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Birds of Inwood - Visit Teri's new blog about birds!
A visual journey exploring the birds of Inwood and Northern Manhattan

The Educated Artist: A Guide to Continuing Education Classes and Workshops in the Fine Arts in New York City (Updated)

Living in a city with so much art, it's not surprising that so many people who are not professional artists occasionally like to draw, paint, sculpt, and take pictures. Many area art schools, colleges, and other institutions offer a range of art courses and workshops for all levels of artistic skill - beginning, intermediate, and advanced. A few of these programs offer a drawing course, or at least a class session, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a classic way to improve artistic vision.

In addition to improving artistic skills and learning new techniques, participating in an art class is a fun way to meet others in the city who share the same interests. Classmates come from all areas of the city, with different backgrounds and experience that shape their individual visions. You'll be amazed at what kind of work is out there among the amateur art population. Do not worry about your own level of talent. Someone will be worse than you. Others will blow you away.

Most of these institutions listed below offer daytime, evening, and weekend classes, plus intensive workshops. Many multi-week courses fall in the $425-$475 range. Some include model fees. Particularly popular courses with well-known artist instructors can fill up, so register early. A few of the schools listed below hold information sessions prior to the beginning of the semester courses. Be sure to attend, because it's always helpful to find a good match between your inner artist and its new instructor.

School of Visual Arts Continuing Education, 209 East 23 Street, New York, NY 10010
Painting, drawing, figure drawing, anatomy, drawing at the Met, drawing New York City, sculpture, printmaking, jewelry. Also many courses in photography, animation, illustration and cartooning, etc.

New York Studio School of Painting, Drawing and Sculpture, 8 W 8th St, New York, NY 10011
Evening and Saturday classes are open to members of the public. Drawing, painting, and sculpture courses last 11 weeks.

Cooper Union Continuing Education, Cooper Square, New York, NY 10003
Several courses in the fine arts including book arts, photography, painting, drawing for all levels (including absolute beginners), collage, color theory, drawing nature, drawing on location, watercolor and abstraction, drawing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Parsons The New School for Design, 66 Fifth Avenue, 2nd floor. New York, NY 10011
Courses in drawing, painting, watercolor, Drawing at the Met, printmaking, mixed media, collage, and more. Non-credit students pay tuition and fees as listed along with the course description, and a $7 university services fee each term.

Pratt Institute Continuing Education, 200 Willoughby Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11205
Large number of courses in Brooklyn and Manhattan in painting, drawing, jewelry making, photography, sculpture, metalworking, artist's diary, drawing on location, book arts, perspective drawing, illustration, and more.

New York Academy of Art, Continuing Education, 111 Franklin Street, New York, NY 10013
Figure drawing; painting in oils; Landscapes and Seascapes; human anatomy; watercolors, sculpture. All levels - beginning, intermediate, and advanced.

The Art Students League of New York, 215 West 57th Street, New York
Painting, sculpture, printmaking, mixed media. Registration is by the month. Students may enter any class at the Art Students League at any time, provided the class is not full. Registration fee of $20. Schedule involves a variety of classes- five mornings or afternoon a week, part-time, one or two evenings a week, Saturday classes, Sunday classes and so forth.

International Center for Photography, 1114 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street
The School at ICP offers 10-week and 5-week courses, weekend workshops, and seminars on a range of topics, including digital and darkroom photography, lighting, documentary, portraiture, Photoshop, and printing. Consult course catalog on the site to see the school's extensive offerings.

City University of New York (CUNY) Adult and Continuing Education
See website to search for course offerings in painting, drawing, and other disciplines at the many campuses across the boroughs.

NYU's School of Continuing and Professional Studies, 145 4th Avenue, Room 201, New York, NY 10003
Offers courses in drawing (also a drawing course at the Met), painting, photocollage, printmaking, watercolor, and more.

92nd Street Y Art Classes
Offers courses in painting, drawing, illustration, sculpture, photography, collage & mixed media.

Henry Street Settlement: Abrons Arts Center, 466 Grand Street
Classes in painting and drawing, ceramics, and printmaking.

Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
Evening, daytime, and studio courses in topics and art history as well as studio art courses based on featured artwork. Spring 2010 features the courses Materials and Techniques of Postwar Abstract Painting and Materials and Techniques of Russian Avant-Garde Painting. Members receive discounted course fees.

Related posts:
Drawing Sessions: The Walk-in Ateliers of New York

Back-to-School Art Supplies Walk

Images by Walking Off the Big Apple.

Comments

Marisa said…
Odd, it may be the new year, but this past week I spontaneously decided I needed to be doing something tactile and artistic (and opted for pottery). In my search, the Art School at the Educational Alliance on the LES seemed to come up often with some good reviews, though I have never been there, so can't vouch for it...
Teri Tynes said…
Oh, thanks so much for the recommendation. I was hoping to hear from readers about other places offering classes.
I know what you mean about wanting to do something tactile. I've pulled out my art papers, pencils, and pastels so I can reconnect with materials again.
Anonymous said…
Thanks for the listing of the New York Academy of Art and its CE program.

An updated link for the program which is directed by John Cichowski is

http://www.nyaa.edu/nyaa/ce/index.html
Teri Tynes said…
Thanks, Anon,

I've updated the link.

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