Adult Open Studio
Thursdays, 7-9pm | $25 or $22.50 for AGA Members (price include all materials)
Adult Open Studio classes are casual, social drop-in art workshops offered weekly, featuring a new project and theme connected to current exhibitions. These workshops explore the technical and conceptual side of art-making and give participants opportunities to experiment and explore new ideas and materials in the studio.
May 11 | Summer Garden Party
Be inspired by the approaching season and document your ideal garden in a series of sketches using acrylic paint and a palette knife. Register here.
May 18 | Architectural Angles
Discover the architecture and design of the AGA through sketching and photography. In the studio, use line and perspective as a framework for your composition, then add mixed media elements to interpret the gallery in a new way. Register here.
May 25 | Figure Drawing I
Using charcoal, conté and inks, sketch from a live model. Begin the session with expressive and loose renderings and finish with a longer, more sustained study, focusing on the fundamentals of tone, form and perspective. Register here.
*This class features a nude model.
Jun 1 | Abstract Mapping
Discover the work of Alex Janvier in our collection. Early in his career, Janvier was inspired by maps and aerial views. Create your own abstract images using paper marbling techniques and old maps. Register here.
Jun 8 | Sky Gazer’s Delight
Visit our current exhibitions kisikayastew and Uii Savage: Celestial Passage before contemplating the night sky in the studio. Do you have a moon story? Did you see the magnificent Aurora Borealis recently? What might it be like to travel to space? Play with light and shadow to create an artwork inspired by the Earth, moon and stars. Register here.
Jun 15 | Creative Collaborations
Loosen & stretch your drawing muscles while letting your brain relax. Experiment with a variety of tools and work collaboratively, to create a series of unique artworks. This is a fun exercise that switches the brain off and lets your imagination explore. Register here.
Jun 22 | Stencils & Screenprints
See the appeal that silkscreen has for artists like Andy Warhol and Banksy. Create your own pop-inspired images using stencils, ink and large squeegees! Learn to cut a multi-layered stencil, make multiple passes and experiment on a range of surfaces. Register here.
Jun 29 | Figurative Drawing II
Hone your figurative drawing skills with a series of gestural ink drawings. Choose to stay in a loose, expressive style or try your hand at a sustained tonal drawing. Focus on methods such as sight measuring to achieve representational proportion. Learn about the many ways to create a figurative drawing and the various strengths in gesture and representation. Register here.
*This class features a nude model
Jul 6 | Textured Collagraph
Collagraphy is a type of printmaking where the plate is built from layers of collage before printing. Work with a variety of textures and collage strategies such as overlap and juxtaposition to begin the process and then work your way to a final print edition. Register here.
Jul 13 | Altered Images
Investigate how images are created and assembled in current photography exhibitions. Working with gel medium and packing tape, learn all about image transfers and creative photo-manipulation in this mixed media studio session. Register here.
Jul 20 | Fleeting Moments
Spend time in Dance Party and warm up with a series of gestural sketches focused on movement and expression. Take what you learn, and create a series of tableaus that interact with the AGA’s public spaces. Register here.
Jul 27 | Design Olympics
A Charrette is a workshop or session where designers collaborate within a timeframe to develop solutions to various design problems. Starting with a series of challenges, work as a team to design and install large-scale work on our City of Edmonton Terrace. Register here.
Aug 3 | Clay Sculpture
Learn the basics of clay sculpture, including instructions to build an armature, and additive and reductive techniques. Study shape and form in our current exhibitions before putting it all together to create a sculptural object. Register here.
Aug 10 | Warhol-inspired Screen Tests
View the work of Andy Warhol before heading to the studio to create your own version of the artist’s famous screen tests. Using your phone’s camera or one of our iPads, play with mood, lighting and composition to set the stage for your video portrait. Register here.
Aug 17 | Summer’s Last Weekend!
En plein air is a strategy used by landscape artists and beyond. Begin this session with an introduction to watercolor basics before heading out to Churchill Square (weather permitting). Take advantage of the fleeting summer nights, and lovely evening light, by documenting the vibrant people and city around you in a series of watercolour sketches. Register here.
Aug 24 | Pop-Up Collage
Experiment with pop-up book folds using a variety of cardboard, craft papers and textural fabrics. Build three-dimensional, tactile compositions that challenge perceptions of space and form. Register here.
Aug 31 | Nailed It!
Inspired by the wildly popular internet memes, we’re putting our painting skills to the test! Try your hand at re-creating an artwork from our current exhibition Generations: The Sobey Family and Canadian Art and then compare it to the original. How’d you do? Either way, walk away with a sense of creative victory! Register here.