The Art Studio NY — Attraction in New York

*Update: The studio did end up responding to our email a week later and profusely apologized. They provided our son with a few private lessons to make up for the class scheduling snafoo. Thank you for your attention and support for this concern.

We registered our 8-year-old son for two of the Art Studio NY's art camps: Beginner Architecture and Beginner Weekly Comics and Cartooning Drawing. Both are online as we do not live in NY.

The Architecture class has been fine: instructor was great and supportive! This review is specifically for the Beginner Weekly Comics and Cartooning class, and overall responsiveness to our concerns by the company.

The first class, the instructor arrived very late with about 15 minutes left in class. Last week's class, the instructor never opened up the Zoom meeting so my son sat in front of the computer just waiting in case the instructor came at the last 15 minutes again. We emailed Art Studio NY and only received a generic email back saying they will respond to us soon. Today, a week has passed and I have yet to receive an email from them.

Additionally, today, our son was to do the Comics and Cartoons class again at 4pm, but it is 4:30pm and we are still waiting "for the host to start this meeting". I have called Art Studio NY and left a message, as it immediately went to voicemail, and am feeling quite disheartened by the attention given to our concerns.

Now, I have to tell my 8-year-old son that class is not happening, again. I hope now we are able to get some level of a refund back for the payment we sent over for a class my son was never able to attend because the instructor never came on and we never received any communication around their absence and if there is a possibility for a make-up session.

Thank you for your attention and I do hope someone from the Art Studio NY reads this review and finally return our...

When you sign up for a class, they neglect to tell you that the class may have already started. This happened to me and I didn't know that I had already missed the two first classes where some of the foundational learning is taught. They should tell you that up-front. When I did show up for, what ended up being the 3rd class, they were already doing landscapes. I didn't even know how to hold the brush, how to use the water (it was a watercolor class), how much paint to use, the pressure of the brush, nothing. And the third class was taught by a substitute teacher, not the 'real teacher'. It was labeled a "beginner" class but I was the only one who was truly a beginner, everyone else had previous art class experience. Not that it matters but if you are truly a beginner, don't expect to feel any classroom "we're in this together and learning together". They don't really 'teach" painting. They put an assignment on the board, show you how to make a few brush strokes and then you are on your own. I thought the teacher would be 'teaching' the fundamentals of watercolor painting but I must have missed it in the first two classes or people already knew. The teacher just goes around the class and looks at everyone's work and helps them where they need help. Oh, and they say 'go to Blick art supplies" and get 'brushes', paints, etc. They don't tell you what kind of brushes, (they are very different) or what kind of paints (there are many different watercolor paint palettes.) This was my experience with this company. I'm going to buy books on Amazon and watch Youtube videos to...

I took the Abstract Acrylic Painting Class: Color, Texture and Self-Expression with Elizabeth Bartolomeo and I absolutely loved it. This is what I especially appreciated: The classes got me painting pictures in ways and with colours I otherwise never would have done. This made each class a continuous unveiling of new discoveries and learnings over and above the bliss of being together with others and creating art. Elizabeth gave me valuable feedback on my work and how to continue with it after class. I also learned from listening to her feedback on other participants artwork. I felt so at home with the group and how everyone so generously shared their art, their observations, thoughts, feelings of their work and the artist or process we were studying that class. Elizabeth is skilled in creating a class atmosphere that allows for everyone to feel at ease and able to explore their creative outlet. I highly recommend this class to beginners and more experienced artists alike. This is a safe and inspiring space to grow. I have already enrolled on the...