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Sculpture
in CE Courses by Medium/Discipline
Foundry: An Introduction/All Levels (In-Person)
with Pavel Efremoff

Thursdays, 6 – 9:30 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.
This course does not meet during Spring Break, March 6 – 12.
Optional: This course is available for 1.5 undergraduate credits for $1,060 (including lab fee). Select credit option when registering.
Please note: All students enrolling in on-campus courses must submit proof of full COVID-19 vaccination and at least one additional booster upon registration. Registrations lacking vaccine documentation or approved medical exemption one week after submission are subject to withdrawal. Requests for medical or religious exemptions must be approved by PAFA’s head of security. Withdrawals for noncompliance will result in fees. See CE Policy Guide for complete COVID safety requirements and policies.
Image: Pavel Efremoff, Narwal
Register by: January 6
CE Policy Guide Winter/Spring 2023
CE Proof of Vaccination/Booster Form - SUBMISSION REQUIRED AT TIME OF REGISTRATION
Stone Carving (In-Person)
with Steve Nocella

Saturdays, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Note: The next session of this course will be available during the Summer semester, June - August. Summer registration opens in April at https://pafa-ce.coursestorm.com.
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 a 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.
This course does not meet during Spring Break, March 6 – 12.
Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $795 (including lab fee). Select credit option when registering.
Please note: All students enrolling in on-campus courses must submit proof of full COVID-19 vaccination and at least one additional booster upon registration. Registrations lacking vaccine documentation or approved medical exemption one week after submission are subject to withdrawal. Requests for medical or religious exemptions must be approved by PAFA’s head of security. Withdrawals for noncompliance will result in fees. See CE Policy Guide for complete COVID safety requirements and policies.
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.
Register by: January 6
CE Policy Guide Winter/Spring 2023
CE Proof of Vaccination/Booster Form - SUBMISSION REQUIRED AT TIME OF REGISTRATION
Portrait Sculpture (In-Person)
with Morgan Dummitt
Thursdays, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Learn to sculpt a life-size portrait in clay on an armature from direct observation. Working from models, sculpt the head and neck structure with accuracy based on volume, proportion, and anatomy, developing the portrait from deep geometric structure to surface form. Capture likeness and expression through measuring practices and study of the facial features. Instruction will cover armature construction, clay modeling, and tool usage. This sensitive and immersive practice is excellent for both sculptors and drawing/painting portraitists seeking to inform their work through the exploration of three-dimensional form. All levels welcome. Note: Course tuition includes a $25 model fee.
Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $600 (including model fee). Select credit option when registering.
Please note: All students enrolling in on-campus courses must submit proof of full COVID-19 vaccination and at least one additional booster upon registration. Registrations lacking vaccine documentation or approved medical exemption one week after submission are subject to withdrawal. Requests for medical or religious exemptions must be approved by PAFA’s head of security. Withdrawals for noncompliance will result in fees. See CE Policy Guide for complete COVID safety requirements and policies.
Image: Morgan Dummitt, Cooper Portrait.
Register by: January 20
CE Policy Guide Winter/Spring 2023
CE Proof of Vaccination/Booster Form - SUBMISSION REQUIRED AT TIME OF REGISTRATION
Assemblage Art (Online)
with Colleen O'Donnell

Tuesdays, 1 - 3 p.m.
From the reclusive Joseph Cornell’s fantastical sculptures to Betye Saar’s complex revisioning of racist tropes, assemblage as a means of artistic expression could not be better suited for the present moment, after years of social-distancing and tension. Assemblage intrinsically engages the unconscious while drawing on elements of design, whimsy, and chance to reflect a point of view and a moment in time. In this class, learn to transform everyday items, found objects, elements of nature, or memorabilia into three-dimensional sculpture and collage. Be guided through a different topic each week, delving into your own responses and ideas to create dramatic, humorous, emotional, and satirical works of art.
Learning Objectives:
- Make something that has value and is relevant to our experiences in this challenging time
- Supportive feedback of your work in a group of fellow artists
- Experience the process of art making in 3 dimensions, working intuitively or with pre-planned drawings
- Be introduced to the historical and contemporary innovators of assemblage art
Image: Peggy O'Donnell, Majestic Labor, clay, wood, wire, objects, 28" x 25" x 9"
Register by: March 14
Invention and Figuration: Figure Drawing and Sculpture (In-Person)
with Steve Nocella

Saturdays, 12:30 – 3:30 p.m.
The combination of sculpture and drawing are ideal for understanding and capturing the gesture of the human figure. Investigate movement, rhythm, and form through studies in wet and dry drawing media, as well as in clay. Allow your two- and three-dimensional translations of the human body to inform each other, or be inspired to allow sculpture and drawing to overlap or combine. All levels welcome. Tuition includes a $25 models fee.
Please note: All students enrolling in on-campus courses must submit proof of full COVID-19 vaccination and at least one additional booster upon registration. Registrations lacking vaccine documentation or approved medical exemption one week after submission are subject to withdrawal. Requests for medical or religious exemptions must be approved by PAFA’s head of security. Withdrawals for noncompliance will result in fees. See CE Policy Guide for complete COVID safety requirements and policies.
Image: Chaim Gross, Sketch for Sculpture, 1980, Pen and ink, graphite and sepia wash on off-white wove paper, 12 1/2 x 17 13/16 in. Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Gift of the artist, 1985.59
Register by: March 16
CE Policy Guide Winter/Spring 2023
CE Proof of Vaccination/Booster Form - SUBMISSION REQUIRED AT TIME OF REGISTRATION