All upcoming programs

Refamiliarize yourself with the fundamentals of color theory while learning an approach to mixing color that relies on color harmonies. Gain a deeper understanding of complementary color relationships to more intuitively mix colors and harness color harmonies to better express depth as well as the contrast between light and shadow.

This introductory course teaches the basic skills needed for drawing. Working with a variety of materials and techniques, including charcoal and pencils, students explore the rendering of geometric forms, volume, and perspective, with an emphasis on personal gesture marks.

Learn how to see beauty in the natural world and render it in stunning watercolor paintings, using various watercolor techniques to represent the metallic shell of a beetle, the soft, fuzzy wing of a moth, and the delightful colors of a butterfly.

Begin your watercolor portrait journey stress-free as you study photographs of well-known sculptures to practice monochromatic portraits and then build up to painting a portrait of your choice.

A little over a century ago, the sound of a horse-drawn carriage driving along cobblestone streets was the soundtrack of a nation on the move. The goal of the Carriage Museum—housed in the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook, New York, a Smithsonian Affiliate—is to bring a collection of 185 horse-drawn vehicles from the past to life. Live from the museum, curators share an overview of their collection and highlight some of the most interesting and important vehicles.

Participants refine and expand their drawing skills through studio practice in traditional media. Sessions focus on classic subject areas such as landscape, portrait, and figure.

Whether you want to work in digital or film, this course offers a solid foundation for new photographers ready to learn the basics. Topics include camera functions, exposure, metering, working with natural and artificial light, and composition.

Learn simple techniques to create landscape and seascape paintings. Special emphasis is given to watercolor techniques such as wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, and masking.

Whether you’re drawn to the misty grandeur of Yosemite’s waterfall or the quiet drama of trees silhouetted against the sky, these painting sessions explore how to suggest an atmosphere with flowing washes, layered values, and subtle edges.

Learn clay techniques and gain an understanding of the human body, gestures, and expressions as you sculpt a portrait, torso, or full-figure piece by working from life.