The Art Center School & Galleries — Attraction in Silver Spring Township

I have been taking pottery classes at the art center since 2021. I have loved the instructors I have had (Cait &Jodi are INCREDIBLE) and the environment has been so uplifting and positive to explore and get better at Pottery. Tina and Bill manage the facility and they are professional and compassionate to patrons of the art center, even when faced with tough situations. They have been accommodating for make up classes as well as helped with purchasing supplies and have made donations for fundraisers, being a great contribution to the community. I was especially impressed with their poise and character when I witnessed a very uncomfortable situation caused by a patron and her daughter who came into the studio to see the instructor there. While there this patron put the instructor in a very tough position as they asked to throw on the wheel during a class they had not paid or registered for. They had made it known that they had previously paid during Covid time frame and was un able to attend classes. At which point the art center attempted to refund them but the checks were returned undeliverable. The woman verbalized to Tina that she had called to “donate that money” to the art center. Tina very calmly communicated to the woman and daughter that this was a paid class that they didn’t register for and kindly asked that they finish the item they were working on so the instructor could go back to teaching the class that the other artists had registered and paid for. They woman got very confrontational saying she paid back in 2020 and that Tina was “kicking them out” which was absolutely not the case, as the entire class heard the dialogue happen and Tina gave them the opportunity to finish the piece they were working on before leaving the facility. Tina was calm and collected and very clearly explained the classes are 6 week courses posted clearly on the website and that if they would have called ahead and let her know the situation, she would have been able to accommodate them better. This interaction only strengthen my recommendation of the Art Center and how Bill and Tina run the Art Barn with professionalism even when faced with difficult people and situations. The facility is charming, the people lovely and the classes are great to have and explore different...

I am leaving my review of the Mechanicsburg Art Center for two reasons: • To address the claims made by Laurel Soriell on June 4th, 2025. Laurel's version of the events that occurred on June 3rd was described as if she observed the situation externally, while she was actually the patron involved. Laurel and her daughter asked to briefly visit the studio to see the instructor whom they knew from the artisan community. She said that she and her daughter were passing through town on their way to Ohio. Instead of staying briefly, they remained for nearly two hours, requesting a private session for the daughter without prior registration or payment. Laurel believed that since she paid for a session before Covid, she could demand a lesson during their “brief” pass through visit which took place during a class other students had registered and paid for. For background information, The Art Center attempted to refund Laurel twice for the class that was canceled due to Covid, but both checks were returned. Eventually, when contacted, Laurel chose to donate the money to the Art Center. During the incident on June 3rd, Tina, the Program Director, asked both her and her daughter to leave as they had not registered or paid for the class and were taking up the instructor's time. Tina’s actions were professional during the interaction, and she was gracious enough to tell them they could finish the piece they were currently working on prior to leaving. There was no interaction with other students, and NO EVIDENCE of discrimination was present. Shame on you Laura for even bringing that topic into your review.

• I decided to wait until retirement to take classes at the Art Center, and my only regret is not starting sooner. The staff are welcoming and treat participants like family. The instructors are patient, kind, and knowledgeable. Fellow students are helpful and provide guidance in exploring new mediums.

Regrettably, one patron has chosen to criticize the center based on inaccurate claims. Please do not allow that false claim to deter you from taking classes here. I highly recommend the Art Center to anyone interested in developing their...

I’m writing this review to express my deep disappointment with something that happened while I was visiting The Art Center. I witnessed someone yelling at a mother and teen daughter. From what I gathered from what was said, they had prepaid for classes before the pandemic and were excited to return and nurture the girl’s love for art. Unfortunately, they were met with an extremely unprofessional and hurtful confrontation by a staff member, not the teacher. I gathered they were not signed up, but were given permission, since they had been strong patrons in the past, and had a balance of prepaid classes. This person accused them of taking time away from other students, which was not the case, and did so in a manner that was both embarrassing and disrespectful. She kept saying, “everyone in the class agrees with me, she should not be here.” After the class we were assured by the other students that this was not the case.

As the only person of color in the class, this girl was particularly vulnerable in this situation, and the way this was handled was not only insensitive but also felt discriminatory. It’s disheartening that it took the other students reassuring them after the fact to acknowledge that they were indeed welcome. This kind of treatment is unacceptable, and I hope the center takes steps to ensure all families feel welcomed and respected in the future. I feel bad that I didn’t speak up in the moment, and that’s on me, but everyone should be treated with respect. If they were truly there in error, the conversation should have taken place personally, rather than in an “on show” manner clearly meant...