The Visual Arts Center of New Jersey’s Studio School, located in Summit, NJ, offers classes and workshops for artists of all ages and skill levels. Taught by experienced teaching artists, our programs span painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, photography, and more—providing a supportive environment for learning, exploration, and creative growth.

SUMMER SEMESTER 2026

Adult Workshops

8683/8693 Encaustic for All
Instructor: Chase Cantwell
Explore encaustic, the art of painting with molten beeswax mixed with colored pigments and resin. This unusual medium provides results like no other with mysterious, deep, and translucent colors. Experiment with techniques such as layering, fusing, and incising. Safe handling of materials will also be covered. No experience necessary. Some materials provided. Please review additional materials to purchase for the workshop on our website.
8683 Saturday, 7/25, 10 AM–4 PM
8693 Saturday, 8/15, 10 AM–4 PM
Tuition: $137
Materials fee: $50

8685 NEW! Fabricating Spoons
Instructor: Sue Sachs
Students will explore a variety of metal techniques such as dapping, forging, and soldering, while fabricating spoons ranging in size from baby spoons to serving pieces. The instructor will provide demonstrations on how to embellish the utensil using stones or appliqué designs. Each student will make their own unique eating or serving spoon using brass, copper, or sterling silver. Brass and copper metal is included in the materials fee and provided by the Art Center. Students who wish to work in sterling silver must supply their own 18-gauge sheet, a minimum of 3”x3”, or wire of 12, 14, 16 gauge (at least 1 foot).
Sunday, 7/26, 10 AM–4 PM
Tuition: $137
Materials fee: $42

8687 NEW! Cut & Paste: Collage Beach Scene
Instructor: Kat Block
Make it a beach day! Join us in this one-day workshop where students will bring a beach scene to life using a variety of materials! The instructor will provide students with knowledge of techniques for composition and layering. Then, students will tear, cut, and paste different kinds of paper (scrap, tissue, metallic, pastel, and painted watercolor) and use glue to paste together their own unique beach scene.
Sunday, 7/26, 10 AM–2 PM
Tuition: $110
Materials fee: $30

8686 NEW! Introduction to Tapestry Weaving
Instructor: Madeleine Johnson
In this two-part workshop, students will immerse themselves in the ancient art of tapestry weaving by learning how to set up a frame loom to create colorful wall hangings of their very own! Guided by the instructor, students will explore weaving techniques, knot-tying, pattern-making, and more to fulfill their creative visions! Students are invited to bring in any fiber materials they wish to include in their tapestry project.
Sundays, 7/26 & 8/2, 10 AM–4 PM
Tuition: $262
Materials fee: $42

8688 NEW! Ideas and Art Making in Mixed Media
Instructor: Jim Brown
This immersive mixed media workshop invites students to explore the full creative journey—from concept to completion—while producing a finished, small-scale artwork. Working on compact cradled panels with raised edges (½”–1”), students will enjoy both structure and creative freedom, making the project achievable within this two-day workshop. Students will be able to incorporate a variety of materials into their piece, such as wood, feathers, wire, etc. The workshop balances hands-on experimentation with thoughtful guidance, empowering students to transform ideas into expressive, well-crafted pieces using materials of their choice. Students are encouraged to bring their own found objects they wish to incorporate into their piece.
Saturday & Sunday, 8/1 & 8/2, 10 AM–4 PM
Tuition: $262
Materials fee: $38

8689 Practical Color Theory
Instructor: Sandy Ruda
Expand your knowledge of color theory and become a more confident painter! Learn about color schemes and gain hands-on practice with color mixing. Terms such as hue, value, saturation, and temperature will be discussed as they relate to painting. Through demonstrated step-by-step exercises, we will put all of these concepts into practice as we study the most common problems artists face when choosing and mixing colors. Although we will be working with acrylic paints in this workshop, artists of any color medium, such as oils, pastels, colored pencil, and watercolor, will benefit from what will be covered. Please bring a notepad, pen, and a color wheel (if you have one) on the day of the workshop.
Sunday, 8/2, 10 AM–2 PM
Tuition: $110
Materials fee: $34

8690 Linoleum Block Printing
Instructor: Drew Maillard
Learn relief printing from start to finish. Through instructor demonstration and hands–on experience, students design, cut, and print a linoleum block print. We cover troubleshooting and fixing common printmaking problems, as well as creating finished proofs and editions.
Sunday, 8/9, 10 AM–4 PM
Tuition: $137
Materials fee: $32

8692 Sunflower Watercolor Painting
Instructor: Kat Block
Warm up your watercolor painting skills in this one-day workshop! Students will learn how to create a composition, draw in perspective, make tonal variation, and more to depict a beautiful, bright sunflower. The instructor will provide step-by-step demonstrations and support to each student along the way.
Sunday, 8/9, 10 AM–2 PM
Tuition: $110
Materials fee: $27

8691 Techniques in Water-Mixable Oil Paint
Instructor: Traci Zaretzka
Have you wanted to try painting with oils, but don’t want to work with solvents? Water–mixable oil paints are traditional oil paints with an additive that allows them to mix with water and can be cleaned up with soap and water. In this two-day workshop, students will explore the beauty of oil painting through learning the traditional oil painting techniques of painting wet-on-wet, glazing over a grisaille (gray-scale) painting, and painting in impasto using a palette knife. You will learn how to mix colors and when to thin paint with water vs. oil.
Sundays, 8/9 & 8/16, 10 AM–4 PM
Tuition: $262

8694 Pen & Ink Drawing
Instructor: Drew Maillard
Explore pen & ink as a drawing medium. Start with value and texture exercises and continue to simple drawings. Experiment with different pen & ink drawing tools brought by the instructor, such as dip-quill pens and brush pens.
Sunday, 8/16, 10 AM–4 PM
Tuition: $137
Materials fee: $16

8696 Creating Realistic Flowers in Polymer Clay
Instructor: Pooja Dhawan
Learn the art of creating realistic flowers that will never wither! Students will form, cut, texture, and color air-dry polymer clay into individual, realistic flowers in this exciting one–day workshop.
Sunday, 8/16, 10 AM–4 PM
Tuition: $137
Materials fee: $30

8695 Introduction to Hand Sewing: Make a Zipper Pouch!
Instructor: Jacklyn Hummer
Enjoy selecting a zipper pouch pattern and creating it all by hand with simple sewing tricks and techniques. The workshop will start off by creating the same pouch to understand the technique, and then, create a second pouch of their choosing from the options of templates. Simple techniques of how to sew a zipper and create an inner liner for your pouch will all be taught.
Sunday, 8/16, 10 AM–4 PM
Tuition: $137
Materials fee: $28

8697 The Art of Collagraph Printmaking
Instructor: Andrea Epstein
Collagraph is a unique process of collaging with a variety of textures and materials to create a plate from which a one-of-a-kind print is pulled. In this two-day workshop, students will explore different techniques and skills to create their own collagraph prints. The instructor will provide demonstrations on dried and coated collagraphs that can be printed with both intaglio and relief techniques to make striking graphic images. On the first day, students will create their collagraph utilizing a variety of materials, textures, and glues. On the second day, students will experiment with various inking and printing methods. Some materials provided.
Saturday & Sunday, 8/22 & 8/23, 10 AM–4 PM
Tuition: $262
Materials fee: $40

8698 Drawing in Perspective
Instructor: Drew Maillard
Want to add depth and realism to your drawing and painting? Learn step–by–step to draw one–, two–, and three–point perspective; measure in perspective; and how to achieve uniform proportions throughout a drawing. Follow along with the instructor through various exercises for hands–on learning.
Sunday, 8/23, 10 AM–4 PM
Tuition: $137