Workshops and Courses by Date

The 20th century is particularly suited to study the multicultural heritage of fashion and art history.  In its first 50 years, fashion and art were an expression of Eurocentric partisanship, despite extensive, uncredited cultural borrowings from peoples and countries in the global community. In the mid-1960s these broader voices in fashion … Read more

Intro to B&W Darkroom Photography is a hands-on 7-week introduction to the analog B&W darkroom photography process. Lessons include camera functions, exposure, film developing, chemistry and enlarger use, making contact prints and work prints, and final printing in the darkroom. Critiques of student work develop an aesthetic and conceptual understanding … Read more

Learn to shoot great moving imagery and record high-quality audio to create engaging stories! This class provides a technical and conceptual foundation for digital video production. Students gain and hone camera skills including exposure, focus, and composition, as well as the basics of sound capture for video. This course covers … Read more

This course focuses on the production of short and long-form comics, with a focus on the development and design of characters and the worlds that are drawn and written for them. Continued research into the history of storytelling in multiple comic genres will be folded into the course.

Learn woodworking fundamentals through a series of exercises utilizing both hand tools and machines. Develop a habit of sharpening and tuning your tools. Practice a variety of joinery techniques and build your own sample library of construction options. Put your newly honed skills to test by building a final project … Read more

In this course you’ll learn the essentials for designing with fonts, and build typographic skills that are applicable to a wide range of visual communication design endeavors. You’ll be introduced to key typographic concepts, work between class meetings on a series of structured assignments, and get in-class feedback from peers … Read more

Screen printing is an old and versatile process with many modern uses. We present a variety of techniques and contemporary fine art applications of silkscreen printing. Students are guided through the transformation of an idea to printed image and encouraged to take a creative approach. The emphasis is on experimentation, … Read more

In this class, students learn to design and build custom interactive objects. Using a basic toolkit available for online purchase, students construct AC and DC circuits, program microcontrollers, and learn basic hand and machine fabrication. Throughout the seven weeks, students learn a variety of tools, techniques, and methods to create … Read more

Explore advanced construction and drafting methods for custom tailoring. Learn how to design and construct a tailored ensemble using traditional methods that include pad stitching, foundation shaping, special lapel and collar treatments, and finishes. Prerequisites: Introduction to Creative Fashion and Introduction to Pattern Drafting or permission of instructor.  Email: achan@massart.edu. … Read more

This course is focused on the production of short and long-form comics and the visual narrative form. Students will become familiar with 1-3 panel comics, page design, lettering, inking, digital drawing, and 3-part narrative structure for long and short comics. Looking at the history of storytelling through comics, students will … Read more

An overview of pattern drafting and an introduction to clothing construction. Students explore the different methods of pattern making, from using the dart for fit to adding shape for fullness, and learn how to take body measurements for fit. Pattern drafting and construction techniques are then applied to an original … Read more

In this introductory course, students will learn the foundations of drawing, including line, proportion, shape, gesture, blocking, value, mark-making, and space. Students will focus on developing these skills through a variety of in-class and independent assignments that emphasize drawing from observation, iterative invention, and materials exploration. No prior drawing experience … Read more

Traditionally, street photography is an established method of documentary investigation made popular in the 20th century by greats such as Eugene Atget and Walker Evans.  Following the Second World War, photographers like Robert Frank, Garry Winogrand, and Diane Arbus began to look at photography and the street in very different … Read more

Fusing design activities and methodologies, including aesthetic sourcing (visual, literary, emotional, and structural) and drawing and modeling, participants engage in design as a problem-solving process. Projects emphasize the development of conceptual visualization through the exploration of two- and three-dimensional sketch techniques.

Design and fabricate individualized place settings, serving dishes, teapots, and vases through different projects. Employing various hand building techniques and kiln-firing techniques (high-fire reduction and atmospheric soda reduction), students are able to create tableware that is useful as well as personally expressive. Frequent demonstrations, lectures, and dialogue with the instructor … Read more

Learn to develop and market textile designs using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Topics include building a design from a motif, creating colorways for your print, using scanned artwork to create designs, and texture mapping. Students create a series of print designs and a collection of coordinated prints.  

Students explore the current practices being used by sustainable fashion designers/companies, organic and eco-friendly textiles, innovations in design/ production, textiles, waste minimization, and upcycling in design and manufacturing. While working through their own process, students will use sustainable methods to design and create projects addressing social responsibility in the fashion … Read more

Students apply knowledge of foundational design and typographic principles to produce effective visual communications for a targeted audience. The designer’s role and responsibilities including the development of design content and designing for user needs as well as client goals are explored. Prerequisites: Foundations of Graphic Design, and a working knowledge … Read more

This course equips students with practical strategies for selling artwork and engaging audiences in live event settings. We explore effective methods for securing vending opportunities, navigating market logistics, and designing compelling displays. Students learn to optimize customer interactions and build lasting relationships, mastering the art of merchandising for art fairs … Read more

Description: This course provides a foundation in personal finance, covering budgeting, saving, investing, and debt management. It emphasizes strategies specifically for artists and freelancers, including understanding income fluctuations, tax implications of self- employment, and building financial stability in an unpredictable income environment. Students develop practical skills for managing finances effectively … Read more

In this course you will use digital and traditional media to complete a series of creative design projects that will sharpen your “design eye,” build skills for impactful use of design elements and principles, and grow your ability to develop unique and expressive graphic form. You’ll gain experience with design … Read more

An overview of pattern drafting and an introduction to clothing construction. Students explore the different methods of pattern making, from using the dart for fit to adding shape for fullness, and learn how to take body measurements for fit. Pattern drafting and construction techniques are then applied to an original … Read more

Visual and Information Design for Digital Experience is a seven-week synchronous remote/online course focused on visual and graphic design for digital experiences and environments. Through presentations, workshops, critique and in-class exercises, students learn core design principles such as balance, contrast, visual hierarchy, alignment, repetition, proportion, negative space and Gestalt principles. … Read more

Using digital capture devices, students examine the ways in which light shapes our perception of the world around us, and explore the possibilities of light as a tool in their artistic practice. Technical assignments aim to harness the power of existing/found light as well as supplementary sources including strobe and … Read more

In this digital capture / photo production intensive, students are introduced to the creative and technical possibilities of digital photography while exploring photographic history and current practices. Participants learn to use a digital (DSLR or mirrorless) camera to create photographs using raw file formats and fully manual controls. Topics covered … Read more

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the profession of interior design and the essential design principles it entails. Students will engage in developing a design proposal tailored to a specific design brief, along with completing weekly assignments that guide them through the design process.Throughout the course, weekly lectures cover … Read more

In the Interior Construction Documents course, students will gain essential skills in interpreting and utilizing construction documents for interior design proposals. They will engage with residential plans, learning to decipher architectural symbols and make informed design modifications based on the information provided in the drawing sets.Throughout the course, students will … Read more

This studio course delves deeply into fundamental design principles essential to creating functional and aesthetically pleasing spaces. Students will learn to integrate natural light, optimize accessibility, balance public and private areas, and harness the power of color in their designs. The course centers around a challenging design brief focused on … Read more

This 7-week online intensive is designed to equip students with the essential tools and skills to professionally present and promote their artistic practice. Whether preparing for job applications, open calls, residencies, exhibitions, or grant submissions, this class guides students toward building a comprehensive portfolio tailored to their professional development goals. … Read more

This class is an introduction to hybrid animation processes, with a focus on creative and experimental approaches to combining traditional, experimental, and digital animation techniques. Students are encouraged to explore new workflows in order to develop their own unique style and artistic voice. This intensive studio explores composing moving images … Read more

This intensive seven-week class develops students’ skills and agility in digital photography post-production. Using Adobe Lightroom Classic, Bridge, Camera Raw, and Photoshop, students learn a streamlined, professional workflow that takes images from camera to finished product. Learn the basics and beyond of powerful, industry standard software and systems, from file … Read more

Begin painting in this exploration of new and traditional directions and techniques. The basis of the course is studio work, primarily working in oil (preferred) or acrylics, and includes the use of models, as well as lectures and demonstrations. Color and composition theory, and the study of form, space, and … Read more

Focusing on the direct, iconic imagery of the cartoon, this drawing course teaches the elements of design, along with expressive and abstract illustration to focus the eye in support of storytelling. This course covers the mechanics of narrative techniques in story-driven art. Students will develop skills in using the theories … Read more

In this 7-week intermediate* analog photography class, students expand their darkroom practice while learning more advanced darkroom techniques. Participants expand their photographic and printing skills through individualized feedback and guidance, and deepen their aesthetic and conceptual understanding of the creative process through critique.  *Students must have some previous darkroom experience, … Read more

Learn the principles and techniques of video editing – the backbone of filmmaking and video art. Whatever your interest or desired role in time-based media, understanding editing is fundamental to your success. The editor is a detail-oriented storyteller, craftsperson, organizer, and technician. We often rediscover and sometimes reinvent our stories … Read more

Introduction to Experience Design is an overview of usability and product design. In this seven week class, students explore UI and UX concepts using professional tools and processes. Each week, students apply their skills to a practical interface design project. Classes will include group discussions, presentations, and individual critique. At … Read more

This course provides a basic introduction to data visualization. Through lectures, tutorials and class discussions, participants learn fundamental concepts and design principles, dive deep into case studies, and gain hands-on skills that allow them to design dynamic data visualizations that follow best design practices. Weekly in-class demos and projects train … Read more

This online studio course explores a selection of alternative photographic processes through ecological and material approaches to image making. Working with anthotypes, lumen family processes, and handmade photographic developers derived from everyday materials, students create images while experimenting with the relationships between light, chemistry, and the living world. Historic and … Read more

Memoir has dominated adult graphic novel publishing, in part because memory is often viscerally linked with imagery. Similarly, visual and comics journalism allows authors to tell non-fiction stories about politics, war, and trauma in ways that meld non-linear experiences with factual accounts. Students will explore interview, landscape, and visual translation … Read more

Drawing is the process of creative thinking and discovery. When you are engaged in the process of transforming materials, you’re also opening new pathways by changing how you see and know as a person and an artist In this class we will explore abstraction and what it can reveal through … Read more

Lens-Based Critique Lab: Photography is a critique-focused project development class for students working in all forms and genres of Digital Photography, all genres of digital photography, analog-to-digital practices, and photographic collage. The centerpiece of the class is a set of synchronous group feedback and discussions sessions focused on student work … Read more

The screenplay is the foundation of a great film. More than just a compelling story, it serves as a blueprint for production, translating a vision into a form that can be understood by directors, producers, actors, pre- and post-production teams. In this seven-week intensive, participants develop the skills needed to … Read more

Lens-Based Critique Lab is a critique-focused project development class for students working in Digital Lens-Based Media, including Photography, Digital Collage, and Digital Time-Based Media. The centerpiece of the class is a set of synchronous group feedback and discussion sessions focused on student work and work-in-progress. These are supplemented with 1:1 … Read more

There are a million different ways to accomplish the same thing; every creative person has their own distinct sensibilities that influence how they see and make art. Sensibilities do not change with the tool. In this beginning digital illustration course, students create work using the diverse capabilities of digital software … Read more

There is a long tradition in short story comics and learning how to do it is a great way to hone your craft and build your audience. Learn to use the constraints of limited story space to create engaging and surprising short comics. In this class we’ll learn how to … Read more

Trend Driven Design explores how designers use trend research to develop market-relevant creative concepts for consumer products. Students will investigate cultural influences, retail environments, consumer behavior, and emerging design trends, then translate their research into an original project of their choosing. Through presentations, workshops, and hands-on studio assignments, students will learn … Read more

Description: This course provides an overview of the business structures, power dynamics, and economic systems shaping the art world. Moving beyond a traditional “professional practice” focus, this course examines the various business models and objectives that drive the industry, including galleries, auction houses, art advisories, art agencies, art fairs, and … Read more