Studio One Art Center
Community SubscriberStudio One Art Center is the only city-run program dedicated to visual arts instruction in a wide range of media for persons of all ages, tucked between Oakland Technical High School and Temescal Pool in north Oakland.
Parent Q&A
Parent Reviews
Parents, please Sign in to post a review on this page.Try Studio One in Oakland. It's a city facility, so less expensive than most other venues, though many of the teachers are the same. There are several afternoon classes aimed at teenagers. Downside: ceramics classes fill up very fast. The next sign-up, I believe, is Feb. 12, and some of the classes will fill up that day.
UC Berkeley art studio has classes, though I don't know the age requirements.
Studio One! They have incredible classes for all ages. A real gem of a spot. My teen takes ceramics there, though in the regular adult classes. Check out the age range for the adult classes as some may start at 15 or 16.
It's almost impossible to find OPR info online, but Studio One in Oakland offers teen art classes (drawing/painting, ceramics, photography) over the summer (and more options during the school year). Click on the "class catalog" button here for details: https://www.oaklandca.gov/topics/studio-one-arts-center
Studio One and East Bay Dance Center come to my mind. We have done both and my kid liked them. I believe EBDC may be able to pick up -- do reach out to them and confirm. Studio One is not mostly outside but does have some outside time and has dance. EBDC does have outdoor time but dance class is inside in a space with windows and doors open and an air purifier running. Kids n Dance also has an after school program. My kid really likes the circus / aerial arts there.
Hi, our daughter has gone to both Studio One and Montclair Rec, since she was in K or first grade (she's now in 6th grade). We've done Montclair Rec a lot more because it is close to home. I have no complaints -- it is a very old fashioned cheap and cheerful summer camp. The kids sing songs, do sports, and roam the park. Once a week they go on a field trip (take the bus to a movie, go to Fisherman's Wharf, etc.). It is also very working parent friendly with drop off at 8 and pick up at 6 with no additional charges. The staff all look like a bunch of college students (and some are) but many are deceptively youthful looking and have been with Oakland Parks and Rec for years (we know them pretty well because she also went to the after school program at the park, and it is the same staff). Our daughter will be back this year, in a junior leadership position.
I have less to say about Studio One because we've only been from time to time and haven't built community but we also like it there.
Try Studio One in Oakland by Oakland Tech. My kids took lessons there--a long time ago--I know they still exists but not sure what they are offering now.
Try StudioOne in Oakland! I know they group by age and have a camp for 6-7s.
Check out Studio One Art Center in Oakland. They offer coding classes for kids (the brochure doesn't specify age ages). They offer resident fee discounts.
Berkeley Day Camp (http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/Parks_Rec_Waterfront/Recreation/Berkeley_Day_Camp.aspx) has been our go-to summer camp for almost 10 years (this summer will probably be the first time my oldest, who will be 14, doesn't go) and both my kids love it. You drop off at one of several locations around Berkeley and their school bus takes kids to either Tilden or the Berkeley Marina for a day of adventures - hikes, fishing, games, arts/crafts, cook-outs, etc. I think the cost is around $200/week, hours are 9 am-3:30 pm and they do offer after-care till 6 pm.
Another low-cost camp we love is sailing camp at the Lake Merritt Boating Center (http://www2.oaklandnet.com/Government/o/opr/s/boating/OAK031578). Also about $200/week and kids with no sailing experience can learn to sail, advancing each year till they are sailing at the Oakland Estuary. Finally, for less "active" kids, Studio One in Oakland offers great art camp (http://www.studiooneartcenter.net/tws/lmbeloadpage.asp?compid=studioone&pageid=camps&searchfield1=9) also around $200/week. Hope this helps! Good luck!
We've done the field trip camp at Studio One, and, indeed, it's pretty chaotic. We had a heck of a time just getting signed up, and there's not much hand-holding when you drop off or pick up your kid. Plus, on one of the field trips, they got back two hours late! On the other hand, our kid had a great time, and the low price for camp probably means you'll have to put up with some chaos.
Archived Q&A and Reviews
April 2016
RE: After-school program for Kaiser Elementary kindergartener
We too looked into both afterschool options. My daughter is at Kaiser in 1st grade. We do a combination of Studio One and Adventure time (on site aftercare at Kaiser) for a variety of reasons.
Studio One Pros/Cons
There is a small teacher/student ratio here and the kids take ''classes'' with a play break in between each day. My daughter has done weaving, paper mache, they have clay (really awesome projects!), painting, drama, singing. Lots of choices! the classes usally only have 6-7 kids each. They drive the kids from kaiser, so it also saves us a trip up there. Only cons are that there are ALOT of kids there total, so play time can get a little hectic.
My daughter is a first grader at Chabot. Last year, as a kindergartener, she attended the after-school program at Studio One for about two months in the middle of the school year.
Pros: Studio One is inexpensive, and they are very flexible if you have to make changes to your schedule or even cancel care on certain days. (And they don't charge you for any days you don't use. It was really wonderful for me, as a freelancer with an ever-changing schedule.) They also have a pretty wide range of activities, and if your child likes outdoor activity, it is definitely available there. The art/dance instructors seemed great, and the projects the kids worked on seemed really neat.
Cons: it is a really large program and can feel really chaotic. Quite often, I got the impression that my daughter seemed a little lost there. She regularly skipped eating a snack there, and I didn't get the sense that she really bonded with any of the counselors/instructors - maybe because there were so many of them? This was very unlike her. Once she even peed in her pants because she couldn't figure out if she was allowed to use the bathroom and couldn't even figure out whom to ask. !! This was also unprecedented - her only potty accident since age 2 - and she is not usually shy about asking a grown-up what the rules are, so I found that a little alarming. The long bus ride from Chabot was also a big downside - although this may be less of an issue if your child is coming from Kaiser. As of last year, the Chabot kids got picked up first, and my daughter spent a long time on the bus picking up kids at Kaiser (and other schools? I'm not sure what the exact route was.) It was incredibly unpleasant for her and gave her motion sickness. We wound up pulling her out of the program mostly because of how long the bus ride was (her sign-in time on the sign-in sheet was often an hour after her school day at Chabot ended, so a big chunk of her after school time was spent in transit - something I had not anticipated, given how close Chabot is to Studio One!) So... if you do decide to go with Studio One, make sure to find out about the bus route and how much time your child will be spending on the bus.
Best of luck with your decision! A Rockridge Mom
Feb 2015
RE: Affordable Summer Art Camps in Oakland
I am responding to two posts about Oakland summer art camps. Over the past couple years, my son has been enrolled both in Studio One and in the Oakland Fine Arts Summer School (OFASS), which is an OUSD/Studio One partnership. If you have a child in OUSD, OFASS is a fantastic, super-affordable summer option. My son was exposed to a variety of arts/activities - drumming, yoga, drawing, comic-book-making, etc In fact, I'm glad there were posts asking about this topic because our family will definitely look at enrolling again for this summer. We thought both the Studio One and the OUSD teachers did a great job and ran fun programs. I recommend both summer camps. Oakland mama
Any updates on Studio One Summer Camps?
Feb 2015
Studio one is wonderful. My children attend the whole summer there. It is structured and fun with lots of organized outside games. It has really fostered a love of creativity and art in my kids. The teachers are actual real art teachers and they are fantastic. The camp counselors are young adults who are friendly, take the time to know each child, and are incredibly energetic and engaged. You won't see counselors standing around talking to each other at this camp. They are all super involved in playing with the kids. We love studio one. Meredith
Feb 2013
Re: Oakland All Day Summer Camp for under $300 week?
Summer camp was a big sticker shock for us, too, not to mention the transportation logistics. The city parks & rec departments are the way to go. In Oakland, our kids have really enjoyed Studio One summer camp, which has 9am-5pm days for -- brace yourself -- $150/week for city residents. Throw in a couple of weeks of that, and you can still afford some Monkey Business or another more expensive camp if you want, if your kid has friends are going there, etc.
Studio One Summer Art Camp for 6-year-old
March 2011
Hi all, I am looking at sending my 6 year old daughter to Studio One's Summer Art Camp for part of the summer. I was wondering if anyone out there has sent their child there and what your experience with it was. I didn't see anything in the Archives about this. Mostly I am concerned that the kids are well supervised and that the teachers/counselors actually pay attention to the kids rather than spending more time chatting with themselves. (My sister works in Parks and Rec in SoCal and I've heard some stories...) Also, I want to make sure that there is structure/discipline because I can see the potential for a bit of chaos. Claire
We did a week two years ago. It was fine -- not outstanding, not horrible. It was a little chaotic at dropoff. I wasn't there during the day so don't know how much the staff socialized with each other vs. focussing on the kids. I kind of felt like I got what I paid for (at that great price) but not particularly more. I felt like my just-finished-K daughter was perfectly safe there all day, and she liked it all right but didn't love it. I wouldn't want to sign my kid up for a whole summer, but for a week or few it's fine. reasonably satisfied customer
My daughter attended one week of Studio One summer camp last year, and we all loved it so much that we've had her in their after school program (they pick up from several Oakland schools) during the school year. The art activities with the artists are engaging, and the Oakland Parks and Rec staff are enthusiastic, positive and seem well-trained. They lead the kids in games when they're not doing ceramics or cooking or print-making, and thus no one seems to get bored or get into trouble. We'll definitely send our child there again! Happy with Studio One
June 2003
Re: Collage class for an adult
Try Studio One on 45th in Oakland (Temescal). It's such a cool place with great teachers. good luck
Re: Painting and Drawing class for an adult (Sept 1999)
I'd recommend Margaret Chavigny's class at Studio One in Oakland. I've sent many people to her class and they've all enjoyed it and gotten a lot out of it (one even ended up marrying her!). I'm an artist and get asked for recs fairly often. Also UC extension has some good classes though I'm not sure who to recommend. A muralist who teaches in the area is Juana Alicia but I'm not sure where she teaches. Perhaps you could reach her through the Museum of children's Art (510. 465-8770). Also Dan Fontes is a local muralist (he did the giraffes on the underpasses) and he may teach. He's probably listed in Oakland since his studio is there. Happy Painting! Leah
May 2000
Studio One in Oakland has an interesting variety of art classes - jewelmaking, photography, painting, etc. They are taught by good artists. Most classes are mixed aged groups with special discount for teens. They also have a few art classes that are specifically for teens. They are in the phone book and located around 42nd St., between Broadway and Telegraph. Lisa
Linda 11/99
art classes: Studio One on 45th St. between Broadway and Shafter in Oakland has wonderful variety of art classes for kids and adults. It's part of Oakland Rec, so prices are right (kids' afterschool classes are generally $15 for 8 weeks), and my kid has enjoyed these classes a lot. Staff are helpful and friendly. There is also an aftercare program. New schedule is out now. Classes fill quickly sometimes, so call soon. One caveat: building is unreinforced masonry and not earthquake safe.
Linda 9/99
Re parent-child pottery classes: Studio One in Oakland has a great parent-child pottery class on Sat. mornings. It tends to fill up, so check right away. The next session starts soon.
From: Franny (3/99)
one of the great secrets/bargains is Studio One, an art studio, in north Oakland. It's run by the city of Oakland, which means it is cheap. The art classes are excellent, taught by very talented artists. There are classes for both children and adults. The only drawback is that it is in an unreinforced masonry building, which they warn you about when you enter. The entrance is on 45th Street near Shafter.
Jan 1999
Studio One in Oakland has an after school program for kids from age 6. One of the classes is a martial arts class with instructor Bill Owens. He also has a private studio, but has been employed by Oakland Parks and Recreation for a number of years. The class is from 3:30-5, and includes a snack break. An 8 week session only costs $15 for Oakland residents and perhaps a few more dollars for non-residents. He has a performance at the end of the session on a Saturday for the students to show off their new talents. My daughter took the class a few times and really enjoyed learning the routines. Bill Owens is a patient teacher and works well with the kids, teaching them when it is appropriate to use the moves as well as when it is not. Leslie
Our experience with Studio One summer camp was before the pandemic.
Pros
- reasonable cost
- generally nice staff
- overall good programs and hours
- parking and pick-up/drop-off not too difficult
Cons
- 1st day registration was chaotic, disorganized, and extremely time consuming
- generally disorganized
- Not the best outdoor space (kids play on the front outdoor space)
It was ok, and my kid had a decent time. She said she'd do it again with friends but it's not a camp that she'd want to do without a friend. She did enjoy working with clay.