Creative Classes

Class Description:

Students will learn the history of Cherokee basket making materials from pre-European contact through to contemporary Oklahoma Cherokee weaving. Following Sarah H. Hill in her book, Weaving New Worlds: Southeastern Cherokee Women and Their Basketry, we will meet some notable weavers and touch on different material traditions. The DAM Indigenous Arts of North America has a small selection of basketry from the Original Peoples of the Southeastern US and their descendants, and this class will both expose students to more examples of these traditions and give them an opportunity to weave their own round reed Oklahoma style Cherokee basket.

Educator Bio:

Salix is a 35-year-old two-spirit, multiracial creator and educator of Muscogee/Cherokee descent. Salix has had baskets on display at the Evergreen Center for the Arts, and they teach basket weaving for Colorado Native Org's Native cultural night. You can also find them at events such as the Harvest of All First Nations Corn Festival, and áyA Con Denver.

https://www.instagram.com/salix.weaves/

Refund and Class Cancellation Policy:

The Denver Art Museum adheres to a no-refund, no-exchange policy. If you are unable to attend, please consider your payment a tax-deductible donation.

If a class or workshop is cancelled by the Denver Art Museum due to inclement weather or teacher illness, a make-up day will be scheduled on a FRIDAY or SATURDAY as the educator’s schedule allows.

Accessibility Statement:

To request large print materials, a sign language interpreter, CART or any other accessibility service, please email Access@DenverArtMuseum.org at least ten (10) business days in advance of the program. We will make every effort to provide accommodation for requests made outside of that window of time.

Please see further information about accessibility, parking, and directions to the DAM here: https://www.denverartmuseum.org/en/accessibility

Class Description:

In Watercolor: The Rocky Mountain Landscape students will follow in the footsteps of artists who have captured the landscapes of the Rocky Mountains both on location, en plein air as well as in the studio. Students will learn fundamental landscape painting skills such as perspective of the landscape, value structures in the landscape, and color theory while studying excellent examples from the Denver Art Museum’s collections. Students will gain a great foundation for lifelong appreciation of landscape painting, particularly of the Rocky Mountains!

What to Expect:

Students will be exposed to watercolor materials and techniques through demonstrations. The main emphasis of the class will be learning and building fundamental landscape painting skills. Students will learn the basis of technique in this workshop in order to go forward exploring the wonderful medium of watercolor. Students will practice techniques in the classroom setting and visit the Western American Collection of the DAM to see examples of how artists use the fundamentals of landscape painting to create original works.

Educator Bio:

J.R. Monks is a contemporary visual storyteller of the West. He works both directly in the field and in his studio and strives to be honest and bold in his approach creating images that speak to the beauty, grit, and spectacle of the Western United States. J.R. is a 4th generation Colorado rancher and maintains a studio in his small hometown on the eastern plains near the ranch where he was born and continues to live. J.R. feels a deep connection to the landscape and those who live closely in harmony with her, and his art is a humble homage to the infinite complexity of nature. J.R. is a Signature member of the Montana and Colorado Watercolor Societies, with his work included regularly in juried shows across the country.

https://www.jrmonks.com/

Refund and Class Cancellation Policy:

The Denver Art Museum adheres to a no-refund, no-exchange policy. If you are unable to attend, please consider your payment a tax-deductible donation.

If a class or workshop is cancelled by the Denver Art Museum due to inclement weather or teacher illness, a make-up day will be scheduled on a FRIDAY or SATURDAY as the educator’s schedule allows.

Accessibility Statement:

To request large print materials, a sign language interpreter, CART or any other accessibility service, please email Access@DenverArtMuseum.org at least ten (10) business days in advance of the program. We will make every effort to provide accommodation for requests made outside of that window of time.

Please see further information about accessibility, parking, and directions to the DAM here: https://www.denverartmuseum.org/en/accessibility

 Class Description:

This 4-week class will introduce students to techniques that will elevate their use of color pencil. Students will learn how to burnish the paper, mix colors, and see and match colors. The class will explore the instructor’s drawings, the works of CJ Hendry, as well as works in the DAM’s collection.

What to Expect:

During this class, students will be learning and making. The instructor will share inspiration drawings, demonstrate technique, and then allow time, guidance, and support for students to create. This class is for beginners as well as artists who have not been taught colored pencil technique before. No previous experience required. Students will be making small experiment drawings, though there will be time in the later weeks of class to create works based on what has been taught throughout the duration of the course.

Educator Bio:

Charis Fleshner is a conceptual artist who lives and works in Greeley, Colorado. She earned her Master of Fine Arts from the University of New Mexico and teaches art at Aims Community College as well as the Denver Art Museum. Her work has been shown at the University of New Mexico Art Museum, the Fort Collins Museum of Art, and the Emmanuel Gallery in Denver. She has spent two artist residencies at the Elsewhere Museum in Greensboro, North Carolina. Her current art practice focuses on colored pencil drawing, craftivism, soft sculpture, and feminist art.

https://www.charismakesart.com/

Refund and Class Cancellation Policy:

The Denver Art Museum adheres to a no-refund, no-exchange policy. If you are unable to attend, please consider your payment a tax-deductible donation.

If a class or workshop is cancelled by the Denver Art Museum due to inclement weather or teacher illness, a make-up day will be scheduled on a FRIDAY or SATURDAY as the educator’s schedule allows.

Accessibility Statement:

To request large print materials, a sign language interpreter, CART or any other accessibility service, please email Access@DenverArtMuseum.org at least ten (10) business days in advance of the program. We will make every effort to provide accommodation for requests made outside of that window of time.

Please see further information about accessibility, parking, and directions to the DAM here: https://www.denverartmuseum.org/en/accessibility

Class Description:

In this course, students will explore both expressive and representational techniques in watercolor. Using seasonal, botanical subjects such as branches and flowers, students will complete drawings that incorporate texture, color, and depth. Students will learn a variety of water media techniques including mixing colors, creating washes, and building transparent vs. opaque layers. Through instruction and gallery visits, students will connect to works in the DAM’s Arts of Asia Collection and look at contemporary uses of watercolor in the DAM’s Modern and Contemporary Collection, including drawings by Los Carpinteros and Laura Ball.

What to Expect:

This class welcomes both beginners and students who have some drawing or painting experience. Students will visit the galleries together to discuss water media work in the DAM's collections and then spend time learning new techniques in small studies in the classroom. They will then use these new approaches in a larger, finished drawing from observation of botanical subjects. Students will have the option to work outdoors from life in the Sensory Garden or focus indoors on seasonal flowers, branches and leaves.

Educator Bio:

Mindy Bray is a painter and muralist based in Denver, CO. Her work investigates the intersection of natural and built environments through pattern, reduction, and physical space. Bray earned her Master of Fine Arts in Painting from the University of Iowa in 2005 and has taught drawing and foundations at the University of Denver and Metropolitan State University. Her work has been exhibited nationally at galleries including Goodwin Fine Art, Rule Gallery, Ironton, and the Urban Institute for Contemporary Art. She has been featured in New American Paintings, The Denver Post, Modern in Denver magazine, art ltd., and Luxe Interiors and Design. Bray’s public commissions include permanent works at the Westin Hotel at Denver International Airport and the Colorado Convention Center, and her private commissions can be found in commercial and residential spaces throughout Denver. Bray is a current member of Tank Studios and serves on the board of Tilt West.

https://www.mindybray.com/

Refund and Class Cancellation Policy:

The Denver Art Museum adheres to a no-refund, no-exchange policy. If you are unable to attend, please consider your payment a tax-deductible donation.

If a class or workshop is cancelled by the Denver Art Museum due to inclement weather or teacher illness, a make-up day will be scheduled on a FRIDAY or SATURDAY as the educator’s schedule allows.

Accessibility Statement:

To request large print materials, a sign language interpreter, CART or any other accessibility service, please email Access@DenverArtMuseum.org at least ten (10) business days in advance of the program. We will make every effort to provide accommodation for requests made outside of that window of time.

Please see further information about accessibility, parking, and directions to the DAM here: https://www.denverartmuseum.org/en/accessibility

ClassDescription:

In this 6-week class, students will focus on the fundamental aspects of drawing. Instruction will cover methods such as the Sight to Size technique, shape and shape relationship, foreshortening, perspective, and overlap. Students will also study light and value – the identification of the pieces and parts of light on an object. Students will discuss composition and how lights and darks contribute to the movement, directional forces, and emotional content of the piece they are creating.

What to Expect:

This course is geared towards the beginner but can also benefit the advanced student. Students do not need any prior knowledge to begin the class. During the 6-week course, students will work on several pieces, leaving the class with at least three to four finished artworks. The instructional approach will be academic, each class will open with lectures and demonstration with work time to follow. The instructor will give individualized attention during this time. Each session will close with discussion and/or critique. There will be multiple opportunities for students to review and study the approaches of the masters in order to problem-solve their own work.

Educator Bio:

Elizabeth Truskin is a Denver artist and instructor who specializes in community-driven public art, portrait painting, and multimedia artwork. She shows at galleries in the Santa Fe Art District and Next Gallery in the 40 West Arts District.

https://www.nextgallery.org/elizabethtruskin-1-1

Refund and Class Cancellation Policy:

The Denver Art Museum adheres to a no-refund, no-exchange policy. If you are unable to attend, please consider your payment a tax-deductible donation.

If a class or workshop is cancelled by the Denver Art Museum due to inclement weather or teacher illness, a make-up day will be scheduled on a FRIDAY or SATURDAY as the educator’s schedule allows.

Accessibility Statement:

To request large print materials, a sign language interpreter, CART or any other accessibility service, please email Access@DenverArtMuseum.org at least ten (10) business days in advance of the program. We will make every effort to provide accommodation for requests made outside of that window of time.

Please see further information about accessibility, parking, and directions to the DAM here: https://www.denverartmuseum.org/en/accessibility