This course will begin with 12 blank squares of cotton. Each week participants stitch on a square and will learn beginner embroidery techniques including outline stitches, needle painting, knots and weaving stitches, as well as embellishment techniques such as stumpwork, cut work and flower pounding. Students will be invited to bring in their own cloth mementos and other materials to incorporate into the work. The class will explore methods for bringing these 12 works together into one piece or a body of work. Ross Gay’s “Inciting Joy” will be used as inspiration and point of departure for the stitching process. Students will listen to this text while stitching and let the intuitive response of the words inform the work. Each week will also include a writing prompt to expand each artist’s exploration of the relationship between their handwork and the text. No previous stitching experience required. THURSDAYS, JAN 9 - APR 3, 6PM - 9PM IN-PERSON

Photographs provide great reference material and idea sources for making paintings. The instructor will guide you through the classical method of gridding out the image and transferring it to a surface with a pencil. From there you will learn how to build up on the image with paint. This workshop will open you up to new possibilities for using photographs as a point of departure in your work. You are encouraged to bring in a photograph of your choosing or work with one of the images provided by the instructor. Suitable for all levels. See supply list. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 10AM - 4:30PM IN-PERSON

Gouache (pronounced “gwash”) is an opaque water-based paint that is easy to use and very forgiving. Students will discover the excitement of working with gouache through a range of weekly projects. This course is inspired by the artist, illustrator, and writer Maira Kalman (http://www.mairakalman.com/). The focus is on using objects and experiences that are part of your everyday, as well as using popular culture and current events as subject matter. Composition, working with text, and ideas surrounding meaning and content will be addressed with each project. Course will include presentations of other artists working with ‘the everyday’ as a source as well as examples of artists who work with gouache. TUESDAYS, JAN 7 - APR 1, 2PM - 5PM ONLINE

Drawing has become a major form of expression and it the main form of art practice for many artists. There are more and more exhibitions dedicated to drawing today, as well as galleries and institutions whose mandate is to only showcase work related to the practice of drawing. This course looks at the various shifts that have happened in drawing over the last twenty-five years. The focus will be on some notable drawing exhibitions such as those at two major galleries that are dedicated to the practice of drawing: The Drawing Room in the UK and the Drawing Center in New York. Artists covered will be from North America, the UK as well as range of individuals from other areas of the world. The course will address the intersections of drawing with other mediums, such as photography and sculpture, demonstrating the multifaceted nature of contemporary drawing practices. Students will develop their own unique and expanded drawing practice, informed by current trends and techniques. TUESDAYS, JAN 7 - APR 1, 10AM - 1PM IN-PERSON

This course introduces students to the elements of design (line, value, shape/volume, texture, space and motion), and the principles of design (process, unity, emphasis and focal point, scale and proportion, and balance and rhythm. Weekly assignments are given in conjunction with a visual presentation of the subject matter. Students assemble a reference book with emphasis on small-scale exercises as a way to develop an understanding of how design can be applied across mediums such as drawing, painting, textiles, photography or graphic design. Suitable for all levels. FRIDAYS, JAN 10 - APR 4, 2PM - 5PM IN-PERSON

This new course offering, Painting the City, considers the urban setting as a canvas for everyday life: a space of people-watching and voyeurism, of architectural survey and salvage, a crossroads of history, commerce and culture, but above all an endless resource of surprising, often humanizing, visual discovery. Through a study of historical and contemporary artists' visions of Venice, Paris, New York, Rome, Los Angeles, London and others, we will explore and then implement strategies for reconsidering our own urban worlds as source material for painting. Class exercises and projects will be supplemented with visual presentations, readings, videos and critical feedback. Previous painting experience recommended. WEDNESDAYS, JAN 8 - APR 2, 6PM-9PM ONLINE

Drawing Introduction II continues the focus on basic materials and techniques of drawing. In this second part of the course, the emphasis is on learning to use materials and methods to develop a personal expression in drawing. As with Drawing Introduction I, subject matter includes still life, the figure, landscape, architectural space and student supplied source material. Prerequisite: Drawing: Introduction I or some drawing experience. FRIDAYS, JAN 10 - APR 4, 10AM - 1PM IN-PERSON

Curious about oil painting but uncertain how to get started? This one-day workshop will introduce you to fundamental materials and techniques of oil paints. You will discover why most of the painters exhibiting in New York contemporary art galleries choose to use this extremely flexible and forgiving medium. Techniques covered include creating layers with an underpainting and building up a surface with a limited colour palette. You will work on two paintings during the day: one based on a photo reference, the other, an abstraction of the composition of the first painting. You will leave the workshop with enough information to help you become a competent oil painter. Suitable for beginners. See supply list. SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 10AM - 4:30PM IN-PERSON

In this continuation of Contemporary Art I, the course will begin with the start of the 21st century and focus on the immense variety of trends and approaches of contemporary artists in the last 25 years. A major change in art of the last quarter century is a shift away from North American and European centric art to include art from other parts of the world and work made by artists from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds. The course will include a broad-based approach to contemporary art including such topics as the art of the everyday, art as spectacle, gender, race and identity, the art market and the role of the artist in society. Course will include group discussions, image presentations, hands-on activities and gallery visits. The textbook for the course is The Story of Contemporary Art by Tony Godfrey and Contemporary Art II will focus on the latter half of the text as well as instructor supplied readings. This is a required course for Certificate of Visual Arts students, however anyone interested in what is going in the artworld today is welcome to register. Contemporary Art I is not a prerequisite for this second part of this course. WEDNESDAYS, JAN 8 - APR 2, 2PM - 5PM IN-PERSON

This course examines the evolution of human figure representation in art history from mid-19th to the end of the 20th Century exploring how artists have depicted various subjects across cultures and eras. It investigates major art movements in Western and non-Western traditions, analyzing the transformations in body representation within social and political contexts. By examining the portrayal of the human form across civilizations and time periods, students will gain insights into evolving aesthetic ideals, cultural values, and artistic innovations that have shaped art history. This course also delves into the philosophical and psychological aspects of human figure representation, exploring how artists' interpretations of the body have reflected and influenced societal perceptions of identity, beauty, and the human condition throughout history. Suitable for beginners. THURSDAYS, JAN 9 - APR 3, 10AM - 1PM IN-PERSON

This workshop invites artists to explore the art of painting within found books, using mixed media to transform existing pages into personalized visual stories. The instructor will showcase a variety of mixed-media techniques that harmonize or contrast with the imagery and text of each book, to create narrative-driven compositions. This is a great workshop for those who love to work with text and experiment with mixed media. Suitable for all levels. See supply list. SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 1:30 - 4:30PM ONLINE

Building on a basic knowledge of paint handling and colour, this course presents students with a range of projects that explore possible approaches to painting in terms of subject matter, style and technique. Students work from a range of historical models, including abstract and representational painting to gain a better sense of the ideas, methods, and formal issues that can support their own vision. Class projects are accompanied by slide presentations. Prerequisite: Painting: Introduction I or some painting experience. TUESDAYS, JAN 7 - APR 1, 2PM - 5PM IN-PERSON