About the Student Experience

For 80 years, Sawtooth has been a creative hub for the region—an energetic, craft school environment in downtown Winston-Salem, NC. Our historic campus is located in a former Hanes Hosiery mill, renowned for its skylight-filled Sawtooth roof that provides ample natural light. Nearby, you'll find restaurants, coffee shops, an independent movie theater, and galleries, making a Sawtooth class or workshop a great option for a date night, family outing, or weekend getaway.

What to Expect

Classes at Sawtooth are small—between 6 and 15 students—prioritizing hands-on instruction and individualized attention to help you achieve your artistic goals. Students at Sawtooth include lifelong learners exploring their creativity and newcomers eager to make friends and take part in a unique downtown activity. Our Youth offerings are divided into three age ranges: 6-8, 9-11, and 12-17. It’s important to adhere to these age guidelines to ensure that little artists thrive and succeed.

All of our adult classes and workshops are marked with skill levels that correspond to the experience recommended for participation. Most of our offerings are beginner-friendly, with no prior experience required. If you have questions about a specific offering, reach out to the studio director or the appropriate staff member using this form.

An instructor assisting a student with jewelry making in a studio

Exterior of a red brick building with large arched windows under a blue sky.

When You Arrive

Sawtooth is located in the heart of downtown Winston-Salem, right off Salem Parkway’s Marshall/Cherry Street exit. If you’re coming down Marshall Street, you’ll see our trademark roof line from the street, along with a short set of stairs leading you into our main hallway entrance and Marta Blades Shop. You can also enter from Spruce Street via the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts; Sawtooth is on the second floor.

The Spruce Street entrance to the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts provides an accessible route to our studios, with an accessible ramp and elevator that bring you to the second floor.

Parking Info

For parking at our main campus, the Arts Council manages a surface lot across from our Spruce Street entrance, and there is plenty of metered street parking available on surrounding streets. Find more detailed parking information here.

For Intergenerational Center students: Free, ample parking is available in the Intergenerational Center lot. Please use the gate on Deacon Boulevard to enter, as this gate remains open during class and workshop hours. (The Shorefair gate is only open during daytime work hours.) Students may park anywhere in the Intergenerational Center lot. Parking near the front entrance is recommended for visitors with limited mobility.

Learn more about sawtooth accessibility

Your Class or Workshop

Once you’ve registered for your workshop, you’re in! A materials list will be included with your confirmation email. We recommend purchasing supplies as soon as possible, as many items are specialized, and we do not have a supply store on campus. (Ceramics is the exception: students must purchase clay directly from Sawtooth. To protect our equipment and the work of others, we cannot fire clay from outside sources.)

A week before your class or workshop is set to begin, you’ll receive an email from our Programs staff with information about your instructor and offering. We will also include a Liability Waiver for your review. You may digitally sign and return this via email or fill it out in person before class begins. Students who do not sign a Liability Waiver cannot participate in Sawtooth offerings. If you have any questions about the waiver, please reach out to our Registrar here.

When you arrive for your class or workshop, please go directly to your studio! Our front desk staff are here to assist you if it’s your first time—feel free to visit us at the Marta Blades Shop from 9 am–7 pm on weekdays and 9 am–4 pm on Saturdays.

If you need to cancel your registration for any reason, please review our registration policies and then give us a call at 336-723-7395 to discuss your options.

A smiling woman holding up a geometric wooden star craft.

Hands holding a colorful hand-painted floral ceramic plate.

Share Your Thoughts!

After your session, you’ll receive a short survey from Sawtooth asking you to reflect on your overall satisfaction and class experience. It should only take a few minutes to complete.

After each quarter, we hold a raffle for survey respondents. Prizes have included gift certificates, Sawtooth merchandise, and more! Leave your email with your survey to be automatically entered for the next raffle.

Explore Downtown Winston-Salem

Winston-Salem is rooted in history, innovation, and charm—a landmark, bustling Southern city with a small-town feel. And in Winston, art takes center stage. Known as North Carolina’s City of Arts and Innovation, you’ll find an expansive collection of galleries, museums, festivals, and performing arts. Some popular places to see historical art and a nod to the past include Old Salem, Reynolda House Museum of American Art, and the North Carolina Museum of Art, Winston-Salem, a satellite of the notable public art museum.

There are plenty of excellent restaurants, bars, coffee shops, hotels, local shops, and theaters within walking distance of Sawtooth. Check out the Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership’s Interactive Map for a comprehensive list of can’t-miss spots.