Children's Art Classes - Jacksonville, FL - Jacksonville, Florida

Megan R.

Zero stars for the owner, not a great representative for her own business. 😔

Beware if your child works with the owner aka Barbara Gay! She has a tendency to bark at the children when she is instructing, and then plays innocent when confronted by the parents. This is what happened to my child today. She was filling in for our lovely, regular teacher (Ms. Anne) and because my son needed correcting she yelled at him to stop what he was doing and to stop painting. He is very open to constructive criticism and learning new skills so I was surprised to see him this upset and in tears after class. We have been at this school for 3 years and NEVER had this happen before. Delivery is everything. It's not what you say, it's HOW you say it... most especially when you're responsible for articulating instructions to children. They are very receptive to energy, so I believe my child and his response to her. I approached Barbara afterwards to find out what transpired and she completely discounted my child's response and asked him to return so she could continue working with him, blaming it on the skill they were learning today. It's fine to correct, but how did you do it I also spoke with Stephanie (her daughter) over the phone, and she was very open to hearing us out but also discounted my child's response. Again, it's not what you say, it's how... unfortunately, all of this taking place has definitely put a damper on wanting to continue with lessons here, so we have decided to cancel our tuition. Very unfortunate. All of the other teachers we have worked with have been fantastic. This was our experience, so we just wanted to share this cautionary tale for parents and those interested in lessons here.

Be T. Q. B.

This place is amazing! It was our last class today and over the year the staff is incredibly helpful and friendly, and they go above and beyond to work with kids and make them learn the beauty of art, colors, and secrets of working with clay. My friend referred me to this place last year and I already registered my child for another school year. Highly recommended 10/10!

Beth R.

My son had the best 8th birthday at Children’s Art Classes. Sue, the art teacher and party facilitator, was flexible with a large group (party of 40) of kids and adults celebrating my son. She helped all kiddos from 2-12 yo paint what they wanted or guide to a pre-planned painting. I felt like all the kids felts supported and really able to express themselves.

The space was great and allowed for adults to be to the side or involved. The owner, Stephanie, was also great to work with for booking, questions, and was super kind to my son too. We will be back and may have started a trend in birthday parties with my son’s friends!

Sheila M.

My daughter absolutely loved her time at CAC! They encouraged and challenged her to develop her skill and talent. She began as an ART 1 student in 5th grade, and completed their curriculum as a HS Sophomore. I have read some of the other reviews listed here and would like to comment. They are usually pretty strict about classtime. If you would like to do a meet and greet before class, this should probably be arranged through the teacher prior to the beginning of the class. The classroom door is usually shut, and only students for that classtime are allowed in. The classtimes are fairly short, and they like to take full advantage of the allotted time, since there will be another class arriving as the current one is ending. Their summer camps/workshops can be a lot of fun, but are more for beginners and the younger students. The evening classes during the year are sorted in levels and tend to be more age appropriate. My daughter used to attend the Friday night and Saturday morning classes for her age group. I am so happy we found Children's Art Classes shortly after our military relocation to Jacksonville! They helped her transition to a new area and encouraged her to audition at Douglas Anderson, School of the Arts. She will be graduating from DA in May, and has already been accepted into SCAD. Ms. Stephanie is usually very prompt on responding to messages and I am sure would answer any questions or concerns you may have. They also have an open house every summer to welcome all students and to give a tour of their classroom and review their curriculum.

Shawn

If I could give 0 stars I truly would. I can’t help but conclude that the staff at this center are prejudice. I entered the studio with our child, (whom we had already registered) today. We were just hoping to meet the teacher before class and have someone welcome our kid since she was new and would be attending this center weekly. Instead, we entered the front door, an older lady with brunette hair and glasses looked up, came to the front and shut the door right in our faces!!! She never said “hello, how can I help you” or anything. We stood there stunned as we watched her walk back into the room and start talking to some students. My family stood at that glass window for an additional 5 minutes, with another apparent male staff in the back room within view and NO ONE acknowledged us. This type of behavior is disgusting and truly shocking in 2023! I will be taking my child and hard earned funds elsewhere, but I can’t help but feel compelled to let any other prospective families know that this place should not be considered if you are seeking a welcoming environment for your child. What a shame!!

Sahtinay I.

My daughter loves this place !!! She’s been going to this studio for over 3 years now and says it’s the 2nd best place she loves after home. The instructors are very friendly and incredibly talented. I highly recommend it!

Thurman M.

Just wanted to share how refreshing it is to have people like Ms. Barbara and Ms. Stephanie teaching our son everything about art. He started with Beginners and has just completed Art 3 and looking forward to the next class. Thank you so very much for all that you do. Love Art!!

Melissa E.

I can't say enough good things about Children's Art Classes at Baymeadows. The staff are all so kind. My kiddo loved every art project and even came home with frame worthy pieces.