Winter 2021 Classes

Art History

NEW! Art ‘isms: Contemporary Times
Lynn Berkowitz, instructor

This art history course explores select examples of contemporary art and art ‘isms—ending in Postmodernism—and their connections to previous works of art that inspired them. With a focus on painting and sculpture, we will follow the thread between art of the recent and their link to the past to see how art continues to unfold.

Please note: Art ‘isms: Modern Times is not a pre-requisite for this class. This course is a blended lecture and conversational format where student insights contribute to the learning for all.

Classes meet weekly via Zoom

All levels of students
February 10 – March 10, 2021
Wednesdays at 9:30 – 11:30 am
$115 (Museum members $90)

Registration is now closed

PAINTING

Acrylics Painting – The Basics and More
Christine Thomas, instructor

Learn the fundamentals of color mixing, brush handling, underpainting, layering and layout. Also, learn how to easily transfer an image to your canvas. Enjoy the versatility of acrylics with easy clean up and dry times. Embrace your creativity and explore the endless acrylic options. Watch some of the techniques you will learn in this course here. Course supply list: Acrylic Basics Supply List

Classes meet weekly via Zoom
Intermediate and advanced students
February 10 – March 10, 2021
Wednesdays at 12:30 – 2:30 pm
$115 (Museum members $90)

Registration is now closed

Painting Studio and More
Christine Thomas, instructor

This class is for the novice as well as the seasoned painter. This class is open to all 2-D media, including acrylic, oil, watercolor, mixed media, and drawing. We will explore color, color mixing, layering, brush handling, composition, and the importance of light. Students will experiment with backgrounds, under painting, and learn about negative space and shadow. New students: the instructor will go over supplies/materials with you. Returning students: please bring your chosen supplies.

Classes meet weekly via Zoom
Intermediate and advanced students
February 9 – March 9, 2021
Tuesdays at 12:30 – 2:30 pm
$115 (Museum members $90)

Registration is now closed

 

NEW! Poetry of Nature—The Hudson River School
Chris Fasolino, instructor

This course is designed to accompany the Museum’s new exhibition Poetry of Nature: Hudson

 River School Landscapes from the New York Historical Society, and it will include trips to the gallery. We will discuss beautiful paintings as we stand right in front of them thanks to the wonders of technology! The Hudson River School was about discovering inspiration from nature. Its painters portrayed spectacular landscapes with a combination of fine detail and monumental grandeur. Along with the Hudson River Valley, a variety of locations in the Northeast—including the Adirondacks, the Catskills, and the White Mountains—are featured in these landscape paintings. This course is a wilderness adventure from the comfort of the gallery! It will enhance your appreciation and enjoyment of the Museum’s exciting new exhibit.

Classes meet weekly via Zoom
All levels of students
January 4 – March 15, 2021
No class on Monday January 18, 2021, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Mondays at 9:30 – 11:30 am
$225  (Museum members $180)

Registration is now closed

 

NEWArtists, Naturalists, and Explorers in Florida
Chris Fasolino, instructor

John James Audubon traveled widely in Florida, and his work includes images of some of our most iconic birds. Yet, Audubon was inspired by predecessors who also visited Florida and used their artistry to portray the birds, animals, flowers, and trees of our area. There was Mark Catesby, an English gentleman with Royal Society connections who was eager to explore the flora and fauna of the New World; William Bartram, a Pennsylvania Quaker who canoed across a lake full of alligators and lived to sketch the creatures; and Alexander Wilson, a brilliant but penniless Scottish immigrant who would become famous for his studies and illustrations of birds. This course will explore their work in Florida and throughout their lives, along with the beloved images of John James Audubon, who described himself as “increasingly amazed” by the natural wonders he saw while traveling in Florida.

Classes meet weekly via Zoom
All levels of students
January 8 – March 12, 2021
Fridays at 9:30 -11:30 am
$225 (Museum members $180)

Registration is now closed

 

The Grand Tour: The Art History of Great Cities
Chris Fasolino, instructor

 

This new course is designed to feature a different city each week. Like travelers on the Grand Tour, we will explore the art and architecture of some of the great cities of the world! The course includes palaces, temples, castles, cathedrals, and other iconic monuments, as well as masterpieces of painting and sculpture associated with these cities and their museums. Here is our itinerary:

Week One—Athens; Week Two—Rome; Week Three—Istanbul (AKA Constantinople, AKA Byzantium); Week Four—Madrid; Week Five—London; Week Six—Florence; Week Seven—Venice; Week Eight—Paris; Week Nine—Kyoto; Week Ten—Beijing

Classes meet weekly via Zoom
All levels of students
January 8 – March 12, 2021
Fridays at 12:30 – 2:30 pm
$225 (Museum members $180)

Registration is now closed

 

NEW! The Art History of Color
Chris Fasolino, instructor

 

“Where do the colors come from?” Have you ever wondered about that when you are looking at a painting? The pigments used by artists often have rich histories in themselves. This new course will explore the mysteries of color. Blue pigment came from lapis lazuli, coveted by ancient kings and Italian Renaissance artists alike. Purple came from Mediterranean shellfish, and it was so rare it became a royal color. Yellows and oranges came from saffron which was grown in North Africa and, surprisingly, transplanted to the English countryside. Red came from a type of beetle found both on the Arabian Peninsula and in the lands of the Inca Empire. Green pigment was treasured, but it sometimes contained arsenic—one theory holds that green wallpaper contributed to the death of Napoleon Buonaparte! The course will conclude with the experiments of the Impressionists, as they opened up beautiful new worlds of color.

Classes meet weekly via Zoom
All levels of students
January 5 – March 9, 2021
Tuesdays at 9:30 – 11:30 am
$225 (Museum members $180)

Registration is now closed

 

NEW! The Art History of Impressionism
Chris Fasolino, instructor

 

Would you like to spend time in the gardens of Claude Monet? This course is an in-depth look at one of the most popular styles in art history—Impressionism. While Impressionism has been a feature in other courses, this course is all about Impressionism! We will explore how Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Morisot, and their colleagues pioneered this new style of art. Traveling from the cafés of Paris to the villas of the Riviera, from the canals of Venice to banks of the Thames in London, we will see how French Impressionists explored a variety of environments at home and abroad. Then we will see how Monet designed and painted the beautiful gardens and water lilies of his home in Giverny. After a look at American Impressionism, the course will conclude with a look at Post-Impressionism and its creative experimentation—culminating in the starlight of Vincent van Gogh.

Classes meet weekly via Zoom
All levels of students
January 5 – March 9, 2021
Tuesdays at 12:30 – 2:30 pm
$225 (Museum members $180)

Registration is now closed

 

NEW! Art ‘isms: Modern Times
Lynn Berkowitz, instructor

This art history course explores select examples of modern art and art ‘isms—from Realism to Cubism—and their connections to previous works of art that inspired them. With a focus on painting and sculpture, we will follow the thread between art of the recent and their link to the past to see how art continues to unfold. This course is a blended lecture and conversational format where student insights contribute to the learning for all.

Classes meet weekly via Zoom
All levels of students
January 6 – February 3, 2021
Wednesdays at 9:30 – 11:30 am
$115 (Museum members $90)

Registration is now closed

 

NEW! The New Modern Woman: Themes in Contemporary Art
Holly Harmon, instructor

Want to learn more about what’s happening in art today? This discussion-based course will explore themes of contemporary art through the eyes of female artists. Each week we tackle a new topic including the body, identity, language, absence/presence, and barriers/boundaries. Watch the introduction here.

Classes meet weekly via Zoom

January 7 – February 4, 2021
All levels of students
Thursdays at 3 – 5 pm
$115 (Museum members $90)

Registration is now closed

 

Drawing

NEW! Beginning Drawing
Carolyn Fee, instructor

You’ll learn concepts and techniques fundamental to drawing. Each week a new idea or technique will be introduced and integrated. This class is structured so that you can assimilate, at a comfortable pace, that which is relevant to personal self-expression and goals. Course supply list: Drawing Materials

Classes meet weekly via Zoom
Beginner students
January 6 – March 10, 2021
Wednesdays at 3 – 5 pm
$225 (Museum members $180)

Registration is now closed

 

Intermediate Drawing
Carolyn Fee, instructor

We’ll be drawing from life. Students will set up their weekly still life(s) comprised of a subject matter relevant to each lesson. The objects will be easily accessed; a variety of everyday produce such as tomatoes, apples and lemons; kitchen items such as cups, bowls, bottles, spoons; leaves and flowers found in the garden; a bouquet from the market; and house plants. Assimilation will occur naturally, and over time, as we progress thru the course subject matter. As we increase our comprehension of the process and skills, we’ll work with increasingly complex subject matter. We will close each class with a supportive group critique, and shared reflections and questions. Watch an art tutorial from instructor Carolyn Fee here. Course supply list: Drawing Materials

Classes meet weekly via Zoom
Intermediate students
January 5 – March 9, 2021
Tuesdays at 3 – 5 pm
$225 (Museum members $180)

Registration is now closed

Painting

 

NEW! Painting Pet Portraits in Colored Pencils
Ed Cortez, instructor

 

This class is designed for artists of All levels to create an accurate and realistic colored pencil painting of their favorite pet. During each class, some basic elements of colored pencil drawing will be explained and illustrated, followed by a guided drawing exercise in which students will draw a part of a pet (e.g., a dog’s or cat’s eye, mouth, fur, and paw). During the last two classes, students will be guided in drawing and ‘painting’ their pet in colored pencil. Experienced and intermediate artists will have the opportunity to draw the outline of the body themselves before applying the colored pencil techniques they have learned in class. The instructor will draw the pets’ outlines for less experienced artists, who will then use the colored pencil techniques learned in class to finish their pets’ portraits. Watch some of the techniques you will learn in this course here. Course supply list: Colored Pencil Painting materials


Classes meet weekly via Zoom
All levels of students
January 6 – February 3, 2021
Wednesdays at 12:30 – 2:30 pm
$115 (Museum members $90)

Registration is now closed

 

Advanced Oil and Acrylics
Lorraine Fouquet, instructor

In this course, students will learn more about color and color-mixing, painting techniques, composition, and drawing. They will focus on developing their unique style by painting from their photographs or still life. This class is designed for intermediate to advanced students.

Classes meet weekly via Zoom
January 4 – March 15, 2021
No class on Monday, January 18, 2021, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Mondays 3:00 – 5:00 pm
$225 (Museum members $180)

Registration for this course is now closed.

NEW! Watercolor: Winter Wandering
Morgan Kuster, instructor

Take inspiration from the shifting seasons to create beautiful watercolor paintings. In this course, you will review and practice basic techniques throughout the course. Each week, explore artworks and a new prompt to create seasons and nature in unexpected ways. Watch some of the techniques you will learn in this course here. Supply list: Watercolor Winter Wanderings Supply List

Classes meet weekly via Zoom
Beginner and intermediate students
January 8 – March 12, 2021
Fridays at 12:30 – 2:30 pm
$225 (Museum members $180)

Register

 

Acrylics Painting – The Basics and More
Christine Thomas, instructor

Learn the fundamentals of color mixing, brush handling, underpainting, layering and layout. Also, learn how to easily transfer an image to your canvas. Enjoy the versatility of acrylics with easy clean up and dry times. Embrace your creativity and explore the endless acrylic options. Watch some of the techniques you will learn in this course here. Course supply list: Acrylic Basics Supply List

Classes meet weekly via Zoom
Intermediate and advanced students
January 6 – February 3, 2021
Wednesdays at 12:30 – 2:30 pm
$115 (Museum members $90)

Registration is now closed.

 

Painting Studio and More
Christine Thomas, instructor

This class is for the novice as well as the seasoned painter. This class is open to all 2-D media, including acrylic, oil, watercolor, mixed media, and drawing. We will explore color, color mixing, layering, brush handling, composition, and the importance of light. Students will experiment with backgrounds, under painting, and learn about negative space and shadow. New students: the instructor will go over supplies/materials with you. Returning students: please bring your chosen supplies.

Classes meet weekly via Zoom
Intermediate and advanced students
January 5 – February 2, 2021
Tuesdays at 12:30 – 2:30 pm
$115 (Museum members $90)

Registration is now closed