The Vita Arts Center offers studio classes in a wide range of visual arts. Whether you are a novice or professional the Vita Art Center has a class just right for you. Your space in a class cannot be confirmed until payment is received or payment arrangements are made with the office.
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CERAMICS • DRAWING • PAINTING • METALSMITHING • FIGURE DRAWING •….
Adults
Saturday,June 28, 2-4pm
$45. per person
Pre-Registration Required
Instructor: Maia Landau
Learn how to capture high-quality images of your artwork in this hands-on photography workshop designed for artists. We’ll cover simple techniques using natural light and an iPhone, as well as more advanced methods with studio lighting and a DSLR camera. The workshop will also introduce basic post-processing tools to help you optimize your images for web, social media, and print—essential skills for promoting your work professionally. No prior photography experience required.
Sunday, June 29
Instructor: Jem Morris
Time: 9am-12pm
Adults
$45.
supplies not included Click on image for suggested supply list
Join us for Plein Air Ventura, a monthly outdoor painting workshop led by artist Jem Morris. Each session, students will meet at a different scenic location in Ventura, providing a fresh and inspiring setting to refine their plein air painting skills. The location will be disclosed upon registration.
Through expert guidance, Jem will share tips and techniques for capturing light, atmosphere, and composition in the ever-changing outdoor environment. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced painter, this workshop offers the opportunity to enhance your artistic practice, develop confidence in painting en plein air, and connect with fellow artists in a supportive and engaging setting.
Come explore Ventura’s beauty and paint the landscape before you!
Wednesdays, 6-8:00pm
6/18-Felting, abstract painting with fibers
6/25-Enameling, Mushroom Charms
7/2-Felting, Story Book Art
7/9-Enameling, Butterfly Charms
7/16-Felting, Succulents
7/23-Enameling, Flower Charms
7/30-Felting, Jellyfish
8/7-Enameling Leaves
$20. per person
Pre-Registration Required
Ages 8 thru Adult
Youth ages 8 -12 must be accompanied with a registered adult
Instructor: Michelle Wilson-Petit
Join us Wednesday evenings for a fun and creative community art class for ages 8 and up! Each week will alternate between hands-on felting and enameling projects, offering participants the chance to explore both soft and metal-based materials while learning new techniques. Whether you're new to these crafts or looking to deepen your skills, this class provides a welcoming space to create and connect. Children ages 12 and under must be accompanied by a registered adult. All materials included.
• Adults
• Saturday, June 21, 3-5pm
• $25. per person
• Pre-Registration Required
• Instructor: Laura Mullen
Experience the powerful connection between art and language in this immersive poetry workshop led by acclaimed poet Laura Mullen. The session begins in the gallery with slow looking, a contemplative practice that encourages deep observation and personal engagement with the artwork. As participants take time to explore the visual world of the exhibition, they will gather impressions, emotions, and ideas to fuel their writing.
Guided by Laura Mullen, participants will dive into Ekphrastic poetry—poetry that responds to visual art. Working with questions that emerge from our experience of the artworks, we’ll immerse ourselves in a responsive practice that blurs critical and creative modes. In this workshop session we’ll use the practice of slow-looking, as well as suggested prompts and exercises to generate new modes, approaches, and strategies for writing “about” artworks, working both individually and in brief, comfortable, collaborations. Participants should plan to bring writing instruments (whatever mode you work well in) and a playful, process-oriented spirit to this engagement with the artworks on display. Note: while there’s a poetry slant here, all genres of writing are welcome.
Current Exhibits include:
SKY: Adam Belt, Russell Crotty, Linda Ekstrom, Joanne Julian, Jon Ng Jacqueline Woods, Stephanie Washburn
Linda Ekstrom: Starry Offerings
Gwynn Murrill: Ceramics
Adults
Saturday, June 22, 2:30-5pm
$45. per person
Pre-Registration Required
Instructor: Maia Landau
Explore the magic of sunlight and chemistry in this hands-on cyanotype workshop! Participants will learn the basics of this historic photographic process and create beautiful blue-and-white prints on cotton dish towels provided in class. Using natural objects, stencils, or personal transparencies, you'll design and expose your own unique patterns on fabric. Perfect for beginners and artists of all levels, this workshop offers a fun, creative way to experiment with one of the oldest forms of photography. All materials included.
Fridays, April 25 - May 30
Instructor: Jem Morris
Time: 11am-2pm
$250. (supplies included) for 6 classes
Canvases not included,
Students need (2x) 9x12 Canvas Board
Join us for a dynamic six-day program designed to immerse you in both traditional and contemporary oil painting techniques. This comprehensive course will guide you through creating a small color study and culminate in a large, finished landscape painting. Through a blend of engaging lectures, live demonstrations, and personalized feedback, you’ll master the art of planning, preparing, and completing a landscape in oil. Emphasizing the creative process, this class offers a unique opportunity to develop your skills and produce a completed work of art.
Thursdays, June 5 through July 10
Instructor: Michelle Wilson
Time: 6-8:30pm
$315 for 6 classes
Materials included
Limited to 8 students
Explore the fundamentals of metalsmithing through jewelry making. We will learn the basics of sawing, filing, and soldering nonferrous metals. We’ll experiment with stamping, hammering, and finishing techniques. Students will leave with finished pieces, and a foundation in jewelry and metalsmithing.
Saturdays, June 7 through July 12
Instructor: Michelle Wilson
Time: 10-12:30pm
$315 for 6 classes
Materials included
Limited to 8 students
Explore the fundamentals of metalsmithing through jewelry making. We will learn the basics of sawing, filing, and soldering nonferrous metals. We’ll experiment with stamping, hammering, and finishing techniques. Students will leave with finished pieces, and a foundation in jewelry and metalsmithing.
Wednesdays, July 2 - August. 8, 2024
Instructor: Jem Morris
Time: 6-8:30
$250. (includes supplies) for 6 Classes
Canvases not included
Students will need (2x) 9x12 Canvas Board
6-8:30 pm
Discover the timeless art of oil painting in our upcoming class at Vita Art Center. This course is dedicated to teaching the fundamentals of oil painting through a traditional approach, ideal for beginners and those looking to refine their skills. You will explore classic techniques, from mastering brushwork and color mixing to understanding composition and light. Through guided instruction, demonstrations, and hands-on practice, you’ll gain a solid foundation in oil painting that will serve as a stepping stone for your artistic journey. Join us and unlock the beauty of this enduring medium.
Thursdays, 6-8:30
May 15-June 12
June 19-July 17
July 24-Aug 21
Instructor: Lee Ballard
Time: 6-8:30pm
Adults
$125 for 5 class session
Drawing materials not included
Figure drawing is used to heighten skills of observation. Simple tools are taught which help students see the relationships of forms, shapes and values to each other and to the whole. Underlying anatomy is discussed to support the structure of the drawing. Students will draw from a nude model during this course.
Suggested materials include: 18”x24” smooth newsprint or 18”x24” smooth paper, carbathello charcoal pencil or any medium charcoal pencil, drawing board and kneaded eraser.
DROP-INS call to check availability.
CERAMIC CLASSES
Sundays, May 11 - June 29, 8 classes
Instructor: Thomas Weber
Time: 10am-1pm
$240. + $25. Per bag of clay + $35. tool kit
If you already have a tool kit, use the discount code NOTOOLS at checkout to deduct the $35. fee.
Bring a small towel or rag and an apron to each class
Classes are limited to 10 students
This class will cover hand-building techniques such as pinching, coil building, slab building, carving and glazing. With the use of carving tools, slab roller, and extruder students will build their own projects of both functional and/or sculptural nature. Two hours per week of open studio hours are included with the class.
Wednesdays, Jun 11 - Aug 13, 2025
Instructor: Kristen Clawson
Time: 6-8:30pm
Fees: $350. per 10 class session ($35. per class)
$25. for first 25 lb. bag of clay, (included in the price)
$35. for your own personal tool kit , (included in the price)
If you have your own tool kit use the discount code NOTOOLS at checkout
Payment option available $150 per month for 3 month.
Bring a small towel or rag and an apron to your classes
Classes are limited to 10 students
This is the perfect class for beginners and intermediate level students who would like to learn or perfect their skills on the potter’s wheel. 3 hours studio time per week is available for students to work independently. Glazes and firing included. Additional clay can be purchased from Vita.
Thursdays, June 26-August. 28
Instructor: Wyn Matthews
Time: 6-8:30pm
Fees: $350. per 10 class session ($35. per class)
$25. for first 25 lb. bag of clay, (included in the price)
$35. for your own personal tool kit , (included in the price)
If you have your own tool kit use the discount code NOTOOLS at checkout
Payment option available $150 per month for 3 month.
Bring a small towel or rag and an apron to your classes
Classes are limited to 9 students
This is the perfect class for beginners and intermediate level students who would like to learn or perfect their skills on the potter’s wheel. 3 hours studio time per week is available for students to work independently. Glazes and firing included. Additional clay can be purchased from Vita.
Saturdays, June 28 - August. 30
Instructor: Wyn Matthews
Time: 10:30-1pm
Fees: $350. per 10 class session ($35. per class)
$25. for first 25 lb. bag of clay, (included in the price)
$35. for your own personal tool kit , (included in the price)
If you have your own tool kit use the discount code NOTOOLS at checkout
Payment option available $150 per month for 3 month.
Bring a small towel or rag and an apron to your classes
Classes are limited to 9 students
This is the perfect class for beginners and intermediate level students who would like to learn or perfect their skills on the potter’s wheel. 3 hours studio time per week is available for students to work independently. Glazes and firing included. Additional clay can be purchased from Vita.