The Old Town Art Center
About the Old Town Art Center
Small class sizes allow students of all skill levels to take part in any given class. Instructors provide each individual student the amount of attention required. The focus is entirely on the visual arts – through drawing with pencils/charcoal and painting with oils, watercolor, pastels or acrylics. Figure Studio is open to all (for a full session or as a drop-in).
Sessions typically begin the first week of January, the last week of March and the first week of September. Short sessions are offered in the summer and toward the end of the year. Workshops are added periodically. Classes are offered during the day, at night and on weekends.
Spring registration will open March 9, 2022!
Spring classes are offered for various lengths of time with workshops and shorter classes provided as noted below. Registration is required. Scholarships are available. If you plan to pay for class at the first session, please call the office (312.337.1938) to place a registration hold for the class you would like to attend – this will help us to ensure minimum/maximum attendance.
Art Class FAQs
- OTTA membership is open to all
- Up to two art classes can be made up within a session
- There are no refunds after the 1st class
- Classes with fewer than five students may be cancelled – class size is limited to sixteen students.
- Students provide their own supplies
- Scholarships are available – please scroll down for complete information
- If you would prefer to pay by check or in person, please call the office (312.337.1938) to reserve your space.
Suzanne Flavin Scholarships
The Old Town Art Center offers financial aid through the Suzanne Flavin Scholarship Fund. Financial assistance is provided for the complete cost of a class and is offered for each full session – any media. To apply, please complete the application found here or visit the OTAC (1763 N North Park Avenue) to pick up a copy. Recipients will be announced two weeks prior to the start of the next session.
Art Classes
Please note: If you have any questions or run into any problems attempting to register, please send an email to info@oldtowntriangle.com or call us at 312.337.1938.
Figure Drawing Studio
Image by P. Renaud
Mondays | April 4th – May 23rd | 12:00 – 3:00 PM | Ten Weeks
Monitor: None
Fee: $20 drop-in fee
Artists hone their skills, working directly from a live model. Beginning through advanced students are welcome to advance their figure stylings. One hour is devoted to quick gesture poses. The focus for the remaining time will be longer poses for finished drawings and paintings. We provide drawing benches, easels, tables, and boards. All media are welcome.
Oil & Acrylic Painting
Joe Taylor
Tuesdays | March 29th – May 24th (No Class 4/5) | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Eight Weeks
Wednesdays | March 30th – May 25th | 6:30 – 9:30 PM | Eight Weeks
Fee: $215 non-members – $200 Members
Students take on projects of their own choosing. Joe provides support in difficult areas; whether color, mass, shadows or any other technique that fails. His level of instruction is dependent on each individual student’s needs. This class is as challenging for experienced painters as it is exciting for those expanding their knowledge.
NEW! The Figure – all media welcome
Joe Taylor
Tuesdays | March 29th – May 24th (no class 4/5) | 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM | Eight Weeks
Fee: $265 non-members – $250 Members (Price includes model fees)
Joe Taylor is offering a new class that provides an introduction to figure painting and composition for beginning and advanced students who want to develop their painting and observational skills. Joe will demonstrate his approach to painting the portrait and figure from life, with the emphasis on materials, color, light, and composition. Students will work from live models. Instruction will be individualized for each student’s specific needs.
Pastel Painting
Kathleen Newman
Wednesdays | April 13th – March 25th | 10 AM – 1 PM | Seven Weeks
Fee: $190 non-members / $175 members
Watercolor Painting
Kathleen Newman
Explore the beautiful fluidity of watercolor painting! Kathleen will introduce setting up your palette, color mixing, properties of various paints (opacity through transparency) and demonstrate the many techniques of direct painting as well as controlling watercolor washes to build color mixing through layered transparency. She will also demonstrate and encourage using a watercolor sketchbook as a means to record your daily observations as well as practicing skills for future paintings. Kathleen will provides individual instruction as required and also specific assignments for those students that are wanting more academic exploration. Students are able to work on class assignments or explore their own painting themes with guidance during class. A group critique will also be part of the experience before the end of each class.
Acrylics – Drawing to Painting
Vivian Visser
Thursdays | March 24th – May 26th | 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM | Ten Weeks
Fee: $275 non-members / $260 members
Begin a new course of expression. This workshop encourages students to interact by exchanging ideas, visions, and knowledge about art. Vivian will take everyone through the basics of using acrylic paint as a medium. You will learn about techniques, styles, and composition. In addition, color-mixing, paint application, brush strokes, tools and more will be discussed in this workshop. Everyone is welcome.
Oil Painting 
Marie Kirk Burke
Watch this space – Spring 2022
In this class, Marie creates a still life to work from. Students construct their painting focused on observations of color, light, and shadows. Marie guides your progress from a sketch to a beautiful finished painting; learning about composition, color, color mixing, light, shadow and how they all relate along the way. Beginners are welcome.
Watercolor Painting
Tom Francesconi
Saturdays | April 2nd – May 28th | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Eight Weeks
Fee: $215 non-members / $200 members
Tom’s energetic teaching style and passion for painting combine to create a class that is enjoyable and informative. Any artist looking to break free of a careful, timid painting process will find Tom’s direct and representational approach very inspirational. Within this process, students learn how to create stronger, more effective visual statements. Expect discussions and demonstrations that allow you to see how Tom approaches work from start to finish. Ample opportunity is provided for everyone to paint with individual direction/guidance a priority. Students at every stage of experience are welcome.
Watercolor Painting (Portrait/Clothed Figure)
Tom Francesconi
Saturdays | April 2nd – May 28th (no class 4/30) | 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM | Eight Weeks
Fee: $215 non-members / $200 members
The focus of this class will be a simplified approach to painting the portrait and the clothed figure. Learn how Tom creates lively paintings that resonate with emotion. Rather than relying on the burdensome task of duplicating exactness, Tom endeavors to interpret the figure through an insightful and expressive painting process with the aim of creating a work that delights and entertains the eye. Tom will demonstrate this process from the beginning drawing to the finished painting. Students will work from their own reference photographs. Painters of all levels are welcome.
Open Studios
RETURNING SPRING 2022
Open studios are available to current students and OTTA members only.
