Classes & Workshops

Interested in learning painting techniques starting from square one? This class is for you! Acrylic paints are forgiving, versatile and perfect for beginners. We will focus on enjoyment and step by step growth in a relaxing atmosphere.  For ages 13 – Adult.

Note:  Welcome back to in-person classes.  Please click here to review our COVID-19 update prior to attending class.

Students are responsible for obtaining their own art supplies to bring to class.  Click HERE for detailed Supply List.  Canvases will be provided by ARTfactory via the $12 Canvas Fee included in your purchase.

Instructor: Michele Frantz

Tuition: $140   Canvas Fee: $12     Register by June 22 for 10% tuition discount.

Explore the beautiful fluidity & transparency of watercolor. Beginners will learn basic tools & techniques; experienced students will explore new methods, materials, & styles. Class is offered throughout the year with a different approach presented each session. List of watercolor supplies given upon registration; watercolor paper will be provided by instructor. For ages 15 & up.

**Welcome back to in-person classes. Please click here to review our COVID-19 update prior to attending class.  Students are responsible for obtaining their own art supplies. A supply list will be provided by email after your registration.  The list will include links to purchase items online, and you are welcome to use your equivalent materials from home. Supply costs do vary, so feel free to use any available resources to obtain your supplies prior to the beginning of class.

Instructor: Michele Frantz

Tuition: $140  Supply Fee: $12

As with any instrument, the human voice sings the sweetest notes with proper training. If your instrument could use some fine tuning, join this class to work on breath control, placement, and vocal technique. All levels of experience are welcome. Class size is limited so register early! Ages 12-Adult.

All online classes are offered with a live instructor and limited class size to provide an engaging learning environment for all participants. Online classes are presented using Zoom, so please download Zoom to an online device prior to class. Full instructions will be provided to each registrant. Only registrants will be admitted to the Zoom class.

Instructor Daniel Holmes performed professionally as an opera singer for 15 years. He has performed locally with companies such as: the Washington National Opera, the Baltimore Opera Company, and the Wolftrap Opera Company; as well as companies across the country and abroad.

Tuition: $72

Martin shares his passion for engaging and surprising the viewer through uniquely artistic manipulation of acrylic paint. Learn textural tools and innovative techniques to create vibrant art with this versatile medium.  Experience the healing potential of creativity when you are open to the possibilities! This is the second of two sessions; each session features three consecutive evening lessons.   The content between the sessions will vary, so feel free to sign up for both the June 29-July 1 session AND this July 6-8 session if you want to maximize your time with Martin!  15 – Adult.

Note: Welcome back to in-person classes. Please click here to review our COVID-19 update prior to attending class. Students are responsible for obtaining some of their own art supplies, please click HERE for details. The list includes links to purchase items online, and you are welcome to use your equivalent materials from home. Supply costs do vary, so feel free to use any available resources to obtain your supplies prior to the beginning of class.  ARTfactory will provide canvases and high quality acrylic paints via the $15 supply fee that will be included in your registration purchase.

Instructor: Martin Cervantez

Tuition: $105      Register by June 29 for 10% tuition discount.

Join artist Mike Flynn and learn to paint outdoors at beautiful Windy Knoll Farm. Working both in the field and within an on-site studio, students will take inspiration from nature, regardless of weather. Set-up, tools and techniques of plein air painting will be introduced. Learn from Mike as he demonstrates and paints throughout the experience. All materials/gear provided via supply fee. Ages 13 – Adult.

Instructor: Mike Flynn

Tuition: $210  Supply Fee: $25  Register by June 29 for 10% tuition discount.

Take your drawings to new depths of visual interest with a better understanding of the colored pencils medium. This workshop will focus on color blending, shading and textural variations possible with an array of application techniques. Colored pencils are supremely portable and ideal for urban and plein air sketching, cartoon coloring, mixed media explorations, and abstract compositions. All skill levels welcome. Supplies will be provided. For ages 12 & up.

Welcome back to in-person classes. Please click here to review our COVID-19 update prior to attending class.

Instructor: Michele Frantz

Tuition: $56  Supply Fee: $8  Register by July 6 for 10% tuition discount.

Architecture is an art form we experience everyday as the critical blend of design, engineering, and culture. Let’s merge problem solving and visual creativity and start thinking like an architect! This online class will build skills and raise awareness of the decisions that make purposeful and interesting designs for buildings. For ages 10-Adult.

All online classes are offered with a live instructor and limited class size to provide an engaging learning environment for all participants. Online classes are presented using Zoom, so please download Zoom to an online device prior to class. Full instructions will be provided to each registrant. Only registrants will be admitted to the Zoom class.

Instructor: Lydia Bratton

Tuition: $100    Register by July 6 for 10% tuition discount.

Theatre hits the stage in this premiere program at the Kellar Family Theater. Students will work on an entertaining new dramatic production while honing their acting skills. Participating young actors will showcase their talents with a final performance, which will be recorded for families and friends to view online due to audience restrictions during the health crisis. For ages 8-15.

Note:  Welcome back to in-person classes.  Please click here to review our COVID-19 update prior to attending class. Face covering are required for all participants.

Tuition: $260

All styles of drawing (cartooning, fantasy illustration, digital art) flow from an understanding & practice of fundamental drawing skills. Learn drawing techniques from texture, value & form rendering, and develop the ability to recognize and proportionally represent edges, shapes, negative space, line & shadow.

Welcome back to in-person classes. Please click here to review our COVID-19 update prior to attending class.

Instructor: Michele Frantz

Tuition: $112   Register by July 6 for 10% tuition discount.

Do you know the basic functions of your camera, but want to create pictures that grab attention and tell your story? This is the perfect time to deepen your understanding of the wonderfully versatile medium of photography. Connect with us online and improve your skills through 5 interactive lessons with expert photographer Suhail Mir. Learn to use composition and lighting to capture more compelling images, and explore the creative use of your camera’s functions. Each lesson will present technical and artistic insights from the instructor. Practice taking pictures between each online tutorial, then share images at our next online meeting to receive helpful feedback, tips and support. Each student will need to send images taken with their camera to the program director via email. Simple instructions will be provided to guide you in these processes.  Ages 15 & Up.

All online classes are offered with a live instructor and limited class size to provide an engaging learning environment for all participants. Online classes are presented using Zoom, so please download Zoom to an online device prior to class. Full instructions will be provided to each registrant. Only registrants will be admitted to the Zoom class.

Instructor: Suhail Mir  Learn more about the instructor at https://suhailmirphotography.com/.

Tuition: $75

Come celebrate the reopening of our beautiful building in a healthy and fun way!  Join Cookie Bell for week of line dancing in our spacious art gallery.  Cookie will lead a class designed to get reconnected and moving in a safe and joyful environment.  We will make all accommodations to keep our dancers spaced out, learning and getting back to the community happiness that defines us.  Pre-registration is required, enrollment limited to nine students – don’t miss out!

Welcome back to in-person classes. Please click here to review our COVID-19 update prior to attending class.
Instructor: Cookie Bell

Tuition: $66      

Experience an authentic lotus-leaf painting workshop in the tradition originated in Himapan Gallery of Thailand. Flex your creativity and produce an exquisite work of art in a very relaxing atmosphere. Gorgeous solid structure wooden canvases are already prepared with beautiful decoupaged lotus leaves. Instructor Carla Riga will provide tips to inspire and get you started. You will leave with a painting ready to be hung, no additional framing needed. All skill levels welcome. Canvases and supplies included in fee. For ages 13 & up.

Instructor: Carla Riga

Tuition: $33  Supply Fee: $35  Register by July 13 for 10% tuition discount.

This class is designed for the beginner. Take this opportunity to work step by step in acrylic paints to achieve a complete animal portrait painting with the guidance of children’s book illustrator Emily Thomson. Color mixing, technique, and material properties will be addressed. Bring your favorite animal photograph to use as a visual reference, either printed out in full color high resolution, or bring your laptop to view a digital copy.  Phones are too small for viewing references.  For ages 13 – Adult.

Note: Welcome back to in-person classes. Please click here to review our COVID-19 update prior to attending class.Students are responsible for obtaining their own art supplies.  A supply list will be provided by email after your registration.  The list will include links to purchase items online, and you are welcome to use your equivalent materials from home. Supply costs do vary, so feel free to use any available resources to obtain your supplies prior to the beginning of class.

Instructor: Emily Thomson

Tuition: $140  Register by July 13 for 10% tuition discount.

Celebrate the reopening of our social gathering spaces and learn to capture your experiences with the spontaneous art form Urban Sketching! 

Show up at your favorite location and use your laptop, tablet or phone to connect for this 3-evening online workshop with artist Todd Cumpston. Learn the tool kit and techniques from Todd as he draws live with great clarity from various spots around the region. Partake of whatever your chosen place has to offer, make spontaneous art on site, give positive feedback to your virtual Happy Hour crew, and enjoy the powers of collective creativity.  Let’s share our communities in this uniquely artful way! For ages 15 & up.

Remember to dress for the weather. Bring a sketchbook or drawing pad, pencils, eraser, straight edge, micro pens. Optional supplies could include colored pencils, pencil sharpener, sable brush, small watercolor tray, water cup, bottled water.

All online classes are offered with a live instructor and limited class size to provide an engaging learning environment for all participants. Online classes are presented using Zoom, so please download Zoom to an online device prior to class. Full instructions will be provided to each registrant. Only registrants will be admitted to the Zoom class.

Instructor: Todd Cumpston

Tuition: $30

All the world’s a stage…starring you! William Shakespeare never intended for his work to be about complicated language and ruffled collars, but rather that it speak to his audiences with accessibility, comprehension, and empathy. With an ultra-contemporary approach, this unique performance workshop will guide you towards fully committing yourself to scenes and monologues from some of Shakespeare’s greatest plays; and we’ll do it all entirely in front of our computer screens! But instead of this course just being about performing Shakespeare virtually, we will explore how concepts like social distancing and self-quarantine can be used as tools in service of the text. For example, what if Romeo and Juliet were alive in 2020 and could have only met secretly online? Perhaps their may have been a different outcome.  Ages Teen-Adult. Limited enrollment so sign up today!

All online classes are offered with a live instructor and limited class size to provide an engaging learning environment for all participants. Online classes are presented using Zoom, so please download Zoom to an online device prior to class. Full instructions will be provided to each registrant. Only registrants will be admitted to the Zoom class.

Instructor: Adam R. Deremer is Artistic Director of Teatro delle Due, an original language Shakespeare company based in Northern Italy, as well as a director and actor, and will be teaching live from NYC.

Tuition: $200

SOLD OUT.  We have added a second session.  Click HERE to register for the 7pm-9pm workshop July 27-29, Mon.-Wed.

This is a class for Advanced Zentangle students. If you have taken the Basic Zentangle class this workshop is for you!  On Day 1 you will learn new tangles and create a Mandala Zentangle with your instructor Lee Darter.  On Day 2 you will learn how to create Neurographic Art with artist Cheryl Miehl. You will also prepare a Neurographic Art string for your Day 3 class.  On Day 3 you will learn more new tangles to fill the spaces of your Neurographic Art string based on the Zentangle enhancer “Rounding”.

Supply list:
Your Zentangle kit (Microns: Graphic 1, 01, 03), at least 3 sheets of 11X14 inch white paper or your sketchbook, a new fine tip Sharpie, a new ultra fine tip Sharpie, Watercolor pens and a Helix circle tracer which can be purchased on Amazon by clicking here.

All online classes are offered with a live instructor and limited class size to provide an engaging learning environment for all participants. Online classes are presented using Zoom, so please download Zoom to an online device prior to class. Full instructions will be provided to each registrant. Only registrants will be admitted to the Zoom class.

Instructors: Lee Darter & Cheryl Miehl

Tuition: $60

This class will explore the fundamental techniques of oil painting, working from both still-life and photographs. Beginners will learn the care and use of essential materials such as brushes, canvases, and mediums. Experienced students will advance their understanding of oils through expert guidance from the instructor. Class designed for students with some background in drawing. Supply list will be provided. For ages 15 – Adult.

instructor: Deborah Dismuke

Tuition: $175  Canvas Fee: $12  Register by July 20 for 10% tuition discount.

This is a class for Advanced Zentangle students. If you have taken the Basic Zentangle class this workshop is for you!  On Day 1 you will learn new tangles and create a Mandala Zentangle with your instructor Lee Darter.  On Day 2 you will learn how to create Neurographic Art with artist Cheryl Miehl. You will also prepare a Neurographic Art string for your Day 3 class.  On Day 3 you will learn more new tangles to fill the spaces of your Neurographic Art string based on the Zentangle enhancer “Rounding”.

Supply list:
Your Zentangle kit (Microns: Graphic 1, 01, 03), at least 3 sheets of 11X14 inch white paper or your sketchbook, a new fine tip Sharpie, a new ultra fine tip Sharpie, Watercolor pens and a Helix circle tracer which can be purchased on Amazon by clicking here.

All online classes are offered with a live instructor and limited class size to provide an engaging learning environment for all participants. Online classes are presented using Zoom, so please download Zoom to an online device prior to class. Full instructions will be provided to each registrant. Only registrants will be admitted to the Zoom class.

Instructors: Lee Darter & Cheryl Miehl

Tuition: $60

Calling all songbirds! Are you looking for a supportive and fun way to improve your singing skills? Bring your voice and dive into the world of singing! Sing with Me will introduce new skills and self-confidence to aspiring young singers. Ages 6-11

All online classes are offered with a live instructor and limited class size to provide an engaging learning environment for all participants. Online classes are presented using Zoom, so please download the app to an online device prior to class. Full instructions will be provided to each registrant. Only registrants will be admitted to the Zoom class.

Instructor Rebecca Anderson earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from VCU and her Master’s Degree from Ohio State University.

Tuition: $30

Celebrate the reopening of our social gathering spaces and learn to capture your experiences with the spontaneous art form Urban Sketching! 

Show up at your favorite location and use your laptop, tablet or phone to connect for this 3-evening online workshop with artist Todd Cumpston. Learn the tool kit and techniques from Todd as he draws live with great clarity from various spots around the region. Partake of whatever your chosen place has to offer, make spontaneous art on site, give positive feedback to your virtual Happy Hour crew, and enjoy the powers of collective creativity.  Let’s share our communities in this uniquely artful way! For ages 15 & up.

Remember to dress for the weather. Bring a sketchbook or drawing pad, pencils, eraser, straight edge, micro pens. Optional supplies could include colored pencils, pencil sharpener, sable brush, small watercolor tray, water cup, bottled water.

All online classes are offered with a live instructor and limited class size to provide an engaging learning environment for all participants. Online classes are presented using Zoom, so please download Zoom to an online device prior to class. Full instructions will be provided to each registrant. Only registrants will be admitted to the Zoom class.

Instructor: Todd Cumpston

Tuition: $30

Join artist Michele Frantz for spontaneous drawing on sites around our beautiful and vibrant Old Town neighborhood. Learn techniques to make quick sketches on the spot and capture a fresh impression of what you see and feel in the moment – be part of the growing international urban sketching community! For ages 15 & up.
Note: Dress for the weather. Bring a sketchbook or drawing pad, pencils, eraser, straight edge, micro pens. Optional supplies could include colored pencils, pencil sharpener, sable brush, small watercolor tray, water cup, bottled water.

Welcome back to in-person classes. Please click here to review our COVID-19 update prior to attending class.

Instructor: Michele Frantz

Tuition: $84

Learn about different pastel supports (types of papers & boards) while exploring a variety of techniques in this workshop. Dive right in without needing paintbrushes, solvents, or a palette – no other medium allows you to apply rich color to support as quickly as you can with soft pastels. Supply list will be provided upon registration. Paper will be provided via Paper Fee.  For ages 15 & up.

Welcome back to in-person classes. Please click here to review our COVID-19 update prior to attending class.

Instructor: Michele Frantz

Tuition: $56  Paper Fee: $5    Register by August 3 for 10% tuition discount.

Explore the powers of the third dimension in this diverse approach to sculpture. You will have creative freedom regarding the source of your inspiration. Build anything from whimsical characters to abstract constructs – the sky is the limit! Using wire, wood, clay & more, we will develop and improve modeling skills and the ability to “see” the three-dimensional art in the making.

**Welcome back to in-person classes. Please click here to review our COVID-19 update prior to attending class. 

Instructor: Lydia Bratton

Tuition: $210  Supply Fee: $20  Register by August 3 for 10% tuition discount.

Theatre hits the stage in this premiere program at the Kellar Family Theater. Students will work on an entertaining new dramatic production while honing their acting skills . Participating young actors will showcase their talents with a final performance which will be recorded for families and friends to view online due to audience restrictions during the health crisis.  For ages 8-15.

Note:  Welcome back to in-person classes.  Please click here to review our COVID-19 update prior to attending class. Face covering are required for all participants.

Tuition: $285

Discover the art of “beautiful writing” in clear and easy steps. This program is suitable for both beginners and intermediate students who want to expand skills. The class includes simple take-home projects to help you become confident with this ancient and therapeutic art form.  A perfect class for card making and invitations, it is also ideal for students who are exploring the art of bookmaking and art journals.  The instructor will teach via live demonstration. Her hand will be projected to a large screen TV so all students will have an “over the shoulder” view, but with social distancing practices intact.  Supply kit will be provided via supply fee.  For ages 15 – Adult.

Welcome back to in-person classes. Please click here to review our COVID-19 update prior to attending class.
Instructor: Michele Frantz

Tuition: $84  Supply Fee: $20

Develop your artistic night vision in this fun Friday evening workshop. Night skies, glowing lights, and the aura of the moon can make for superbly dramatic color compositions in all scenarios. Learn the color palette for after-dark and special techniques to capture the intrigue of low light, highlights and reflections. Bring your acrylic paints and brushes and a portable easel. Class recommended for students who have a solid foundation in introductory acrylic painting techniques.   For ages 15 and up.

Welcome back to in-person classes. Please click here to review our COVID-19 update prior to attending class.

Instructor: Michele Frantz

Tuition: $42  Canvas Fee: $5  Register by August 3 for 10% tuition discount.