Join our creative community and discover your inner artist.

Let our teaching artists help you hone your talents.

artist at work painting on a canvas

Upcoming Art Courses

Art Workshops

Theory and practice merge in this one-day, hands-on workshop, enhancing artistry and technique in color use. Perfect for those eager to refine color skills, deepen creativity, and bring their watercolor works to life. All supplies included!
#12015, Truax-Protective Services, 8/10, Saturday 9 AM-2 PM Instructor: Lee Schauer
Join us for Coffee and Canvas, the perfect morning sip and paint class! Enjoy coffee and donuts while our instructor guides you through each step of painting a stunning picture on canvas. This relaxed three-hour workshop is ideal for beginners, teaching you key skills like color mixing, brush handling, and composition. By the end, you’ll have a beautiful painting to take home and newfound confidence in your artistic abilities. All supplies included!
#37173, Truax-Protective Services Building, 9/21, Saturday, 9 AM-12 PM Instructor: Lee Schauer

General Art

Create your own VR world. This introductory class will cover the fundamentals of virtual reality art design as you make your own fully immersive 3d virtual world to take home. Hosted at our state-of-the-art Madison XR Center on the Truax Campus.
#35462, Truax-Main Building, 9/4-10/9, Wednesday, 5-8 PM Instructor: Damian Roth
Discover the art of beautiful writing in our Calligraphy class. Learn the fundamentals of elegant script, including proper techniques, tools, and styles. Perfect for beginners, this class will guide you step-by-step, enhancing your creativity as you receive individual instruction.
#35138, Commercial Ave., 9/9-10/14, Monday, 6-8 PM Instructor: Joann Carpenter
Learn to talk about art! We spend most our lives watching movies, reading books, and even trying art ourselves, but how do we talk about it in a meaningful way? How do we go to a museum or exhibition and take away more than a selfie? I do the hard part (art history) so you don't have to, join the journey from the general to the specific and let's talk about art!
#37145, Truax-Health Building, 10/9-11/13, Wednesday, 6-8 PM Instructor: Aaron Parks

Art Metals

This introductory class is open to all levels and will cover the fundamentals of welding and plasma cutting as you make a pre-determined garden sculpture or seasonal décor.
#35338, Truax-Main Building, 11/7-12/19, Thursday, 6-9 PM Instructor: Amanda Neumaier
Create your own metal sculpture using a combination of fabrication and welding techniques. This class will expand your knowledge of welding and sculpture design as you make your own personalized art. Students must have taken "Art Welding for Beginners" or have prior welding experience.
#37147, Truax-Main Building, 8/29-10/24, Thursday, 6-9 PM Instructor: Amanda Neumaier
#37164, Truax-Main Building, 10/5-11/23, Saturday, 9AM-12 PM Instructor: Dan Fox
Develop an appreciation and learn essential skills for different aspects of metalsmithing. Basic techniques and concepts such as sawing, piercing, texturing, soldering, bezel-setting and more will be explored as you design and create jewelry or small objects.
#36844, Commercial Ave., 8/27-12/3, Tuesday, 6-9 PM Instructor: Yuyen Chang
Expand on your techniques! This class is for you if you've completed Jewelry 1 and/or have basic fabrication skills. Demonstrations include advanced stone settings and Mokume-Gane, a Japanese metalworking technique that results in a distinctive woodgrain effect.
#35328, Commercial Ave., 8/29-12/12, Thursday, 5:30-8:30 PM Instructor: Hiroko Yamada
Ready to further you skills and choose your own adventure? Run in a workshop manner, this course will include demonstrations (such as photo etching, tube setting, marriage of metal, and casting) are based on the desires and needs of students in the class. Students should have completed Jewelry 1 or equivalent.
#36817, Commercial Ave., 8/29-12/12, Thursday, 9 AM-12 PM Instructor: Hiroko Yamada

Ceramics and Sculpture

Join ceramic artist Rachelle Miller as she demonstrates various surface decoration approaches, including stencils, sgraffito, monoprinting, and slip transfer. These techniques will open up new and exciting possibilities in your creative practice. This workshop is open to students of all clay abilities. Lunch Included!
#10102, Commercial Ave, 8/10, Saturday, 9 AM-4 PM Instructor: Rachelle Miller
This 15 week course is suitable for all levels; from those who are just beginning to those who want to continue their practice. This class will cover the basics of wheel throwing, surface design techniques and glazing. 50lbs of clay, glazes and firing included.
#35178, Commercial Ave., 8/26-12/9, Monday, 6-9 PM Instructor: Gloria Van Dixhorn
#35206, Commercial Ave., 8/28-12/11, Wednesday, 6-9 PM Instructor: Gloria Van Dixhorn
#36774, Commercial Ave., 9/3-12/10, Tuesday, 9 AM-12 PM Instructor: Scott Draves

Painting and Drawing

For beginners or continuing students refining their watercolor skills, this class will be filled with technical information, demonstrations, individual instruction, and lots of time to paint. Learn brush handling, color theory and watercolor techniques such as washes, glazes, and textural effects. Choose subject matter from photos, book references or still lifes as the class explores painting styles from realism to abstract.
#35190 Truax-Protective Services, 8/20-9/24, Tuesday, 6-9 PM Instructor: Alfredo Rodriguez
#35192 Truax-Protective Services, 10/1-11/5, Tuesday, 6-9 PM Instructor: Alfredo Rodriguez
#35196 Truax-Protective Services, 11/12-12/17, Tuesday, 6-9 PM Instructor: Alfredo Rodriguez
Embark on a floral watercolor journey! Learn to paint delicate petals, lush foliage, and intricate blooms with grace and precision. Explore various techniques like wet-on-wet blending, layering, and detail work to create stunning botanical compositions. Develop your style as you infuse life into your paintings, capturing the beauty of flowers on paper. Prior watercolor experience strongly recommended.
#36853, Truax-Protective Services Building, 9/9-9/30, Monday, 5:30-8:30 PM Instructor: Lee Schauer
Explore the beautiful world of watercolors and gain confidence in your skills. You'll receive technical information, individualized instruction, and experience engaging demonstrations. Learn essential techniques like brush handling, color theory, washes, glazes, and textural effects, and explore a variety of painting styles from realism to abstract.
#35348, Truax-Protective Services Building, 9/11-10/30, Wednesday, 9 AM-12 PM Instructor: Lee Schauer
Dive into the depths of watercolor mastery with our advanced class! Explore complex techniques like wet-on-wet blending, glazing, and color lifting to create stunning depth and luminosity in your paintings. Develop your own style under expert guidance, mastering composition and color theory for expressive, captivating artworks. You should have completed Beginning Watercolor or equivalent to take this course.
#36855, Truax-Protective Services Building, 9/11-10/30, Wednesday, 1-4 PM Instructor: Lee Schauer
Delve into the art of acrylic painting, tailored for beginners or those seeking to refresh their skills. Uncover the secrets of acrylic painting materials, color theory, form, and composition. Spark your creativity through demonstrations and hands-on painting, and develop your ability to view the world through an artistic lens.
#35426, Truax-Protective Services, 9/11-10/30, Wednesday, 5:30-8:30 PM Instructor: Lee Schauer
Unlock the full potential of acrylics in our advanced painting class! Delve into intricate layering, texture creation, and advanced color mixing techniques to bring your visions to life with depth and vibrancy. Refine your skills in composition and visual storytelling while exploring diverse styles and subjects. You must have taken Beg. Acrylic, All levels Acrylic or have equivalent experience.
#36854, Truax-Protective Services Building, 9/12-11/7, Thursday, 5:30-8:30 PM Instructor: Lee Schauer
This class will introduce basic techniques so you can create accurate drawings as you work from observation. The skills and concepts presented will provide an initial framework for your talent, build confidence in your ability, and amplify your creativity.
#35242, Truax-Main Building, 9/18-11/6, Wednesday, 6-8:30 PM Instructor: Thanasi Papapostolou
Drawing the human figure is considered by centuries of artists and art academies to be the indispensable foundation of the creative arts. This class will introduce the students to the basic principles of figure structure and expression. Progressing sequentially, the student learns how to “see” human form and to render it effectively. This class is a must both for beginners and for those who are seeking to further their understanding and perception of the human figure in drawing, painting, or digital animation. Students will work from a live model and instructor demonstrations. Basic drawing materials are required. Only students the age of 18 or older are allowed to enroll in figure drawing.
#35326, Truax-Main Building, 9/23-11/11, Monday, 6-9 PM Instructor: Thanasi Papapostolou
Explore the vibrant world of oil pastels, where you'll learn key techniques such as blending, layering, texturing, sgraffito, and scumbling. Perfect for both beginners and experienced artists, this course covers essential oil pastel techniques, enabling you to create striking art.
#37174, Truax-Protective Services Building, 9/26-11/7, Thursday, 1-4 PM Instructor: Lee Schauer
Capture the essence of your furry friend in our watercolor pet portrait class! Over four weeks, master techniques for depicting fur texture, expressive eyes, and lifelike features. Learn color mixing for realistic tones and create personalized backgrounds that complement your pet's personality. Prior watercolor experience strongly recommended.
#36845, Truax-Protective Services Building, 10/14-9/4, Monday, 5:30-8:30 PM Instructor: Lee Schauer
See digital art in a whole new light. This class is a beginner level exploration of the tools, theory, techniques and tricks of working with digital devices and creative software to create digital artworks. Learn to produce digital paintings and conceptual art by applying traditional art skills in a virtual environment. Required: An iPad with apple pencil, or Android tablet with a stylus, OR desktop/laptop computer with a Wacom or other drawing tablet attached. The primary app we will use for the class is Procreate for iPad, but participants can also use other software including Sketchbook, Krita, Painter, or Photoshop.
#35166, Online Live, 10/16-11/9, Wednesday, 6-9 PM Instructor: Justin King
Character Design will have students developing and creating their own characters that could be used for comics, video games, or animation. This course is intended to teach students how to use character design to tell a story and how to create unique and original characters. We will discuss shape language and how color impact a character’s design and create a wide variety of characters that can fit different roles in a story. Youth Ages 14-18.
#36787, Truax-Protective Services Building, 9/16-10/21, Monday, 6-8 PM Instructor: Jessica Ellenbecker
Introduction to Traditional Drawing is a class designed to help students learn the basics of observational drawing. We will utilize mostly pencils and colored pencils and practice using the Elements of Art to improve drawing skills. Youth Ages 14-18.
#36788, Truax-Protective Services Building, 10/28-12/2, Monday, 6-8 PM Instructor: Jessica Ellenbecker

Fabric Arts

Learn to develop the knowledge, skills, and process of Upholstery! The course will meet the needs of beginning students as well as those who have acquired some knowledge of the subject. You will gain cutting, fitting, and fabric application skills. As you progress, you will undertake more complex projects, such as channel back chairs, semi-detached cushions, tufting and specialized care for antique pieces. Students should bring their project to the first class (beginners should start with a footstool or small chair).
#35144, Commercial Ave, 9/4-12/11, Wednesday, 1-4 PM Instructor: Alaine Barr
#35146, Commercial Ave, 9/4-12/11, Wednesday, 6-9 PM Instructor: Alaine Barr
#35148, Commercial Ave, 9/10-12/17, Tuesday, 6-9 PM Instructor: Peter Herrera-Montalvan
#35150, Commercial Ave, 9/7-12/14, Saturday, 9 AM - 12 PM Instructor: Peter Herrera-Montalvan
This course introduces the basics of sewing. The topics covered include operation of a sewing machine, familiarity with essential equipment, choosing and preparing a pattern, information on fabric and interfacing selection, and construction of a simple project (typically a skirt) which includes key garment construction techniques: Students will learn: Fabric selection, understanding a pattern; laying out a pattern, marking details, sewing seams; inserting a basic zipper; adding pockets, attaching a waistband and hemming techniques. This is also a great refresher course. Individual help is given along with demonstration of techniques to complete each aspect of garment sewing.
#35252, Commercial Ave, 8/27-10/22, Tuesday, 6-9 PM Instructor: Mary Braucht
#35446, Commercial Ave, 8/27-10/22, Tuesday, 2-5 PM Instructor: Mary Braucht
#36761, Commercial Ave, 8/29-10/24, Thursday, 6-9 PM Instructor: Mary Braucht
#36762, Commercial Ave, 8/29-10/24, Thursday, 2-5 PM Instructor: Mary Braucht
This course is a continuation of the Sewing Beginning course and includes lectures, demonstrations, and individual help. Students will construct a ‘Shacket’ [Shirt+Jacket] project from a commercial pattern that is at the intermediate level. Topics include: collars, sleeves, patch pockets, buttonholes, and some minor alterations for proper garment fitting. Individual help is given along with demonstration of techniques to complete each aspect of garment sewing.
#35254, Commercial Ave, 11/5-12/17, Tuesday, 2-5 PM Instructor: Mary Braucht
#36763, Commercial Ave, 11/5-12/17, Tuesday, 6-9 PM Instructor: Mary Braucht
Topics may include any of the following: garment alterations and clothing repairs, adjusting commercial patterns for proper fit, invisible zipper application, understanding interfacing and stabilizers and much more dependent on student interests. Students will bring in their own garments to work on with guidance from the instructor. Individual help is given along with demonstration of various techniques based on students' interests.
#35250, Commercial Ave, 11/7-12/19, Thursday, 2-5 PM Instructor: Mary Braucht
#36764, Commercial Ave, 11/7-12/19, Thursday, 6-9 PM Instructor: Mary Braucht
Macrame is the art of creating textile using knots rather than weaving or knitting. It is an ancient craft that is easy to learn and a great deal of fun. Join us to learn the basics of macrame and create a fabulous plant hanger that can be used indoors or out. In this 2 hour class you will learn how to estimate materials needed and read a pattern as well as SIX knots that will put you on your way to becoming a macrame artist
#35282 Commercial Ave, 9/21, Saturday, 9 AM-12 PM Instructor: Elaine Swartzentruber
Crochet continues to grow in popularity and is a great way to create and keep your hands busy. In this class you will learn equipment selection, basic crocheting stitches and processes, pattern interpretation, yarn study, perfecting gauge, and joining a seam. We’ll work on fun, useful and interesting projects to perfect your skills. No prior crochet experience is required for this class.
#35280, Commercial Ave, 9/26-10/17, Thursday, 6-8 PM Instructor: Elaine Swartzentruber
Ready to move on from basic crochet? Intermediate crochet will advance your skills by exploring more involved stitch combinations, textures, color work and cables as well as delving into shaping techniques and garment construction. Depending on class preferences we may also work at complex amigurumi. You will always have a choice of projects to pursue.
#36792, Commercial Ave, 10/24-11/14, Thursday, 6-8 PM Instructor: Elaine Swartzentruber
Knitting is both a time honored and rapidly growing craft that offers fun, relaxation and the joy of creativity. In this class, you’ll learn how to choose and interpret a pattern and select equipment and yarn. You will also learn to cast on, knit, purl, fix common mistakes, knit in the round, and bind off a project. You will leave the class with finished projects. No prior knitting experience needed.
#35162, Commercial Ave, 9/26-10/31, Tuesday, 6-8 PM Instructor: Elaine Swartzentruber
Have you mastered the knit and purl stitch and are ready to up your knitting game? In this class we will learn to create lace, cables, mosaic color-work and stranded color-work in small doable projects. Skills will include reading pattern charts, provisional cast-ons, seaming pieces, icord, and correcting tension, among others. You must have basic knitting skills.
#35284, Commercial Ave, 11/5-11/26, Tuesday, 6-8 PM Instructor: Elaine Swartzentruber
In a laid-back atmosphere, you'll learn to create sassy, irreverent phrases through the colorful art of embroidery. Perfect for those who enjoy playful language and a touch of rebellion, this class offers a delightful escape where you can make new friends and stitch bold, humorous designs. Embrace creativity and your inner rebel in this engaging workshop. No experience necessary. All supplies included!
#37172, Truax-Protective Services Building, 10/5, Saturday, 2-7 PM Instructor: Lee Schauer

Photography

Make a music video, short piece, or experimental film! In this hands-on course, you will explore digital media production in a creative context. You will develop concepts for your original pieces and receive thorough training in videography and photography, video editing in Premiere Pro, stop-motion animation, and archival sourcing. This class will provide space, tools, technical support, and creative advice as you work on your project. The course concludes with a constructive critique and a final show of your finished work. There are no required materials or supplies, but a digital camera such as a smartphone or DSLR is highly recommended.
#37183, Truax-Main Building, 10/8-11/26, Tuesday, 6-9 PM Instructor: Max Schulte
This course is intended for those who understand the basic point-and-shoot operation of their digital cameras but who are seeking assistance in taking better pictures using composition techniques and making better use of features such as aperture, flash, shutter speed, and more.
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