Thursdays, 8:30 - 11:20 a.m. (includes option to add afternoons, 1 - 3:50 p.m., for full-day attendance -- see description)
Instructor: Al Gury
Fifteen-Week Open Academy (BFA) Course (45 – 90 Hours)
*Credit: Non-Credit or 1.5/3.0 Undergraduate Credits (See Below) 

PAFA’s Open Academy provides the opportunity for Continuing Education (CE) and non-matriculated students to enroll in select BFA courses for credit or non-credit.  Open Academy students enrolled in PAFA’s renowned studio arts courses learn technical skills, creative expression, and critical thinking from master artist-teachers while working amongst dedicated full-time students in PAFA's classrooms.

Students will have availability of models for painting and drawing in the classroom, using a variety of setups, lighting, etc., where the instructor will guide and critique projects. Strategies for referencing the visual material in the settings for the development of work with a personal point of view will be discussed. Included will be historical and contemporary perspectives on painting and drawing with the figure. To address the needs of the advanced student emphasis will be placed on independently directed work. Therefore, this class can serve as a bridge to figurative work being developed in the private studio as well as in the open studio classroom. Students may work in their studios, where the instructor may be invited to offer criticism regarding work in progress. The goal of this course is to support, strengthen and prepare the students for independent work as a studio artist.

Optional: This course is available for half-day for 1.5 undergraduate credits for $1,400. For the option of full-day (morning, 8:30 - 11:20 a.m. and afternoon, 1 - 3:50 p.m.), this course is available for $2,300 non-credit or $2,800 for 3.0 undergraduate credits. Select length and credit choice with tuition adjustment during checkout.

* Note: No class meeting on March 6 (Spring Break).

Image: Al Gury

Register by: January 2
Materials List
Open Academy 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!

Fridays, 8:30 a.m. – 3:50 p.m.
Instructor: Peter Van Dyck
Fifteen-Week Open Academy (BFA) Course (90 Hours)* 
Credit: Non-Credit or 3.0 Undergraduate Credits (See Below)

PAFA’s Open Academy provides the opportunity for Continuing Education (CE) and non-matriculated students to enroll in select BFA courses for credit or non-credit.  Open Academy students enrolled in PAFA’s renowned studio arts courses learn technical skills, creative expression, and critical thinking from master artist-teachers while working amongst dedicated full-time students in PAFA's classrooms.

This class is an opportunity for the student to develop three complex works of escalating ambition. As has often been said, “all art comes from other art” in the sense that art-making is a culture in continuous negotiation with present needs and precedent. Students will develop a small group of imaginative peers from the labyrinth of painting history to consult and debate in the development of their pieces. The resulting pictures may include the production of studies, copies, collages, and any other kind of visual fodder to develop ambitious compositions that will explore the overlapping terrains of abstraction and figuration. What is meant here is that Piero, de Stael, Gorky, Ingres, Cassatt, and Kerry James Marshall are fraternal and in solidarity about the demands of painting.

Optional: This course is available for 3.0 undergraduate credits for $2,800. Select credit option with price adjustment during registration.

*Note: No class meetings on March 7 (Spring Break).

Image: Peter Van Dyck

Register by: January 2
Materials List  
Open Academy 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!

Tuesdays, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Instructor: Douglas Martenson
Twelve-Week Course (36 Hours)*
Credit: Non-Credit or 1.0 Undergraduate Credit (See Below)  

Join PAFA’s celebrated figurative tradition, combining Eakins-influenced historical techniques with contemporary approaches.  Master the drawing elements of gesture, proportion, volume, anatomy, tone, and composition in charcoal and colored chalk on toned paper.   Progress to oil painting materials and techniques, expanding from limited colors to a full palette.  Ideal for all levels, with options to draw- or paint-only based on experience.  Note: Tuition includes $75 models fee.   

*Note: No Class on March 4. 

Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $770 (including models fee). Select credit option with price adjustment when registering. 

Register by: January 10
Materials List
Winter/Spring 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies

Tuesdays, 1 – 4 p.m.
Instructor: Douglas Martenson
Twelve-Week Course (36 Hours)*
Credit: Non-Credit or 1.0 Undergraduate Credit (See Below)  

Explore the power and nuance of one of art’s most engaging subjects: the portrait. Investigate the structure, proportions, form, and anatomy of the human head through drawings and painted studies.  Progress to finished paintings and address issues of likeness, composition, space, texture, and aspects of the clothed figure. Learn to better see and understand color to mix it more successfully, a useful skill for painting all subject matter.  Designed students at all levels learning or pursuing work in oil, acrylic, or other media; students may draw-only if they wish. Note: Tuition includes $75 models fee.   

*Note: No Class on March 4. 

Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $770 (including models fee). Select credit option with price adjustment when registering. 

Register by: January 10
Materials List
Winter/Spring 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies

Saturdays, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Instructor: David Wilson
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only (see below for combined 1.0 credit option)* 

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 $35 models fee.

*Optional combined-course 1.0-credit offering:  Students wishing to earn 1.0 undergraduate credit may combine this class with the Extended Pose course, for a 12-week credit-bearing course by registering here.  See academic credit policies in the CE Policy Guide, below. Note: Because changes in academic status must occur prior to the third class for 12-week courses, credit registration is only available through February 7. See credit course description.

Register by: January 17
Materials List
Winter/Spring 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies

Sundays, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. (Interactive asynchronous Canvas content supported by weekly Zoom meetings)
Instructor: Al Gury 
Six-Week Condensed Course (30-Hour Equivalent)
Credit: Non-Credit or 1.0 Undergraduate Credit (See Below) 

Examine the great traditions of color in art and how to improve color application and expression in your work. Instruction will present discussions of color topics including its visual history, materials, theories, and topical approaches, supplemented by demonstrations by the instructor.  Content will address techniques in oil, water media, and acrylic, with a focus on advancing color organization and expression in your work. Weekly projects in Canvas, PAFA’s online learning platform, will be assigned and critiqued by the instructor. This course is ideal for both students struggling with color concepts and artists seeking to deepen their use of color in their work; beginning and advanced students welcome.  

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

Register by: January 17
Materials List
Winter/Spring 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies 
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses

Wednesdays, 10 a.m. - 11:30 p.m. (Interactive asynchronous Canvas content supported by weekly Zoom meetings)
Instructor: Frederic Kaplan
Six-Week Condensed Course (30-Hour Equivalent)
Credit: Non-Credit or 1.0 Undergraduate Credit (See Below)  

Master the fundamental materials and techniques of acrylic painting in just six weeks! Through a combination of online videos, illustrated lessons, and live Zoom sessions, learn to paint opaquely and transparently in both alla prima and layering styles, blend color and value, and employ various layering techniques. Color mixing and theory are also addressed, and a rich resource of information about the wide array of acrylic painting materials is provided. This course is appropriate for students at all levels, including beginners, but drawing experience is recommended. Weekly Zoom meetings will supplement asynchronous instruction. 

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

Register by: January 17
Materials List
Winter/Spring 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses

Wednesdays, 12:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Instructor: Kassem Amoudi
Ten-Week Course (30 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit or 1.0 Undergraduate Credit  

Learn to explore new possibilities and paint more intuitively under the guidance of artist/critic/mentor Kassem Amoudi.  Work from personal subject matter (objects, images, emotions, or ideas) to find your own visual language, informed by examples from contemporary and modern art. Examine how to use concepts of color, harmony, focal point, space, and mark-making as powerful tools of personal expression.  Open painting is heavily supported by critiques and advice from the instructor as he works one-on-one with each student to guide them in their personal style and goals. This course is excellent for students pursuing abstract or nonobjective imagery, seeking knowledgeable feedback and a focused community painting environment.  Painting experience recommended.  

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

Register by: January 22
Materials List
Winter/Spring 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies