Studio School returns with a new slate of winter classes and workshops

A masked figure with dark hair and a blue shirt holds out a length of fiber in an online demonstration at a workstation

Instructor Rachel Denbow teaches a virtual fiber arts course through Studio School Online at Oklahoma Contemporary. (Photo: Stephanie Montelongo)

Resolving to be more creative in 2021? Studio School at Oklahoma Contemporary is here to help. Join us for hands-on four- and 10-week classes, short workshops and casual Friday Night Series courses taught by experienced working artists. Unlike browsing YouTube tutorials or sitting in on an impersonal open course, Studio School’s live, small courses emphasize individualized instruction and coaching in a fun atmosphere for adults and teens.

"Studio School enables us to provide high-quality instruction and one-on-one coaching between students and teaching artists through Zoom," said Studio School Associate Director Adrienne Lalli Hills. "You could watch a YouTube video and try to figure it out on your own, but the benefit of this is you have a real-life instructor on the other side who's going to be able to answer questions and give you feedback. You'll also have a network of other classmates you can connect with."

In addition to online, some of the courses (like Experimental Screenprinting)
will be offered in person, socially distanced in our outdoor studio. Others, like Public Sculpture 101, are a hybrid -- with online classes culminating in an outdoor session.

Winter offerings include past student favorites like clay hand building and beginning drawing and painting courses, along with exciting new classes like a 10-week songwriting course for participants of all experience levels, taught by Oklahoma-based composer Jacob Frost. "If you've never written a song before, this is a good place to start," he said. "My class is like Planet Fitness: a 'judgment-free zone.'"

A grid of video chat screens depicting people presenting works of fiber art

"It feels much less like a school assignment, and more meeting with friends and working on projects." - Rachel Denbow, Studio School Online instructor

That spirit of support extends throughout Studio School's upcoming slate of offerings, like Rachel Denbow's classes on at-home fiber dyeing and frame loom weaving. "I've done my share of Zoom calls with kids' schooling and everything else, and the pressure is is not quite the same here," she said. "There's a sense of getting to check in with your friends every week, instead of feeling like, 'Oh, I got to turn in his homework!' It feels much less like a school assignment, and more meeting with friends and working on projects."

If this sounds like the right learning environment for you, spend some time this weekend browsing our complete listing of offerings to find the perfect class or workshop before the initial round of registration ends on Jan. 3. In the meantime, check out the video below for a glimpse at what you can expect from the Studio School experience.