Blog

Doodling the Figure For Fun, For Profit or No Reason Whatsoever

July 06, 2025

The human figure is a mystery that has bedeviled artists for eons! In this class, students stretch, exaggerate and create doodles of the human figure. The class will touch on structural concepts such as weight and movement, underlying body structure, depth and form via line weight, and other nefarious tricks artists have developed over the […]

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Made Myself: Therapeutic Clay Connections for Trans Folks – New!

July 06, 2025

Made Myself is a four-week class focused on using clay as a therapeutic art medium to build connections with trans people of all ages. This class seeks to foster a space where trans people can come together and play with clay to unwind while sharing lived experiences. This course is trans-taught and trans-centered to ensure […]

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Nature Poetry

July 06, 2025

Celebrate and observe the natural world through writing. We’ll explore what others have written about nature and write new poems inspired by your experiences. Plan to read poems, create new work and engage in readings and discussions.

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Drawing from the Masters – New!

July 06, 2025

Learn specific principles of design and composition to help you develop your own studio practice and creative voice! This class will provide you with specific concepts, strategies, and exercises to learn how to study and draw from master works of art from the Renaissance to present. This class is open to all levels of experience […]

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Introduction to Adobe Lightroom (Limited Offering)

July 06, 2025

Adobe Lightroom is a powerful program that allows you to catalog and enhance your digital photographs. We will cover its most useful features like importing, making collections, fix exposure and color, applying local adjustments, using graduated filters, creating fun presets and converting images to black and white. This class covers both 'LR Classic' (desktop version) […]

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Here Be Monsters: Creature Design + Illustration

July 06, 2025

Learn to design and illustrate monsters. We’ll study mythological beasts, and generate ideas by coming up with our own composite animals. Drawing on ideas from naturalism and botanical illustration, as well as illuminated manuscripts and bestiaries, we’ll imagine and illustrate some monsters of our own!

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Introduction to Digital Photography (B)

July 06, 2025

Learn what all the buttons on your digital camera actually do. You’ll learn about things like white balance, resolution and megapixels. We’ll discuss how to capture an image, ensure proper exposure and create an effective composition. Weekly assignments coupled with in-class discussions will help you troubleshoot problems and develop a creative eye.

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Introduction to Woodworking: Make a Picture Frame (B)

July 06, 2025

Get introduced to the basics of woodworking as it pertains to picture framing. You'll learn woodworking techniques like measuring and calculating dimensions, cutting and joining molding, reinforcing a miter joint with splines, and basic woodshop safety. We'll also cover the framing process including matting art or floating with spacers, putting together the frame, and installing […]

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Lost-Wax Metal Casting

July 06, 2025

Learn to cast metal using the lost-wax technique to cast work in bronze and silver. By creating jewelry models of your own design, you’ll learn about model preparation, investing, burning out and casting with vacuum-casting machines.

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Hemming Pants for Beginners – New!

July 06, 2025

Ready to learn one of the most useful sewing skills? In this beginner-friendly class, you'll discover how to hem pants like a pro—no prior sewing experience needed! Whether you’re looking to adjust the length of store-bought trousers or give old favorites a new life, this hands-on workshop will guide you through every step of the […]

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Stone Setting Basics

July 06, 2025

In this 6 week course, students will learn a variety of basic stone setting techniques including bezel setting, tab setting, prong setting, flush setting, and bead setting. Each week we will introduce a new setting skill. Over the 6 weeks students will be asked to design jewelry that houses any of the stone setting techniques […]

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Hand Building: Symbolic + Sacred Objects – New!

July 06, 2025

Create ceramic pieces embedded with personal meaning! From functional incense holders, curio cabinet altars, keepsake boxes, to miniatures of your favorite animal creatures, explore your spiritual practice through clay. This class will include a gold lustre firing. All faiths and non-faiths welcome!

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Cold Connections in Metals – New!

July 06, 2025

Learn creative techniques for integrating found materials into your jewelry designs. From rivets to modified stone settings to tap and die, this class is perfect for beginners and intermediate students alike.

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Inside the Painter’s Studio: Cézanne + Morandi (Limited Offering) – New!

July 06, 2025

Explore the painter’s studio as both a historical space and a site of personal experimentation. Using the practices of Paul Cézanne and Giorgio Morandi as anchors, we will examine how each artist approached still life—both technically and conceptually—and how those approaches can inform your own creative processes. We will engage in both guided and independent […]

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Introduction to Video + Sound

July 06, 2025

Learn to work with video using Adobe Premiere to create a short film around dreams and memories (broadly interpreted). Student video and public domain video archives will be used to create these sequences. Special importance will also be placed on the treatment of sound and its role in filmmaking.

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Morning Start Oil Painting

July 06, 2025

Learn how to paint still lifes in the beautiful fall morning light. Start the weekend off with a hot beverage and some music while trying to get the light just right for your painting! Students will learn about form, value and color and create their own still life compositions. This is a great technical class […]

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Wheel Throwing Multipart Large Vessels

July 06, 2025

Learn the wheel throwing techniques of throwing larger ceramic vessels by dividing them into multiple sections. This method allows you to create large pieces without the strain of throwing a single, large pot. Students should feel comfortable and confident throwing a 6" cylinder.

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Introduction to Etching for Printmaking

July 06, 2025

This class will be an introduction to intaglio printing, or etching. Students will learn drypoint, hardground, and soft ground etching techniques, as well as the proper way to ink and print intaglio plates. They will leave class with at least two sets of intaglio prints and the knowledge of how to operate and print on […]

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Introduction to the Wheel (D)

July 06, 2025

Learn to throw clay on a potter’s wheel. We’ll cover the foundations of wheel work, including wedging and centering clay and forming cylinders, cups and bowls. Basic glazing information will help you finish your final forms.

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Introduction to Stained Glass (A)

July 06, 2025

Students will learn the fundamentals of building a stained glass panel or 3D object from start to finish. Lessons will encompass pattern design, glass scoring/breaking, grinding, foiling, soldering, framing, and applying various patinas. Each student will have made at least one piece they can bring home and immediately display at the end of the class.

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Intermediate Stained Glass With Silkscreen Printing (Limited Offering)

July 06, 2025

This class is for students who have previously taken a stained glass class at VisArts. In this class the students will learn to incorporate screen printing with powders to enhance their stained glass work. Screen printing allows the stained glass student to add more detail and just have fun with something new!

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Watercolor Landscapes

July 06, 2025

Use watercolor to paint landscapes while exploring basic watercolor skills, materials and techniques. Watercolor can be both fun and frustrating, dynamic and meditative. You will learn to use color to make simple watercolor washes and layering techniques while exploring the history, materials, tricks and ways to capture light as you paint and sketch using this […]

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