15 Art Classes to Boost Your Creativity in 2018

If getting creative is on your 2018 bucket list, you’ve got some impressive options in coming weeks and months. Several visual,  literary, and performance artists are teaching classes and workshops on a diverse range of topics, including flamenco dance, painting gaming miniatures, and writing flash memoirs. Some classes are free, but most have limited space. So if something catches your eye, go for it.

Improv to Sketch Comedy
Kevin McDonald of The Kids in the Hall will share strategies for generating ideas, then translating them into sketch comedy. Participants will write and perform during the 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. workshop on Sunday, February 4, at The Trunk Space. The cost is $175. Get details on the The Torch Theatre website.

The Digital Realm, Part 1
For her workshop called The Digital Realm, Part 1: Filming & Editing, Phoenix-based artist Jenny Gerena will share filming and editing techniques using Final Cut Pro software, and help participants explore their own film design aesthetic. The workshop meets from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays from February 6, to March 20. at Mesa Arts Center. The cost is $60. Julie Akerly will teach the Part II workshop starting in late March. Learn more on the [nueBOX] website.

Painting Gaming Miniatures 101
Phoenix artist Dain Q. Gore will share a brief history of gaming miniatures and techniques for painting the miniatures, with a focus on painting armor. Everyone will get a single miniature to paint, with supplies provided, at the Sunday, February 11, workshop happening from 1 to 4 p.m. at Puppet Pie. One purchase required for each participant. Find more information on the Puppet Pie website.

Jewelry Making with Gem Stones
Learn how textures and patinas transform metal and gemstones into wearable works of art with Phoenix-based artist Alex Ozers, founder of a creative enterprise called From the Reliquary. His Saturday, February 17, workshop runs from 2 to 4 p.m. The cost is $50. Get details on the Practical Art website.

Papermaking
Emily Ritter will be teaching participants how to make paper from recyclables, as well as various methods for hand-making paper. Her Saturday, February 17, workshop runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The cost is $60. Find more information on the Xico Arte y Cultura website.

Creative Collage
Learn to create collage art using paper, paint, stamps, and stencils during this class taught by Sue Hunter. Classes meet from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, from March 6 to April 17. The cost is $245. Learn more on the Shemer Art Center website.

Hand-Coloring Photographs
Spend four days with artist Kate Breakey, who specializes in large-scale, hand-colored photographs. She’ll be introducing diverse materials and techniques used to hand-color photographs, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 15, to Sunday, March 18. The cost is $900. Get details on the Art Intersection website.

Hand-Built Pottery
Jesse Armstrong, a ceramic artist represented by Calvin Charles Gallery, will share tips and techniques for hand-building pottery, during this class that runs from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays, from March 21 to May 9. The cost is $202. Find more information on the Mesa Arts Center website.

Find the Story You Need to Write
Try a hands-on workshop filled with writing prompts, inspiration, and techniques for finding stories in your own life, as well at the experience of others. The class with Colorado writer John Calderazzo happens from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, March 23. The cost is $119. Get more information on The Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing website.

Text and Image Zines
Learn art-making techniques from Phoenix artist Annie Lopez, whose work explores her immigrant roots and Latino identity, while creating your own hand-stitched zine with art, text, and printed materials. The free event takes place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 6. Learn more on the Tempe Center for the Arts website.

Let Your Memoir Be Your Resistance
Through discussion and writing, participants will explore ways their own stories related to national issues and changes in society. The class with Yvette Johnson, executive director of the Booker Wright Project, take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Mondays, March 26 to April 9. The cost is $149. Find details on The Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing website.

The Meaningful Portrait
Phoenix photographer Marilyn Szabo, whose work has been exhibited for more than three decades, is teaching a class on portrait photography, which takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 21. The cost is $121. Learn more on the Mesa Arts Center website.

Beginning Flamenco
Try your hand at Flamenco dance with Angelina Ramirez, founder and artistic director for Flamenco Por La Vida. She’ll start a new five-week session on Monday, April 30, at Phoenix Center for the Arts. Classes are $15 each or $65 for five classes. Learn more on the Flamenco Por La Vida website.

Approaching a Clay Narrative
Washington-based artist Patti Warashina, whose five decades of ceramic work has focused on the female form, will demonstrate methods and techniques for pinching, slab-building, and using molds. The workshop happens from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, May 12 and 13. Get details on the Mesa Arts Center website.

Tiny Package, Big Punch
For Tiny Package, Big Punch: Flash Memoir and the Art of Concision, Phoenix Poet Laureate Rosemarie Dombrowski will explore the art of writing 750-word stories, and share important elements of both traditional memoirs and flash memoirs. The class meets Wednesdays, May 16 and 23, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The cost is $95. Find details on The Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing website.