Armory Center For the Arts

Stopped by on a Sunday afternoon to take a peak at the free to see “From the Ground Up” exhibit. This gallery is small but engaging with a wide variety of contemporary artworks on display that all told a different but connected story. The gallery wasn’t crowded at all which allowed for an immersive art experience. I was able to find street parking close by without issue. They also host other exhibits periodically and offer art classes for children and adults. I haven’t been to one of these yet, but would love to in the future. A nice place to stop by for a bit to enjoy free art if you find yourself walking around in Old Pasadena.

Free admission, but you have to make a reservation online. Masks and proof of vaccination are required. The confirmation email says to arrive 15 minutes early, but if you have a reservation for when they open, they don’t open the door early. There’s free parking for 90 minutes in the parking garage just north of the gallery.

Came here on the Pasadena Art Night and it was packed! Amazing collection of art, particularly water color paintings and ceramics

Host your event here! This team, Kim, Kay, Ops, are amazing! Y'all ROCK! 🎸

Summer 2016 has been the second occasion my boys have taken sets of art classes. Summer 2015 was the first and we plan to return. I choose the classes based on the topics my kids like or what l think they may like, and they love them. Sometimes, they like them more than expected. The staff is friendly and organized with time management. If you want your child to develop their creativity, sign them up for a class they may like. With the age-appropriate adult-to-student ratio, space to work, range of materials to use and the qualified teaching staff, it's definitely worth trying. Your kids might ask for more.

stopped by while waiting for a lunch reservation and i’m so glad we did! go see the “how we are in time and space” exhibit while it’s still there! didn’t have any expectations and hadn’t heard of the artists before so it was really neat learning about their work as individuals and collaborators. free admission and friendly staff

Definitely worth visiting. At the moment, they have Birth, death, and breath exhibition of the singing inflatable Christmas decorations. It's really cool.

an overall cool museum with an upstairs and downstairs area with exhibits you can explore through. they have a display in the floor right when you walk in which i thought was cool.

I came to check out From the Ground Up: Nurturing Diversity in Hostile Environments, and the curation was fascinating. Lots of color, texture, and thoughtful pieces. It was creative, engaging, and fun to walk through. The space itself is on the smaller side, so you can take in the entire exhibit in about thirty minutes. It's just a clean and well-presented collection. Best of all, admission is free, which makes this an easy yes if you're anywhere near Pasadena and want something interesting to wander through.

The Armory is current on featuring AAPI artists in their main gallery. One of the installations featured a wall of suspended ceramic clouds or amoebas upon which monsterlike images are projected. They also had a successful benefit auction and party.

It's a very small art gallery, open the ground floor exhibit is open to public, and the rest area is for private use only. It took less than half an hour to explore the entire show room, with paintings, art pieces, and videos, I think it's only worth exploring if you happen to be nearby during their limited opening hours.

Armory Center For The Arts is a non-profit community arts organization that offers arts education programs and contemporary art exhibitions in Pasadena, California. What is great about the Armory is their different programs such as art exhibits, workshops and art classes. Their current exhibit is the Plein Air which runs through Dec 10, 2023. It is a group exhibition that explores shifting ideas of western landscape, painting, and fieldwork. It's my first time visiting this museum. I spend no more than 40 mins to go through the entire art exhibit. Admission is free. Parking lot is next to the museum. Staff was cordial. Overall, I had a good time exploring their art exhibits.

9/17/2017 Thanks to a special art event in Pasadena, we were able to visit this museum for free. I've driven by this museum multiple times and I always thought it looked interesting from the outside, but the name just didn't catch my attention enough to make me want to venture inside. I thought this museum had to do with armor so I just wasn't interested! Surprise, surprise on me! The exhibition showcased Renegade Art and Action in 1990s Mexico. I have to be honest though, not my usual type of art. I didn't think there was much to look at. While we were there, an art class was just finishing up. I thought that was interesting that there were art classes taught here! I went upstairs to explore, and found a little sitting area that I loved. They had the most interesting seats! Looked like modern art furniture. I loved it even more when I found out there was free wifi! Parking garage next door or metered street parking.

A great selection of art classes for both adults and kids! They have different art classes ranging from painting, clay, drama, and more. Each class incorporates a theme throughout the session which is pretty cool. My child just finish his winter session for sewing stuffies which is having the class sew different things and reusing material. He enjoys most of the classes he has been enrolled in!

Walking, lost, art, and weirdness. What a day right? I stumble upon this art gallery while venturing in old Pasadena. Across the street from a park and next to a very large hotel. People walking their pets and saying "nice day for a walk don't you think?" wtf.. this sounds like a setup, I've seen enough movies to know this is weird. This art exhibition isn't any different. It's simple, plain, informative plaques posted, hardwood creaking floors, and tall ceilings. Creepiness was calling and I was sucked in! The things that are on display are great history or political disasters. Awesomeness. Won't give too much come check it out for yourself. While I was having my adventure being lost in this gallery I noticed a room. I'd say about a regular house door wide, by 9 feet tall inside, and maybe 30 feet far. Dark colored walls, hardly light, and within distance a colored TV hung on the wall. I approached it and witnessed on the screen a older lady crying. I stared and then concentrated. 20 minutes later..wtf why was I there that long! Freaking weirdness. What a freaking day. Art really does work

We weren't sure what to expect. When we arrived, we were just in time for the opening of an exhibit. This one was "Eyes of Deafness", which featured photographs taken by hearing impaired folks with disposable cameras. The vibe was great and people were friendly. There were free refreshments. Oh yeah, and the art was cool too! :) Me and my museum buddy were stoked! Around the back was another exhibit featuring a modern artist who made silkscreen prints and mixed media sculptures. This one was a decent size and the quality was impressive. Upstairs was a photography exhibit. Also quality stuff, but not mainstream. There is a nice little lounge area with books and wifi. Best of all: it's free. Yup, a real treat in these hard economic times. Go there and check it out!

Love taking my daughters here for art classes. There is 90 free parking in the structure close by. There is a lounge for parents to hang out on the second floor while waiting for our kids. I love the freedom in artistic expression that the kids have in this place.

Love the Armory. It's classes and exhibitions are wonderful. But the things they do in the community are awesome. From from exposing Pasadena school kids to STEM and art through Children Exploring the Environment to teaching kids in juvenile detention to paint murals they have a real sense of community and social justice

I actually really enjoyed this museum during art night. It was extremely busy here with a live band and enough to see. They even had floats, food truck and raffles which made it extra fun. I would definitely want to come back here to visit when it's a lot calmer to be able to appreciate the art a bit better. I was getting a little distracted with the live performance and couldn't concentrate much on the art. Located in the heart of old town Pasadena this is a must stop for locals and travellers.

This is my first time at Armory center of the arts and it wasn't a "to die for" museum for me. The space is really small with a studio on one side and exhibits or the other. It does have an upper space, however the upper level wasn't sufficient enough to hold an exhibit. However, I do love when museums provide free parking, especially in the Los Angeles area, So that's a huge plus! And I also love when museums offer free admission, so I can't be too upset. It was a good museum to visit if you have half an hour to an hour to spare, but I don't think I would be returning unless there's an exhibit that I absolutely have to check out.

I go way back with these guys. I think I was still in high school or just out of high school when I took my first class here. It was a Letterpress class. They have these gigantic old school presses that are about 100 years old. They teach you how to set up type, the old school type. They're these gigantic fonts that have to be set backwards in order for the roller to print them right side up--yes, it's a bit technical, tedious, etc... After I finished up with Letterpress, I dove into Life Drawing. Again, you learn to draw from real naked models--male/female. This was also a very cool class with a great instructor. I remember lunch was always on her from Il Fornaio.-very cool. It looks like I will be re-visiting these guys within the next few weeks, because they have a very cheap beginners/intermediate Photoshop class. I'll report back if it's any good.

I would give it no stars if there was an option. We came here with our 2nd grade class field trip and left scared. The artist featured was about "birth death birth." The entire class was scared and my daughter is having nightmares from this experience. This was not age appropriate for 7 year olds. Also there were dark paintings throughout the museum. We will not be going back!

Hmmm.... It seems as if every studio my kids take art at is located near a wine store... Anyway, I have to speak to how great a teaching and gallery resource the Armory is. Process-based art classes. Great offering for adults and children alike. I took an adult print making class a few years ago and I've got to say, it was really well taught with high expectations that we all ended up meeting. My kids have been taking art here for years. We love the different themes they choose for kids- which the kids in turn freak-out over with enthusiasm. Really nice center, with an active and well curated gallery, lots of events, Summer camps and family events. You can take the metro goldline practically to The Armory's door step.

A few months ago I took an introduction to black & white photography class at the Armory. It was a small evening class of six students and we learned the ins and outs of composition, the darkroom, various camera functions, and took a walking field trip around Pasadena during one session to take photographs. Their facilities are pretty impressive and well-taken care of, with several rooms devoted to specific art genres. If you are an adult looking to take up a hobby or two, I recommend checking out the Armory. It's in the heart of Pasadena (across from the park and near all the shopping) and offers a wide array of courses from letterpress to watercolors. The instructors are often teaching at other schools in those fields and are friendly and ready to assist. Fellow classmates were women looking to take up a new interest or refine their skills. I've always looked for creative classes but didn't necessarily need course credit or the high price of taking it at a traditional art school- I just wanted to learn- so this was a solid option to experiment with photography for around $250 for the 10-week course, camera and rolls of film provided too! If you are an Armory member ($30 a year I believe), you get a discount on all classes too. You simply register online and you're signed up, as long as the class isn't full. One drawback is they don't remind you that you registered for a course or anything, so be sure to mark it in your calendar. I always found street parking a couple blocks away, and you can get a free permit to park in a nearby church's lot.

Wallace Berman and Robert Heineken opened today at noon. I got there at 11:45AM. It's free to get in but you can donate $5 if you're awesome.

Had a little time to kill in old town so I popped into the Armory to check out the international mail art show. It's a cute little space--well utilized and curated. The highlight of the place is clearly all of their course offerings for kids. It's a true community arts center--accessible, cheerful, friendly. Speaking of friendliness, one of the staff there practically took me by the arm, walked me around the exhibits, and invited me to their next opening. It was cute.

The Armory Center for the Arts is basically my home. I've taken Painting & Drawing and Photography here. This place is AMAZING for middle school and high school students. Aside from the $30 registration fee, the classes are free! The Armory basically introduced me to everything I know now. I took classes at the Armory when I was in eighth grade in Painting & Drawing, and took two film photography courses my freshman and sophomore year. I can't rave enough about the Armory, honestly, how could this place get less than five stars? I met my two best friends at the Armory, and I'm now a senior applying for art schools.

What a great resource for the community. Terrific exhibits, loads of great classes for kids and adults offered at reasonable prices, plus a really warm and helpful staff. Wish I lived in the area so I could take a bigger part in the artistic community they have built here.

Came here with a friend during ArtNight Pasadena. We enjoyed the various exhibits as well as the booze provided by a local brewery. Interesting art, comfortable environment, nice people. Good times. Unfortunately, I didn't realize until after closing that I somehow managed to leave my wallet AND phone in the Center amid the merriment and culture (I blame it on the booze). I returned the next day and was happy to find they were both waiting for me safely in the office (wallet minus the "finder's fee", of course). So to the slightly-richer samaritan and friendly Armory Center staff, thanks for an enjoyable evening and a day after that was less painful than it could have been. Now to go buy myself a wallet chain...

I think this is next to a wine shop. I thought the classroom spaces were charming. I was here for the Calarts MFA show. Their satellite location looks like a warehouse. There was a darkroom that artists can pay to use.

I love the idea and fair pricing and community-centered aspects of the Armory. Five stars for that. Unfortunately, however, my experience in their letterpress class (taught by instructor Denise El-Hoss) really soured things for me. I took the beginner class as a beginner (imagine that!), and was so excited to begin the class. However, from the get go, I felt like I was constantly being judged or treated like I was dumb. Sometimes even borderline yelled at! My main gripes, in order of gripe-iness: (1) The instructor. She was obviously a master of her craft, but that shouldn't be the only standard for instructors. I can appreciate dry humor and sarcasm as much as the next good-natured laid-back gal, but it was a bit much here. Every question I asked as a student received a snarky respond and sometimes an eye roll. Call me old fashioned, but I don't think learning really happens that way. Since when do students get punished for asking questions?? You know how they say "There are no stupid questions?" Well, in this class, there are. ALL your questions are stupid. (2) The materials. A huge chunk of class time is spent on learning how to hand-set type (which means putting metal letter molds and metal space holders into a composing stick). There's a lot of precision involved here. The problem is that the studio has poor-quality type and spacers, so you literally can sometimes spend the entire class time just looking for the right pieces to set your type. And then get yelled at for not having perfectly set type. (3) The vibe. A bit too gossipy for my taste, but I get that some people enjoy that. I wish my experience were different, but those are my two cents. Hopefully things can improve, because it's such a good thing for the community and it'd be a shame for people not to take advantage of it just because of the above issues.

Hey I went inside the museum and yeah I loved it a lot I saw art work that was just so interesting to see

Although there a few galleries, there was only one that truly functioned as a museum space. The gallery in the front had art done by children and the upstairs gallery has some nice pieces, but seemed like a lunch break room. The main gallery on the first floor had some large works during my visit that were moderately interesting. As a community arts center and arts classroom, this place looks fantastic. I have no first-hand knowledge of these services and don't have the necessary background to properly evaluate, but would guess that this is a superlative arts facility. There is 90 minutes free parking north on Raymond in a city garage. $5 suggested donation to view the galleries.

Had a good time. Recommendation is get a tour. Learned about some contemporary art. The female contemporary artist took pictures of various places... From a LasVegas Mobil home park to the city of Dubai. Saw a video of a seal in Antarctica and learned a little bit about the seal. Experience was very interesting and eye opening. Everyone was helpful, informative, and friendly. It is a Great place for kids! Kids can do hands on crafts. This place is thumbs up : )

Armory Center for the Arts is an amazing community resource. I've taken three classes at the Armory: Letterpress, Printmaking, and Photoshop and, in each case, I came away with new skills, a new outlet for my creative side, and a new appreciation for the importance of art and creativity in this world. I've been to a number of their special events as well, my favorite being the Monster Drawing Rally. If you haven't been, give it a try. It's an opportunity to see dozens of established and up-and-coming artists create their art right in front of you. Those pieces are then sold for a very reasonable price on the spot with the proceeds benefitting the Armory. It's a really fun and unique experience and it supports a wonderful organization that I hope will be around for a very long time.

Summer 2016 has been the second occasion my boys have taken sets of art classes. Summer 2015 was the first and we plan to return. I choose the classes based on the topics my kids like or what l think they may like, and they love them. Sometimes, they like them more than expected. The staff is friendly and organized with time management. If you want your child to develop their creativity, sign them up for a class they may like. With the age-appropriate adult-to-student ratio, space to work, range of materials to use and the qualified teaching staff, it's definitely worth trying. Your kids might ask for more.

If you are thinking of taking a class here-DON'T! It's a waste of time, money, and energy. I took a four week beginners ceramics class here and it was the worst class I've ever taken. Ruby, I think that was the instructor's name, seemed irritated and disgusted with being there. She taught the students nothing. She literally handed us lumps of clay and let us have at it. That would be fine if I had signed up for open studio, but I signed on for a class. If you were one of those unfortunate students, like myself, that didn't show natural talent, then she wouldn't even speak to you let alone teach you anything. Ceramics terminology was spit out left and right but no one ever explained what "putting a bisque piece that is glazed next to the kiln on the wedge table, and using slip on my greenware" means.WHAT?! The instructor came whenever she felt like it, and on the last class she was 45 minutes late. She never effectively hid her disdain for teaching. After the last class, we were told we could come back next week and finish glazing our pieces that weren't done yet. When I returned a week later, the next class instructor said I couldn't glazes my pieces and my other pieces from 2weeks prior were still waiting to be fired. When I came back yet another week later to pick up my maybe finished pieces, an event was going on and I had to sneak in to the ceramics room were I was not allowed in to pick up my pieces. Now I know why the class fee includes the cost of clay- you never get to leave the building with it. $250 dollars and 6 weeks later and I have nothing to show for this class. (and parking sucks). DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY! GO SOMEPLACE ELSE! Addendum: After posting this scathing review, I did get a phone call from the director with an apology which was appreciated.

The Director of Studio Programs read my review and wrote a kind, professional email where she offered to refund the money I spent on the class. I think that's a really nice gesture, and should factor into my previous review.

I frequently participate in the monthly free documentary film series, Conscientious Projector at the Armory and find the facility lovely, welcoming, exciting with signs of art projects everywhere, and the staff is always friendly, helpful, and capable. I also participate in Repair Cafe at the Armory which is a multi functional community event for repairing things through Time Banking and without US Currency. the event is welcomed at the Armory. The Armory's alternative arts spirit overflows and enlivens the festive new concept of Repair Cafe's free repairs. In short I love the Armory and what it stands for, access for all to creativity in our community.

Not bad for an arts establishment. The people there are very friendly and you are free to do whatever you want. Parking's horrible though (make sure you pack enough money). They regularly host an awards reception and it's very cool to see everyone's works. If you are ever lost, the people there are happy to help! And restroom's easy to locate. I also know they host exhibitions and art classes.

Great place. Art Night introduced me to this place and haven't stopped coming here and supporting local artists. Changing exhibitions, nice gallery space make this a must-visit when you're in the Pasadena area.

This place never seizes to amaze me. They have great shows and some are free with a small donation. Great place for the arts.

Great place for those who love art and community! Ask about art classes for kids. Its a great place!

What a wonderful gem in Pasadena!!! This place is so full of creativity that you feel it as soon as you walk in the door. I have taken two classes here; a printing class with Carrie and a painting class with Patricia Liverman that I am currently taking. These teachers are so talented and intelligent. I have and I am thouroughly enjoying my classes. While in art school I had two excellent teachers, and I have never been able to find others who motivate/instruct me the way that they did. That was until I attended the Armory. Patricia really understands painting and I am actually working on my first abstract. She has been so helpful. This is a great place for classes and exhibitions!

I have many fond childhood memories at The Armory both in taking art classes, and attending exhibitions. I feel so lucky that my own child is now able to experience The Armory in the same way. It provides a wonderful introduction to studio art and my daughter is loving it as much as I once did. Not to mention that it is an incredible organization that I am happy to support.

I'm torn about writing this review because my kid has loved the classes. That being said I think staff are very callous and rude, specifically the assistant director of the studio classes. Once they have your money, they feel like they don't need to work with parents. I was having a medical issue and was late for a doctors appointment and needed to drop off my daughter just a few minutes before her class, but the assistant director said she wouldn't allow it and was really cold and dismissive. I needed to leave so I ended up taking my daughter with me, which was really disappointing. Anyway, a little flexibility would have been nice.

This place is beautiful and in a great location. I'd definitley say to go here if you'd like to visit a great art space. But if you are interested in booking the space then be prepared for unprofessionalism. Recently, I called and left a message to the person in charge of renting out the facility for space for a film screening. I did not receive a call back. Figuring that things were understandably busy, I stopped by 2 days later to take a look at the space during Gallery hours and was told that the person in charge was occupied, but the 2 women at the front were very helpful in showing me the space and asked me to leave my name and number and was told someone would be getting back to me right away. I then faxed over a form requesting the space. The NEXT DAY, I didn't know the form was received and sent a follow up email to make sure it was received. When the woman finally got back to me it was very rude and very abrupt basically stating that there was no space so "best of luck." No apology, no attempt to find a day that would work. I emailed the head of the gallery and he nicely emailed me back and apologized but excused her lack of communication and chalked it up to email being the culprit. Anyway, I really loved the space abd was excited to give them my business, but after that exchange and the utter lack of customer service and professionalism, i will never consider it again.

This arts center pretents to offer art classes for young children but in fact it is more a fundraiser then that they are really aware of the needs of preschoolers and school-age kids. Their strenght is more in the offering of 1,5 h babysitting service -which is tempting to a lot of parents- then a real in-depth program. In 1,5 h you can build up a line of impression to expression with stories, acting, singing, dancing and experimenting with materials etc. But very often children just leave the shiny room with only 1 piece of art. Have you ever seen a child being able to concentrate for an hour on 1 art piece? How are these people filling up the time then? Well, just try to attend one class and you will be annoyed after a few minutes: teachers are really taking their time to sort out pencils and crayons, dividing stuff etc. just to fill up that looooong 1,5 hour. They should hire a skilled child development specialist just to teach teachers building up a real developmental line from impresion to expression to help children really experience art and work on their own project. Sad this institute can get away with it. Of course, there are some good teachers! But parents, in Pasadena you can find better!