Workshops
The VBMA will have a full schedule of classes and workshops throughout the Winter Term, available both weekdays and weekends. A variety of five- and ten-week sessions will be available in a wide array of mediums and topics.
Explore Course Offerings
- Physical brochures will be available at the museum soon!
- Click here to view the 2025 Winter Term Digital Brochure!
- Click here to view the 2025 Spring Term Digital Brochure!
- Click here for 2025 WINTER CLASS OFFERINGS
- Click here for CORK CANVAS AND COMPANY OFFERINGS
- Click here for INSTRUCTOR BIOGRAPHIES
2025 WINTER TERM REGISTRATION INFORMATION
2025 Winter Term Registration Information
Workshops from January 6 – March 15, 2024
Registration Information
2025 Winter Term registration opens Monday, November 25, 2024. Register online at www.vbmuseum.org. All registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Instructors
VBMA instructors are experienced teachers with rich education and studio backgrounds in addition to being professional artists. Click here for instructor biographies.
Materials
Tuition does not cover the cost of materials used for students’ own production unless stated otherwise. Materials lists for each course or workshop are available on the website.
Cancellations
Courses are canceled if minimum enrollment is not met. If a course is canceled, the VBMA will inform students one week in advance to offer a refund or a transfer to another course.
Workshop Refund Policy
Refund requests must be made through the education department at least two weeks prior to the first day of the workshop. A $25 administrative fee will be assessed on all refunds.
NEW Mugs! Mugs! Mugs!
Sandy Bachmann
All levels
During this 2-day workshop students will create a mug with handle, from a slab of clay and use various textures, stamps and molds to decorate the mug as you wish. Students will return to paint on the glaze and get it ready for the final firing. All materials will be supplied, but feel free to bring your apron and any preferred tools you may have. Students are encouraged to bring images for inspiration. Skills learned are how to work with a clay slab, attach decorations (sprigs), the different stages of ceramic making, and working with glazes and underglazes. All materials are included.
Workshop meets January 13 and 27, 2025
Mondays, 1:30 – 4:30 pm
Location: VBMA Studio 5
#25WWS-02 $100 (VBMA members $85)
REGISTRATION IS CLOSED FOR THIS WORKSHOP
NEW Abstracting Nature
Monique Carr
All levels
Students will take the plunge into abstraction by taking their floral and seascape with clouds paintings to new and exciting directions! The instructor will teach painting loosely with confidence and will help students discover their unique style. Students will discover possibilities with new tools, be open to imagination, and learn to trust intuitions (instead of copying a photo). And most of all…students will have FUN in the process! Click here for recommended supply list.
Workshop meets January 25 – 26, 2025
Saturday – Sunday, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: VBMA Studios 2 and 3
#25WWS-06 $350 (VBMA members $295)
NEW Chip and Dip Set
Sandy Bachmann
All levels
In this all-level, 2-session workshop you will create a spiral shaped chip and dip set, from a slab of clay and use various textures, stamps and molds to decorate the set as you wish. Once it is bisque fired, you will return to paint on the glaze and get it ready for the final firing. All materials will be supplied, but feel free to bring your apron and any preferred tools you may have. Students are encouraged to bring images for inspiration. Skills learned are how to work with a clay slab, attach decorations (sprigs), the different stages of ceramic making, and working with glazes and underglazes. All materials are included.
Workshop meets February 3 and 17, 2025
Mondays, 1:30 – 4:30 pm
Location: VBMA Studio 5
#25WWS-03 $85 (VBMA members $70)
Register for #25WWS-03
Painting Into Abstraction
Marianne Mitchell
Intermediate level
This workshop focuses on accessing personal expression in abstraction and understanding how to use visual language. The instructor will introduce students to starting a painting in “Reckless Abandon” and gain clarity about their abstract voice through demonstrations and discussions emphasizing the interrelationship between emotional expression, composition, and painting technique. Oil paint will be used for demos and technical discussions. Other painting mediums welcome. Click here for recommended supply list.
Workshop meets February 14 – 16, 2025
Friday – Sunday, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: VBMA Studios 2 and 3
#25WWS-07 $510 (VBMA members $430)
Register for #25WWS-07
Expressive Explorations Abstract Painting
Vickie Marsango
All levels
An exploratory abstract painting experience for artists of all levels to discover and enhance basic techniques of non-objective mark-making media and acrylic painting through an innovative approach to color and composition. Artists will strengthen expressive painting practices through creative exercises and painting assignments merged with artist studies, color harmony, compositional balance, and spontaneity. Students are encouraged to explore their individuality. Beneficial for anyone interested in taking risks with their painting, and for artists who want to strengthen their own voice and confidence as a painter. Click here for recommended supply list.
Workshop meets February 21 – 23, 2025
Friday – Sunday, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: VBMA Studios 2 and 3
#25WWS-08 $510 (VBMA members $430)
Register for #25WWS-08
NEW Fish Wall Plaque
Sandy Bachmann
All levels
In this all-level, 2-session workshop you will create an adorable fish plaque to hang on a wall. Starting with a slab of clay, you will use various textures, stamps and tools to decorate the fish as you wish. Once it is bisque fired, you will return to paint on the glaze and get it ready for the final firing. All materials will be supplied, but feel free to bring your apron and any preferred tools you may have. Students are encouraged to bring images for inspiration. Skills learned are how to work with a clay slab, attach decorations (sprigs), the different stages of ceramic making, and working with glazes and underglazes. All materials are included.
Workshop meets February 24 and March 10, 2025
Mondays, 1:30 – 4:30 pm
Location: VBMA Studio 5
#25WWS-04 $100 (VBMA members $85)
Register for #25WWS-04
NEW Painting People in Oil Workshop
Douglas David
All levels
This workshop focuses on painting people in various environments—at play, at work, on the beach, or in everyday scenes. Students will learn basic oil painting principles, including composition, building form, light and shadow, and how to know when a painting is finished. Participants will work from photos provided by the instructor using their own style. The instructor will introduce the DuMond palette for mixing skin tones and offer personalized instruction and demos to help students progress comfortably. Students will bring a sketchbook and enjoy hands-on learning and storytelling. Click here for recommended supply list.
Workshop meets February 28 – March 2, 2025
Friday – Sunday, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: VBMA Studios 2 and 3
#25WWS-09 $510 (VBMA members $430)
Register for #25WWS-09
NEW Painting the Portrait from Life
Katherine Galbraith
Intermediate to advanced levels
This workshop focuses on training the eye to see accurate relationships and translate them into paint, creating a beautiful painting that is also a portrait. Special attention will be given to intent, gesture, line, and edges. The goal
is for each student to understand the planes of the face and figure, as well as the values and temperatures of skin tones, to accurately express the model as they perceive him or her. Click here for recommended supply list.
Workshop meets March 14 – 16, 2025
Friday – Sunday, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: VBMA Studios 2 and 3
#25WWS-10 $510 (VBMA members $430)
Register for #25WWS-10
2025 SPRING TERM REGISTRATION INFORMATION
2025 Spring Term Registration Information
Workshops from March 17 – May 24, 2025
Registration Information
2025 Spring Term registration opens Monday, February 3, 2025. Register online at www.vbmuseum.org. All registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Instructors
VBMA instructors are experienced teachers with rich education and studio backgrounds in addition to being professional artists. Click here for instructor biographies.
Materials
Tuition does not cover the cost of materials used for students’ own production unless stated otherwise. Material lists for each course or workshop are available on the website.
Cancellations
Courses are canceled if minimum enrollment is not met. If a course is canceled, the VBMA will inform students one week in advance to offer a refund or a transfer to another course.
Guest Policy
We regret that we are unable to accommodate guests in any art studio, humanities, or film class.
Waiting Lists
The Education Department maintains waiting lists for all filled classes. Please contact the VBMA to be placed on a waiting list. No deposit is necessary to hold a space.
Workshop Refund Policy
Refund requests must be made through the education department at least two weeks prior to the first day of the workshop. A $25 administrative fee will be assessed on all refunds.
NEW Textured Orchid Wall Pot
Sandy Bachmann
All levels
This two-session clay workshop guides students in creating a wall pot from a clay slab, perfect for orchids or other
plants. The design can include holes ideal for orchid roots and optional textures or molds for decoration. Participants
may also bring personal texture items, like lace. After the bisque firing, students will glaze their pieces for the final
firing. The class covers slab construction, sprig decoration, and the differences between glazes and underglazes.
Materials are provided; personal tools and an apron are optional.
Workshop meets March 17 and 31, 2025
Mondays, 1:30 – 4:30 pm
Location: VBMA Studio 5
#25SWS-01 $100 (VBMA members $85)
NEW Let Go and Let It Flow with Watercolor
Alan James
All levels
This watercolor workshop is designed for students who want to learn the process of how to loosen up and paint with confidence. In this workshop, the instructor will share all of the secrets of what he calls “Let Go and Let It Flow” which is the process of utilizing big brushstrokes loosely and freely. Through step-by-step demonstrations and one-on-one guidance, the instructor will guide students on how to take initial inspirations through the process of creating an expressive painting that is strong in both composition and content. Click here for recommended supply list.
Workshop meets March 21 – 23, 2025
Friday – Sunday, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: VBMA Studio 1
#25SWS-04 $510 (VBMA members $430)
Register for #25SWS-04
Seascapes, Beaches, and Dunes in Oil
Douglas David
All levels
This workshop will cover the basic principles of oil painting with regard to seascapes, beaches, and dunes. The students will learn how to build the wave, capture the motion of the sea, and better understand the colors in the sand. Photos to paint from will be provided and each day’s demo will include simple discussions on composition, massing, building form, light and shadow, near and far, capturing and developing atmospheric distance, and learning how to not overwork the painting. The instructor will go over capturing the time of day, atmosphere, the break of the wave, and the various atmospheric conditions. Students will produce several studies and one to two larger paintings. Click here for recommended supply list.
Workshop meets April 4 – 6, 2025
Friday – Sunday, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: VBMA Studios 2 and 3
#25SWS-05 $510 (VBMA members $430)
NEW Hurricane Cross
Sandy Bachmann
All levels
This two-session workshop invites students to craft a decorative hanging piece from a clay slab, inspired by the
legend of the Hurricane Cross, believed to protect homes from hurricane damage. Participants can choose from a
cross, heart, or plaque design and will receive a poem explaining the legend. Various textures will be provided, with
the option to bring personal items like lace for added detail. After bisque firing, students will glaze their pieces for the
final firing. The workshop covers slab construction, sprig decoration, and the use of glazes and underglazes.
Materials are provided; personal tools and an apron are optional.
Workshop meets April 7 and 21, 2025
Mondays, 1:30 – 4:30 pm
Location: VBMA Studio 5
#25SWS-02 $100 (VBMA members $85)
NEW Pinched Snack Bowl with Critters
Sandy Bachmann
All levels
In this two-session clay workshop, students will use the pinching method to create a snack or trinket bowl, with the
option to sculpt a critter to adorn it. Bowls can feature one or multiple sections. Participants are encouraged to bring
reference images of their chosen critter for sculpting. Textures and molds will be available, or students can bring
personal items to add unique details. After bisque firing, students will glaze their creations for the final firing. The
workshop covers clay pinching, decoration attachment, and the use of glazes and underglazes. Materials are
provided; personal tools and an apron are optional.
Workshop meets May 5 and 19, 2025
Mondays, 1:30 – 4:30 pm
Location: VBMA Studio 5
#25SWS-03 $100 (VBMA members $85)
NEW Painting Realistic Flowers in Oil
Christina Grace Mastrangelo
Intermediate to advanced levels
Students will learn how to paint realistic petals and leaves in oil paint and will work from a teacher-supplied photo reference to slowly examine the structure and light on each bloom. They will also learn dependable wash drawing techniques, how to mix and match colors accurately, and receive targeted critiques to enhance their individual progress. All levels are welcome, though some painting experience is recommended. All are invited to learn, paint, and enjoy the beauty of flowers in this immersive workshop. Click here for recommended supply list.
Workshop meets April 25 – 27, 2025
Friday – Sunday, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: VBMA Studios 2 and 3
#25SWS-06 $510 (VBMA members $430)
