Wednesdays, February 4, 11, 18 and 25

10:15 am - 12:45 pm

Class size: 14

Age: 18+

Class Price: $105 (HAL members $100)

Step into the enchanting world of watercolors with our immersive studio class. In this inspiring environment, budding and experienced artists alike gather to explore the delicate art of painting with watercolors. Guided by our skilled and passionate instructor, you'll learn essential techniques such as blending, layering, and wet-on-wet, allowing you to capture the ethereal beauty of your subjects on paper.

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Wednesday, March 11, 18, 25 and April 1

10:15 am - 12:45 pm

Class size: 14

Age: 18+

Class Price: $105 (HAL members $100)

Step into the enchanting world of watercolors with our immersive studio class. In this inspiring environment, budding and experienced artists alike gather to explore the delicate art of painting with watercolors. Guided by our skilled and passionate instructor, you'll learn essential techniques such as blending, layering, and wet-on-wet, allowing you to capture the ethereal beauty of your subjects on paper.

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Wednesdays, February 4, 11, 18, 25, March 4 and 11

6-8 pm

Ages: 18+

Class Limit: 12

$ 125 (HAL Members $ 120)

Discover the vibrant world of acrylic painting in our Beginning Acrylic Painting class! This course is designed for beginners with little to no prior experience, offering a fun and supportive environment to explore your creativity. You’ll learn fundamental techniques such as color mixing, brush handling, layering, and texture creation while working on a variety of projects. You'll gain confidence in your artistic abilities and develop your own unique style.

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Thursdays, February 5, 12, 19, 26, March 5 and March 12

10:30 am – 12:30 pm

Class Limit: 12

Ages: 18+

Price: $ 135 (HAL members $ 130)

Join this intermediate watercolor class designed for artists who have a foundational understanding of watercolor techniques and wish to enhance their skills. In this course, students delve deeper into the medium, exploring advanced techniques such as wet-on-wet, glazing, and color layering and using Yupo and rice paper. The curriculum includes the study of light and shadow, texture creation, and the use of negative space to add depth and dimension to paintings. Participants will also learn to mix complex colors, control water flow, and utilize various brushes for different effects. Students refine their artistic style and gain confidence in their ability to create dynamic and expressive watercolor works.

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Thursdays, February 5, 12, 19, 26, March 5, and 12

6-8 pm

Class Limit: 12

Ages: 18+

Price: $ 125 (HAL Members $120)

Discover the joy of watercolor painting in this beginner-friendly class, perfect for those looking to explore their creativity with this vibrant and fluid medium. You'll learn essential techniques such as color mixing, brush control, and layering to create beautiful, expressive paintings. You'll practice foundational skills while working on fun, step-by-step projects designed to build your confidence.

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Wednesdays, February 4, 11, 18, 25, March 4 (5 weeks)

5:30 pm–7:00 pm

Class Limit: 12

Ages: 9 to 12 years old

Price: $75

Take your drawing skills to the next level in this dynamic class made for young artists who are ready to push their creativity further! Explore bold ideas and techniques as you experiment with expressive lines, dramatic shading, and imaginative compositions. From realistic portraits to imaginative landscapes, you’ll learn how to bring your ideas to life with confidence. With lots of room for personal expression and creative challenges, this class helps developing artists refine their technique, build strong portfolios, and discover their unique artistic voice.

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Saturday, February 7

11 am – 4 pm

Class Limit: 15

Ages: 18+

Price: $ 10

In this course, designed for students who have little previous experience with digital photography, instructor Jaclyn Brown will help students overcome their fear of using manual settings on a DSLR camera and show cell phone camera users how to maximize potential and quality. Students will be introduced to camera operations, very basic image editing, and other important building blocks. After the workshop, students will be able to utilize their newly acquired skills, gain knowledge of what makes a good photograph, and develop the confidence to take better control of their photographs as a whole. All digital cameras are welcome! Available to high school juniors and seniors, college students, and adults. Bring a bag lunch. This program has been organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and is funded, in part, by the Paul Mellon Endowment and the Jean Stafford Camp Memorial Fund.

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Thursday, February 26

6 pm – 8 pm

Class Limit: 12

Ages: 18+

Price: $ 50

Unleash your creativity and strengthen your drawing skills in this engaging artist workshop. Participants will explore the fundamentals of line, shape, value, proportion, and composition while experimenting with a variety of drawing materials such as graphite, charcoal, and ink. You’ll learn to observe more closely and translate what you see into expressive, confident drawings. Whether you’re sketching still life, figures, or imaginative subjects, this workshop offers a supportive space to build technique, develop your artistic eye, and refine your personal style. All experience levels welcome—materials provided.

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Saturday, March 7

11 am – 4 pm

Class Limit: 12

Ages: 18+

Price: $ 20

Encaustic painting is an ancient process that dates back to 5th century BC. Pigmented beeswax is heated on a griddle and applied to rigid panels with brushes. The results yield luminous, richly layered work that has its own unique character. Students will learn classic encaustic painting techniques and explore how to combine them with contemporary processes, such as surface embellishment, image transfer, incising, collaging, and creating marks and images with oil paint, pastels, markers, and inks. It is an ideal complement or stand-alone process for oil painters, printmakers, collagists, sculptors, watercolorists, and other artists. So that students can continue their exploration of this versatile medium on their own, this lab provides information on supply sources, setting up a studio for encaustic work, safety guidelines, framing, and exhibition considerations. Bring a bag lunch.This program has been organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and is funded, in part, by the Paul Mellon Endowment and the Jean Stafford Camp Memorial Fund.

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Saturday, March 14

11 am – 4 pm

Class Limit: 15

Ages: 18+

Price: $ 10

Learn skills taught in ateliers and academies in centuries past and put them to use to create your own fresh artwork. You’ll learn tricks of the trade—classical drawing techniques to arrive at correct proportions and to create the illusion of form in two dimensions. These skills can be utilized when drawing traditional subjects like figures and landscapes, or they can be incorporated into your own contemporary practices. Still life drawing is an excellent way to learn important Realist techniques before attempting realistic portrait or figure drawing or painting, and it is a beautiful artform in and of itself! Suitable for beginners and artists at all levels. Bring a bag lunch. This program has been organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and is funded, in part, by the Paul Mellon Endowment and the Jean Stafford Camp Memorial Fund.

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Thursday, March 19

6 pm – 8 pm

Class Limit: 12

Ages: 18+

Price: $ 40

Whether you are a beginner or intermediate photographer – you will learn to take your pictures to the next level – move from just taking snapshots to taking photographs that tell a story.

Bring your camera and cells phones are welcome! Students are also encouraged to bring in digital images or printed photographs – prefer 8” x 10” or larger. Or simple attend and learn from the discussion.

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Saturday, March 21

11 am – 3 pm

Class Limit: 12

Ages: 18+

Price: $ 55

Learn to create two-dimensional printing plates by assembling recycled materials such as cardboard, foam, packing materials and other items - egg cartons, fabric scraps, yarn, tape, and modeling plaster.  Participants will experiment with this technique using these materials that are then adhered to a rigid surface thereby creating a textured plate which is inked and printed.  You will rely on your imagination and experimentation to produce a final print.  Bring a bag lunch.

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Saturday, March 28

11 am – 3 pm

Class Limit: 12

Ages: 18+

Price: $ 75

Students will learn basic techniques used in stained-glass mosaics as well as a quick overview on how to design your piece, check out the various materials you can use, and see firsthand some simple stained-glass methods. We’ll also go over ways to pull together all sorts of materials into one eye-catching, well-balanced mosaic. Students will practice nipping glass and learn important design tips that make mosaics look great.  The main project for this workshop is making a mosaic with a stylized bird theme. There will be templates to choose from, so you can pick the one that fits your style or inspires you the most. All supplies are included in the cost of the workshop. Feel free to bring sentimental items if you feel inspired to do so. Examples of such items might be a piece of broken costume jewelry, a broken tea cup, flat beads, etc. Bring a bag lunch.

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Thursday, February 19, 6-9 pm

Free and Open to the Public

Join us for an engaging discussion exploring the many paths available to African-American artists in today’s creative landscape. This session brings together working artists to share insights into building and sustaining a career in the arts. From studio practice and gallery representation to teaching, design, and community-based work, the conversation will highlight the diverse opportunities available to those pursuing creative lives. Participants will gain practical advice on navigating the art world, developing professional networks, and balancing creative passion with financial sustainability. Ideal for emerging and mid-career artists seeking inspiration, guidance, and connection within the arts community. Panelists include Amber Pierce, Matthew Pierce, and Ken Wright.

Wednesday, December 17

6-8 pm

Class Limit: 12

Ages: 16+

Price: $10 

A holiday diamond art activity is a festive, hands-on craft where participants create sparkling seasonal images—like Christmas trees, snowflakes, reindeer, or ornaments—using tiny resin "diamonds" placed on a sticky, pre-printed canvas. The canvas includes color-coded sections that guide the placement of each gem, similar to paint-by-numbers. It’s a relaxing and creative way to get into the holiday spirit, suitable for both kids and adults, and often used as a fun group activity, gift-making project, or cozy winter pastime. The result is a sparkling, mosaic-like artwork that catches the light beautifully. Celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Demi Lovato have been spotted working on diamond paintings and sharing them on social media.

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Wednesday, December 3

6-8 pm

$25

Ages 16+

Block printing is a technique that allows you to make unique, festive designs on cards. Block printing holiday cards is a creative way to add a personalized touch to your holiday cards.

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