The Visual Arts Center of New Jersey offers classes and workshops in ceramics, sculpture, printmaking, jewelry, digital media, photography, drawing and painting. The building includes nine state-of-the-art studios.

STUDIO 1
Ceramics
Studio 1 is a fully equipped Ceramics studio for both wheel-throwing and hand building. Ceramics classes and workshops are offered throughout the year to students of all ages and levels. Occasionally, workshops are offered in specialized firing techniques. Studio 1 includes:

• fourteen Brent potter’s wheels
• two Bailey extruders and a Bailey slab roller
• an assortment of studio-mixed glazes
• large windows offering excellent natural light
• a large sink for easy clean-up
• ample shelf space to store works.

Tool kits and three clay bodies (White Stoneware, Warm Brown Stoneware, Brooklyn Red Stoneware and Raku) are available for purchase.

View Ceramics Classes and Workshops


Kiln Room
The Kiln Room is located between Studios 1 and 2 and includes:

• two 8 square-foot electric kilns for glazing, sculpture and low firing
• one 24 square-foot Fredrickson refrigerator kiln used primarily for glaze firing

The Kiln staff has a dozen experienced workers and two glaze makers. The staff fires the kilns several times a week, as needed, and also mixes the glazes.


STUDIO 2
Sculpture
Studio 2 is the Art Center’s Sculpture Studio. Several sculpture classes are offered throughout the year; students sculpt with both clay and stone. Studio 2 features:

• four 20-foot floor-to-ceiling windows providing ample natural light
• adjustable-height sculpting tables for each student
• revolving stand for live models allowing students to view all sides of their subject without moving
• three air compressors with pneumatic tools for stone carving
• several bench grinders for stone workers
• a spray booth for glazes and special finishes with a full exhaust system.

View Sculpture Classes 


STUDIO 3
Multi-Use
Studio 3 is a multifunctional studio primarily used for Watercolor, Papermaking and Kids’ classes and also accommodates many of the Art Center’s Outreach programs and art birthday parties. Studio 3 includes:

• a 20-foot floor-to-ceiling window for ample natural lighy
• a professional overhead demonstration mirror for instructors to teach on a flat surface and be visible to all students
• paper-making equipment, including tubs, screens, and fibers
• a sink for easy clean-up and drying racks

STUDIO 4
Printmaking
Several printmaking classes and workshops are offered throughout the year in both monoprint and etching for all levels. Studio 4 is a fully equipped and ventilated Printmaking Studio containing:

• two Charles Brand printing presses (32” x 48” and 17” x 30”)
• high quality Handschy and Sharbenel litho inks (both oil and water-based in a variety of colors) and solvents
• a paper wetting tray with screen for preparing papers to print
• a tabletop glass palette for mixing ink
• printing blankets, foam cushions and two large viscosity ink rollers (hard and soft) for monoprinting and etching
• large windows for natural light and two large sinks for easy clean-up

A separate Etching Room within Studio 4 includes:

• etching medium for both copper and zinc plate etching
• a ventilated acid box and an Aquatint box for tonal work
• an emergency wash station

View Printmaking Classses and Workshops


STUDIO 5
Jewelry
Jewelry classes and workshops are offered throughout the year for all levels; specialized techniques – enameling, precious metal clay, wax work and lampwork beadmaking – are occasionally offered. Studio 5 is a fully equipped Jewelry Studio with:
• 14 jewelry work stations, each with a Gesswein flexible shaft and personal lighting

• four acetylene blowtorches
• tools – including hammers, saws, pliers, solder, flux, pickle and files
• two wheel polishers with four types of polish: Bobbing, Tripoli, White Diamond, Rouge
• alcohol lamps and tools for wax work
• pitch pots for repousee
• two rolling mills for resizing and texture
• ram press and hydraulic press for forming
• separate hammering room, complete with anvil, drill press and large metal sheet cutter
• full exhaust system, fire blankets and eye protection

View Jewelry Classes and Workshops


STUDIOS 6A & 6B
Digital Media
Digital media and digital photography classes and workshops are offered throughout the year to students of all ages and levels. Studios 6A and 6B are state-of-the-art Digital Labs featuring:

• 16 computer stations with Mac G5 computers and 20” cinema screens with the following programs: Adobe CS4 Photoshop and Bridge, Adobe Lightroom 2, Adobe CS3 Design (Photoshop, Illustrator InDesign, Bridge Dreamweaver, Flash, Acrobat), and Apple iLife (iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD)
• a printer at each station, plus two large-format printers
• two Nikon 5000 and two 9000 film scanners for slides
• 35mm and medium format film and Microtek and three Epson flatbed scanners

The Art Center uses Epson Ultra Chrome K3 inks and Epson photo-quality papers. Lessons are projected from a workstation onto a large screen at the front of the studio.

View Photography & Digital Media Classes and Workshops


STUDIO 7
Multi-Use
Studio 7 is spilt into a multi-use front room and photography studio space. The front room contains:

• tabletop work surface
• a light table and light box
• matte cutter
• dry mounting/laminating press
• ample table space and wide photography backdrops (black, grey and white)

STUDIOS 8 & 9
Drawing & Painting
Drawing and Painting classes and workshops are the Art Center’s most popular offerings.
Studios 8 and 9 are the Art Center’s Drawing and Painting Studios, featuring:

• high ceilings and large windows for natural lighting
• an accordion partition between the studios can be opened to create an 1,800 square-foot space
• six-foot adjustable wooden easels for each student
• wash sink and drying racks
• a variety of objects and drapery for still-life portraits
• extra spotlighting for still-life portraits

Professional life models (both nude and clothed), who pose on a moveable, raised model platform, are also utilized.

View Drawing & Painting Classes and Workshops