay sculpting class because I have never sculpted with clay, and I feel like I learned so much. I can't wait to get back to my classroom and show my kids new techniques and skills. Outside of teaching art, this would be a great place for anyone who is a creative or wants to explore art further. There is no pressure of being perfect or having a certain skill level in art, so I would definitely try it out! Discounts for teachers as well!

I enrolled in a beginner wheel pottery class. My experience was awful. The majority of the students had had at least some experience with wheel before and the instructor was less than willing to come over and give me a little extra guidance. Buyer beware, as these classes are very expensive, that this is not a place for a beginner to go to try to learn a skill.