Wednesdays, 8:30 – 11:20 a.m.
Instructor: John Horn
Fifteen-Week Open Academy (BFA) 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 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.

The purpose of this course is to promote an individual way of seeing and working from the human figure and develop personal vision. This includes approaching the figure either as an end in itself or as a point of departure, and exploring an individual use of materials and techniques. Instruction for this course will be directed to the individual along with some group criticism and group discussion.

Optional: This course is available for 1.5 undergraduate credits for $1,400. Select credit option with price adjustment during registration.

*Note: No class on March 5 (Spring Break).

Image: John Horn

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!

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. 

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

Wednesdays, 6 – 9 p.m.
Instructor: Morgan Dummitt
Twelve-Week Course (36 Hours)*
Credit: Non-Credit or 1.0 Undergraduate Credit (See Below)

Modeling the figure in clay is the foundational skill of traditional sculpture. Working from a model, learn to sculpt in clay from initial gesture to surface finishing techniques. Topics of study will include proportion, composition, structure, and simplified sculptural form. Students will complete two sculptures in the course of the class. All work willbe fired after class. Beginners welcome. Note: Tuition includes a $75 models fee.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Gain a basic understanding of the osteology, myology, and anatomy of the figure

• Analyze and organize the various elements of the body into simplified sculptural forms

• Carry out best practices for modeling and maintaining water-based clay sculpture

• Understand best practices for creating ceramic sculpture

*Note: No class on March 5.

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

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 

Wednesdays, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Instructor: Steve Nocella
Eight-Week Short Course (24 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only

This class focuses on the essential processes of sculpture and provides a comprehensive foundation for creating three-dimensional art. Explore and experiment with fundamental techniques such as modeling, carving, and construction. Gain a greater understanding of form and space by exploring a variety of additive and subtractive processes. Instruction will cover the methods and techniques for working in clay, plaster, wood and metal. Content will emphasize both aesthetic concepts and the safe use of sculpture shop equipment. This experience will create a sound point of departure for advanced and dynamic sculpture study. Note: Tuition includes a $40 lab fee.

Register by: March 5
Materials List
Winter/Spring 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies

Wednesdays, 6 - 9 p.m.
Instructor: Frederic Kaplan
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only

If you’ve never painted before, or your skills are a little rusty, this class is for you. Exploit the resources of PAFA’s dedicated still-life studio and its many thoughtfully composed arrangements. You will acquire grounding in the basics so you can paint what you see with confidence. Materials and painting methods will be discussed and demonstrated, including color mixing and theory. Examples of Master paintings, coupled with individual and group critiques, will help direct and inform your efforts.

Register by: March 5
Materials List
Winter/Spring 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies

Wednesdays, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Instructor: Roger Chavez
Six-Week Short Course (24 Hours)*
Credit: Non-Credit Only

The oil sketch is a traditional way for painters to execute preparatory ideas and quickly capture initial impressions – perfect for plein air painting! Learn useful techniques for rapidly encapsulating color and form while working directly from observation. Locations with shade and restrooms include Bartram’s Garden along the Schuylkill River and the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, near Philadelphia International Airport. Note: Students are responsible for their own transportation to painting locations.

*Please reserve a rain date of May 14, should any session be postponed due to inclement weather.

Register by: March 26
Materials List
Winter/Spring 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies