
In-person classes begin and online classes continue this spring

As COVID cases drop statewide and all Oklahoma adults become eligible to receive the vaccine, many of us are thinking about the safe, careful path to our “new normal.”
Art has kept us company, bolstered our spirits and provided inspiration over the last difficult year. Might creativity be your next step?
Studio School’s spring session both continues our popular online courses and begins to slowly welcome students to our new home in downtown Oklahoma City, including The Studios, a renovated warehouse with custom-built studios for fiber, ceramics, sculpture and more. In-person classes are either outdoors or in socially distanced studios with individual workspaces and limited use of shared equipment. Instructors both inside and out will use document cameras and large monitors so that students can see their work without gathering closely. Masks remain required across our campus, and enrollment is limited.
With a brand-new lineup ahead – from hands-on artmaking in our traditional faves to a fun Art & Ideas series – and courses across all levels of expertise, we’re sure you can find a class to meet your needs. Professional teaching artists share their knowledge and help you build skills with coaching-focused individual instruction. You and your peers create the fun, low-pressure atmosphere.
We’ll highlight a few favorites below, and you can check out our wide variety of offerings in 2-D and 3-D media, ceramics, literary arts, performance and more. The clock is ticking – many of the classes have already filled, and registration closes on most of this season’s offerings at 11:59 p.m. April 4. What are you waiting for?

New to sewing? Afraid of your machine? We’ve got you. In Sewing Fundamentals, students will get in-depth knowledge of their sewing machines while mastering the fundamentals of sewing through fun, useful, instructor-selected projects. Learn more about this eight-week, in-person class and other fiber offerings here.

Is Oklahoma’s gorgeous spring calling you? Us too. Join us en plein air – a fancy French term for “outdoors” – for two hours each Sunday in Outdoor Oil Painting. You’ll learn core concepts, produce a new study each week and soak in all the vibes at our Leigh Ann and Paul Albers Outdoor Studio. Learn more about this eight-week, in-person class and other 2-D media offerings here.

Did you know Oklahoma Contemporary offers a free course just for vets? This spring's digital Creative Foundations class, designed to help vets connect with their community and creative practice, includes projects in ceramics, fiber arts, drawing and painting, plus a digital gallery visit to Ed Ruscha: OKLA. Learn more and register for the free online class here.

Want to take your freelance gig to the next level? From pitching the right publication to interviewing artists and drafting with an editor, Writing About Art will teach you how to write and publish human-level stories about culture. You’ll meet contemporary arts reporters – via Zoom – and workshop articles about any discipline, from painting to pop music. Learn more about this four-week, online class and other literary arts offerings here.

Adore Ed Ruscha’s artist books? Explore the art of bookmaking – and build your own – in Bookmaking Basics. This digital class (which can be taken from anywhere in the world) will introduce you to the tools, materials and terminology of book arts and guide you through the creation of several handmade books, like Acorns for the Winter (created by instructor Emma Difani), shown here. Learn more about this four-week, online class and other 2-D media offerings here.
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