Art Rebel

Had my daughters 4^th birthday here, and it was literally the easiest party I’ve ever planned! Ponti and Elena were amazing, and my guests had a BLAST! Totally recommend :)

I would like to commend the owner on his making sure that the experience is great, and it is.
check it out

Parents, kids, singles, couples, teens, babies and humans all agree that this place is amazing. Art is therapeutic and beautiful. It is a vital component to everyone’s soul. If you want a beautiful soul and you crave or your child crave’s beauty go have a blast at Art Rebel.
Also, it’s really great to just leave the mess (paint, brushes, easels) there and just take the canvas home. Big fan of this place.

I was so excited and impressed that I just had to write a review right away!
We just came back from celebrating my daughter’s 8^th birthday party at Art Rebel and we had such a great time. It was our first experience at Art Rebel – my daughter really wanted an «art» themed party this year and I’m so happy I found them! The greatest part is that they have classes and camps, which we will definitely be returning for! Ponte, the owner, was so helpful and wonderful with the kids. The whole vibe is so unique and the activities were all so entertaining – my guests did not want to leave!
I HIGHLY recommend Art Rebel… whether for birthday parties or classes/​camps, you will definitely leave incredibly inspired! =))

My daughter and I both love Art Rebel! My daughter did 2 weeks of camp, and she loved it! She worked on many creative art pieces at Art Rebel and worked on multiple projects there. She looked forward to going to Art Rebel every day! The owner and staff are extraordinary. They all work well with the children, speak to them very nicely, and make everyone feel comfortable. I loved Art Rebel because it was a safe and secure place to drop-​off my daughter and I trusted the owner and staff. I knew my daughter was in good hands at Art Rebel. We will definitely be going back for mommy and me classes for my 18 month old and art classes for my 3 and 5 year olds! Art Rebel is AWESOME!

I love this place! My daughter has been attending camp here for two years now and it is one of the few places where she feels safe and secure to be herself. She is a shy girl and the words of encouragement that she gets on a daily basis are well worth the money spent.
The owner, Ponte, is a wonderful teacher and person. He understands how to communicate with kids and is able to talk to my daughter and enable her to be her best self.
All the teachers, in fact, are wonderful and the atmosphere is so laid back and relaxed. My daughter runs in every morning! Great kids too! I can’t say enough good things about Art Rebel.

I went a few years ago and Unilocal still wants me to make a review lol. I took my then gf on a date here to have a drink and do some artsy fartsy stuff here. It was fun. I recommend it if you want to surprise your date into doing something new. Dont remember much else. The staff was nice

I love this place.
I attended the «Art Bites» evening… and was very impressed! The food was excellent… and the people I met were amazing. I guess you find creative people — or people wanting to find their creative selves… becoming…creative!
Oh…one thing… If you’re expecting «art lessons» — you need not attend. This is a «free wheeling» and «fun» environment to get your creative juices flowing! Honestly… some people who have a hard time with this place… vegetarian options, etc… just didn’t do their research. There are absolutely vegetarian options. My friend who came with me is a vegetarian… and she had no issues. She loved it.
If you’re someone who wants to have a great time… meet people you just wouldn’t meet anywhere else… and just make some cool artwork — this is the place to be!
I highly recommend it.

Ok I’m conflicted. This place screams cool and unique. Yay. Ponti (sp?) is super rad and so is Koa (sp?). Vibe is awesome. Art is fun.
First experienced the place in ²⁰¹¹⁄₂₀₁₂. Bought a groupon or something for the underground art dinner. I think we paid around $ 100 for what was regularly $ 300. It was a very cool date night. We made cool art, ate decently creative food and met cool people. But we did leave thinking it was not a $ 300 date night.
Second experience was this summer, for one of their kid’s camps. $ 250 for 5 days, 3 hours per day. Steep. I could pay that for full days elsewhere. But I thought the uniqueness was worth it. My son did the Graffiti Rebel one. He LOVED IT. Let me just say that. Because I didn’t find it to be worth the money at all and I was kind of sad. He made a couple hats and a t-​shirt and some posters but it wasn’t all graffiti instruction much less using actual spraypaint. Mostly just markers. The final day they were supposed to use some cool projector thing and actual spraypaint but it wasn’t working, so they just drew on paper with markers again. That was a huge let-​down. Point is… for sure there were not $ 50 worth of art supplies used each day. I realize they gotta make money too… but I dont think $ 20 worth of supplies were used each day.
Could have been more engaging, more technique taught, more mediums used. Probably won’t do a camp again for these reasons.
I’m sorry Art Rebel. I really want to support you because you’re such a cool concept, but I just can’t justify the expense. :(

I went here once– I had a deal and it only cost 25 dollars. I am giving this place one of the stars purely for originality, because I haven’t seen many places like this and I hope it will become a trend for more artistic activities to start popping up.
The area was not the type of area you feel comfortable walking around at night alone, so I was glad I went with a friend. Parking wasn’t great– we had to find street parking on a busy street.
We had to wait in a big line outside before getting in– it seemed like sort of an older crowd to me (and I’m not too young, myself). One the door opened, you entered another line for a choice of white wine, red wine, or water. I don’t usually drink, and I definitely don’t drink when I am driving, so I just got water. Maybe I would have had a better time if I had had a drink.
After the booze line, you try to walk into the venue… only to realize that you cannot, because there are ten people in front of you. You ask them to move, but there are another ten people in front of them– and so on. There was a mural, paper to draw on with markers, a glow in the dark drawing room, some kind of paper to color on with colored pencils, and a guy in the corner pouring paint on spinning paper, then giving you the paper. Although I had to wait in line to try anything, I did end up being able to do it all. However, I felt pressured to speed up my «art» because of the line of people behind me.
I was starving at this point– I have celiac (a.k.a. sprue, a.k.a. the devil is in my belly a.k.a. gluten is my arch nemesis) and all of the appetizers (there was no actual «meal» that was served) had gluten-​y things touching them, coating them, or otherwise contaminating them. I asked several staff members about options for my allergy, but everyone seemed very confused when I asked about gluten/​wheat contamination. I couldn’t eat anything. Luckily, I had an emergency Kind bar in my purse and I ate that so I wouldn’t faint onto the guy pouring paint.
The staff was a young crew, and they all seemed very nice and confused about many things. I could not tell who was in charge.
Overall, I am glad I only paid 25 dollars and not the full price to go– however, I STILL feel like I paid too much, considering I could not eat or drink anything. The art stuff was pretty fun, once I was able to do it, but I didn’t keep anything I made because the quality of the products was so low. Overall review? Meh.

Nothing about this place is good.
Visits: Once, a couple of months ago.
Service and «Food»: Not good. Not efficient. Not accommodating. The food they served was mediocre junk you’d buy from a grocery store deli. The photos on their site are not a clear representation of what is actually served. Those things are awesome and fancy. What they served us was crap.
My friend, along with some other random folks, asked multiple times about vegetarian options… they had some: cherry tomatoes and carrots. My friend asked for anything without gluten and the guy just stared at her like he was a robot that had just been shut down. She asked if the food (that comes on a pita bread or some form of cracker) could come to her by itself, without the gluten item added to it… just the mixture. He didn’t seem to understand what any of that meant (probably because all of the food they served most likely came out of a package).
Then the dessert came. Fancy like their website photos? No. Lame like the mixed dessert boxes they sell at SAMs and Costco? Yes. There were crappy crème puffs that probably came out of a box from the refrigerated section of a grocery store. My friend asked about gluten free desserts. Again, he stared at her. He held out a tray of strawberries and gluten-​filled crap desserts and said «you’re just gonna have to eat this» — what?! If she’s ALLERGIC to gluten she’s not going to be able to eat THAT, genius. Our whole table laughed because they too couldn’t believe what a douche the guy was. It’s LA, gluten-​free is a term the city (and county) is very used to hearing.
PS — The terrible items they serve leave you hungry at the end of the session. We had to go to dinner AFTER GOING TO THEIR DINNER. We’re not super picky people… the rest of the folks we spoke to were also very hungry (especially the vegetarians!).
Establishment: Sketchy area. Small and too crowded. They sell more tickets than they should so you will be rubbing elbows, and asses, with everyone and their mom. Literally. People go their with their mom.
THE ART PORTION IS FREAKING LAME.
Section 1 — Paint/​color in an area of their wall that they designated for a mural. That was kind of cool!
Section 2 — Spin art like you do at a street fair when you’re 7. That was kind of cool but pretty lame when you think about the cost.
Section 3 — Draw whatever you want on a blank sheet of paper that’s mounted on an easel. What? Just draw on a blank piece of paper? You mean like I do at home for free???
Section 4 — Glow in the dark room. This room was the coolest part because you paint something with glow in the dark paint in a black-​lit room. We didn’t really paint anything worthwhile though.
Section 5 — Color a sheet that has a design on it. We literally colored with colored pencils. Everyone at our table was in just as much shock as we were.
Restroom: One small restroom. Dirty. Stinky. Crazy «art» throughout the room.
Parking: Street parking and a bit in a lot near the building.
Special notes: We found out about this through Groupon or Living Social. I don’t think it was worth the $ 25 WE spent on it… so you can imagine how terrible it was to hear that some people paid $ 60-​$ 70. THAT SUCKS. They were a lot more pissed off than we were. I don’t know how they get people to pay THAT much for one of these «experiences» but it’s insane. Although, I guess those are the prices you charge for mediocre food, colored pencils, and white paper. Especially since the wireless headset microphone that’s used is so crucial to the «art» experience.

I received a phone call from Ponte the day after writing this review. He was disappointed to hear I walked away from my experience feeling like this. After quite a bit of time discussing each other’s point of views and crunching numbers, we decided to call a truce.
Its been some time, but an update was promised on my part. Just noticing a missed call from the studio, I decided I couldn’t put it off any longer…
The experience you can have at this studio is tremendous. Setting aside adult worries to play for a night is (was) amazing. The party itself was executed to perfection by Ponte and his team.
After speaking to Ponte, I still believe there needs to be clear communication of the total price point for a private party. The amount charged for unused tickets still seems egregious to me; I have trouble accepting that a buffet of tacos and enchiladas comes out to $ 35 per person, but maybe i’m totally wrong in my estimates? I still feel overcharged because I feel, if I had been given a clear outline of how I would be charged, I could have noted on my invitations that all confirmations would be charged. I believe it would have saved me hundreds of dollars to understand this clearly ahead of time. perhaps most private parties are paid for by individuals where such a thing doesn’t matter? Unfortunately it mattered for me, and I was the learning curve for future party people on a budget… don’t let it be in vain! ;)
BOTTOM LINE: Art Studio is magical. Keep the business side separate and clearcut so that, in the end, BOTH sides of your brain feel taken care of…

The staff really makes this place shine. My girlfriend surprised me with the deal from travelzoo and I had no real clue what we were getting into. I’m not a real artsy cat but I do like to draw. I was more hesitant than my counterpart walking up to the studio but I kept an open mind and a positive outlook.
Yea I could see how the activies may be described as a bit childish, but the activities are basic and allow you to create what you will without any pressure. The studio is open for you to create as you will. I was more drawn back than some of the other participants but I saw several great pieces ppl were making on the fly. If you have a creative side and are forward with your idea take advantage. The staff are very welcoming and knowledgeable, just ask if you need guidance.
Thanks Ponti.

It’s a one time fun activity if you get through groupon or living social coupons… Otherwise is an overpriced one.
I really liked the owner, he was very nice and welcoming. But to me it felt that the whole thing was too short and maybe a bit childish? Not quite sure how to describe. At least, that’s how I felt. (Maybe I was too much into it, didn’t realize that time flew fast).
So, here is how it all starts.
Located at a small shopping center between Ventura Blvd/​Bevery Glen, in Sherman Oaks.
Park in the plaza, take the stairs for the 2^nd floor.
The host greets you warmly, very nice dude btw (Greek), gives you wine and delicious Greek goodies (spanakopita, meatballs, tiropita –cheese pastry-​, hummus and tzatziki with pita bread).
Second, you try to find a spot to put your 2 cents on the huge canvas contributed by many Art-​rebels, prior to our arrival. I squeezed my favorite symbol somewhere in the middle.
Third, you can find your inner child by drawing with markers something really stupid.
Fourth, you enter into the first room, where you color a yin-​yang. So this is where I was like, mmm-​kay, not exactly what I thought. Here you interact with fellow couples and singles who got the deal, and wanted to try this out. The interaction was interesting, plenty of eccentric, weird, and hipsterish people (kinda crazy too).
Final room, was the black room. Where you receive a mini square canvas to draw with neon colors. (Neon under the black light though) that was cool, I did color experiment, got out nice, I guess.
There was a cool music, which added to the mood.
I don’t want to give the impression that this is bad. I just think, the creative part could be a bit more challenging and less kindergartenish, if you know what I mean…
A Unilocal event here could be cool here *hint hint*
IMO worth to check it out once. :)
xoxo

I’ve been wanting to try this place out FOREVER! I’m crafty… so the idea of dinner and painting/​doing something crafty is very intriguing for me… but I’m the sort of person that goes to Color Me Mine for their birthday… so I just may be weird that way.
The Pumpkie and I had reservations for the second dinner (starting at 9 pm) and we got there a little early. There were a couple easels outside… with mixed media work on them… which were very interesting. I like the ideas of toys and dolls mixed into art… so those really intrigued me.
Anyway…
Our host for the night was Ponti. He checked us in and they offered a non-​alcoholic drink (great — since we don’t drink… although I also wrote that in on our reservation) which seemed to be ginger ale and definitely some rosewater in that. It was good and I was happily surprised that it wasn’t just soda… so that worked for me! :)
The theme for our evening was aura colors or something of that effect. We’re not super into that sort of thing… but cool. There was a table with cards and you picked one and it was supposed to tell you something about your personality. I think I was violet and pumpkie was peach. I think that’s what it was.
There was this large wall canvas (ie not on stretchers) where you could paint randomly on the wall. I’m shy… I’m one of those people who needs to be nudged into doing things… but I did draw a little heart. hahaha.
Then to the left, there were a few (maybe about 6) child easels with little chairs and you could sit and draw with markers. I cannot draw to save my life. I realized that Pumpkie can draw though… but yeah, I cannot. hahaha.
Then there was a guy doing spin art… basically there was a 5×7 card… and you start squirting paint into this paper below while it’s spinning. All you do is squirt the paint in though… the guy does the rest. I would have liked to contribute more but… oh well!
Now for the food:
They moved us into a smaller room with a couple tables for us to eat and color.
Now, this place is not for the food… it’s about the art. Be sure to go with this in mind or you won’t appreciate this place.
We had some sort of chicken dish topped with mushrooms and onions, baby carrots, a side salad with Russian dressing and croutons and a dessert which escapes me now. It was all very homemade… and at the end of the meal, Ponti brought out the little old lady who made our food. That was very sweet! You could tell she was so happy and humbled to be making the meal… so yay for her!
The last part of the night was the final room. You have an about 4×4 canvas and they turn out the lights and there are only black lights. You get a ton of neon paint… and get to create something on your canvas. This was fun and interesting… although, watch out! Your painting looks much different in real life… but it was very cool and somewhat stress-​relieving…
It is certainly awesome and definitely something to check out… although I can still say I’m much better at coloring pottery than at painting freehand on canvas. :)

The bf and I visited Art Rebel this past weekend. I had purchased a deal on Gilt for $ 99 (dinner for two).
The art:
Spin art — I used to have one of these machines as a kid so it was a lot of fun for me, and the bf seemed to really like it
Communal canvas — the canvas was pretty much full by the time we made our way in, which was odd since we got there on time
Art easel — markers and paper are always fun to play with
Individual canvas — the assignment was to paint a sun, if you have the option to paint in the dark room, do so! They have a black light in there and you get to paint with florescent paints.
The food:
Greek Salad — it was ok…
Chicken Soulvaki — the chicken was really salty
Baklava and Watermelon — this was probably the best part of the meal
Wine — they definitely kept it coming
Overall… this is not a dinner place (no duh, it’s an art studio). I might not have been a fan of the food but I am a fan of what they are trying to accomplish. So if you are going to participate in their underground dinner, go into this as a patron of the arts, not as a food critic.

This a fun art and dinner date night in Sherman Oaks. On the second floor of a little strip mall on Ventura Boulevard is a cool little concept place, Art Rebel, kitty corner to the world famous Casa de Cadillac.
Check in is with Ponti and Scott. They are your friendly hosts for the evening. Start out by sitting down to a pint-​sized easel and chair and letting your inner Van Gogh out. Pick up the markers and search for your mood as if in your left bank studio. Don’t worry if you are not Renoir or even Matisse.
Make no mistake, and to set the record straight, I am NO artist. You may not be either. No worries. It’s still a unique, fun evening, and you can enjoy Art Rebel.
There is a «canvas» on the wall with some «draw inside the lines» shapes. Guests are encouraged to work together and use the available paints and brushes to create a masterpiece. As we paint, our hosts ask everyone to introduce themselves. By the end of the night we’ve met maybe 10 other Rembrandt couples. We befriend two other couples and enjoy an evening of pseudo-​art, conversation, and dinner.
During the pre-​dinner «inspiration-​gathering» time, budding DaVinci’s can sip on wine and soft drinks. It’s very social and most enjoyable. Someone on Unilocal mentioned that this is not a good first date. I would disagree. Art Rebel is a light hearted affair that would be a perfect kickoff for a later intimate conversation at an après-​art venue. Just sayin…
Spin art, like you created in grade school is another part of the experience. Did I mention that you get to take all of your artwork home, suitable for the refrigerator?
The Underground Dinner is just ok on this evening, as it’s St. Patty’s Day, and they serve corned beef and cabbage. I mean really, what can you do to corned beef and cabbage to give it a wow factor? Catered in by a nice couple who prepare a creative, though not a haute cuisine experience on this holiday evening, I see a chef’s passion that suggests other nights’ presentations are much better. It’s just not our night. The focus is not the food, however, but on the socialization and the ability to express your artistic nature.
After dinner you are taken to an intimate, dimly lit space to create your own piece of artwork on canvas. Along with all of your new found artist-​friends you are free to paint your own Mona Lisa or Last Supper, as long as you can do it in 30 minutes or less. Mine is a cool, yet plebeian effort.
This is a nice night out, something you have never done before. Loads of fun. And you get to take home your masterpieces. After all, isn’t all about the experience? Just go. Support the arts. Enjoy. Even if your kindergartener is a better artiste than you.

Art Rebel definitely has the right idea! First of all, they have a philanthropic spirit. I love a business that has heart.
Their space is fun, unique and intimate. Art Rebel would be a great place to host a birthday or night-​o-​fun with friends. They have many different classes available during regular business hours, including cartooning or graffiti.
For an after hours activity, the standard underground dinner series is cool, although be warned that it may not be the best place for a first date (unless your date is massively fun and easy going). When you arrive, they explain the purpose of the evening, which is to create a «communal» environment to bond over art and food. The art room is divided into stations, and the atmosphere will take you back to the wide-​eyed days of kindergarten: toddler sized easels and stools, wall painting, and a spin paint machine. A light hors d’œuvre is passed around, and then everyone is invited to sit down for a group dinner (vegetarian options available).
You will be asked to dine with people you’ve never met before, so this is where the «first date» disclaimer comes in… probably not an activity to enjoy if you want to have intimate conversation. After dinner, enjoy a «free paint» session to create a little painting to take home.
If you prefer a much more intimate art-​based date, consider making a reservation for their Love Art experience. This is a private evening consisting of 2 hours of different exercises intended to help you (re)connect with your significant other surrounded by candles, chocolate, champagne, and art. Mostly uninstructed, you’ll collaborate with your sweetie on a piece of take-​home art to commemorate the evening.
Or, if you want to get really wild, Art Rebel hosts a monthly Paint Dancing class. For $ 40 you show up for a 1.5−2 hour painting and dancing experience where you start out painting on things and by the end of the evening you’re often painting directly onto each other. Usually hosted the 1^st Friday of the month, call to confirm availability in advance.

I came here for the underground dinner. They had a tequila tasting before dinner where we sampled different brands and at the end we were invited to make our own margaritas. It was an educational experience. Seriously though! Okay, I may have gotten a little tipsy by the end of the night, but I shall blame my date for not drinking his share :)
We inhaled quesadillas with chips and salsa and guacamole while amusing ourselves with the spin art box. It’s really a mesmerizing contraption. We would have been content sitting there for the three hours just adding color after color to our creations… We also had a little interactive art exercise after dinner that involved each person at the table. That was fun too.
My only issue was that since we were at an odd table we got sort of neglected and didn’t get any appetizers and our food came out really late. I realize they’re not a restaurant, so it’s not necessarily their specialty, but if I hadn’t used a Groupon here I might have been a little upset. However, Ponti totally made it up to our table by offering us a free art class!
I’ll definitely be back to try the art class. Overall I had a lot of fun! Thanks, Art Rebel!

Came here for the «Love Art Experience» which lets you and your special someone create a masterpiece together. A date-​perfect art class for creative couples in Sherman Oaks. Canvas, paint, and the use of brushes are all included. We got this deal online at

The building was a little hard to find at first. It’s across the street from the Cadillac dealership if you’re looking for it. (Same side of the street)
The session was with another couple. For artwork we did:
1) Solo — Valentine Cards for each other. They gave us 1 blue and 1 pink piece of paper. What I didn’t like about this was that it was blue and pink. We used crayons and markers… but with the sheets being the color that they were, you were limited in what colors you could use. It was a good way to shift gears… and get more into the painting/​creative mentality. I kind of felt like we were in kindergarten again… in a good sort of way.
2) Solo — Hand painting… We used our hands… to paint one color onto a white sheet of paper. It was fun. Although the black paint I used stuck to my hands and didn’t wash off… leaving my hands just a little blue.
3) Couples — Painting … we picked colors … and painted as a team onto a canvas. This was the fun part, and took up most of the time. I guess it helps in a way. You’re able to see if you work well with one another. LOL.
4) Couples — Paint Splatter painting? Not sure what it was called… but we both sat in front of this box… while the paper canvas spun in a circle. From there, we squirted different colors of paint onto it. so it looked kind of like a kaleidoscope. Very Pretty.
Of course… we got to take all our artwork home. I still have them all actually… but I haven’t figured out how to hang our painting yet.
Oh and music was playing the whole time. They also gave us wine and a box of 4 chocolates pieces. I would recommend this place to my friends. It’s a unique experience!
Parking is metered parking.