In light of the COVID-19 public health crisis, Oklahoma Contemporary has postponed the opening of our new arts center, including Studio School summer session 10-week classes. If circumstances cause us to delay or cancel any workshops or rentals (Aug. - Sept., 2020), we will issue full tuition refunds.

We appreciate your understanding as we navigate this ongoing situation, and we look forward to welcoming you soon. In the meantime, please explore the all-ages virtual and digital programs -- including the Studio-in-Place project -- on our blog, New Light.

When Oklahoma Contemporary opens, Studio School will offer classes and workshops year-round for teens and adults. Taught by experienced art educators and university faculty, classes will provide a creative outlet as well as an opportunity to learn and expand skills, improve techniques and experiment with familiar and new media. Our flagship programs in ceramics and fiber arts will evolve with new facilities and equipment in The Studios, a historic renovated warehouse space adjacent to our new building. We will offer 10-week sessions (Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer) and broaden course offerings, including options to work outside of a structured class through Directed Independent Studio and Open Studio.

Early registration: Members at all levels will receive early access to registration.

Discounts: Members at all levels will receive a 10 percent discount on Studio School classes and workshops for the named cardholder and teens in their household. If you are not a current member, join today.

Supplies: Oklahoma Contemporary provides durable artist equipment for student use during each session. Students are responsible for purchasing their own supplies for courses—a syllabus and material list is emailed upon registration. Some items, including clay and ceramic tools, are available for purchase on the first day of class.

Teen registration in adult courses: In addition to offering classes and workshops for teens, Studio School invites high school juniors and seniors to register for select adult courses. If you wish to register your teen in an adult class or workshop, please submit an application here.

We are currently recruiting and hiring experienced instructors for future classes and workshops in a range of disciplines. Please visit Careers for more information

Studio School Rentals

Date August - September, 2020
Cost $65 per week
Location The Studios Building
Instructor / Presenter N/A
Age Requirements 18+
Contact studioschool@okcontemp.org

Looking for an opportunity to work independently in The Studios? As we prepare to safely reopen Studio School, we are offering studio rentals to intermediate and advanced students on a weekly basis in August and September. Available workspaces include: Wheel Throwing Studio, Hand Building Studio, Fiber Studio and printmaking equipment in the Flex Studio. Artists may access their rented spaces during Oklahoma Contemporary business hours.

Workshop | Build Your Own Silkscreen

Date 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (lunch break 12-1 p.m.) Saturday, August 15, 2020
Cost $100
Location The Studios Building | Flex Studio and Wood/Metal Studio
Instructor / Presenter Virginia Sitzes
Age Requirements 18+
Contact studioschool@okcontemp.org

Learn how to build your own screen-printing screen and tabletop screen board! Artist Virginia Sites will also provide a tutorial on a few ways you can use your screen at home to make prints. You'll leave this workshop with new skills and a handmade screen and printing board.

Workshop | Traditional Caddoan Ceramics

Date 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (lunch break 12-1 p.m.), pitfire begins at 5 p.m., Saturday, August 22, 2020
Cost $240
Location The Studios Building | Hand Building Studio
Instructor / Presenter Chase Kahwinhut Earles
Age Requirements 18+
Contact studioschool@okcontemp.org

Explore the art and science of ancestral Caddoan ceramics with Caddo artist Chase Kahwinhut Earles. Participants will learn pottery techniques in the manner of the ancient Caddo tribe of the Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana region. You will learn to make traditional clay, hand coil an object and finish it with burnishing. The workshop will conclude with an ancestral pitfire demonstration.

Workshop | Canvas Building

Date 12- 4 p.m. Sunday, August 23, 2020
Cost $200
Location The Studios Building | Josie Eresch Fiber Studio and Wood/Metal Studio
Instructor / Presenter Gabriel Friedman
Age Requirements 18+
Contact studioschool@okcontemp.org

Learn the basics of canvas frame construction and canvas stretching, including proper miter saw and nail gun usage, in this four-hour workshop. You will construct two frames (one with supports and one without) and then stretch and gesso your canvases. All materials are included!

Workshop | Composition and Notans

Date 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Sunday, August 23, 2020
Cost $150
Location Main Building | Clements Family Studio One
Instructor / Presenter Chris Brizzard
Age Requirements 18+
Contact studioschool@okcontemp.org

Learn to simplify drawing compositions using notans, a Japanese term meaning “light and dark.” You'll practice reducing images to two and three values in order to create strong compositional ideas to apply to larger works, as well as using standard types of rectangles to compose images. In addition, the instructor will also discuss how to use Photoshop as a tool to aid in compositional study.

Workshop | Ceramic Steinmaking Workshop

Date 6-9 p.m. Thursday, September 10, 17, 24, 2020
Cost $100
Location The Studios Building | Wheel Throwing Studio and Hand Building Studio
Instructor / Presenter Liv Egan
Age Requirements 21+
Contact studioschool@okcontemp.org

Prost! Ceramics, beer and festivities unite in this three-part workshop for clay artists of all levels. Together with instructor Liv Egan, you will learn about traditional German beer stein design and create your own lidded vessels. During the last session, students will assist in unpacking their works of art from the outdoor kiln and, together with other students, inaugurate their new steins on an optional beer crawl starting at Cafe Contemporary!

Workshop | Elegant Porcelain

Date 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Sept. 11-12, 2020
Cost $250
Location The Studios Building | Hand Building Studio and Wheel Throwing Studio
Instructor / Presenter Martha Grover
Age Requirements 18+
Contact studioschool@okcontemp.org

Discover the idiosyncrasies of working with porcelain on and off the potter’s wheel as instructor Martha Grover demonstrates how to make her signature undulating functional forms. The instructor will share her special throwing and altering techniques that exploit this elegant and sensuous material’s best qualities. Working with a variety of bottomless wheel-thrown forms and slabs in both the soft and leather-hard stages, Grover will demonstrate various altering techniques and additions of slabs, handles and spouts to create an assortment of functional forms. Forms will include cups, bowls, vases, pitchers, lidded forms and baskets. The instructor will also talk about her sources of inspiration, philosophy of making and studio practices.

Veterans Initiative

Oklahoma Contemporary will serve as a nexus for the creative community and identify ways to make meaningful connections between veterans and contemporary art, artists and creative practice. Ten percent of Oklahoma's adult population are veterans of the U.S. military. By engaging in studio practice, veterans will discover new ways to connect with each other and their community. The arts are proven to build resilience, strengthen coping skills and improve self-esteem and well-being.

Oklahoma Contemporary's program will employ teaching artists and university faculty to support veterans in the technical, intellectual and creative aspects of developing their studio practice. Building on the success of the Veterans Initiative in Ceramics, we will expand our ceramics offerings exclusively for veterans and also reserve spaces for veterans in all of our Studio School classes.

Applications for the Veterans Initiative will be accepted on a rolling basis.