Wednesdays, 1 – 4 p.m.
Instructor: John Horn  
Fifteen-Week Open Academy Course (45 Hours)  
Credit: Non-Credit or 1.5 Undergraduate Credits (See Below) 

PAFA’s Open Academy provides the opportunity for Continuing Education (CE) and non-matriculated students to experience PAFA’s renowned certificate-level instruction on a course-by-course basis.  Earned credits are eligible for transfer to the one-year Foundation and Studio Residency Certificate Programs, for students considering an immersive fine arts education with additional benefits. (Up to 7.5 credits are eligible for transfer as equivalent courses or electives.)

Studying from birds, mammals, and reptiles, domestic and wild; this course will focus on understanding the science and art of animals with reference to their structure, function, evolution, and classifications. This will act as a foundation in order to understand the movements, forms, and anatomy of a particular species. Perspective, space and composition in landscape and interiors will also be emphasized in relationship to the animals. Working from life, students will develop a good sense of concentration to see the repetition in movement and form as the basis for drawing. Trips to the Wagner Free Institute of Science, the Academy of Natural Sciences and the Philadelphia Zoo will provide the visual material.

Optional: This course is available for 1.5 undergraduate credits for $1,800. Select credit option with price adjustment during registration.

Image: Christian Schussele, (Studies of Animals: Horses, Cow, Dog), mid 19th century, Graphite on green-gray wove paper, 8 9/16 x 9 9/16 in. Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, John S. Phillips Collection, 1876.9.625 

Register by: August 26 
Materials List   
Open Academy Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies

Wednesdays, 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. (includes option to add afternoons, 1 - 4 p.m., for full-day attendance-- see description) 
Instructor: Douglas Martenson  
Fifteen-Week Open Academy 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 experience PAFA’s renowned certificate-level instruction on a course-by-course basis.  Earned credits are eligible for transfer to the one-year Foundation and Studio Residency Certificate Programs, for students considering an immersive fine arts education with additional benefits. (Up to 7.5 credits are eligible for transfer as equivalent courses or electives.)

Students will learn to plan and execute complex paintings using the life model as a subject. Included will be historical and contemporary perspectives on life painting, presentations of materials used in life painting, strategies for creating spatial concepts, and concepts of visual language skills and critical thinking. Poses will vary in length depending on the section and instructor, and strong emphasis is based on skill development and the development of a personal point of view using the life model. Individual and group critiques will be conducted.

Optional: This course is available for half-day for 1.5 undergraduate credits for $1,800. For the option of full-day (morning, 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. and afternoon, 1 - 4 p.m.), this course is available for $2,900 non-credit or $3,600 for 3.0 undergraduate credits. Select length and credit choice with tuition adjustment during checkout.

Image: Douglas Martenson

Registration open through September 9
Materials List
Open Academy Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies

Wednesdays, 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Instructor: James Toogood 
Ten-Week Condensed Course (45-Hour Equivalent)
Credit: Non-Credit or 1.5 Undergraduate Credits (See Below)

Enrich your knowledge of painting with an in-depth look at watercolor. Thoroughly investigate a wide range of watercolor materials and techniques from your choice of landscape, still life, portrait, and figure subjects. 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 can expect to have regular individual instruction, given at their current skill level.

• Focus also will be paid on acquiring the skills needed to achieve a richness of color and a feeling of light.

• Participants will work from direct observations from the still life and model, or from their own source material. Those not taking the class for credit will have the option to work on landscape, still life, portrait and figure or abstraction, as they wish.

• Participants will be exposed to a variety of watercolor styles and encouraged to discover one’s own personal aesthetic.

Optional: This course is available for 1.5 undergraduate credits for $995. Select credit option with price adjustment when registering.

Image: James Toogood

Register by: September 10 
Materials List 
Fall 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies

Wednesdays, 6 - 9 p.m.
Instructor: Rebecca Gilbert
Ten-Week Course (30 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit or 1.0 Undergraduate Credit (See Below)
Note: No class on November 26 

Printing from a drawing carved into wood is the oldest and most straightforward form of printmaking. Expand the expressive possibilities of the medium by infusing color into the process! Learn reduction and multiple block relief printmaking techniques to produce vibrant, layered color prints. Instruction will cover all steps from start to finished print: material selection and use, image planning, tool handling for a variety of mark-making tactics, reduction and multiple block processes, color mixing, printing by hand and on an etching press, registration techniques, cleaning, and editioning. All levels welcome. Tuition includes a $30 lab fee.

Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $625, including lab fee. Select credit option with price adjustment when registering.

Image: Rebecca Gilbert

Register by: September 17 
Materials List 
Fall 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies

Wednesdays, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. 
Instructor: Frederic Kaplan 
Ten-Week Course (30-Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit or 1.0 Undergraduate Credit (See Below) 

Execute richly-hued paintings compelling in their realism using the unique arrangements in PAFA’s dedicated still-life studio as subject. Learn the fundamental vocabulary and techniques of representational oil painting: create a tonal underpainting, model form with opaque paint applications, generate depth and luminosity with transparent glazes and velaturas, and suggest texture with semi-drybrush scumbling. Content will address materials, color, effects of light, illusionistic space, and painterly treatments. This course is appropriate forbeginners, and is excellent for experienced painters seeking to develop pictures with a more believable sense of realism. Drawing experience strongly recommended. 

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

Image: Fred Kaplan

Register by: September 24 
Materials List 
Fall 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies 

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

Learn to explore new possibilities and paint more intuitively under the guidance of artist/critic/mentor KassemAmoudi. 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. Instruction is geared toward open painting time supported by critiques and advice from the instructor as he works one-on-one with students 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.

Image: Kassem Amoudi

Register by: September 24 
Materials List 
Fall 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies

Wednesdays, 1 – 2 p.m. (Zoom) with Asynchronous Canvas Content
Instructor: Kate Samworth
Six-Week Course (18-Hour Equivalent)
Credit: Non-Credit Only

Understanding the principles of one- and two-point perspective is essential to drawing and painting convincing forms in space. Master the fundamentals of this geometric system that was developed during the Renaissance and is used to this day. Instruction will break down sometimes-intimidating principles into basic concepts to provide practical methods for creating interior spaces, landscapes, and cityscapes, including elements of repeated patterns, arches, stairways, and more. Limited class size will allow time for one-on-one assistance. Great for illustrators and artists of any media requiring a strong drawing framework. 

Image: Kate Samworth

Register by: October 8

Materials List 
Fall 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies  
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses

Wednesdays, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. 
Instructor: John Greig
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only
Note: No class on November 26

This class will explore wood as a primary art-making medium, looking at its many types, techniques and uses. Students will develop a well-rounded foundation of wood-working skills including cutting, milling, laminating, joinery and safe use of wood-working tools. Contemporary, traditional and ancient art works made of wood will be presented for historical and contextual understanding. Students will be encouraged to find their own unique voice within the material while building skills. Tuition includes $30 materials fee.

Image: John Greig

Register by: October 22 
Materials List - Coming Soon! 
Fall 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies