Classes & Workshops

The Old Town Art Center

About the Old Town Art Center

Small class sizes allow students of all skill levels to take part in any given class. Instructors provide each individual student the amount of attention required. The focus is entirely on the visual arts – through drawing with pencils/charcoal and painting with oils, watercolor, pastels or acrylics. Sessions typically begin the first week of January, the last week of March and the first week of September. Short sessions are offered in the summer and toward the end of the year. Workshops are added periodically. Classes are offered during the day, at night and on weekends.

Register Now for SPRING 2025 Art Classes!

Registration is required. Scholarships are available. If you plan to pay for a class at the first session, please call the office (312.337.1938) to place a registration hold for the class you would like to attend – this will help us to ensure minimum/maximum attendance.

Half-Sessions are available in a very limited capacity for select classes, noted below. Half-Sessions comprise of five classes during the session, up to the student. Discounts do not apply to Half Sessions.

Art Class FAQs

OTTA membership is open to all
Up to two art classes can be made up within a session
There are no refunds after the 1st class
Classes with fewer than five students may be cancelled – class size is limited to sixteen students.
Students provide their own supplies
Scholarships are available – please scroll down for complete information
If you would prefer to pay by check or in person, please call the office (312.337.1938) to reserve your space.

Suzanne Flavin Scholarships

The Old Town Art Center offers financial aid through the Suzanne Flavin Scholarship Fund. Financial assistance is provided for the complete cost of a class and is offered for each full 30 hour-session – any media. To apply, please complete the application found here or visit the OTAC (1763 N North Park Avenue) to pick up a copy. Recipients will be announced two weeks prior to the start of the next session.

Promotions

Representatives from OTTA may take photos of participants and/or their artwork during class sessions. These pictures are for OTTA use only and may be used in publications and/or website. Please notify us if you would not like photos to be taken of you.

Art Classes

Please note: If you have any questions or run into any problems attempting to register, please send an email to info@oldtowntriangle.com or call us at 312.337.1938. Those 65 and older – use code “senior” for additional $10 off!

Foundational Drawing with Morgan Lyons

Sundays | April 6 – June 1 | 3 to 5 PM | 8 Weeks
**No Class May 18**

Fee: $190 (discounts do not apply)

The mission of this class is to provide you with a strong drawing foundation. Welcome are experienced artists, beginners, and anyone interested in learning a new discipline. The goal is to copy historical drawings by master artists, but this is far from a step-by-step class. Instead, you’ll find the process to be a creative one as you find your unique way, learning to better trust your eye and intuition.

The methods that you will be introduced to will help you to better see and represent distances, lengths, angles, and the effects of light on a surface. With this kind of practice, you will start thinking in a different way and improve your sensory and motor skills.

We will go back to basics; pencil on paper. You can expect patient, focused guidance and valuable insight to take with you outside of class. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to see just how much you are capable of.

Oil & Acrylic Painting with Joe Taylor

Students take on projects of their own choosing. Joe provides support in difficult areas; whether color, mass, shadows or any other technique that fails. His level of instruction is dependent on each individual student’s needs. This class is as challenging for experienced painters as it is exciting for those expanding their knowledge.

Pastel Painting with Kathleen Newman

Wednesdays | March 19 – May 28 | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM | 8 Weeks
**No classes March 26, April 23, April 30**

This class is full!

Fee: $240/$230 members
**Half-sessions available at instructor’s discretion.**

Kathleen Newman studied at Chicago’s American Academy of Art and the School of the Art Institute. She has been awarded the International Association of Pastel Artists Master’s Circle Gold Medal status. She has earned her signature letters in the Pastel Society of America, American Society of Marine Artists and the American Transparent Watercolor Society. Her work can be found in many private and corporate collections.

Watercolor Painting with Kathleen Newman

Thursday | March 20 – May 29 | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM | 8 Weeks
**No classes March 27, April 24, May 1**

Fee: $240/$230 members
**Half-sessions available at instructor’s discretion.**

Beginners Watercolor with Sandra Schroeder

Thursday | April 24 – May 22 | 1:30 – 4:40 PM | 5 Weeks

Fee: $175

Join our new Instructor Sandra Schroeder for a unique and dynamic approach to Watercolor. This class covers many basics, while at the same time teaching freeing techniques that help students stay loose and take advantage of happy accidents, to literally ‘’go with the flow”. Students will learn a variety of ways of mixing colors on the brush, on the palette and on the paper using freeing approaches such as tilting, spraying and lifting. Teaching methods include mini demos, mock-ups, structured exercises, and plenty of individual mentoring. This course is appropriate for beginners as well as more experienced artists who want to loosen up.

Sandra have been painting watercolors of southwestern landscapes for 30 years. She has devoted much of the last 20 years to painting and teaching art in New Mexico. She was trained in the basics at the Art Institute of Chicago and returns to the Chicago area with a Santa Fe inspiration.

Watercolor Painting with Tom Francesconi

Saturdays | April 5 – May 17 | 10 AM – 1 PM | 6 Weeks
** No Class April 19**

Fee: $190

Tom’s energetic teaching style and passion for painting combine to create a class that is enjoyable and informative. Any artist looking to break free of a careful, timid painting process will find Tom’s direct and representational approach very inspirational. Within this process, students learn how to create stronger, more effective visual statements. Expect discussions and demonstrations that allow you to see how Tom approaches work from start to finish. Ample opportunity is provided for everyone to paint with individual direction/guidance a priority. Students at every stage of experience are welcome.

Watercolor Painting Portrait with Tom Francesconi

Saturdays | April 5 – May 17 | 1:15 PM- 4:15 PM | 6 Weeks
** No Class April 19**