Following its foundation as a nonprofit in 1965 and relocation to the historic Ursuline Convent and Academy in 1971, the Southwest Craft Center (known as the Southwest School of Art since 2010) expanded its campus by taking over a Sears Automotive Center in 1998 and rolled out an "intimate, intensive college degree program" in 2014. Now designated as the Lone Star State's first and only independent art college, the deceivingly quaint-looking SSA boasts a stellar staff, state-of-the-art facilities and a wide range of community classes for adults and kids alike. Beyond offering everything from weaving and glassblowing to digital imaging and jewelry making, the SSA hosts workshops and lectures with experts in such specialized fields as itajime shibori (clamp-resist dyeing) and experimental drawing. 300 Augusta, (210) 224-1848, swschool.org