All Active Courses and Workshops

Using the fashion space as a model this course introduces students to skills, strategies, and mindsets that are instrumental to building and sustaining a creative career. The professional fashion lens provides well-established methods designed to provide a creative practice with a competitive edge. Students learn to customize and leverage their … 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 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

Apply hand and machine woodworking skills through the construction of a small case on stand. By exploring different types of table and cabinet joinery, learn how to create furniture pieces that are both stable and expressive. Expand upon your understanding of wood movement and construction by combining techniques to build and design … Read more

Students are introduced to visual principles, as the basis of graphic design communication, and elements and issues of visual language. The course covers the manipulation of graphic form to convey meaning; strategies for idea generation and development of unique concepts; and the designer’s role as visual storyteller. Prerequisites: Pattern Drafting … Read more

This course teaches students how to communicate original ideas using the geometric principles of design, and helps them to master block pattern structure. Basic garment construction, fundamental draping, and development of couture are covered. These skills are used to translate creative designs into three-dimensional form in both fabric and non-textiles.

How is stylistic drawing utilized by comic artists to advance storytelling? This class is continued from Narrative Illustration 1 and will focus on a deep dive into narrative drawing techniques. This course will provide more ‘advanced’ drawing systems to choose from, building on the skills developed in the Narrative Illustration … Read more

Color transforms surfaces, defines form, and evokes emotion, making it a powerful tool in art and design. This course invites students to delve into the mechanics and symbolism of color, from the basics of mixing and value scales to advanced studies in color relationships, temperature, and transparency. Through projects like … 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 in-class that emphasize drawing from observation, iterative invention, and materials exploration. No prior drawing … Read more

Glassblowing for all  is a perfect first step for those who have never been in a hotshop and a great next step if you know your way around!  Glassblowing can be intimidating, in this class we break it down to basics and learn step by step how to get it … 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

This course teaches students how to communicate original ideas using the geometric principles of design, and helps them to master block pattern structure. Basic garment construction, fundamental draping, and development of couture are covered. These skills are used to translate creative designs into three-dimensional form in both fabric and non-textiles.

Figure Drawing: Portraits and Facial Structure This 7-week course introduces students to the fundamentals of portrait drawing with a focus on facial anatomy, structure, and the use of light to create convincing form. Students will study the anatomy of the skull and facial proportions, learning how to break down complex … 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

Sci-Fi and Fantasy Comics are cornerstones of the comic storytelling form. Inventing fascinating stories that take place on invented worlds incorporates the ability to draw and write from the imagination, and the ability to speculate about the shape of alternate worlds that include invented monsters, machines, and cityscapes from the … Read more

“Collage-making, for me, is basically an act of painting, allowing me to indulge in an appetite for immediacy.”                                                                       ~Abe Ajay In this course, we will explore the fascinating world of collage and assemblage. Collage can be defined as seemingly different parts coming together to make a whole. Fabric, pieces of … 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

This course introduces a variety of concepts and techniques used in contemporary ceramic object-making. Demonstrations and studio activities include hand building, mold making and wheel working. Each student researches and designs a series of pieces which reflect their personal interests. Projects may include work in tableware, sculpture, or designed objects. … Read more

This course will provide a solid foundation in the digital skills used in the fashion industry to create the “fashion plates” that introduce a line or collection. Through hands-on projects, students learn how to use Photoshop and Illustrator to design presentation boards and fashion collections in flats. This is the … Read more

Garment Construction is an introduction course focusing on fundamental sewing techniques. Students will produce 2-3 basic garments, and assemble a sample book of standard dressmaking techniques. Students will learn hand sewing skills, the use of the industrial sewing machine, methods for taking measurements, and how to select and layout fabric. … Read more

This seven-week technical and creative intensive explores the possibilities of sound, as a key component of visual time-based media and as an art in its own right. Students learn best practices of sound production, exploring field, vocal, and foley recording, while building technical skills in audio capture. Using a range … Read more

Line drawing is an ancient art form that dates back almost 75,000 years, however, you may have come across the common stereotype that line drawing is a “lesser” art form due to its simplicity. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Simple drawings of line and color can be wonderfully … 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

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

This course focuses on the rich history and ongoing evolution of interior design as a profession. Through research and lectures, students explore various facets of the field by selecting from a curated list of topics. They will present their findings in engaging slide talks, covering influential figures like Florence Knoll, … Read more

This course is a great start for beginners looking to make a functional wooden object. Course participants will learn how to build a wooden plant stand utilizing machinery such as the table saw, domino joiner, router table and orbital sander. This course will cover how to create a lap joint … Read more

Thinking about a career in graphic design? Do you currently “dabble” in graphic design for personal projects? Have you found yourself designing flyers, webpages, brochures or other graphic design work professionally without any design training? This one-day workshop is specifically targeted for those with no graphic design background, to understand what makes a design “work” visually … Read more

Come explore basic embroidery techniques and how to apply them to “drawings” using direct drawing, transfer and projection. This will be both a technical skills class and an idea development class. We will discuss stitch, color and materials choices while learning and exploring traditional techniques of drawing such as contour, … Read more

This workshop will focus on creating forms using two traditional basket weaving techniques: random weave and twining. Random weave toes the line between order and chaos, and twining uses spirals to create a multitude of forms and patterns. These techniques are a solid basis for basket weaving, and translates well … Read more

An artist’s book is a form of artistic expression that draws inspiration from the concept of the “book” itself. What distinguishes an artist’s book from a traditional book is the creative intention behind its production—an artist’s vision shapes not just the content, but the form, materials, design, and process. These … 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

In this course we delve into the vibrant world of wire sculpture, focusing mainly on figurative art. Sculpting with wire is not only engaging and challenging, but also a powerful medium for personal expression. The possibilities are limitless, and by using the human body as our subject, we can explore … Read more

This comprehensive 7-week class immerses students in generative design techniques. Beginning with the fundamentals and extending to more advanced practices, topics include an introduction to generative design principles, an in-depth exploration of TouchDesigner nodes and networks, geometry creation, image processing, audio-visual interaction, and interactive media. Students engage in hands-on projects … Read more

This course will focus on the fundamentals of color, lettering, page and panel layout, and other technical processes in comics systems. Students will learn basic color theory, and workflow techniques for digital color, as well analog color and color processing for print. We will cover approaches to lettering including traditional … Read more

This class is an exploration of the creative potential inherent in the relationship between subject and environment in portraiture. Students explore and refine their approach to making portraits throughout the class. Successful strategies used in portraiture will be discussed and employed to create compelling images of students’ subjects. Understanding of … Read more

Through a dynamic combination of in-class presentations, technique-building exercises, and informative discussions, Story Development and Project Production immerses students in the process of developing a story idea and putting it into production as a nonfiction or fictional narrative video work. Over the seven weeks, students advance a term project that … Read more

Graphic storytelling can be a beautiful and emotive way to tell larger social and political stories that give us insight into the lives of others. This course will focus on how to develop a visual journalistic ‘voice’ in comics, how to work quickly and with an editor and some basic … 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

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

This course will take an academic and experimental approach to drawing. We’ll explore the character of various media such as charcoal, graphite, pen and ink-wash. Color will be used for its expressive nature, allowing us to engage the potential of chalk/oil pastels, markers, colored pencils, and a combination of media. … Read more

In this capstone project, students create a publication-ready comic or graphic novel. The course will incorporate visiting artists, professionals from the publishing world, and other networking opportunities. A branding/marketing comics class, this course will create accountability systems for students and time management for creating comics, building community online and in-person … Read more

This seven-week course aims to advance students’ evolving painting practice by providing a structured yet flexible environment for artistic exploration. The course begins with quick exercises from observation. In later weeks the focus shifts to self-directed work, students will respond to creative prompts and may incorporate their own source materials. … Read more

In this introductory, course participants will learn how to design and carve wooden utensils. Students will be shown how to safely and efficiently use the bandsaw as well as hand tools such as gouges, rasps, files, scrapers, and a variety of handsaws. Whether it’s spoons, spatulas, forks, knives, or something … Read more