AFTER-SCHOOL CLASSES

Subjects

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Arts Media

Arts & Crafts

This course allows children to have fun and cultivate creativity while producing a variety of different art projects. Through finger and watercolor painting, making collages, drawing with colored pencils, and creating puppets and masks, students will showcase their artistic development.

Comic Books, Anime/Manga, and Cartooning: An Introduction

Students learn about Anime and Manga (Japanese animations and comic books), explore popular comic book titles, and draw cartoon characters using easy-to-learn, effective drawing methods and techniques. These art forms combine vivid expression and design with extraordinary storylines. Students will explore the themes, imagery, history, and current trends behind the most beloved Anime/Manga, comic books, graphic novels, and cartoons. Students will also write their own comic book and cartoon stories, and create original illustrations in both black & white and in color. As Anime/Manga and graphic novels sometimes contain mature themes, we take special care to ensure that all materials are soundly age-appropriate.

Introduction to Drawing

This dynamic art course allows students to explore line, shape, composition and color in drawings. Sketching techniques are learned to bring concepts to paper. Children gain confidence through drawing exercises, exposure to various artistic media, and learning a number of techniques.

Creating Comic Books!

Explore popular comic book titles, study current trends in graphic novels for children and teens, and discover how comics are published. In this class students will write their own story and create original illustrations in black & white and in color. Students will be proud of their own completed comic book!

Anime/Manga

Anime and Manga (Japanese animations and comic books) combine vivid expression and meticulous design with extraordinary storylines. In addition to the themes and imagery, the class will explore the history of Anime from its beginnings to current popular series and films. As Anime/Manga sometimes contain mature themes, we take special care to ensure that all materials are soundly age-appropriate.

Cartooning

Bring cartoon characters to life with beginner-friendly drawing methods and tricks. Students will learn techniques include sketching, coloring, and perspective. Starting with simple shapes and lines, anyone can learn how to draw cartoons in this fun and interactive class.

Puppet and Mask Making

Children assemble and create their own masks and puppets based on themes of personality, animal features, emotions, and more. A variety of fun materials e.g. feathers, paint, sequins and stickers are provided to fuel creativity and inspire their imaginations. At conclusion of the class, students often enjoy presenting their puppets and masks in a final performance showcase.

Jewelry Workshop

Create your own jewelry in a hands-on introduction to this exciting and creative art form. Students receive instruction to make professional-looking jewelry, e.g earrings, bracelets, necklaces, pins and rings, using a variety of materials. Students have fun by creating jewelry for themselves and starting a hobby crafting low-cost gifts to family and friends.

Beadwork and Beyond

Make fun and fashionable jewelry using beadwork and embroidery. Students explore the history and origin of beadwork and design their own line of accessories. Their projects may include a denim bag, hat, shirt or even jeans. Students love showing off their beaded jewelry!

Hemp, Beads & Friendship Bracelets

In this class, students receive guided instruction to design and make necklaces, bracelets and other accessories, using hemp, beads and embroidery string. These particular materials require special techniques in crafting jewelry. Want to impress your friends? This is the class for you.

Yarn Club: Knitting

This class is designed for both beginning and intermediate knitters. Students learn the basics of this fun and relaxing art form; by the end, they will be able to make colorful hats and scarves. Techniques introduced include purling, circular knitting and use of multiple yarns. More experienced knitters, with proficiency in basic skills, branch out in new directions and may explore additional techniques, e.g. felting, modular knitting (patchwork-style squares), usage of beads, and entrelac (basket weave knitting).

Introduction to Sewing

Designed for beginners, this fun course introduces the wonderful and creative art of sewing. Students are taught the basics of sewing, including conceptualizing, cutting and marking, pressing, and using tools (e.g. the sewing machine). More advanced sewing techniques may be covered once students feel comfortable with the basics. Projects include creating placemats, pillowcases, decorative pillows, and other useful and attractive items.

Fashion Design 101

Are you an avid reader of fashion magazines? Inspired by shows like Project Runway? If fashion is your passion, then Fashion Design 101 is the class for you! Appropriate for students with little or no design experience, this class focuses on the principles of design and color and on applying them to original clothing styles. Students do print design, weave and knit textiles, and render technical sketches to create their own clothing line. Fashion design is used as a fun and creative way to merge imagination and artistic vision!

Fashion Design/Jewelry Making

This hybrid class is a fun and creative way to practice conceptual art and give life to artistic vision! Focusing on the principles of design and color, students apply new understandings to their very own styles. Class projects include making sketches and creating an original clothing line with accompanying beaded jewelry. Students with little or no design experience are welcome.

Scrapbooking

Enter the fun and creative world of this popular new activity! Scrapbooking is a great way to express artistic creativity and preserve childhood memories. Using photos, simple mementos (e.g. ticket stubs, drawings, pictures, poems) and art supplies (e.g. feathers, stickers, glitter) students are guided through the design and decoration of their very own scrapbook, presenting their life stories to the rest of the class.

Creative Felting

Felt is a unique and fun medium to learn how to work with. The course covers the basics of this ancient technique, including flat felting, felting on a ball, surface design and sculptural elements such as constructing handles or doll appendages. Students learn to create their own hats, bags, and other items.

Nature Crafts

Discover all the fun things that we can create using only natural materials from the great outdoors. From picture frames with sticks, to leaf rubbings on collages, see what nature has to offer. Students review the importance of recycling and environmentalism and enjoy crafting projects that showcase the beauty of nature.

Fashion Design/Jewelry Making

Fashion Design/Jewelry Making: Fashion design is a fun and creative way to merge imagination and artistic vision! You will focus on the principles of design and color; applying them to your very own styles. You will design and print woven and knit textiles. You will render sketches and create your own clothing with accompanying beaded jewelry. Appropriate for students with little or no design experience.

Found Art

With the collection of some interesting materials and a lot of imagination, students are guided in the creation of one-of-a-kind sculptures. Using basic techniques, students gather an array of fun objects to choose from: feathers, beads, plastic containers, natural objects (e.g. rocks and shells), paints and other items to assemble beautiful and certainly interesting pieces of artwork.

Introduction to Ceramics

Students in this class discover the exciting world of clay! Basic hand-building techniques teach the students simple pottery and how to create their very own clay art. Creativity is nurtured as students bring imagination to life with tangible art pieces they can bring home.

Introduction to Polymer Clay

Welcome to one of the most popular and versatile of crafts. Students learn how to make beads, millefiori canes, jewelry, figurines, hair ornaments, picture frames, amulets and more. Students can even assemble larger pieces from smaller parts they have created.

Digital Photography

Learn how to use a digital camera and to edit photos using computer applications. Practicing techniques, such as framing and exposure adjustment, is key to producing desirable photos. Students have the opportunity to test their skills by taking pictures both indoors and outdoors, uploading the images and editing them in a personal, journalistic or artistic style.

Creative Hand Crafts: Drawing, Painting, Knitting, Crocheting, Macramé, Sewing, Quilting

Discover the wonderful world of handcrafting by learning a variety of techniques. In this series, classes are designed to teach novice artists the basics of crocheting, knitting, macramé, sewing, and quilting. By conclusion of the course, students will be able to add some pizzazz to plain items and craft unique accessories. Students are also given opportunities to pursue the specific techniques that interest them the most in greater depth.

Experimental Sculpture

This class introduces the basic principles of sculpture and relief, allowing the students to explore molding and sculpting with unconventional materials, ranging from aluminum to wire. Students create their own works of art as well as participating in collaborative work for the final project.

If you don't see what you're looking for, we would be happy to customize a class to suit your students' interests and needs.

Please feel free to email us or call at (301) 229-8000 for further information. We look forward to hearing from you!