Fridays, 9:00 AM - 1:30 PM  
Instructor: James Toogood  
Ten-Week Condensed Course (45 Hours)  
No class on November 27 (Thanksgiving Break)

Register by August 21 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDFALL2026 at checkout (and click “+” to calculate the deduction). PAFA members at the Dual-Plus/Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. Discount applies to CE regular adult Fall classes and workshops only. Remaining Summer classes, Studio rental programs, Open Academy (Certificate) courses, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.

Enrich your knowledge of painting with an in-depth look at watercolor. Thoroughly investigate a wide range of watercolor materials and techniques while working from your choice of landscape, still life, abstraction, or personal source material. The course is designed to equip each participant with the knowledge and skills necessary to make accomplished, personally rewarding watercolor paintings. Open to watercolorists of all levels and to acrylic/oil painters looking to broaden their skills.

Register by: September 4  
Materials List  
Please review CE’s Fall 2026 Policy Guide, including Withdrawal/Refund Policies, prior to registering.

Open Studio Access (13-Week Rental): Mondays - Fridays, 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.; Saturdays, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Sundays, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. 

Class Meetings/Trips/Critiques: Select Thursdays, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. or variable for critiques/trips.  See dates below.

Instructor/Lead Critic: Roger Chavez

Taking the leap to start or cultivate an art-making practice in a private studio space can be both exciting and daunting. Learn how to create work and stay motivated on your own terms in this unique combination studio-rental and instruction/critique course! Tuition for this fifteen-week program will confer an individual private studio space in PAFA’s Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building, as well as bi-monthly meetings (approximately every two weeks) for critiques, field trips and/or archives visits, and drawing sessions led by artist-instructor/critic Roger Chavez, accompanied by visiting critics for select weeks.

Studio spaces for this program are approximately 10 x 14.5 feet (145 sq. ft.), white-walled, with easel and stool provided (students are responsible for additional furniture or equipment needs). Spaces are located on PAFA's main drawing/painting classroom floor within the school's beautiful and spacious quad studios: partitioned into four contained units per studio-room, these individual spaces offer both privacy and community, lockable shared-unit doors, and options for windows.  A limited number of single-unit, building-interior spaces (not located along PAFA’s windowed exterior walls), with private doors may be available.  Indicate preference during registration; assignment preferences are honored in order of registration and not guaranteed.

This program is perfect for artists wanting to jumpstart or advance their personal practice, for students considering application to a studio-centered certificate or degree program, or for anyone lacking a home studio and seeking a space to pursue their work -- with the motivation and encouragement that come from being part of an artistic community! Participants will benefit from prior art-making experience and the ability to work independently.

Meeting Dates on Thursdays, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. (may be subject to change for scheduling adjustments):

• September 17 - Orientation (attendance required)
• September 24 - Intro Critique with Roger Chavez
• October 8 - TBA
• October 22 - Critique (Visiting Critic, TBA)
• November 5 - TBA
• November 19 - TBA
• December 10 - Final Group Critique (Roger Chavez & Visiting Critic, TBA)

Notes:

• Registration requires an additional $200 studio deposit that is refundable upon satisfactory return of the studio to its original condition at the end of the program. Students must agree to and sign PAFA’s studio agreement form.
  
  
• No scholarships or membership/promotional discounts are available for this program. Membership discounts apply to regular CE courses only; special programs are not eligible for tuition deductions. 
  
  
• Students may work in their media of choice within PAFA's safety/clean-air guidelines (see materials list).  Access to print and sculpture shop facilities is not included in tuition:  Students must be enrolled in in-person CE printmaking or sculpture classes, or registered/approved for a PAFA Shop Membership, for access to the pertinent shop facilities and abide by shop rules and access hours.

Image: Taking the Leap Students ("Leapers") in group critique.

Registration Deadline: Rolling, on a space-available basis. Space is limited. Late registration available.

Materials List (PAFA-Approved Materials) 

CE Fall 2026 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies.  *Please note: A minimum 10% fee applies to cancellations any time after registration, including same day, to cover third-party processing charges.  Please check your schedule before registering.

By enrolling in the CE Taking the Leap Studio Rental Program, you agree to abide by PAFA's Procedures and Policies.

Wednesdays, 9:00 AM - 1:30 PM  
Instructor: James Toogood  
Ten-Week Condensed Course (45 Hours)

Register by August 21 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDFALL2026 at checkout (and click “+” to calculate the deduction). PAFA members at the Dual-Plus/Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. Discount applies to CE regular adult Fall classes and workshops only. Remaining Summer classes, Studio rental programs, Open Academy (Certificate) courses, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.

Enrich your knowledge of painting with an in-depth look at watercolor. Thoroughly investigate a wide range of watercolor materials and techniques while working from your choice of landscape, still life, abstraction, or personal source material. The course is designed to equip each participant with the knowledge and skills necessary to make accomplished, personally rewarding watercolor paintings. Open to watercolorists of all levels and to acrylic/oil painters looking to broaden their skills.

Learning Objectives

• Students will learn about color theory as applied to watercolor.
• Students will receive a comprehensive explanation of watercolor materials and tools, with particular focus will be paid to the properties of paint and pigments as they interact with the paintbrushes and paper.
• Through both discussions and demonstrations, first-time participants and beginners will learn a variety of techniques that are fundamental to watercolor, presented in a systematic step by step method.
• Participants with experience will receive individual instruction for their current skill level.
• Students will acquire the skills needed to achieve a richness of color and a feeling of light.
• Participants will be exposed to a variety of watercolor styles and encouraged to discover their own personal aesthetic.

Register by: September 9  
Materials List   
Please review CE’s Fall 2026 Policy Guide, including Withdrawal/Refund Policies, prior to registering.

Wednesdays, 12:30 PM - 3:30 PM  
Instructor: Kassem Amoudi  
Ten-Week Course (30 Hours)

Register by August 21 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDFALL2026 at checkout (and click “+” to calculate the deduction). PAFA members at the Dual-Plus/Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. Discount applies to CE regular adult Fall classes and workshops only. Remaining Summer classes, Studio rental programs, Open Academy (Certificate) courses, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.

No matter what your preferred subject matter or painting style, this class is designed to help you push your work beyond your preconceived notions of what it should be. One-on-one instruction will develop your unique artistic voice while exploring composition, color, space, rhythm, and technique. Work from personal subject matter (objects or reference materials) to learn how to begin a painting with confidence, trust your instincts, embrace spontaneity, and transform observed forms into a personal form of expression. This mentored studio environment encourages experimentation and intuitive decision-making while helping you both build skills and generate new ideas. Whether you recently started or renewed your painting practice, or are an experienced painter seeking to move beyond your comfort zone, you'll discover new ways to express yourself and find joy in the creative process.

Register by: September 9  
Materials List   
Please review CE’s Fall 2026 Policy Guide, including Withdrawal/Refund Policies, prior to registering.

Thursdays, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM  
Instructor: Jill A. Rupinski  
Ten-Week Course (30 Hours)  
No class on November 26 (Thanksgiving Break)

Register by August 21 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDFALL2026 at checkout (and click “+” to calculate the deduction). PAFA members at the Dual-Plus/Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. Discount applies to CE regular adult Fall classes and workshops only. Remaining Summer classes, Studio rental programs, Open Academy (Certificate) courses, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.

Still life subject matter presents endless possibilities for exploring concepts of color and composition to expand your essential painting skills. Working from eclectic arrangements in PAFA’s dedicated still life room, learn to compose with color to describe form, create visual focus and movement, suggest space, and evoke emotion. Students will become acquainted with color theory and other elements of composition as tools for resolving spatial issues in their paintings. Topics include palette arrangements, color mixing, composing a picture plane through sketching and underpainting, and building a painting surface through direct and indirect painting techniques.

Register by: September 10  
Materials List   
Please review CE’s Fall 2026 Policy Guide, including Withdrawal/Refund Policies, prior to registering.

Saturdays, 12:30 PM - 3:30 PM  
Instructor: Steve Nocella  
Ten-Week Course (30 Hours)

Register by August 21 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDFALL2026 at checkout (and click “+” to calculate the deduction). PAFA members at the Dual-Plus/Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. Discount applies to CE regular adult Fall classes and workshops only. Remaining Summer classes, Studio rental programs, Open Academy (Certificate) courses, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.

This ten-week course teaches the basic skills needed for making metal sculpture. Learn fundamental methods of cutting, bending and welding metal such as sawing, heating, and MIG welding. Students will be encouraged to explore the medium with directness and spontaneity to gain a knowledge and understanding of its complexion. Open to all levels. Note: Tuition includes a $65 lab fee.

Register by: September 11  
Materials List   
Please review CE’s Fall 2026 Policy Guide, including Withdrawal/Refund Policies, prior to registering.

Tuesdays, 12:30 PM - 3:30 PM  
Instructor: Phyllis Laver  
Ten-Week Course (30 Hours)

Register by August 21 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDFALL2026 at checkout (and click “+” to calculate the deduction). PAFA members at the Dual-Plus/Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. Discount applies to CE regular adult Fall classes and workshops only. Remaining Summer classes, Studio rental programs, Open Academy (Certificate) courses, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.

PAFA’s breathtaking Cast Hall is back! Following renovations to PAFA's Historic Landmark Building, this unique resource is again available to offer enrolled students opportunities to work from copies of Greco-Roman and Renaissance sculpture, including the Winged Victory, the Venus de Milo, and the staggering life-size Michelangelo’s David, among other notable works. Students may also work from select casts on display in additional PAFA exhibition areas. Cast Drawing was one of the first courses established in the founding of the Academy and has remained a core part of PAFA’s fine arts curriculum for over 200 years. Become a part of this long and rich artistic tradition as you learn to draw accurately from observation, explore line and shape, describe form through light and shadow, and gain an appreciation for some of history’s most beautiful sculptural artworks. This course is an excellent introduction to drawing techniques and materials and is appropriate to all levels.

Read a History of PAFA’s Cast Hall by Al Gury here.

Image: Daniel Garber, [Cast drawing: female torso (4th century, Greece)] (detail), ca. 1899-1905, charcoal on cream paper, 24 1/4 x 18 3/4 in. Collection of the PAFA Museum. Accession # 1945.14.4. Gift of the artist.  

Register by: September 15  
Materials List  
Please review CE’s Fall 2026 Policy Guide, including Withdrawal/Refund Policies, prior to registering.

Tuesdays, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM  
Instructor: Phyllis Laver  
Ten-Week Course (30 Hours)

Register by August 21 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDFALL2026 at checkout (and click “+” to calculate the deduction). PAFA members at the Dual-Plus/Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. Discount applies to CE regular adult Fall classes and workshops only. Remaining Summer classes, Studio rental programs, Open Academy (Certificate) courses, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.

If you’ve never drawn before, or your skills are a little rusty, then this class is for you. Learn to draw what you see with confidence. Work from still life arrangements, selections from PAFA’s casts and statuary, interior spaces, and the human figure to master the drawing elements: shape, contour line, composition, light and shadow, texture and perspective. Instruction will guide students through sight-drawing and measuring techniques, use of materials, shading methods, and ways of defining form and space. This course is also excellent as a foundation for future study, including for painting and other disciplines. Note: Tuition includes a $25 models fee.

Register by: September 15  
Materials List   
Please review CE’s Fall 2026 Policy Guide, including Withdrawal/Refund Policies, prior to registering.