50 courses. Harvest read no subject for these courses. That is a gap in our reading of the catalog, not in the college's catalog; each course is shown as we hold it until the reading is fixed.
Class Policies
Continuing Education classes may be taken on a non- or for-credit basis, depending on the needs of the students and the length of the class. Transcripts will not be established for students in non-credit classes, nor will students receive a grade. When a for-credit option is available for a class, students may change their status from non-credit to for-credit (or vice versa) until the start of the second class meeting (for campus-based or shorter than a full semester classes) or through week 4 for 15-week long online classes, or the end of week 1 for online classes shorter than 15 weeks, but not thereafter. When making the change from noncredit to credit an additional fee will be required. All students who enroll in classes for credit will receive a grade (A-F). After the second class, students who withdraw from a class or change from credit to non-credit status will receive a “W” on their transcripts. An incomplete grade is not available for continuing education classes taken, whether for credit or not for credit. All coursework for credit must be completed before the last day of the class. Students not completing graded work during the dates of the class will receive an "F." Students may contact the MCAD records office to request a transcript.
MCAD admits students of any race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, or marital status to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, or marital status in the administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered programs.
Introduction to Oil Painting (Beginning Painting) (In Person)
MCAD admits students of any race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, or marital status to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, or marital status in the administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered programs.
Previous drawing experience is helpful, but not required.
Credit Hour Definition
MCAD admits students of any race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, or marital status to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, or marital status in the administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered programs.
Through hands-on projects, apply core design principles and elements to solve visual communication challenges in both print and digital media, building a vocabulary to create aesthetically effective and conceptually sound designs. Complete assignments using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop and gain proficiency with essential tools, techniques, shortcut commands and effective file management. / Students will have access to Adobe Creative Cloud software throughout the course. This is the first course that can be taken towards the Graphic Design Certificate . Open to students ages 18 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Previous experience with Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustration) helpful, but not required.
Advanced Graphic Design: Portfolio Development (Online)
Apply high-level design principles across a series of related projects that work together as one cohesive campaign. Portfolio direction is personalized through project category choices, which include brand identity, logo design, typography, layout, digital specifications, social media content, web design, and presentation materials. This structure enables the building of a campaign that aligns with strengths and career goals. Throughout the course, work from a professional brief to develop a multifaceted project, tackle complex design challenges, and produce components that function across multiple media and formats. In addition to the campaign deliverables, create process documentation that showcases research, strategy, iterations, and outcomes. Resulting in a polished case study suitable for inclusion in professional portfolios. Learn to articulate design vision, present work publicly, and assemble a final portfolio that demonstrates creative thinking and technical execution from concept to completion. The course also introduces the graphic design profession and highlights potential roles, pathways, and expectations across the industry. This course can be taken towards the Graphic Design Certificate . Open to students ages 18 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Graphic Design 1 , Graphic Design 2 and Typography in Graphic Design Practice or equivalent experience. Intermediate experience with Adobe Creative Suite (i.e. Image editing, layout and typography) and software of choice. The course does not include software instruction.
User Experience (UX) Design: Introduction (Online)
The key principles of solid UX design are: user centered, holistic, iterative, and data driven. Learn the process of creating human-centered designs that take into consideration the user’s needs along with client’s wants in order to create a product that is successful. Students navigate through the phases of the UX lifecycle (discovery, define, design, and evaluate) to meet the needs of the user audience. Students define a problem space and conduct interviews with users for preliminary research to better understand pain points. This process results in deliverables such as personas, journey maps, or research reports. Explore a variety of techniques and methodologies including wireframing, prototyping, card sorting, and a variety of testing methods. Learn how User Experience techniques can be applied to a variety of settings, products, and experiences. / Students will have access to the Adobe Creative Suite throughout the course. This is the first course in the User Experience (UX) Design Certificate . Open to students ages 18 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Students working in Adobe Creative Suite must have prior experience with their chosen software; the class offers no Adobe software instruction.
Lunchtime Workshop: Hand Lettering (Online)
Use sketching materials, such as pencils, ink, nibs, and markers, to experiment with script letterforms, adding weight, flourishes, and varied slopes to create a wide range of styles. Learn a foundational understanding of letterform construction, as well as connection and flourishing techniques. Master basic typographic terminology and layout strategies to confidently transform rough sketches into finished pieces of custom lettering. Open to students ages 16 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Previous drawing experience helpful, but not required. Students working digitally must have prior experience with their chosen software; the class offers no software instruction.
The Secrets of Watercolor for Beginners (In Person)
For centuries artists have demonstrated that watercolor techniques give students a deeper understanding when working with oil or acrylic paints. Learn the essential skills needed to gain a full understanding of watercolor painting, including color theory, brushwork, and how to transfer an image for painting. Throughout the class, gain experience and use mistakes as the basis of learning. Class time is spent on demonstrations, lecture, studio time, and critique. / A materials fee of $29 is included in course tuition. Open to students ages 16 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Plein Air Watercolor Landscape Painting (In Person) (Offsite)
Begin by considering how to best approach the landscape as a subject in order to identify a compelling composition. Next, learn how to mix a color palette suitable for expressing the fugitive elements of the landscape, such as light and movement. Through demonstrations and guided lessons from the instructor, learn some of the best techniques for capturing the subject and progress with confidence onto finding an individual style, subject, and approach. / Class may be rescheduled in case of rain or events scheduled during the class (active rain, not the threat of rain, or damp ground). / A facilities fee of $10 is included in the course tuition. Open to students ages 18 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Previous drawing and painting experience helpful, but not required.
Introduction to Printmaking (In Person)
Become familiar with screenprinting, monoprinting, relief printing, and intaglio techniques and gain the skills needed to work safely and successfully in MCAD’s printshop. Learn basic color theory, color mixing, composition and printing methods. Class activities include demos, discussion, and supervised work time. This course sets beginner students and artists up to take more advanced printmaking courses MCAD offers. / Students have access to Adobe Creative Cloud software throughout the course. / Please review the Printshop Facility Fees Supply List for more information. / A materials fee of $49 and a facilities fee of $152 is included in the course tuition. Open to students ages 16 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Previous drawing experience helpful, but not required. Students working from digital files must have prior experience with Adobe Photoshop; the class offers no software instruction.
Introduction to Adobe Illustrator (Online)
Learn how to make images and logos using the pen tools, complex shapes, advanced patterns and personalized text. Explore the differences between vector-based images and bitmaps; identify when and why Illustrator should be used for a particular project and prepare files and export high-resolution graphics for use in print, web applications, videos and animations. Through demonstrations and practice, apply newly learned techniques and approaches to a comprehensive project. / Students will have access to Adobe Creative Cloud software throughout the course. Open to students ages 18 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Previous experience with Adobe Illustrator are helpful, but not required.
Digital Goes Analog: Photoshop Methods for Screenprinting (In Person)
Mastering digital methods and techniques provides a deeper knowledge of working with layers and opens up limitless ways to create screens for printmaking. This hands-on class starts in the computer lab, where students learn techniques for image creation, set up print-ready files, and make positive images for prints. Because layers in Photoshop correspond perfectly with layers in screenprinting, the transition from screen to mesh is seamless. The final three weeks are spent in the printmaking studio, where students turn digitally created positives into hand-pulled screenprints. Leave this class with at least one multi-layer screenprint and inspiration for future projects. Suitable for beginning screenprinters, as well as intermediate and advanced screenprinters seeking dedicated work time and technical guidance. / Students have access to Adobe Creative Cloud software throughout the course. / Please review the Printshop Facility Fees Supply List for more information. / A materials fee of $41 and a facilities fee of $58 is included in course tuition. Open to students ages 18 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Previous experience with Adobe Photoshop helpful, but not required.
Designing with Gouache: Exploring Color Theory (Online)
Gain a deeper understanding of color mixing by executing a series of color charts and designs using limited palettes. Through practice and repetition, learn to control color harmony, relativity, value, temperature, and chroma. Throughout this course, examine the important contributions of color theorists Josef Albers, Johannes Itten, Wolfgang Von Goethe, and more. Open to students ages 18 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
And what work do leaders need to do internally to undertake this change with others? These are among the questions addressed in this course. Key topics to be covered within the overarching themes of cultural competence and workplace inclusion are: recognizing and addressing biases; shifting a racist culture or climate within your organization; creating an anti-racist, anti-oppressive organization; the work of decolonization; equitable search, recruitment and hiring processes; and healthy conflict. / This is a graduate level class and is part of MCAD's Master of Arts in Creative Leadership . / Please note that this course does not qualify for the $25 alumni tuition rate. Open to students ages 18 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Learn about the exciting field and practice of digital illustration. Explore the creative process, from creating initial sketches to final illustration critiques. Develop skills in conceptual image making as well as digital painting and drawing techniques in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop. Demonstrations of Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop are provided. Learn about the latest tools and file preparation standards for production, including file formats, color palettes, and image resolution. Assignments have an emphasis on technical achievement and presentation. / Students will have access to Adobe Creative Cloud software throughout the course. This course can also be taken towards the Illustration Certificate . Open to students ages 18 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Introduction to Illustration or equivalent experience. Previous experience with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator are helpful, but not required.
Botanical Watercolor 1 (In Person) (Offsite)
Work directly from observation at the University of Minnesota’s College of Biological Sciences Conservatory as well as from photographs and imagination to create translucent works using this versatile medium. Learn traditional and non-traditional approaches to watercolor painting, including how to layer colors, how to describe floral details, and execute washes and blends. Traditional techniques such as wet on wet, wet on dry, and dry brush are taught through demonstration. Students are also welcome to try experimental techniques all while spending time in an indoor tropical, magical, visual, and fragrant biosphere. Class time is spent on demonstrations, lectures, work time, and critiques. / A materials fee of $12 and facility fee of $46 are included in course tuition. Open to students ages 16 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Previous drawing experience is helpful, but not required.
Printmaking Workshop: Get Started with Gel Plates (In Person)
Combine color and texture to build beautiful, one-of-a-kind images. The highly sensitive gel surface easily captures tiny details from leaves, fabric, tools, and cardboard. Class activities include creating original designs with stencils, adding texture with found objects, and experimenting with unique mark-making techniques. / A materials fee of $25 is included in the course tuition. Open to students ages 16 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Previous drawing experience helpful, but not required. Previous painting experience helpful, but not required.
Botanical Drawing (In Person) (Offsite)
During visits to the University of Minnesota's College of Biological Sciences Conservatory, engage in the opportunity to create studies varying from timed observational contour drawings to fully formed experimentations. This course provides an excellent opportunity for students to develop and enhance an ability to observe and study the details of a given object. In addition to observational drawing, learn and engage with a variety of experimental techniques. Botanical drawing is a valuable way to refine a drawing practice, to learn to see with a more focused lens, and to use drawing as a way to explore and learn about the world around. / A materials fee of $6 and a facilities fee of $46 are included in the course tuition. Open to students ages 18 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Different illustration styles can be achieved through a variety of media, each with the ability to evoke emotion, convey information, and transform our culture. Learn trade techniques by completing exercises and projects using, pencil, ink, acrylic and gouache paints, and color pencil. Gain advice on how to build a portfolio and continue a creative practice in ways that are unique to personal interests. This course can be taken towards the Illustration Certificate . Open to students ages 18 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Introduction to Illustration or equivalent experience. Previous drawing experience required.
Logotype: Vector Lettering (Online)
Start by experimenting with ink on paper before vectoring letters in Adobe Illustrator. Learn the elements and techniques of both vector and point structures to create a wordmark with authentic calligraphic flavoring. Logos are created in black and white and applied to a digital branding piece of each student’s choice. / Students will have access to the Adobe Creative Suite throughout the course. Open to students ages 16 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Previous drawing experience is helpful, but not required. Previous experience with Adobe Illustrator is required. Example skills include the basic use of the pen tool, anchor points, and handles.
Make and Keep Sketchbooks (In Person)
This course covers the construction of two sketchbook/watercolor journals: a 24-page soft-cover book made from a single sheet of paper, and and a 192-page hard-cover book that is easy to replicate at home. Build a foundational knowledge of bookbinding materials, tools, and techniques, which includes constructing a cradle for punching book signatures to keep for future use. Class time includes working through a series of prompts to experiment with drawing, watercolors, and sketching within the space of the finished books. / A materials fee of $52 is included in the course tuition. Open to students ages 16 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
With guided lessons and studio work time, explore fundamental motion principles and tools necessary for creating looping GIFS, animatics, animated logos, and simple shorts. Through discussions and the study of examples-both commercial and lesser known work-explore various methods of storytelling. Gain a proficiency in animating illustrative work, broadening a professional practice and skill set. Upon completion of this course, students are able to critically discuss reasoning for aesthetic and functional choices in their craft, to take an idea from sketch and storyboard to completion, and are able to pair still illustrations with sister animations. For this course, students primarily use traditional materials and Adobe Photoshop. / Students will have access to Adobe Creative Cloud software throughout the course. Open to students ages 18 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Beginner-level experience with Adobe Photoshop is helpful, but not required.
Bookmaking Workshop: The Accordion Fold Two Ways (In Person)
The workshop exercises cover foundational concertina folding, secondary interlocking spines, and non-adhesive triangular spine pockets. This hands-on process emphasizes accuracy and folding precision entirely free of glue or thread. Take home two completed structural books, gain an understanding of folding geometry, and the skills to adapt these forms into unique artist books or portfolio displays. If time permits, students may make a book cover for the Blizzard Book. / A materials fee of $35 is included in the course tuition. Open to students ages 16 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
This requires understanding how to “get behind the numbers”. During this course students are introduced to digital analytics for tracking, monitoring, and evaluating digital (online) behavior. Learn how to apply analytics tools to determine KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), identify and respond to trends, and create “actionable” reports to determine effectiveness. This knowledge helps professionals make appropriate recommendations and data-driven decisions to improve and optimize online (digital) activities. Upon completion of this course, students are able to understand various analytics tools such as Google Analytics and be able to secure a ‘Google Analytics for Beginners” certification. Open to students ages 18 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Class sessions feature a blend of technical demonstrations and individual critiques designed to propel each artist to new levels. Dive deeper into color theory, composition, symbolism and puzzles in painting, while exploring narrative art. Beyond mastering advanced techniques, explore methods for expressing complex ideas and investigating themes to add depth to projects. By the end of the course, students will have refined technical abilities and developed a more sophisticated, individualized approach to the medium. / A materials fee of $12 is included in the course tuition. Open to students ages 16 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
The Secrets of Watercolor for Beginners or equivalent is required.
Designing for Complexity and Social Impact (Online)
Addressing such challenges requires a set of behaviors and mindsets that can be mastered and applied by intrapreneurs or entrepreneurs. Following a conceptual foundation, the course will shift to the analysis of case studies which illustrate the impact and potential scalability of design-informed solutions to complex social problems. Students will then apply tools they have learned moving from insights to execution in an iterative manner. Key steps in the process include:building empathy and relationships; visioning, identifying, and clarifying a community need; analyzing the larger environment in which a need or problem is situated; building coalitions for co-creation; prototyping one or more solutions to address the need; testing and evaluating those solutions; and developing ways to seed and scale the intervention for long-term social impact. / This is a graduate level class and is part of MCAD's Master of Arts in Creative Leadership . / Please note that this course does not qualify for the $25 alumni tuition rate. Open to students ages 18 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Students analyze patterns of identity, creativity, and change, and nurture capacities for anticipating, coordinating, and contextualizing. Drawing from a wide range of source materials, numerous voices will inform the research. Course assignments include both mapping exercises, which investigate situational complexities through the use of models, frameworks, and matrices, and reflective practices that attend to experiences which manifest during these explorations. / This course is a graduate level course and is part of the Master of Arts in Sustainable Design program. / Please note that this course does not qualify for the $25 alumni tuition rate. Open to students ages 18 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies before completing your registration.
In this one-day workshop, work from a live model through a series of short poses designed to strengthen observation, improve hand-eye coordination, and develop confident, expressive mark-making. Emphasis is placed on rhythm, proportion, movement, and the overall feeling of the figure rather than precise detail. This workshop is open to all experience levels and is ideal for anyone interested in drawing, painting, illustration, animation, or simply developing a more dynamic approach to seeing and drawing the human form. Leave this workshop with a stronger understanding of gesture as both a technical foundation and an expressive tool. / Professional nude models are used in this class. / A materials fee of $19 is included in the course tuition. Open to students ages 16 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Previous drawing experience helpful, but not required.
Design in Context (Online)
This seminar examines the theoretical basis of graphic design, defining basic concepts and vocabulary used within the profession, such as information architecture, pattern-recognition, grids, proportion, rhythm, sequence, and gestalt. In addition, the course explores the contemporary history of graphic design from the mid-nineteenth century to the present, with an emphasis on cross-disciplinary inspiration, varied cultural influences, technological innovation, and expanded applications. Great emphasis is placed on thorough research as an integral part of the ideation process. Throughout the course, weekly exercises and small projects that build on one another provide the student with a comprehensive understanding of the discipline of graphic design. Students will have access to Adobe Creative Cloud software throughout the course. / This is a graduate level class and is part of MCAD's Master of Arts in Graphic and Web Design . / Please note that this course does not qualify for the $25 alumni tuition rate. Open to students ages 18 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Basic skills in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator are recommended.
Fabricated Metal Sculpture (In Person)
Explore foundational skills such as MIG welding and various cutting, bending, and grinding techniques to produce functional and aesthetic works of art. Engage in demonstrations and guided work time to develop the skills to create a final student-driven project. / Students are required to follow the 3D shop safety and procedural guidelines, shared on the first day. / A materials fee of $29 and a facilities fee of $115 is included in the course tuition. / No class October 31. Open to students ages 18 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
The class begins with HTML and is introduced to tags, links, lists, tables, forms, web standards (old, new, and evolving), and the foundation of web page construction. Using CSS, students then apply style sheets to HTML, using fonts, colors, divs, spans, layout, and positioning to create a well-crafted web page. Students will have access to Adobe Creative Cloud software throughout the course. / This course is part of the Master of Art in Graphic and Web Design and is a graduate level course. / Please note that this course does not qualify for the $25 alumni tuition rate. Open to students ages 18 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Step-by-step instruction demonstrates the process of turning text into visual concepts and rough sketches into finished illustrations. Using projects and exercises mirroring real-world illustration assignments, tackle narrative, conceptual, and aesthetic challenges to create clear and effective images. Hone creative thinking skills, artistic abilities, and an understanding of the industry, and develop a personalized approach to illustration. / Students will have access to Adobe Creative Cloud software throughout the course. This course is the first course that can be taken towards the Illustration Certificate . Open to students ages 18 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Previous drawing experience helpful, but not required. Students working digitally must have prior experience with their chosen software; the class offers no software instruction.
Beginning Observational Drawing (In Person)
Emphasis is on observational drawing of large still lifes, live models, and small organic specimens and objects. Engage in multiple experimental drawing techniques using a variety of drawing media. / Professional nude models are used in this class. / A materials fee of $33 is included in the course tuition. Open to students ages 18 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Picture Books 1: Introduction to Children's Book Illustration (Online)
Explore a wide range of children’s book illustrations, from traditional to contemporary. Learn what makes a children’s book unique and how to effectively communicate with artwork, from the sketch phase to the final illustrations. This class includes weekly homework assignments. / Students will have access to Adobe Creative Cloud software throughout the course. Open to students ages 18 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Previous drawing and painting experience helpful, but not required. Previous experience with Adobe Photoshop is helpful, but not required.
Portraiture in Painting 2 (In Person)
Explore various ways to approach the portrait, examine color relationships when mixing palettes, and ultimately how to achieve a convincing likeness. Many class sessions will have a live model present who will pose in more challenging angles, providing students with ample opportunity to hone their approaches and techniques. Through lectures, discussion, instructor-led demonstrations, and peer-to-peer critique sessions, learn to approach painting portraits in an encouraging and relaxed atmosphere to support the growth of more advanced skills. / A materials fee of $53 is included in the course tuition. This course includes an optional gallery tour with the instructor at the Minneapolis Institute of Art on Thursday, October 15, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Open to students ages 18 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Previous drawing and painting experience required. Portraiture in Painting I or equivalent is required.
Painting with Gouache 2: Mastering the Medium Intensive (In Person)
Each class session includes both technical demonstrations of a variety of gouache techniques, as well as individual critique and instruction. In addition to advanced techniques, useful and thorough critiques are emphasized in order to help students develop their own individual painting style. Strategies for generating visual content, expressing ideas, investigating themes, and solidifying meaning in one's artwork are also covered. Leave this class with further refinement and development of gouache skills, and personal gouache style. / A materials fee of $22 is included in the course tuition. Open to students ages 16 and above. Review complete policies , including class cancellation policies, before completing your registration.
Previous experience working in gouache is required. Previous drawing and painting experience is required.
Teen Maker Series for ages 12-18: Decorative Mending (In Person)
The Teen Maker Series offers single-session, three-hour workshops for teens ages 12-18, held one Friday evening each month. Each session introduces a new art-making skill, giving students the opportunity to learn foundational techniques while experimenting, collaborating, and connecting with other young artists. Guided by professional instructors and supported with high-quality materials, these workshops offer a fun, accessible way to explore creativity, build confidence, and try something new. Love clothing stitched with bold imagery and visible repairs? Curious about mending and transforming garments using thread, pattern, and color? In this session, students will focus on stitching directly onto clothing to repair, reinforce, or creatively transform garments with expressive use of color, image, and pattern. Participants will explore foundational embroidery techniques, including Sashiko, a traditional Japanese stitching practice developed centuries ago specifically for mending and strengthening textiles. Bring a clothing item in need of repair or work with fabric provided in class while practicing these approachable, expressive stitching techniques. Open to students ages 12-18. Please review our complete Youth and Teen Policies as well as our complete policies prior to completing your registration.
MEA Workshop: Explore Cyanotypes for ages 15-18 (In Person)
Learn about the cyanotype process, one of the earliest photographic techniques developed in the 1840s. Using sunlight and water, create vivid blue prints from objects, drawings, and transparent materials. Through hands-on experimentation, make photograms using natural and found objects, and incorporate sketches, writing, and simple transparencies. This class is ideal for teens interested in photography, printmaking, or experimental art. All standard safety protocols for handling photographic chemicals will be followed. / A materials fee of $14 is included in the course tuition. Open to students ages 15-18. Please review our complete Youth and Teen Policies as well as our complete policies prior to completing your registration.
Portfolio Prep: Drawing for Art School Applications for ages 15–18 (Weekend Session) (In Person)
The portfolio is an important component of an art school application. Most colleges require that portfolios include observational drawings, or drawings made from what we see, rather than from our imagination or a photograph. Work with still life and figurative subject matter and the fundamentals of a drawing: composition, line, structure, value, and expression. Instruction in drawing techniques are supplemented by art history discussions, feedback, short writing exercises, an MCAD Admissions staff presentation, requirements for art and design school portfolios, and regular homework assignments. Assignments and feedback encourage and enable students to create individual work that aligns with requirements for portfolio submissions within their own interests and experience. Students may choose to work digitally for some assignments and must provide their own device and knowledge of software. / Professional nude models may be used in this class. / Materials fee of $11 is included in course tuition. Open to students ages 15-18. Please review our complete Youth and Teen Policies as well as our complete policies prior to completing your registration.
Previous drawing experience is helpful, but not required.
Teen Maker Series for ages 12-18: Stop Motion Animation
The Teen Maker Series offers single-session, three-hour workshops for teens ages 12-18, held one Friday evening each month. Each session introduces a new art-making skill, giving students the opportunity to learn foundational techniques while experimenting, collaborating, and connecting with other young artists. Guided by professional instructors and supported with high-quality materials, these workshops offer a fun, accessible way to explore creativity, build confidence, and try something new. In this session, use iPads and video editing software to create short animated films while exploring frame-by-frame animation techniques. Explore the history of animation, drawing inspiration from filmmaking and animation icons like Hayao Miyazaki, Lottie Reiniger, Tex Avery, Matt Groening, Tim Burton, and more. Open to students ages 12-18. Please review our complete Youth and Teen Policies as well as our complete policies prior to completing your registration.
Teen Maker Series for ages 12-18: Watercolor (In Person)
The Teen Maker Series offers single-session, three-hour workshops for teens ages 12-18, held one Friday evening each month. Each session introduces a new art-making skill, giving students the opportunity to learn foundational techniques while experimenting, collaborating, and connecting with other young artists. Guided by professional instructors and supported with high-quality materials, these workshops provide a fun, accessible way to explore creativity, build confidence, and try something new. In this session, learn foundational watercolor techniques including color mixing, layering, wet-on-wet painting, and texture creation. Through guided demonstrations and creative exercises, explore how watercolor behaves while building confidence with professional painting materials. Drawing inspiration from animals and nature found throughout Minnesota, create an original watercolor wildlife painting to take home. Open to students ages 12-18. Please review our complete Youth and Teen Policies as well as our complete policies prior to completing your registration.
Art Academy for ages 6-9: Flora and Fauna (In Person)
From loons and butterflies to forests and lakes, explore nature as a source of creativity and artistic inspiration. Each class encourages play, imagination, and self-expression while introducing a variety of art materials and techniques. Guided by core themes of observation, exploration, experimentation, and social-emotional well-being, develop foundational art skills, explore different approaches to making art, and discover inspiration from both contemporary and historical artists. / A materials fee of $12 is included in the course tuition. Open to students ages 6-9. Please review our complete Youth and Teen Policies as well as our complete policies prior to completing your registration.
Art Academy for ages 9-12: Comic Creation (In Person)
Inspired by superheroes, manga, graphic novels, and biographical comics, create an original mini-comic or zine to take home while building foundational skills in visual storytelling. Each class encourages creativity, experimentation, and self-expression while exploring the history of comics and the artists who helped shape the medium. Learn a variety of comic-making techniques, experiment with different approaches to sequential art, and discover new ways to tell stories through words and images. / A materials fee of $46 is included in the course tuition. / No class October 10. Open to students ages 9-12. Please review our complete Youth and Teen Policies as well as our complete policies prior to completing your registration.
Art Academy for ages 12-15: Painting Fundamentals (In Person)
Explore the formal elements of painting, including composition and color theory. Combine hands-on studio time with short lectures and a visit to the Minneapolis Institute of Art to examine various painting styles and histories. Participate in group critiques and develop the ability to discuss art using common terminology. / A materials fee of $9 is included in the course tuition. Open to students ages 12-15. Please review our complete Youth and Teen Policies as well as our complete policies prior to completing your registration.
