- Ceramic artist Dennis W. Smith is a full-time teacher at the Southwest School of Art & Craft.
Signing up for an art class or workshop should be fun, not intimidating, so go ahead and make your move! To help you out, here’s a sampling of schools and centers across the country that offer instruction for everyone from beginners to expert-level students.
NORTHEAST
Abington Art Center
Jenkintown, Pa.
Offers year-round classes in painting, drawing, ceramics, photography and jewelry.
Brookfield Craft Center
Brookfield, Conn.
Classes and workshops exploring basketry, blacksmithing, ceramics, glass, jewelry, wood turning, photography, painting and more.
Center for Furniture Craftsmanship
Rockport, Maine
Offers one- and two-week workshops, 12-week intensives and nine-month comprehensives to address the needs of students of all skill levels.
Clay Art Center
Port Chester, N.Y.
Workshops and classes in wheel-throwing, sculpture and hand-building.
The Clay Studio
Philadelphia, Pa.
Year-round classes are offered in four sessions: winter, spring, summer and fall.
Fine Arts Work Center
Provincetown, Mass.
Summer workshops tackle studio arts, printmaking and photography.
Guilford Art Center
Guilford, Conn.
All skill levels are welcome at year-round weekly classes and weekend workshops in blacksmithing, ceramics, fiber, painting and more.
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts
Deer Isle, Maine
Offers studio-based workshops in clay, glass, metal, paper, weaving, woodworking and more.
Museum School at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum
Provincetown, Mass.
Year-round studio art program offers summer classes and an eight-week intensive, as well as fall and winter workshops and classes.
New Art Center
Newtonville, Mass.
Year-round weekly classes explore ceramics, painting, mixed media, silk screening, stained glass and more.
Pelham Art Center
Pelham, N.Y.
Offers classes in clay and sculpture, craft and applied arts, mixed media, and painting and drawing all year.
Peters Valley Craft Center
Layton, N.J.
May through September, offers two- to five-day workshops in seven areas: blacksmithing, ceramics, fiber, fine metal, photography, woodworking and special topics.
Pittsburgh Center for the Arts
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Classes are offered year-round in painting, drawing, ceramics, jewelry and more, for students aged 2 to 92.
Pittsburgh Glass Center
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Classes for all skill levels range from two-hour introductory workshops to eight-week classes.
Rhode Island School of Design
Providence, R.I.
The continuing education program offers summer studies and workshops, as well as children’s classes.
Snow Farm: The New England Craft Program
Williamsburg, Mass.
Two- or four-day workshops and “Art InDepth” weeklong workshops take place in an inspiring setting—the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains.
Touchstone Center for Crafts
Farmington, Pa.
This three-season school offers weeklong and weekend courses in ceramics, metal, textiles, glass, painting, photography and printmaking.
UrbanGlass
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Weekly classes, workshops and intensive master classes explore glass blowing, casting, torch working, fusing, slumping, neon, mosaics, stained glass, cold working and jewelry.
Wayne Art Center
Wayne, Pa.
One- or two-day workshops and weekly classes tackle painting and drawing, ceramics, metal jewelry and special mediums.
Worcester Center for Crafts
Worcester, Mass.
The center, which recently aligned with Worcester State College, offers all-level classes and workshops in a variety of mediums.
SOUTH
Appalachian Center for Craft
Smithville, Tenn.
This satellite campus of Tennessee Tech University offers evening and weekend classes and six-day intensive summer workshops.
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts
Gatlinburg, Tenn.
Offers weekend, one- and two-week sessions May through October, and evening and Saturday classes January through March.
Baltimore Clayworks
Baltimore, Md.
Offers hands-on studio classes in all aspects of pottery, clay sculpture and ceramic processes.
Corcoran College of Art + Design
Washington, D.C.
The continuing education department offers more than 200 classes and workshops in studio art, design, photography, art education and art history.
Glassworks
Louisville, Ky.
Offerings range from walk-in workshops to more intensive year-round classes in glass blowing, flame-working, fusing and more.
John C. Campbell Folk School
Brasstown, N.C.
Year-round weeklong and weekend classes in a variety of mediums are offered on this scenic campus.
New Orleans School of GlassWorks and Printmaking Studio
New Orleans, La.
Offers classes in glass blowing, mosaics, metal sculpture, printmaking and more.
Penland School of Crafts
Penland, N.C.
One-, two- and eight-week workshops are available in paper, clay, drawing, glass, metal, photography, printmaking, textiles and wood.
Savannah College of Art and Design
Savannah, Ga.
Community education classes and workshops, as well as summer programs, are available for any skill level in a variety of disciplines.
Sawtooth School for Visual Art
Winston-Salem, N.C.
Classes and workshops are offered in ceramics, fiber, glass, metal, photography, drawing, painting and wood.
VisArts at Rockville
Rockville, Md.
Classes, workshops and two-day art boot camps explore painting, drawing, ceramics, wood, glass, metal, jewelry and photography.
MIDWEST
Ann Arbor Art Center
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Choose from 250 beginner- to advanced-level classes in ceramics, painting, drawing, metal, fiber and more.
Art Academy of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Each year, close to 2,000 people take classes in a variety of mediums through the college’s community education program.
The Dayton Art Institute
Dayton, Ohio
Program includes one-day and five- to six-week classes in studio arts.
Des Moines Art Center
Des Moines, Iowa
With terms beginning in every season, classes are available in many disciplines and skill levels.
Detroit Institute of Arts
Detroit, Mich.
Hands-on creative workshops and classes are built on the premise, “art is for everyone,” so no experience is required.
Evanston Art Center
Evanston, Ill.
Day, evening and weekend workshops are offered to complement classes throughout the year.
Flint Institute of Arts
Flint, Mich.
The art school offers classes in drawing, painting, clay, mosaics, fiber, mixed media and photography for all skill levels.
The Glass Academy
Dearborn, Mich.
Their most popular classes for beginners are four-hour samplers, which offer a glimpse of what a full eight-week course would be like.
Indianapolis Art Center
Indianapolis, Ind.
Offers full-term classes in 15-week sessions, as well as short-term and sampler classes, and weekend workshops.
John Michael Kohler Arts Center
Sheboygan, Wis.
Offers a small sampling of studio art classes, as well as weekend workshops in disciplines like handmade papermaking.
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
Kalamazoo, Mich.
Explore a variety of mediums in 12-week fall and winter terms, the six-week spring term, or the eight-week summer term.
Kaleidoscope School of Art
Barrington, Ill.
Offers classes in drawing, painting, sculpture, pottery, ceramic tile, mixed media and more.
Kansas City Art Institute
Kansas City, Mo.
The continuing education program offers a large selection of visual art classes.
Ox-Bow
Saugatuck, Mich.
One- and two-week courses focus on six main studio areas: ceramics, glass, painting and drawing, papermaking, print and metal.
Paint Creek Center for the Arts
Rochester, Mich.
Winter, spring, summer and fall terms offer classes in a variety of mediums, including clay, abstract painting and fiber arts.
Peninsula School of Art
Fish Creek, Wis.
Year-round workshops explore painting, drawing, metal, ceramics, sculpture and photography.
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, Ill.
The continuing studies program offers evening and weekend courses and workshops in art, design, theory and practice.
SOUTHWEST
Anderson Ranch Arts Center
Snowmass Village, Colo.
Year-round workshops focus on ceramics, photography, painting, drawing, printmaking, woodworking and more.
Glassell School of Art, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Houston, Texas
Choose from close to 100 classes and workshops in all mediums, including painting, jewelry and photography.
Santa Fe Clay
Santa Fe, N.M.
Seven-week class sessions for all skill levels are available year-round.
Sedona Arts Center
Sedona, Ariz.
Offers three- or five-day workshops and year-round classes in painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry and photography.
Sonoran Glass Art Academy
Tucson, Ariz.
Year-round classes in glass blowing, lampworking, fusing, slumping and kiln casting are limited to eight students each.
Southwest School of Art & Craft
San Antonio, Texas
Classes and workshops tackle ceramics, fiber, metal, jewelry, paper, photography, drawing, painting and printmaking.
PACIFIC NORTHWEST
Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts
Helena, Mont.
Offers quarterly community classes in throwing and hand-building, as well as one-day to two-week ceramic workshops.
Oregon College of Art and Craft
Portland, Ore.
Adult community programs provide an array of classes and workshops taught by professional artists each semester.
Pacific Northwest College of Art
Portland, Ore.
The continuing education program includes evening and weekend sessions, and their “Summer of Making” program, which offers special courses, workshops and events.
Pilchuck Glass School
Stanwood, Wash.
Offers 25 intensive residential sessions May through August, focusing on glass blowing, casting, fusing, neon, stained glass, flame-working and more.
Pratt Fine Arts Center
Seattle, Wash.
Many of their year-round classes include “Free Friday” studio access to practice your skills.
CALIFORNIA
Bay Area Glass Institute
San Jose, Calif.
Beginner, intermediate and advanced classes are available in glass blowing, fusing and torch working.
Idyllwild Arts Academy
Idyllwild, Calif.
The summer program offers workshops in contemporary and Native American arts.
Institute of Mosaic Art
Oakland, Calif.
More than 80 classes and workshops explore contemporary and traditional mosaic techniques for all levels.
Mendocino Art Center
Mendocino, Calif.
Offers more than 200 retreat-style workshops in ceramics, fiber, fine arts, jewelry and sculpture.
CANADA
Alberta College of Art + Design
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Professional artists teach evening and weekend personal-interest classes in the visual arts.
Nova Scotia College of Art & Design
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Three campuses offer short- and long-term courses, workshops, open studios and certificate programs through the School of Extended Studies.
The Victoria College of Art
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Lifelong learning courses are offered during the day and on evenings and Saturdays.
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Do you have a school in Houston, Texas 77002 or surrounding areas?
Marijane
The Houston School of Art & Design
http://www.artschoolhouston.com
Offers classes in drawing, painting and photography.
The Glassell School of Art at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
http://www.mfah.org/destination2.asp?par1=1
Offers nearly 100 classes and workshops in all mediums.
Hope this helps!