The Arts League Course Calendar

CURRENT & UPCOMING SESSIONS

Scroll down to sign up for our signature classes and workshops, and check back for new additions as the session approaches!

Fall 1: September 15 - November 2 — REGISTRATION OPENS AUGUST 20 AT 5PM

Fall 2: November 3 - December 21 — REGISTRATION OPENS AUGUST 20 AT 5PM

Winter: January 5 - February 22 — REGISTRATION OPENS AUGUST 20 AT 5PM

Spring 1: March 2 - April 19

Spring 2: April 27 - June 7

Summer: July 26 - August 23

Hand & Wheel (Monday)

$300
Build a foundation in all aspects of pottery, developing skills and techniques for making functional pieces you can use and enjoy.
Fall 1, Winter: Isabel Llosa is a Philadelphia based artist whose work is inspired by the natural world, with a particular focus on human-nature interactions and shapeshifting animals as a motif for emotional growth. Isabel explores the connection between ceramics, painting, and poetry and practices these art forms in conversation as a site for processing climate grief, physical and emotional trauma.
Fall 2: Clare Farrow is a ceramic artist based in Philadelphia. Her work, featured in international exhibits, centers wheel-thrown and wood-fired pottery, where she explores the dynamic interplay between meticulously crafted forms and the spontaneous, unpredictable surfaces created by the kiln’s atmosphere. Clare finds joy in teaching and offers classes for both teens and adults at studios across the city.

Hand & Wheel (Saturday)

$300
Build a foundation in all aspects of pottery, developing skills and techniques for making functional pieces you can use and enjoy.
Isabel Llosa is a Philadelphia based artist whose work is inspired by the natural world, with a particular focus on human-nature interactions and shapeshifting animals as a motif for emotional growth. Isabel explores the connection between ceramics, painting, and poetry and practices these art forms in conversation as a site for processing climate grief, physical and emotional trauma.

Ceramics & Sculpture

Hand & Wheel (Tuesday)

$300
Build a foundation in all aspects of pottery, developing skills and techniques for making functional pieces you can use and enjoy.
James Lee is a Korean American ceramicist based in Philadelphia. Inspired by his heritage and a childhood surrounded by celadon vases and moon jars, he blends traditional Korean pottery forms with modern design to create work that connects history and innovation.

Hand & Wheel (Sunday AM)

$300
Build a foundation in all aspects of pottery, developing skills and techniques for making functional pieces you can use and enjoy.
Josh Landow is a wheel-throwing focused ceramic artist with 30 years of experience. His work tends to be very precise and angular in nature. He's been involved with The Arts League as a studio monitor and teacher since 2016.

Hand & Wheel (Wednesday)

$300
Build a foundation in all aspects of pottery, developing skills and techniques for making functional pieces you can use and enjoy.
Clare Farrow is a Philadelphia-based ceramic artist with 15 years of experience. Her work focuses on wheel-thrown and wood-fired pottery, where she explores the dynamic interplay between meticulously crafted forms and the spontaneous, unpredictable surfaces created by the kiln’s atmosphere. Clare’s practice is deeply rooted in community: from shapes inspired by fellow artists to use of materials sourced from friends to the collaborative nature of kiln stoking, each piece is a reflection of the collective influence and support that shape her artistic journey.

Hand & Wheel (Sunday PM)

$300
Build a foundation in all aspects of pottery, developing skills and techniques for making functional pieces you can use and enjoy.
James Lee is a Korean American ceramicist based in Philadelphia. Inspired by his heritage and a childhood surrounded by celadon vases and moon jars, he blends traditional Korean pottery forms with modern design to create work that connects history and innovation.

Hand & Wheel (Thursday)

$300
Build a foundation in all aspects of pottery, developing skills and techniques for making functional pieces you can use and enjoy.
Eileen Stanfield - “I’ve been a serious functional ceramic artist for a bit over a decade. I currently hold space as an associate artist at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia, sell my wares on Instagram, Etsy, and at various artisan events around the area, and am lucky to lead adults in ceramics classes at Sparc Services. I am 80% dedicated wheel thrower and 20% hand builder and love clean lines and a beautiful earthy color palette!”

Woodcarving

$250
+
$25 Materials Fee for first-time participants. Materials must be purchased at least seven days before the first class
In this hands-on class we will explore traditional carving techniques using hand tools. Students will learn how to transform a block of wood into a completed sculpture- from the initial sketch to finishing methods. Topics to be discussed include wood as a medium, safe tool handling, care, and sharpening, and woodcarving tradition and technique from around the world.
John Ryan is sculptor, puppeteer and illustrator currently based in Philadelphia. He has toured with the nationally recognized Catskill Puppet Theater for many years and is a founding member of Thought Alarm Theater. John has taught classes through Hartwick College, The Upper Catskill Community Center of the Arts and various other organizations

Expressive Realism in Figure Drawing

$250
+
$50 Live Model Fee
This course combines drawing from the live model with brief, easy-to-understand lectures on anatomy. Each session will include a combination of long and short poses. Attention will be given to proportion, the structure of bones and muscles, capturing a likeness, and emphatic gesture drawings. Students will develop a deep understanding of how the body works while they practice drawing with assertion and feeling.
Jack Tobin-Gross is a multimedia illustrator whose practice emphasizes connection, confrontation and getting nerdy about technique. He has spent a great deal of time studying at fine arts institutions and at DIY collectives. Originally from New York City, he lives in Philadelphia where he works as an educator and general artist for hire.

Hygge: Painting Coziness

$250
+
$25 materials fee
Celebrate the cozy magic of autumn and winter in this 6-week painting class inspired by the Danish concept of hygge. Choose your own subject such as inviting scenes of steaming mugs, flickering candles, or spooky piles of leaves - everything that makes the colder months a joy after the summer heat. Students are free to select their own subjects, just bring a photo, even on your phone! All levels welcome—come cozy up with your paints as the sun cools down.
Jo Gamel lives and works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she attended Moore College of Art & Design. Gamel has exhibited her work internationally at institutions such as the Louvre (Paris, during Paris+ Art Basel), Chelsea Old Town Hall (London, during London Art Week), the European Museum of Modern Art (Barcelona), and Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens. Gamel has received several honors, including the Women in Art Excellence Award from Artio Gallery in London, the Excellence in Painting Award from Moore, and her work has been featured in Create Magazine. She loves to see students discover that they can do anything. She hopes her students always find find and enrichment in her courses.

Illustration

Principles of Drawing

$250
This class is meant to be an introduction to the many ways a person can go about registering what we are seeing in the world. Working from observation in the classroom as well as outside in the neighborhood of the arts league we will feel our way through the process of seeing and describing to make drawings and discover new ways of mark making. Open to anyone capable of a small amount of experimentation and who are willing to occasionally be outdoors for class.
Henry Murphy is an artist and educator living in and working in the west Philadelphia area, as a graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art he is trained in classical modes of drawing and painting as well as exhibiting his own work in contemporary art spaces across the city and the greater region

Still Life: Step by Step

$250
Often overlooked for its quiet unassuming nature, still life painting is a versatile and very accessible way to become familiar with many fundamental concepts and approaches applicable to making all kinds of art. The genre of still life can be used to explore materials, learn composition, develop allegory and most importantly works to turn looking at often mundane or obvious subjects into an engaging and exciting process. This class will introduce some basic principles of drawing and painting from observation with a backdrop of conversation about the logic and philosophy that comes with trying to represent what we are seeing. This class is open to all skill levels, techniques will be emphasized but ultimately most of what we do will be unique to the curiosities each of us brings and there is no “right” or “wrong” approach and that is what we will celebrate more than anything.
Henry Murphy, born, 1995 New York, NY, is an oil painter, living and working in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Henry earned both a BFA and a painting certificate from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts where he was awarded a Von Hess Memorial Travel Scholarship. Painting from direct observation,as well as principles pulled from the classical landscape painting tradition, folk art and an idealized notion of pre-photographic thinking. The act of observational Painting, done as a combination of painting and drawing on site, serves as a jumping off point for contemplations of nature, and the consideration of places and their histories. This effort to paint from life is crucial to the content and choices in Henry's work and a way of interacting with the local world. When Henry’s paintings diverge from the observational mode they are, again, a means of interacting through seeing.

Woodblock Printing

$250
+
$25 materials fee
Woodblock printing is an important and historic means of creating printed images. It is a fun and versatile medium done by carving relief images into wood. In this class we will draw images of our choosing onto our woodblocks and learn how to cut and print a single color woodblock print. Throughout the course there will be demonstrations of each step of the process before students set out to work freely on a woodcut of their choosing, getting a feel for the mark making possibilities of the material. Each week will build on the last as we move through each step together as a group. There will be an option to transfer your initial woodcut image to another block to create a tone block that will add complexity and new creative opportunities to the image. We will discuss woodblock prints from around the world as well as each other's work to inspire and inform our own.
Tali Burry-Schnepp is a weaver, printmaker and painter practicing in West Philadelphia. She has a BFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts where she studied traditional painting and printmaking techniques that inform her interest in historic art making processes. Tali is dedicated to exploring fine art and craft mediums as a means of bringing the beauty of the human hand back into our everyday lives. Her work often revolves around themes of nature and often uses materials directly sourced from the natural world.

The Neutral Camera

$250
Today, photography is nothing special. We take selfies. We make endless photos of our pets. We even take pictures of receipts (just in case we lose them). In a world where photography has become so ubiquitous, it can be difficult to find your voice as a photographer, as someone engaging with the medium of photography in a more serious, dedicated, curious or inquisitive way. Have you ever wanted to take a photo that mattered? A meaningful photo? An important photo? A photo you’d want to print and frame and hang on your wall (or a friend’s wall, or a gallery wall)? This class looks to develop your perspective as a photographer by examining the camera as a neutral object, a tool without its own ideas of how pictures should be made. Students will discover their understanding of what kind of photos they like, learn to identify their creative decisions and start to find their own point-of-view on picture-making. Each week students will complete an out-of-class photo assignment, and class sessions will be based around sharing, critique and discussion. Students will learn how to look at photographs and develop a photographers consciousness about seeing the world around them. Students of all levels are welcome. Just come with a curious brain, an open mind and an eagerness to examine the world as artists.
Aaron Richter grew up in the Midwest and came to photography through a career in journalism and magazine-making. Self-taught, he began taking pictures in New York, where he made images of celebrities and fashion for many publications and brands. Today, Aaron lives and works between Philadelphia and New York.

Intro to Oil Painting

$250
+
$25 materials fee
Oil paint is a flexible and forgiving medium with an intimidating reputation. This good-natured boot camp will focus on speed and dynamism, developing students’ comfort level and joy when working with oils. Classes will work from a still life, spending one or two sessions on each painting. In addition to color, value and accuracy, students will learn enough easy-to-follow safety practices so that they may set up a home studio affordably.
Jack Tobin-Gross is a multimedia illustrator and materials nerd. He studied at several DIY collectives as well as the Art Students League, Spring Studio and MICA, and holds a BFA from Alfred University. Originally from NYC, he lives and works in Philadelphia as an educator and general artist for hire.

Tapestry Weaving

$250
+
$25 materials fee
In this course we will learn all basic elements of tapestry weaving. Each student will receive a loom and learn to prepare the loom to weave. We will then use this setup to all weave a sampler which will teach the basics of tapestry weaving. Once we have all gained this confidence and experience students will then begin to work with designs of their choosing. Students will have the option to work with as simple or complex designs as they choose with plenty of oversight and assistance from their instructor. This class is intended to be a fun and approachable introduction to a complex craft form. We will look at many books of tapestry from around the world so students can connect further with the history and beauty of the medium. Every student will leave with their own tapestry as well as a loom and the knowledge to continue weaving.
Tali Burry-Schnepp is a weaver, printmaker and painter practicing in West Philadelphia. She has a BFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts where she studied traditional painting and printmaking techniques that inform her interest in historic art making processes. Tali is dedicated to exploring fine art and craft mediums as a means of bringing the beauty of the human hand back into our everyday lives. Her work often revolves around themes of nature and often uses materials directly sourced from the natural world.

Fiber Arts

Sew Sweet: Learn to Sew in 6 Weeks

$250
In this introductory class, students will: - Learn to operate a sewing machine - Learn different types of stitches - Learn to put in a zipper - Learn to change sewing machine feet and needles - Learn about different fabrics and how they affect final products - Leave with 2 me-made bags of your design! - Make friends and community of like-minded crafters
Emily Hermann is a fiber artist, writer, teacher, and sustainability professional. She explores themes of devotion, truth, love, and creative re-use of materials through her art. Self-taught through YouTube videos, Emily began her sewing journey with thrift-flips, upcycling, and self-drafting garments in 2021. While she dabbles in other art forms (i.e., knitting, print-making, ceramics, embroidery, poetry writing, and drawing), sewing remains her favorite form of creative expression. She’s been teaching sewing classes at the Arts League since Spring 2024.

Intro to Sewing Pattern Adjustments: Learn to Make Unique Clothes that Fit Your Body

$250
This is a beginner-friendly class, though some sewing machine experience will help. In this class, students will: - Learn to interpret sewing patterns - Learn alteration and pattern drafting techniques: gathering, flare, or fitting adjustments - Learn about different fabrics and how they affect final products - Learn to change sewing machine feet and needles - Learn to put in a zipper (as needed) - Leave with a unique me-made garment of your design! - Make friends and community of like-minded crafters
Emily Hermann is a fiber artist, writer, teacher, and sustainability professional. She explores themes of devotion, truth, love, and creative re-use of materials through her art. Self-taught through YouTube videos, Emily began her sewing journey with thrift-flips, upcycling, and self-drafting garments in 2021. While she dabbles in other art forms (i.e., knitting, print-making, ceramics, embroidery, poetry writing, and drawing), sewing remains her favorite form of creative expression. She’s been teaching sewing classes at the Arts League since Spring 2024.

Embroidery: No Experience Necessary!

$250
Did you find a hole in your favorite jeans and aren’t sure how to cover it? Is your thrift store button up missing something?
In Embroidery: No Experience Necessary, you will have a whole new skill set to help keep your clothes in your closet or give them a whole new pop of personalized color.
In this six-week course, we’re going to explore how to mend, upcycle, and create original works of art with hand-embroidery.
Never used a needle and thread? Don’t fret! We’re going to begin by mastering the very basics. From there, we’re going to pick out individual projects of your choosing, and create a game plan on how to complete them.
Watch yourself soar, from learning how to thread a needle, to becoming an embroidery artist!
Zoe Grubbs is a sewist, embroider and residing in South Philadelphia. Dedicated to sustainable creative practices, she creates apparel and accessories from secondhand textiles and upcycles already existing garments using embroidery or sewing.

Intro to Quilting: Quilted Pot Holder

$144
Learn beginner quilting through machine and hand-sewing! Students will learn the basic sewing stitches through hand sewing, basics in machine sewing measuring, patterning, and constructing a of pot holder through demos and guided practice. This class is appropriate students with some basic knowledge are also welcome!
Elena Gans-Pfister (they/them/xe) is a fiber sculptor and installation-based artist. Their artwork is informed by micro and marine biology, with liking the concept of taking the micro and blowing it up to the macro. Gans-Pfister was raised learning a variety of hand-fiber processes, which include, but are not limited to: cross-stitching, sewing, crocheting, knitting, and much more. These are the tools to create xe’s bold and expressive work.