Art Classes

Register for Classes

Arlington County supports the creative process as a vital tool to maintaining a healthy and balanced life.

We encourage people of all ages and abilities to participate in a wide variety of art classes, workshops, and studio programs.

Art develops creative thinking, improves problem solving skills, builds self-confidence, reduces stress, and encourages social interaction.

Our goal is to provide you with opportunities to play, learn, create, and have fun! For more information, please refer to the Enjoy Arlington brochure.

Children and Youth Classes  

There are a variety of classes available this Fall to children of all ages. 

• Get Messy Play with Clay -  allows children to explore making things in 3-D. Each week, children will use hand-building techniques to make both functional and sculptural objects.

Parent and Child Classes 

Create memories while making art during one of our parent and child art classes.

• Hand-building for Families is a class that encourages Parents and children to work as a team and learn basic clay hand-building techniques while creating everything from monsters to fairy houses.   

Teen Classes 

Engage your teenager’s creativity by enrolling them in one of our teen art classes.

• Young Potters introduces students to the basics of creating pottery on the wheel.
• Adventures in Printmaking students will explore traditional and non-traditional printmaking techniques.
• Young Metalsmiths Students will learn the fundamental skills and a basic understanding of jewelry making.
• Tabletop Minis Painting Class During this 4-week class, participants will learn the basics of assembling, painting and highlighting miniatures from a popular tabletop game. Register here.

Drawing

• Painting: Beginning and Beyond Instructor, Jim Halloran teaches all skill levels with a focus on technique, composition and color. 

Jewelry 

• Intro to Jewelry is an introduction to the fine craft of jewelry making.
• Studio Time is an opportunity for experienced jewelers to use the studio in a communal setting with the aid of an instructor nearby. Students will have access to all of tools in the studio.
• One-Day workshops Arlington offers several workshops taught by Lisette Bez where no prior jewelry experience is required.  Students can sign up to make: Colorful Enamel Pendants, Fun with Resin or Stacked Rings. 
• Intro to Wax Carving In this class students will learn how to carve and manipulate wax to create sculptural jewelry and have it cast in precious metal, like silver or gold.

Woodworking 

Did you know that Thomas Jefferson Community Center has a fully outfitted woodshop and offers many basic wood working classes?

• Intro to Woodshop is a 4-session class that outlines safety guidelines and fundamental shop skills. 
• Intro to Lathe Perfect for students who have little or no woodturning experience but want to learn.
• Crazy Like a Box In this series, students can sign up to learn basic woodworking joints while building a box. 

Ceramics 

• Beginning Pottery is perfect for people who have always wanted to try making ceramics using a potter's wheel.
• Continuing Wheel is for those with experience but would like to continue developing their skill set under the guidance of an instructor.
• Fall Interim Wheel This series of classes are shorter and designed to fill the long gap between the fall and winter sessions, and to allow continuing students to keep refining their craft.

Sewing 

• Sew-Social is the perfect sewing class for busy young professionals, men and women alike.