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Experience a personalized learning journey
Dive into a medium of your choice, no experience required. Everything from ceramics and beginning painting to puppet making and stone carving! Continuing Education classes are available for youth and adults.
Instructor Workshop Series begin March 30
Summer Adult classes begin May 11
2026 Young Artist Summer classes run from June 8 – June 18 (no class 6/19)
Have questions or need help registering? Check out our FAQ page or Contact the Continuing Education office at ce@cia.edu.
Discounts
CIA is proud to offer discounts to veterans, alumni, CMSD students, and educators—email ce@cia.edu to learn more! Any tuition discount must be entered at the time of purchase.
Interested in more than one class? Use code MULTI0122 when registering for 2 or more classes to receive a 10% discount!
check out our FAQ page for more details.
Spring Instructor Series
Classes begin the week of March 30 and run 2-4 weeks.
Monday, March 30-April 20, 6-9pm | $250
In this course you will learn to build different book forms as well as how to use various letterpress techniques. You will learn both sewn and folded book forms and we will discuss how to make a book from beginning to end. Using both type and pressure printing techniques you will be able to both print and build your own personalized book by the end of the course.
Tuesday, March 31 – April 21, 6-9pm | $250
In this class students will learn to use the kiln to create glass drawings with glass frit and powder. All students will learn to schedule and operate a kiln and learn the fundamentals of fusing and ways to display their work. They will learn the material of glass and ways to create pieces flat and dimensional.
Thursday, April 1-9, 6-9pm | $150
In this two-week series, participants will design and screenprint their own custom design onto their fabrics of choice.
Summer Young Artist Classes
Classes run from June 8 – June 18 (no class 6/19) More offerings coming soon!
Monday-Friday, 2-4pm | $250
Young Artists will explore self-expression through drawing and painting, creating unique works of art.
Monday-Friday, 9-11am | $250
Cartooning 101 is a studio course for young, aspiring cartoonists, designed to introduce and develop a diverse set of drawing and storytelling skills around this eclectic medium. We will begin with a few individual projects and introduce a variety of concepts, such as narrative visual storytelling, character design, world building, story circles AKA the Hero’s Journey, basic cartoon anatomy, layout/composition, and perspective.
Monday-Friday, 9-11am | $250
Students will read contemporary poetry, fiction, comics, and other works by authors from a wide range of backgrounds and identities. In class, students will write both freely and following specific prompts.
Monday-Friday, 9-11am | $250
Learn the fundamentals of creating a painting, including composition, color and paint application. As a class we will learn how to prep a canvas, sketch ideas, mix colors, and explore multiple painting tools and techniques.
Monday-Friday, 9-11am | $250
Students will learn how to draw a portrait of themselves, or someone else, in a realistic art style. Students will learn how to utilize photos for reference and how to create a value scale using different types of pencils to use as a tool for shading. Students will learn essential drawing skills and techniques such as blending, shading, outlining, and layering.
Monday-Friday, 11:30am–1:30pm | $250
This advanced painting course welcomes students to explore and refine their artistic skills through a variety of techniques and styles. Focusing on composition, color theory, and brushwork, students will experiment with both traditional and contemporary approaches to painting. They will receive personalized instruction to help develop their unique artistic voice and create a final portfolio of cohesive, polished works. This course encourages self-expression while pushing students to expand their technical abilities in a collaborative, creative environment.
Monday-Friday, 11:30am–1:30pm | $250
This course focuses on drawing plants and animals using traditional drawing techniques, such as watercolor, pastel, and ink. Students will engage in research and observational drawing to enhance their understanding of form and detail. Projects include students selecting their favorite plant to draw, finding a bird or insect, aquatic animals, and then a final landscape project.
Monday-Friday, 11:30am–1:30pm | $250
This new course introduces 3D modeling for 3D printing, animation, game design, motion graphics, VFX, and more. In addition to modeling, students will learn the basics of Blender, such as keyboard shortcuts, modifiers, lighting, materials, PBR textures, rendering, HDRIs, cameras, UV unwrapping, and more. Class projects include characters, props, and environmental elements. This course is perfect for high school artists interested in learning more about 3D digital art and design before college.
Monday-Friday, 2-4pm | $250
In this new course, you’ll learn how to sculpt using a variety of digital tools and processes, while building foundational 3D skills in Blender. Students will use Wacom tablets to sculpt characters, props, and environmental elements, and add finishing touches with lighting, materials, textures, rendering, and compositing. This class will discuss retopology and baking to create a low-poly version to rig for animation. This course is perfect for high school artists interested in expanding on their portfolio and learning more about 3D digital art and design before college.
Monday-Friday, 2-4pm | $250
In this class, students will create their own unique characters while learning about the principles of drawing and character design. Students will learn how to create compelling visual narratives while working with a fun range of materials, such as ink, watercolor, color pencil, and graphite.
Monday-Friday, 11:30am–1:30pm | $250
Students will master screen printing with water-based inks and learn how to create multi-layer screen prints. Finished projects will include prints on paper as well as fabric printing on materials of the students’ choice – canvas bags, t-shirts, or other found material. This course will focus on teaching not only technical skills but exploring real-world printmaking applications and their impact.
Monday-Friday, 2-4pm | $250
This class will start with watercolor basics and material skills. Students will work from observation of still life and landscape honing a sense of understanding of the medium and the way it acts. Students will progress to more open-ended projects. This class will have technical demonstrations, lectures on artist (historical and contemporary) who use watercolor and will focus on experimenting and making resolved works with watercolors.
Summer Adult Classes
Classes will begin the week of May 11.
Monday, 6-9pm | $495
This class focuses on the principles of drawing, guiding students, from beginner to advanced, to become masters of observational drawing. Students will work with a variety of materials, gaining confidence in finding their artistic voice.
Open to students 16+
Monday, 6-9pm | $595
Lithography is a planographic print process that utilizes slabs of limestone as drawing surfaces that are then etched and printed. From artists like Toulouse-Lautrec to Kathryn Polk, lithography is unique in its image-making capabilities and quite rare! This class will cover the basics of lithography, from stone graining, etching, to operating the press.
Artists of all levels are welcome. Whether you are new to printmaking or a practiced printmaker looking to get your hands on some limestone, students will leave this class with some newfound knowledge and beautifully crafted prints! The majority of supplies for this class are included with the tuition fee.
Open to students 16+
Monday, 6-9pm | $495
Students will complete a series of projects over the course of 8 weeks that will teach the basics of sewing. Class will focus on learning pattern making for garments, and how to sew different seams. This will accumulate to a final project where students will make their own garment.
Tuesday, 6-9pm | $495
In this introductory painting course, students will learn the fundamental techniques and processes of painting with acrylic paint. Class projects will target basic painting principles and guide students to develop a better understanding of tools and materials, acrylic paint and mediums, basic color theory, and two-dimensional design concepts. Discussions, demonstrations, and handouts will provide students with valuable resources to facilitate good painting practices and artistic growth.
Open to students 16+
Tuesday, 6-9pm | $495
Students will learn to use the kiln to create glass drawings with glass frit and powder. All students will learn to schedule and operate a kiln and learn the fundamentals of fusing and ways to display their work. They will learn the material of glass and ways to create flat and dimensional pieces.
Tuesday, 6-9pm | $595
The goal of this course is to explore the endless possibilities in working with clay both on and off the pottery wheel. Together we will go over basic to advanced techniques to achieve your artistic goals. By the end of the course students will have a complex understanding of how to manipulate clay on and off the wheel at all different stages of the making process. We will glaze and fire our work using multiple firing methods. The majority of supplies for this class are included with the tuition fee.
Open to students 16+
Wednesday, 6-9pm | $495
In this hands-on Jewelry & Metals course, adult learners will explore the fundamentals of metalsmithing, from basic techniques like sawing, soldering, and shaping to creating simple jewelry pieces. Using non-ferrous metals, students will gain an understanding of tools, materials, and design principles while developing their own unique creations. Whether you’re looking to start a new hobby or begin building a jewelry portfolio, this course offers a supportive environment for creativity and skill-building. All levels welcome.
Thursday, 6-9pm | $595
Learn to create a sculpture out of a colorful alabaster stone. Experience the form emerging from the center of your stone using the reductive method. This class will teach you the step-by-step process of designing, carving, and polishing your stone. You will learn to use special tools and techniques that will result in a beautiful finished and polished stone. The majority of supplies for this class are included with the tuition fee.
Thursday, 6-9pm | $495
This class introduces the fundamental skills needed to create jewelry and small metal objects using the casting process. Students will use found objects/materials, wax carvings, and casting machinery to create projects using sawing, filing, carving, soldering, polishing, and casting. During the course, students will complete projects and samples. Open to beginners as well as intermediate students. More advanced students will be encouraged to work on independent projects.
Open to students 16+
Thursday, 6-9pm | $495
Sculptural forms in hot glass will consist of various techniques to make both blown and solid works out of hot glass. Beginners, starting with the bubble or simply a gather of solid glass, will learn ways to develop sculptural forms out of glass, while intermediate/advanced students explore more techniques and more challenging functional forms. Each class will add a different skill to the making process. Students are encouraged to lean into the abstract, and fluid nature of glass. Natural fiber clothing is mandatory, nothing synthetic may be worn (Jeans and cotton T-shirts are recommended). Protective eyewear (safety glasses) and closed toe shoes are mandatory.
Saturday, 9:30am-12:30pm | $250
Students will learn how to make cyanotype and silver gelatin photograms in a traditional wet lab darkroom, and how to utilize these same techniques to make photograms at home without specialized equipment. We will also learn about the history of photogenic drawing, and look at historical and contemporary examples and practices.
Two chances to take the class this summer:
- May 16-June 6
- June 13- July 11 (no class July 4)
Open to students 16+
Saturday, 9:30am-12:30pm | $395 (no class July 4)
Blender is one of the fastest growing and most exciting free digital art programs in the world, but it can be a lot to learn early on. In this new course, you will learn the basics of Blender and build a solid foundation to approach your own projects after the course with confidence. In addition to modeling and sculpting, you’ll learn about keyboard shortcuts, modifiers, lighting, materials, PBR Textures, HDRIs, cameras, UV unwrapping, texture painting, rendering, compositing, helpful add-ons, and more.
Open to students 16+