The Farmington Valley Arts Center in Avon, Connecticut, is a place for kids of all ages to have fun, meet new friends, and participate in arts experiences that encourage creativity and development of new skills.

Whether you’re the parent of a preschooler or a teen, you’ll find classes in our line-up will foster your child’s artistic abilities. Download the Course Catalog for complete listings, including these exciting new offerings for 2013:

Claymation for Aspiring Directors
Mixed Media Art from Nature
Abstract Painting
Mixed Media/Painting, Collage, Assemblage
Let Them Eat Cake! Still Life Techniques

ART CLASSES FOR KIDS & TEENS AGES 8-17

MONDAY

Mixed Media Art from Nature with Dorota Rzepecki

During walks and outdoor activities, students will glean inspiration from natural surroundings and scout ideas from what they observe. Students should bring a small sketchbook. Wildlife, botanicals, architecture, and vistas will provide ideas for drawings, paintings, and sculptures in a variety of media and materials.

6 weeks: April 12 – May 17, 4-6 p.m.

Tuition: $144

TUESDAY

Watercolor painting with Rosalia Lee

Learn to work like a Master with inspiration from references to the Masters.  All supplies are included to get painting portraits of people and animals, landscapes or illustration of your personal interest.  Students choose the topic while instruction zeroes in on getting good work complete.  Session is ideal for building portfolio pages for those pursuing art school.

6 weeks: April 16 – May 21, 4-6 p.m.

Tuition: $144

Printmaking with Jim Brunelle

This class for students in grades 6 and up will focus on the fine art of printmaking using a variety of techniques, tools, inks, and papers. Gain deeper appreciation through looking at the work of great printmakers past and present. Techniques taught will include printing plates made of linoleum and foam as well as collographs, stamps, and monoprints. Come away with a collection of colorful, artistic imagery that will add to your basic understanding of design and composition as you continue to work in other media.

6 weeks: April 18 – May 23. 4- 6 p.m.

Tuition: $144

Introduction to Fashion Sketching with Susan Brereton

Draw a croquis (fashion figure), from face and hands to handbag and shoes. Then, glam up your figure as you explore the basics of drawing fabric and applying different textures, such as lace, fur, velvet, and plaid.

5 weeks: April 2 – 30 or May 7 – June 4. 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Tuition: $180

WEDNESDAY

Introduction to Drawing with Pen and Ink with Joan Shackford

Select a project that inspires you, and represent it in pen and ink. Bring an object, photo, or other inspiration to the first class. After a brief discussion/demonstration about options on how to transfer designs onto paper, you will work them in with ink. Discover ways to apply pen and ink to various projects: field sketching, journaling, botanical and technical illustration, and relaxation doodling.

6 weeks: April 10 – May 15. 4-6 p.m.

Tuition: $144

THURSDAY

Sketchbook Drawing with Susan Brereton

Interested in the FVAC Sketchbook Project, but don’t know how to start? Gain a solid foundation and understanding of the basics of drawing. Working from your own photo references, you’ll gain an understanding of how to break down your drawings into basic shapes and then transform your drawing into a finished work of art by exploring the use of line, creating volume through shading, and establishing a mood and feeling through composition and lighting. Great class for beginners, as well as advanced students.

5 weeks: January 10 – February 7 or February 14 – March 14. 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Tuition: $180

Portfolio Class for Teens with Deborah Sacks

The objective of this class is to develop a professional portfolio that will be a well-rounded representation of the student’s artistic ability. To assess weaknesses and strengths, students should bring prior work to the first class. Drawings will be completed both in and out of class. These assignments will be based on direct observation and explore various media and subject matter. The portfolio class is also designed to help students with the college selection and application process.

6 weeks: April 11 – May 16. 4-6 p.m.

Tuition: $144

FRIDAY

Mixed Media/Painting, Collage, Assemblage with Jeff Poole

Art can be created from practically any materials! Students will take inspiration from masters such as Picasso, Krasner, and Bearden, then create unique works using recycled materials, paint, collage, and assemblage techniques. Discussions on process, color theory, and design elements and principles will guide the manifestation and execution of unique pieces.

4 weeks: April 12 – May 3. 4-6 p.m.

Tuition: $96

Claymation with Jeff Poole

Aspiring directors will create imaginative clay characters, sets, and story lines, then capture the action on video and with still photography. In the process, students will learn about video production, story genres, scripting, story boarding, camera operation, lighting, camera moves, and terms. In post-production, students will learn how to edit video and will create soundtracks and titles for their movies.

8 weeks: April 12 – May 31. 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Tuition: $192

Painting and Collage with Dorota Rzepecki

Create multimedia compositions showing multiple views of various objects while gaining an understanding of collage. Paint with acrylics to create a variety of textures, and include additional collage elements to inject interest and add contrast.

8 weeks: April 12 – May 31. 4-6 p.m.

Tuition: $196