Garrison Art Center is excited to announce the launch of our art classes tailored for middle school students residing in Beacon! Have your child join us at the Beacon Rec Center for art-filled afternoons every Thursday for three weeks. Led by an experienced teaching artist, these sessions will explore diverse art-making techniques and methods. Need transportation assistance from RMS? Not to worry! Reach out to us at education@garrisonartcenter.org, and we'll assist you every step of the way. 

This three week workshop is for middle school age students living in Beacon or the Beacon City School District of all skill levels and all materials are included.

Our class/workshop cancelation policy can be found here.

We believe art should be accessible to all. Financial assistance is available for those who qualify.

This class is for anyone who loves to draw! In this inventive, ongoing drawing class, students will learn new ways to express their experience of the visual world through drawing. Using dynamic set-ups, still life, and natural objects, each class is devoted to drawing from observation with ease. Specific elements of realistic drawing – such as positive/negative space, perspective, proportion, value, composition, etc. — will be demonstrated and practiced. For inspiration, we will study the drawings of Rembrandt, Durer, Van Gogh, Cezanne, and several contemporary artists, in order to see through their eyes more deeply. The goal of this class is for students to develop a joyful drawing practice with freedom and confidence while silencing the narrative of the inner critic. Questions are encouraged, and gentle homework assignments will be suggested but not required.  This class is for adults and mature teens of all skill levels, and all materials are included. Feel free to bring any favorite drawing supplies or sketchbooks.

There is no class on May 11.

Our class/workshop cancelation policy can be found here.

We believe art should be accessible to all. Financial assistance is available for those who qualify. We also have a separate application for Financial assistance for Senior Citizens.

Harkening back to artists like George Bellows’ relationship with drawings in the news and lithography, in this class we will “report” on what we see in the landscape around Garrison Art Center and the surrounding environment in drawings, then translate them into lithography prints using the pronto plate lithography method. This class is for adults and mature teenagers of all skill levels and includes 2 hours a week of open studio time. All materials are included.

This class is scheduled to be in our print studio, which is only accessible by stairs. 

Our class/workshop cancelation policy can be found here.

We believe art should be accessible to all. Financial assistance is available for those who qualify. We also have a separate application for Financial assistance for Senior Citizens.

Paper is the foundation of so much of our work as artists. Explore the possibility of paper in a new way. Participants are invited to make handmade paper using recycled and found materials. There will be a brief demonstration followed by ample support and instruction as participants collect materials and engage in the process of making their very own paper. Papermaking is a cathartic and fun activity for all ages and ability levels. This exploration of medium and process can open up so much possibility for any creative practice. The papers work well as foundations for printmakers and painters, collage, sculpture, and beyond.

This workshop is for adults and mature teens of all skill levels. All materials are included, and participants are encouraged to bring materials they would like to include in their papers such as images, dryer lint, old newspaper, old letters or journal entries, dried plants or flowers, tissue paper, junk mail, and more.

This workshop is in our printmaking studio and is accessible only by stairs.

Our class/workshop cancelation policy can be found here.

Financial assistance is available for those who qualify. We also have a separate application for Financial assistance for Senior Citizens.

The gentle and calming art of paper quilling is brought to you by this introduction to paper quilling workshop. In this class, you will be using paper strips to roll, shape, and glue together to create a botanical bouquet art perfect for the beginner quiller. Your instructor, Carlisle Azmitia, will introduce you to the fine art of paper quilling and guide you through a floral project. Students will complete the art to display or give away as a gift. This workshop is for adults and mature teens of all skill levels. All materials are included.

This workshop is in our printmaking studio and is accessible only by stairs.

Our class/workshop cancelation policy can be found here.

We believe art should be accessible to all. Financial assistance is available for those who qualify. We also have a separate application for Financial assistance for Senior Citizens.

Delve into the fundamentals of design, structure, and aesthetics, where you'll learn to design and craft wreaths entirely from scratch using beautiful natural elements. In this hands-on workshop, participants will explore how to construct robust and artistic bases using found materials from nature. Guidance will be provided to help you shape these organic materials into forms ranging from traditional circles to innovative shapes based on your style and ability. You can enhance your creation with seasonal botanicals, including greenery, ribbons, and unique embellishments. This workshop is ideal for anyone looking to engage with nature creatively and craft a piece of nature art.

Connecting Generations is a hands-on session that examines family connections through art-making. We will explore various ways and materials to work with your old (or not that old) family photos. The participants will be offered different tools to choose from, such as collage, storytelling, printing, and bookmaking. Working on their individual projects, we will find new ways and new approaches to everyday materials to think about family histories beyond the family tree. This workshop is for adults and mature teens of all skill levels. All materials are included. Participants are encouraged to bring their own family photos to incoporate in their art. 

Image: Elena Kalkova, Pasha & Lena. 

This workshop is scheduled to be in our print studio, which is only accessible by stairs. 

Our class/workshop cancelation policy can be found here.

We believe art should be accessible to all. Financial assistance is available for those who qualify. We also have a separate application for Financial assistance for Senior Citizens.

In this workshop, plein air/abstract artist Laura Leigh Lanchantin will walk through the traditional method of creating watercolor paint from local stones. This includes gathering stones, milling pigments, and applying these paints with your painting process. Laura will also discuss basic geology, the history of pigments, safety procedures, and areas of the Appalachian and Green Mountains where she collects her stones.  Each student will have the opportunity to create a small watercolor palette to take home. The end of the workshop will feature an open-paint session with pigments, charcoal and watercolor mediums. Laura will guide you to create your own painting based on nature, imagination, or a reference photo. This workshop is for adults and mature teens of all skill levels. All materials are included.

This workshop is in our printmaking studio and is accessible only by stairs.

Our class/workshop cancelation policy can be found here.

We believe art should be accessible to all. Financial assistance is available for those who qualify. We also have a separate application for Financial assistance for Senior Citizens.