Let’s Get Handsy: Creative Classes in Memphis
Art, heart, and soul describe the Memphis art scene. Our city is bursting with creative opportunities—from throwing clay on the potter’s wheel to painting, sewing, and even cooking.
Art, heart, and soul describe the Memphis art scene. Our city is bursting with creative opportunities—from throwing clay on the potter’s wheel to painting, sewing, and even cooking.
Around every corner in Memphis, art is waiting: murals tucked behind buildings, graffiti along the highways, and inspiring quotes etched into downtown sidewalks. But with so many classes on offer, you can go from simply admiring the art to actively making it yourself.
See below where you can join in on with creating your own masterpieces:
See below where you can join in on with creating your own masterpieces:
Art, Design, Etc
Various art social clubs that offer workshops and classes for art enthusiasts.
Five in One Social | Workshops and Classes - DIY Designer
If you’re hunting for a creative escape in the heart of Binghamton, look no further than Five in One Social. This one-of-a-kind space blends workshop, social club, and art hub into a paradise for anyone who loves getting hands-on with DIY.
Their signature classes: think indigo dyeing, embroidery, and other crafty gems make it easy to learn something new with step-by-step instruction in a relaxed, social setting. The vibe is equal parts creative and community, so you leave with more than just a finished project, you leave inspired.
Not local or can’t squeeze a class into your schedule? No worries. Five in One has you covered with their take-home “workshop kits,” which deliver everything you need to turn your own living room into a mini studio. Who knows? You might just discover your next creative obsession. Upcoming classes can be found on their calendar!
The Art Project | Adult and Children Classes - Training up the Next Picasso
Little Picasso on your hands and you need a creative outlet? The Art Project is your solution to channel your child’s creative energy! Offering free play daily for children, sensory tables for toddlers, and even workshops for adults, the Art Project is an all in one location to press into your creative imagination. Although free play is available, reservations are encouraged to book for members.
Dixon Gallery & Gardens | Classes - Fine Art and Art Making for All Ages
Fun for the entire family! Dixon Gallery and Gardens is a fine art museum located in Audubon Park. When the weather is nice, you can stroll through the gardens taking in the beautiful assortment of flowers. But when the weather is cold, the inside comes alive? Dixon Gallery and Gardens offers classes for toddlers, youth, adults, and seniors on a variety of topics like kaleidoscope making for ages 5-9 to art class series for seniors. Whether you go for the flowers or the art, Dixon Gallery and Gardens is a place you can spend all day at!
Memphis Brooks Museum | Calendar - Not Your Average Art Museum
Not just your average museum. Memphis Brooks Museum is one of the largest museums in the southern region, located right here in Memphis. Gazing at art isn’t the only thing to do at The Brook’s Museum (as us Memphians affectionately call it). Figure drawing (clothed and nude), floral making, wreath designing, and learning mahjong can all be found under this behemoth of a museum, right in the heart of Midtown.
Memphis Brooks Museum hosts events and workshops weekly. Check out their calendar and join in on all the fun, year round, for more!
Midtown Bramble and Bloom| Calendar - Floral and Food Bank
Love the idea of beautiful floral arrangements, but you have no idea where to start? Worry not! Midtown Bramble and Bloom, is your one stop shop for floral arrangement, community connection, and even a DIY food bank! Midtown Bramble and Bloom offers classes and workshops on arranging dried and fresh florals, but even more impressively? They offer free seeds of your choice if you want to try growing your food, yourself. Just stop by and grab some green beans, corn, etc and watch your work come alive (literally)!
Cooking and Baking
Want to try your hand at decorating your own cake or attempting to bake a dessert? Check out the spots below that you can channel your inner favorite Food Network expert baker/cooker.
Muddy’s Bake Shop | Muddy's Event Calendar - A Memphis Staple
Muddy’s Bake Shop is a Memphis staple for scratch-made sweets and warm, neighborly vibes—and they love sharing their baking know-how. Their hands-on classes might have you whipping up oatmeal cream pies from scratch, perfecting your piping skills in an open studio cookie-decorating session, or tackling the French Home Baker (a brand-new class!) for a taste of Paris in your own kitchen. You’ll leave with new skills, a box of treats you made yourself, and probably a little powdered sugar on your shirt.
Church Health Cooking Classes | Calendar - A healthier you
A healthier you starts with a healthier plate, and Church Health’s cooking class series is the perfect place to begin. Known as a nonprofit clinic that cares for the whole person—body, mind, and spirit—Church Health provides affordable health services, spiritual care, emotional support, and nutritional education to help individuals thrive.
Their four-week cooking class series puts this mission into action by teaching the fundamentals of building healthy, budget-friendly meals. It’s practical, hands-on, and designed to make wellness accessible to everyone. Classes are offered regularly, and details can be found on their website—because taking the first step toward better health can be as simple (and delicious) as learning what’s on your plate.
Community Programs
Art doesn’t have to be expensive! Check out the following for free or inexpensive art classes to take.
Carpenter Art Garden | Calendar - A Block of Labor and Love
Carpenter Street is home to the Carpenter Art Garden, a safe haven for children in the Binghampton community to allow their imagination and creative energy to run amuck. The Carpenter Art Garden offers creative programming, events, and cooking classes with ingredients straight from the garden for your child(ren) to learn and thrive in. Check out their website for more information!
Creative Aging | Calendar - Senior Savviness
Retired by day, and budding artist overnight! Creating Aging is on a mission to empower seniors to live fully enriching lives through creativity. Creative Aging teaches classes on mosaics, silk dyeing, oil painting, and more for the seasoned student to learn. Check out their website, as most classes are free!
Kroc Center | Calendar - Community Hub and More
The Kroc Center is more than just a community hub. It’s a place to learn, grow, and create. From piano lessons to fine arts classes, they offer opportunities for all ages to explore new skills in a supportive environment. Classes are free for members and offered at a low cost for non-members, making creativity and community accessible to everyone.
Metal Making
Hosts public, hands-on workshops in blacksmithing, casting, jewelry, and welding.
Metal Museum | Classes - A Welder’s Wildest Dreams
No trade school required, just a spark of curiosity! After wandering the galleries and soaking up inspiration, the Metal Museum invites you to roll up your sleeves with hands-on classes that unleash your inner blacksmith. From jewelry making to welding and beyond, their eclectic workshops turn creativity into craft. Check out their website for upcoming offerings and see where the forge takes you.
Pottery and Painting
If you enjoy seeing a lump of nothing come into a beautiful vase or mosaic, you should try your hand at pottery/ceramics!
Belltower Pottery | BT Pottery Class Offerings - Pottery for Beginners
Part coffee shop, part bar, part pottery studio—Belltower Pottery Studio is a one-stop shop for a memorable night out on the Highland Strip. Founded by two friends with a shared passion for clay, Belltower makes the art of pottery approachable for beginners with weekly, easy-to-follow classes.
Their staple Mug Making Class (every Friday) and Intro to the Wheel (every Saturday, where you’ll create three unique pieces) invite you to get hands-on and creative. And with a coffee shop and bar right next door, you can sip on a latte or grab a cocktail to keep the inspiration flowing while you work.
Seize the Clay | Calendar - An Heirloom Awaits
Want to create your very own heirloom? You can at Seize the Clay, an art studio tucked inside Chickasaw Oaks Village. Here, creativity is as simple as walking in, picking a piece of pottery, and making it your own. Whether you’re painting for fun, crafting a keepsake, or just looking for a little peace and quiet, Seize the Clay offers a relaxed space to slow down and let your imagination take the wheel.
Summer Ave Art and Clay | Calendar - Pumpkins and Pottery
Want to try your hand at pottery? Summer Ave Art and Clay is the perfect spot to get creative and bring your ideas to life. Upcoming classes include seasonal favorites like designing your own pumpkin or Jack-o’-Lantern, but if fall isn’t your thing, no worries—they also offer year-round pottery series that let you explore new projects in every season. Whether you’re a first-timer or a budding ceramicist, it’s a welcoming place to unleash your inner artist.
Painting with a Twist | Calendar Painting and BYOB
Date night, birthday party, or team outing on the horizon? Painting with a Twist is the perfect spot to make it memorable. No painting experience? No problem. With step-by-step guidance from an instructor, you’ll create your very own masterpiece to take home, no stress, just fun. Located in Germantown, this BYOB studio lets you sip while you paint, making it equal parts creative and social.
Performing Arts
Theatre kid? Check out POTS public and private (if requested) acting classes, Improv, and more!
Playhouse on the Square| Workshops - Ready, Set, Action
Waiting on your big break? Wait no further. Playhouse on the Square, a creative studio in Midtown focuses on producing high quality shows through artistic variability.
Whether you are a complete amateur, or a seasoned professional, Playhouse on the Square offers acting classes for both youth and adults to get in character with. Each offers 6-8 weeks of high quality teaching. Who knows, you could be the one on stage next!
Textiles
Samilia teaches public and private classes on sewing, fashion, etc to create beautiful pieces.
Samilia| Samilia Linktree - Your own designer
Samilia, owner of TexStyle, is a Memphis fashion icon bringing creativity and inclusivity to the art of sewing. Through her studio, she teaches both youth and adults the foundations of textiles, empowering students to design and make their own clothes while exploring their personal style. Check out her linktree for upcoming classes!
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