Hands-on Classes
Visual Arts & Hands-on Programs
LINK TO MORE ADULT PROGRAMS
NEW Class - Fundamentals of Drawing
With Instructor Patty White
Fall 2026
Fall Session 1, 2026
Tuesdays, 1:00 to 3:00pm in the MAC Studio - Two Hours
September 8 - November 3, 2026 (8 weeks, no class October 6)
Tuesday Session (Two Hour Classes): $215 MAC members, $255 nonmembers
Patty White, Instructor
Minimum 5 students, supplies not included
Description
This course is designed for adults who would like to learn the fundamentals of drawing, in an encouraging environment. During the eight-week session, participants will work on paper, in pencil or ink, and cover topics that include basic mark making, line, value, volume, perspective, and texture. Ample time will be allowed for in-class studio practice—drawing the still life, florals, manufactured items, the human face and figure, or drawing from nature. This course is appropriate for both the beginner and the more experienced.
To register, please fill out the form below.
About the Instructor: Patricia White is a painter and Gallery Instructor Associate at the MFA Boston. She is past President of the Marion Art Center and current President of the BWAA. She studied Illustration and Realist Painting at SMFA/Tufts University. She has shown her work in numerous exhibitions in MA and RI, including the Marion Art Center, the MFA Boston’s Annual GI Shows, the Blue Foot Cafe, the Marion COA, the Judith Klein Art Gallery and the New Bedford Art Museum.
NEW Workshop
Sip & Shell Workshop
Create your own ornaments with Coastal Nomad
Saturday, December 5
1:00-3:00pm in the MAC Studio
$55 for MAC Members, $65 for nonmembers
All Levels Watercolor Painting for Adults
With Instructor Jay Ryan
2026 Sessions
Fall Session 1 - 8 weeks
Thursdays, 10:00am to 12:00pm in the MAC Studio - Two Hours
September 10 - October 29, 2026 - SOLD OUT*
Thursday Session (8 weeks, 2-Hour Classes): $215 MAC members, $255 nonmembers
One Day Drop-In (all levels welcome) THURSDAY: $35 per day
*Please contact the MAC at info@marionartcenter.org to inquire about attending a Thursday drop-in session.
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Fridays, 9:30am to 12:30pm in the MAC Studio - Three Hours
September 11 - October 30, 2026
Friday Session (8 weeks, 3-Hour Classes): $320 MAC members, $365 nonmembers
One Day Drop-In (all levels welcome) FRIDAY: $50 per day
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Fall Session 2 - 6 weeks
Thursdays, 10:00am to 12:00pm in the MAC Studio - Two Hours
November 5 - December 17, 2026 (no class Nov 26)
Thursday Session (6 weeks, 2-Hour Classes): $165 MAC members, $195 nonmembers
One Day Drop-In (all levels welcome) THURSDAY: $35 per day
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Fridays, 9:30am to 12:30pm in the MAC Studio - Three Hours
November 6 - December 18, 2026 (no class Nov 27)
Friday Session (6 weeks, 3-Hour Classes): $240 MAC members, $275 nonmembers
One Day Drop-In (all levels welcome) FRIDAY: $50 per day
Jay Ryan, Instructor
Minimum 4 students, supplies not included
Description: This course is great for those with a little painting experience and is also a perfect “next step” for those who would like to explore watercolor painting beyond a basic understanding of color and brush strokes. Using the brilliant nature of light (and dark), we’ll “push” the medium, adding other water media, brushes, and paper surfaces, and experiment with palette color mixing to capture magic and luminosity. In each class, we will start a new painting together using landscape, still life, the figure, abstract or imaginative thought, or narrative ideas as subjects. Each class will also provide a brief and supportive group “critique”. Students will leave with expanded knowledge of technique and traditional and contemporary use of watercolor.
About the Drop-In Option: Can't commit to a full session? If you'd like to join an "open paint" session guided by an instructor, this option is for you! Drop-in students should register by Wednesday at 2:00pm for the upcoming Thursday 10:00am class or Thursday at 2:00pm for the upcoming Friday 10:00am class. Drop-in registration is accepted on a week by week basis, for the upcoming class only. Space is limited and may change on a weekly basis. A MAC representative will contact drop-in students with any changes to availability or if the class has filled for the week.
To register, please fill out the form below. If the form is unavailable, that means the class is full for this week. Please email info@marionartcenter.org to inquire about drop-in for the current session.
About the Instructor: Jay Ryan is a Fairhaven painter and a Gallery Instructor at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. A former K-12 public school art teacher and administrator, Jay has studied at Massachusetts College of Art, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and Framingham State and Lesley Universities. His work has been locally shown at the Judith Klein Gallery, ArtWorks! and Gallery X in New Bedford, and the Marion Art Center.
Weaving on a Rigid Heddle Loom
Fall Session, 2026
Thursday evenings, 6:00-8:30pm in the MAC Studio
September 10 - October 8 (5 weeks)
$160 MAC members | $170 nonmembers
Plus $10 loom/equipment fee payable directly to instructor
Lisa Elliott, Instructor
Maximum 6 students
In case of cancellations, make up dates will be determined by the instructor.
Accessibility: There are several steps with handrails leading downstairs into our lower level studio.
Due to limited class size, tuition is non-refundable unless we can fill your spot.
Description: Learn a new fiber skill on a rigid heddle loom! Have you ever wanted to try weaving but not sure where to begin? In this course over five weeks, you can create and take home your very first woven project. Students will weave one of the following: a scarf, table runner, set of placemats, or set of tea towels. Looms and weaving equipment are provided for a $10 fee, but let us know if you have your own rigid heddle loom that you would like to bring to class. Students will provide their own yarns. After registering, students will contact the instructor before the first class to discuss your project and calculate the amount of appropriate yarn needed for your project. To register, please fill out the form below. 
About the Instructor: Lisa Elliott comes from a family of artists: her parents, siblings, husband, and children. She received her BFA in Graphic Design from the Rhode Island School of Design and later completed four additional semesters in weaving at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. After several years of weaving on her four-harness floor loom, where she’s currently working on rag rugs, she discovered the joy of creating wearables and home accessories on the simple rigid heddle loom. The simplicity of plain weave puts emphasis on color interactions. Finger-controlled techniques and the use of a pick-up stick can add subtle or dramatic textural details.
Writing Class: 6 Weeks, 6 Stories
Tuesday evenings, 6:30-8:30pm in the MAC Studio
Spring Session Postponed - Stay tuned!
$235 MAC members | $275 nonmembers
Sarah Banse, Instructor
Class Size: 5-10 students
In case of cancellations, make up dates will be determined by the instructor.
Accessibility: There are several steps with handrails leading downstairs into our lower level studio.
Due to limited class size, tuition is non-refundable unless we can fill your spot.
6 Weeks, 6 Stories is an opportunity to experiment with new forms and share fresh work in a supportive environment. This generative class is for anyone ready to take on a writing practice, whether you're a seasoned writer or brand new to the world of fiction. You can expect to write a new story draft (ranging from 300-1000 words) each week, and to be workshopped by the class with written feedback from the instructor. We will also look at the work of contemporary authors to create a craft toolbox that you can apply to your own work. You'll leave class with: new ideas and inspiration, six new story drafts, writing prompts to carry you forward, and a grasp of the fundamental elements of short fiction.
About the Instructor: Sarah Banse has an MFA in fiction from Emerson College where she was a Dean’s Fellow. While at Emerson, Banse was an assistant editor at Ploughshares, literary journal. She was also a senior fiction reader there for nearly a decade and wrote for their blog. Banse currently reads for The Harvard Review, for their annual contest. Find out more on her author website.
More Adult Classes
Check out our Music and Movement classes for adults through the links below!
