Mondays, 8:30 AM – 11:30 PM (includes option to add afternoons, 1 – 4 PM, for full-day attendance—see description)
Instructor: Michael Gallagher 
Fifteen-Week Open Academy Course (45–90 Hours) 
Credit: Non-Credit or 2.0/3.0 Undergraduate Credits (See Below)

PAFA's Open Academy courses offer CE and non-matriculated students the opportunity to experience PAFA's comprehensive certificate-level instruction on a course-by-course basis. Credits earned are eligible for transfer into PAFA's Fine Arts Certificate program. Note: Early Bird and Membership Discounts do not apply. For additional course options, please see Continuing Education's regular course offerings.

Composition is the structural foundation of the creative process. Learn to build stronger paintings by incorporating the essential principles of design into your work. Develop the ability to recognize and establish rhythmic relationships among two-dimensional shapes, light and dark values, and color harmonies to achieve a unified artistic expression. Instruction emphasizes color, space, and drawing concepts. Course Modality: In person.

Optional: This course is available as a half-day course for 2.0 undergraduate credits for $1,800. For the full-day option (morning, 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM, and afternoon, 1 – 4 PM), this course is available for $2,900 non-credit or $3,600 for 3.0 undergraduate credits*. Select the course length and credit option with the tuition adjustment during checkout.

* See the policy guide below for information about transferring credits.

Register by: August 19 
Materials will be addressed via PAFA's Canvas online platform (if applicable) or on the first day of class.
Please review CE's Fall 2026 Policy Guide, including Withdrawal/Refund Policies, prior to registering. 

Notes: Extended Studio Courses are not eligible for PAFA membership or promotional discounts.

A minimum 10% fee applies to withdrawals, including same-day withdrawals. Students are advised to confirm their schedules before registering.

Tuesdays, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM  
Instructor: Jill A. Rupinski  
Twelve-Week Course (36 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.

Paint the human figure in oil from short studies to developed compositions. Work from the life model in poses of increasing length to master the components of mass and gesture, proportion and basic anatomy, value, composition, and color mixing from limited colors to a full palette. Extended poses will allow students to refine their observations and deepen their understanding of structure toward building more nuanced and cohesive paintings. Topics such as oil paint handling, surface preparation, and color organization also will be addressed. Students will gain the enhanced ability to construct formally sound and personally expressive figure paintings. Note: Tuition includes a $75 model fee.

Register by: September 8  
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, 10:00 AM - 1:30 PM  
Instructor: David Wilson  
Six-Week Short Course (21 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.

Painting the human form from observation is one of the cornerstones of PAFA's long tradition of rigorous instruction. Working from the nude model in poses of varying lengths, investigate color mixing, proportion, and composition using oil paint as a medium. Focusing on alla prima painting techniques and a limited flesh-tone palette, learn to model the human form through gesture, shape, volume, and temperature – excellent for painted sketches and preparatory studies, foundations for extended work, or an introduction/refresher to figure painting. Intended for all skill levels, this course also offers the valuable opportunity for more advanced students to continue to hone their skills to deepen their understanding of the language of painting. Instruction will be geared toward oil, but students may draw-only, or use other appropriate media, if they wish. Note: Tuition includes a $40 models fee.

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

Tuesday - Friday, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM  
Instructor: Joseph Sweeney  
Four-Day Workshop (16 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.

Join veteran plein air artist Joe Sweeney for a unique opportunity to paint inside one of the oldest rowing clubs in Philadelphia: the Bachelors Barge Club on Boathouse Row. Work from picturesque views of the Schuylkill River with the benefit of full access to the historic building with access to the dock, rain-/sun-sheltered porch, and amenities including restrooms. Experienced guidance will cover tactics for working efficiently outdoors, selecting a composition, color mixing, and capturing time of day and atmospheric effects. Instruction and demonstrations will be geared toward acrylic, oil, and pastel painting, but experienced watercolorists are welcome to participate. Note: Students are responsible for their own transportation to painting locations.

Learn more about the history of the Bachelors Barge Club at https://www.bachelorsbargeclub.org/history.

Image: Joseph Sweeney, Bachelors, acrylic on canvas panel.

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

Fridays, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM  
Instructor: Roger Chavez  
Six-Week Short Course (18 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.

Abstract or expressive painting often uses observable subject matter as a starting point or source of inspiration for color, form, and composition. Working from colorful still life arrangements, learn to move beyond identifiable objects and defined contours to explore more expressive or personal means of interpretation. Instruction will address redeploying or adapting observable shapes and colors toward abstract effect, manipulating visual elements to strengthen compositional balance and movement or to reconstruct pictorial space, and employing expressive mark-making for focus or emotional intent. Color mixing and basic oil painting techniques will also be reviewed.

Image: Roger Chavez

Register by: September 18  
Materials List   
Please review CE’s Fall 2026 Policy Guide, including Withdrawal/Refund Policies, prior to registering.

Mondays, 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM  
Instructor: Roberto Osti  
Ten-Week Course (30 Hours)  
No class on October 12 (Indigenous People’s Day)

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.

Paint portraits from a variety of models using the direct painting method. Examine the proportions and volumes of the head, as well as the placement, structure, and characteristics of the facial features, through preliminary drawings and demonstrations. Develop color using a limited palette to understand how to use chroma, temperature, value, tint, and tone. Instruction will address materials, composition, paint handling, and color mixing, blending, and theory. Homework assignments working from photos, Masterworks, or oneself/others will encourage students to learn to make personal aesthetic and technical choices and to practice concepts addressed in class. Open to all levels, this course is excellent for beginners as well as experienced students who want to review fundamental techniques or who simply enjoy painting portraits from life. Note: Course tuition includes a $65 model fee.

Register by: September 21  
Materials List   
Please review CE’s Fall 2026 Policy Guide, including Withdrawal/Refund Policies, prior to registering.