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Continuing Education at PAFA



CE Ten-Week Courses

in CE Courses by Format/Length

The Art of Natural History (Online)

$395

with Kate Samworth

Calendar Current session started May 24, 2023 at 3 pm, runs for 10 weeks

Wednesdays, 3 - 5 p.m.

Examine the social, scientific, religious, political, and economic factors that influenced centuries of cataloging the natural world, from ancient Greece to the Enlightenment. In this course, which combines art history with hands-on studio practice, students will learn to identify and imitate the traditional printmaking techniques that are integral to natural history illustration through a series of demonstrations in mixed media. Two-hour hands-on sessions will meet weekly, accompanying one-hour recorded presentations on art history that will be available for viewing at the student’s convenience. Each week will highlight a different topic in science including botany, ornithology, zoology, anatomy, entomology, cabinets of curiosity, marine life, and geometry in nature. Note: For intermediate-level students; prior still life drawing experience required.

Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $595. Select credit option when registering.

Image: Kate Samworth, Pollinators.

Register byRegistration Still Open! Recordings are available for online courses.

Materials List

CE Policy Guide Summer 2023

Zoom Technical Requirements

Screenprinting and Beyond (In-Person)
Registration Unavailable

Screenprinting and Beyond (In-Person)

$470

with Tony Rosati

Calendar Current session started May 26, 2023 at 9 am, runs for 10 weeks

Fridays, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.*

The versatile nature of screenprinting lends itself to printing on paper, fabric and other surfaces. For the beginner, this course will cover all aspects of the process including screen preparation, image development, and printing techniques. Printmakers with experience may propose independent projects. Note: Tuition includes $20 lab fee.

Learning Objectives:

  • Students will gain a basic understanding of the screenprinting process. 
  • Students will acquire technical experience with screens, squeegees, ink, tools, and equipment. 
  • Students will learn basic screenprinting techniques including image development, coating and processing screens, mixing ink, and printing. 
  • Students will acquire technical expertise by way of printing various stencils from fine detail images to flat broad areas. 
  • Students will learn printmaking professionalism including printing editions on clean registered printmaking paper, signing and numbering editions appropriately. 
  • Students will learn the importance of image development through individual reviews and by exploring various possibilities with the process. 
  • Students will develop critical visual and verbal skills by way of individual discussions with the instructor and with their peers.

* Note: No class on July 21.

Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $615 (including lab fee). Select credit option when registering.

Image: Nancy B. Campbell, Okura, ca. 2000, Screenprint, ed. 8/9, 14 x 11 1/8 in. Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Gift of Ofelia Garcia, 2017.56.3

Register by: May 19

Materials List

CE Policy Guide Summer 2023

Foundry: An Introduction (In-Person)
Registration Unavailable

Foundry: An Introduction (In-Person)

$660

with Morgan Dummitt

Tuesdays, 1 - 5 p.m.

This course will cover all aspects of the foundry process. Demonstrations and hands-on instruction will be given in wax modeling and casting, ceramic shell techniques, bronze pouring, metal chasing, TIG welding and patination. All levels welcome. Note: Tuition includes a $65 lab fee.

Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $840 (including lab fee). Select credit option when registering.

Image: Morgan Dummitt, Wayfarers (detail), 2015, bronze, 17 x 19 x 41 in.

Register by: May 19

Materials List

CE Policy Guide Summer 2023

Editorial Illustration (Online)
Registration Unavailable

Editorial Illustration (Online)

$395

with James Heimer

Thursdays, 6 – 9 p.m.

Explore image making as a means of communication. This is an intermediate class geared toward artists who wish to express narrative themes in their work as well as graphic designers interested in a pictorial approach to visual communication. Students will learn to analyze current news and opinion writing to create imagery with a message. Concept development methods including written brainstorming, thumbnails, and preliminary sketches will be introduced. Techniques combining traditional and digital media will be explored. This is an ideal opportunity for newcomers to digital media and will bridge the gap between the page and screen.

This course will utilize the online learning platform Canvas, and includes video demonstrations, lectures, and assignments. Weekly group discussions and individual critiques will be conducted via Zoom. Access to a scanner and Adobe Photoshop or other raster graphics software is required for the completion of assignments.

Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $595. Select credit option when registering.

Image: James Heimer.

Register by: May 26

Materials List

CE Policy Guide Summer 2023

Zoom Technical Requirements

Stone Carving (In-Person)

$615

with Steve Nocella

Calendar Current session started Jun 3, 2023 at 9 am, runs for 10 weeks

Saturdays, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Explore the possibilities of stone carving by using traditional and nontraditional methods. All processes from rough carving to polishing will be covered, and various tools and techniques will be demonstrated. Open to all levels. Note: Tuition includes $20 lab fee.

Learning Objectives

  • Procure proficiency in basic tool use including manual carving, pneumatic carving, sawing, grinding, and sanding
  • Learn the methods of stone carving beginning with "roughing out" a form and finishing with sanding and polishing
  • Develop a perceptual ability for spatial relationships of the elements that constitute a sculpture or a three-dimensional image
  • Learn to use creative and critical thinking in the process of carving sculpture
  • Gain an appreciation for the influence and informing effect that medium and process have on image making
  • Acquire an introductory understanding of the history of stone carving as well as the capacity to conceptualize context for the student's own sculpture

Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credits for $795 (including lab fee). Select credit option when registering.

Image: John W. Rhoden, Reclining Figure, 1947, French limestone, 20 1/2 x 28 x 11 1/2 in. (52.07 x 71.12 x 29.21 cm.) Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Accession #2018.13.7, The John Walter Rhoden and Richanda Phillips Rhoden Collection.

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Materials List

CE Policy Guide Summer 2023

Figure Modeling (In-Person)

$500

with Morgan Dummitt

Calendar Current session started Jun 6, 2023 at 9 am, runs for 10 weeks

Tuesdays, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Note: This course was originally scheduled for May 30 but has been postponed by one week to begin on June 6. Registration is open.

Sculpting from the life model is the foundational skill of traditional sculpture. Learn to model the 24-inch full figure in clay, from armature construction to finished sculpture. Topics of study will include proportion, gesture, and simplified sculptural form. All levels are welcome.  Note: Tuition includes a $50 models fee.

Learning Objectives

  • Learn to focus on large, simple shapes
  • Gain a basic understanding of the major forms and rhythms of the figure and portrait
  • Understand the building blocks of artistic anatomy
  • Consider the goals of a study versus a finished sculpture

Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $645 (including model fee). Select credit option when registering.

Note: No class on Tuesday, July 4, for Independence Day.

Image: Morgan Dummitt, Brittany.

Register byRegistration Still Open!

Materials List

CE Policy Guide Summer 2023

Oil Painting: Painting the Real (In-Person)
Registration Unavailable

Oil Painting: Painting the Real (In-Person)

$450

with Frederic Kaplan

Wednesdays, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Create paintings that are compelling in their realism. Learn to use layering methods to render objects that look convincingly solid in believable spaces with vibrant lights and rich shadows. Lessons and demonstrations will cover techniques such as glazes and scumbles, while also addressing compositional issues and color, as students work from interesting still life arrangements. The first class will include an in-depth discussion of materials. Drawing experience required.

Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $595. Select credit option when registering.

Image: Fred Kaplan, Watchful Eye

Register by: June 2

Materials List

CE Policy Guide Summer 2023

Lithography (In-Person)
Registration Unavailable

Lithography (In-Person)

$470

with Ron Wyffels

Wednesdays, 6 – 9 p.m.

Lithography is a versatile printmaking process that allows for a complete range of drawing effects: contour line, hatching/cross-hatching, painterly wash applications, expressive mark-making, and reductive techniques. Learn all aspects of the lithographic process through step-by-step demonstrations and hands-on practice: preparing a traditional stone or lightweight aluminum plate; creating your own drawing from observation, imagination or photographic transfer using a range of drawing materials; selecting paper; printing in black-and-white and color; and editioning your prints. Note: Tuition includes a $20 lab fee.

Learning Objectives

  • Students will gain a basic understanding of the lithography printing process.
  • Students will acquire technical experience in preparing stones, plates, & ink.
  • Students will learn basic stone & plate drawing, etching and processing techniques.
  • Students will acquire technical expertise by way of proofing and printing their stones & plates, including learned skills in roller use & litho press operation.
  • Students will learn printmaking professionalism including printing editions on clean registered printmaking paper, signing and numbering editions appropriately.
  • Students will learn the importance of image development through individual reviews and by exploring various possibilities with the process.
  • Students will develop critical visual and verbal skills by way of individual discussions with the instructor and with their peers.
  • Students will advance their individual art concepts and expand their artistic territory through new techniques & material uses.

Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $615 (including lab fee). Select credit option when registering.

Image: Ron Wyffels.

Register by: June 2

Materials List

CE Policy Guide Summer 2023





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