Please note adult courses are designed for ages 18 and up.
Questions? Contact us at [email protected] or 978.921.4242 x1152
All Courses
- Travel Workshop: Niigata, Japan (Our Art Educator Japan trip is now open to all adults)
Drop-in Figure Drawing
When: Tuesdays from 7–9pm
Location: Montserrat College of Art, 23 Essex Street, Beverly, MA 01915
Start date: Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Final Class Date: Tuesday, March 11, 2025
Tuition: $20 per session
We are holding drop-in figure drawing sessions with a live model over eight weeks. Whether you’re a beginner, experienced artist or looking to develop your portfolio, these open sessions allow you to draw freely and experiment. A variety of nude models will be available over the eight weeks. A member of staff will guide shorter and longer poses to enable you to warm up and work in more detail. There is no instructor present, this is your space to develop and deepen your practice in a peer environment. Bring your own drawing materials; easels are available.
Book online to guarantee your place. Sessions have a maximum capacity of 15 places; you can also pay on the door, space permitting.
Please note Montserrat courses are designed for adults aged 18 and up.
To Write a Life: Memoir Course
With Julianna Thibodeaux
When: Fridays from 10am–12pm
Location: Montserrat College of Art, 248 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA 01915
Start date: Friday, March 21, 2025
Final Class Date: Friday, April 11, 2025
Tuition: $150 including materials
Everyone has a story to tell. In this memoir short course, we’ll define the genre and explore the process of memoir writing – finding a focus and themes, generating drafts and revisions, confronting writer’s block, and more. Bring your existing ideas and drafts or just come with an open mind to write something new. You’ll come away with a draft of at least one brief memoir and a roadmap to write more. Writers of all levels are welcome.
Instructor Biography: Julianna Thibodeaux is an assistant professor at Montserrat College of Art and has taught creative writing for more than a decade on the North Shore in a variety of settings, from college classrooms to community centers. Her creative writing and journalism have appeared in numerous publications and earned several awards. She holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Art from Goddard College.
Drop-in Figure Drawing – Spring 2025
When: Tuesdays from 7–9pm
Location: Montserrat College of Art, 23 Essex Street, Beverly, MA 01915
Start date: Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Final Class Date: Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Tuition: $20 per class; $160 for 8 classes
Drop-in figure drawing sessions continue over eight weeks with a live model. Whether you’re a beginner, experienced artist or looking to develop your portfolio, these open sessions allow you to draw freely and experiment. A variety of nude models will be available over the eight weeks. A member of staff will guide shorter and longer poses to enable you to warm up and work in more detail. There is no instructor present, this is your space to develop and deepen your practice in a peer environment. Bring your own drawing materials; easels are available.
Book online to guarantee your place. Classes have a maximum capacity of 15 places; you can also pay on the door, space permitting.
Please note Montserrat courses are designed for adults aged 18 and up.
Sculpture Workshop Sundays
When: Sundays April 6, May 4, June 1, 2025 from 9am–2pm
Location: Montserrat College of Art, 301 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA 01915
Compulsory induction: Sunday April 6, 9–10am
Tuition: Tuition: $40 studio access fee, per session
Sculpture Workshop Sundays are dedicated times for alumni of our BFA or continuing education sculpture programs to make independent use of the workshop for your own projects. Alums working in wood, metal, stone, and ceramics are welcome to use the workshop to finish existing work or construct new pieces. All participating alumni must have the appropriate skills to work independently and safely operating equipment and within the studio spaces, and bring all materials to work with. Studio monitors will be on hand to support and answer any questions you may have.
We are holding an induction covering workshop orientation on Sunday April 6 from 9–10am. The induction is compulsory for all alumni attending any of the sessions.
Fused Glass
With Lisa Richardson-Bach
When: Saturday May 3, 2025, from 9:30am–1:30pm
Location: Montserrat College of Art, 301 Cabot Street
Tuition: $95 including materials
In this workshop Lisa Richardson-Bach will show you the beauty and excitement of working with glass. You will have the opportunity to create two fused glass projects which include a 5” by 5” tile and a small bowl. We will use glass bits, frit and glass stringer to decorate glass blanks. These will then be fired and available for pick up following the class. Glass, supplies and tools will be provided. Specialty glass and unique decorative glass will be available for an additional fee if interested. Come create your own glass masterpieces!
Artist Biography: Lisa Richardson-Bach worked as an Aerospace Engineer before discovering art was her passion. Art and technical knowledge came together when Lisa learned to work with glass. The color, the beauty, the fluidity of glass inspired her artistic spirit, while the technical intricacies of how glass cuts, melts and forms, satisfied her engineer’s brain. Lisa has spent her whole life near the ocean and is a keen boater, which deeply affects her art. She designs the feel and the motion of the sea into her work. While Lisa does branch into other styles and designs she always comes back to the fluid lines of the ocean.
Pinhole Cameras
With Patricia Scialo
When: Saturday May 3, 2025; 2–5pm
Location: Montserrat College of Art, 23 Essex Street, Beverly, MA 01915
Tuition: $60
Rain Date: Saturday May 10, 2025
Discover hands-on early photographic processes in this workshop making unique prints using a pinhole camera. Craft a working camera using a light-proof cardboard box with a pinhole aperture. Head out and take photographs, making black and white paper negatives and positives while working with cameras of various shapes and sizes. Return to the darkroom to process your images. You will come away with unique photographic prints bearing the dreamy hallmark of the pinhole process.
No experience required.
Please bring a container for camera making. A small oatmeal tube is ideal.
Artist Biography: Originally from Long Island, NY, Patricia Scialo currently lives on the North Shore of Massachusetts. She has been practicing in the field of fine art photography since 1979. Influenced by her experience of living and working in a craft community early in her photographic career, she was challenged to experiment with historic processes that included hand applied light sensitive chemistry and view camera work. Patricia’s concentration on historic and alternative processes in photography has led to the creation of handmade, unique prints that combine mixed media techniques such as hand-tinting, encaustic, and hand paper-making. Patricia has exhibited at numerous art centers on the east coast and internationally. She has been awarded state fellowship grants, several Best of Show Awards and she is the 2020 winner of the Women in Photography, 15th Julia Margaret Cameron Gala Awards, Barcelona, in the categories of Abstract, Alternative Processes, and Children.
Introduction to Black and White Film Photography
With Patricia Scialo
When: Thursdays May 8, 15, and 22; 7–9pm
Location: Montserrat College of Art, 23 Essex Street, Beverly, MA 01915
Tuition: $150
Using Montserrat College of Art’s darkroom lab students will have a comprehensive introduction to traditional black and white photography. Ideal for beginners or those looking to refresh their skills, the course covers the essential techniques of analog photography. Through interactive demonstrations and hands-on learning, students will learn to operate 35mm film cameras, explore different approaches to lighting, process black and white negatives, and create prints in the darkroom. During the first week, participants will have the opportunity to practice camera functions and create a photogram using found objects.
No prior darkroom experience is needed.
Please bring a 35mm or medium format camera with manual to class.
Artist Biography: Originally from Long Island, NY, Patricia Scialo currently lives on the North Shore of Massachusetts. She has been practicing in the field of fine art photography since 1979. Influenced by her experience of living and working in a craft community early in her photographic career, she was challenged to experiment with historic processes that included hand applied light sensitive chemistry and view camera work. Patricia’s concentration on historic and alternative processes in photography has led to the creation of handmade, unique prints that combine mixed media techniques such as hand-tinting, encaustic, and hand paper-making. Patricia has exhibited at numerous art centers on the east coast and internationally. She has been awarded state fellowship grants, several Best of Show Awards and she is the 2020 winner of the Women in Photography, 15th Julia Margaret Cameron Gala Awards, Barcelona, in the categories of Abstract, Alternative Processes, and Children.
Sgraffito Plates
With Jennifer Boisvert
When: Saturdays May 10 and 17, 2025; 10am–1pm
Location: Montserrat College of Art, 301 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA 01915
Tuition: $120
Sgraffito returns with a two-part course where you will make and decorate your own ceramic plate from scratch. Sgraffito is an artistic or decorative technique of scratching through a coating on a hard surface to reveal parts of another underlying coating which is in a contrasting color. The technique is subtractive in nature, enabling the artist to work imagery into the surface of unfired clay. The technique was first popularized in 16th Century Italy and can be found in African artworks and used in many other cultures throughout history.
In this workshop you will learn to wedge (remove air pockets and ensure pliability), roll and shape stoneware clay into a smooth round plate form. Using the sgraffito process, you will apply glaze and use tools to scratch a pattern, design, words or drawings onto your piece of leather-hard greenware clay. You are welcome to bring a sketch design idea with you or free draw during the class. The decorative plates will be kiln fired ready for pick up one week following the final class. All skill levels are welcome.
Artist Biography: Jen Boisvert is a native North Shore area artist who explores visual relationships between humans and nature using sculpture. Jen received her BFA concentration in Sculpture from Montserrat College of Art, and an M.Ed. from Plymouth State University. She is an artist member at two local art associations, a recipient of the Mary Arakelian Foundation Award for best work in sculpture, and her artwork has been featured in galleries and exhibitions throughout New England.
Mixed Media Painting and Collage
With Maria Malatesta
When: Saturdays from 10am–1pm
Location: Montserrat College of Art, 23 Essex Street, Beverly, MA 01915
Start date: Saturday May 10, 2025
Final Class Date: Saturday May 31, 2025
Tuition: $230
This four week course introduces techniques to add depth and interest to works on paper using water-based paint and mixed media. Experiment with stained paper to unify and add surface texture to the base paper; make gelli prints where paper is pressed onto a painted gel plate manipulated with stencils or objects to add pattern and image; and transfer images to layer designs. Add collage to build dimension, using old books, letters, papers, found objects and other personal materials to incorporate into the work. The course encourages the expression of personal ideas and vision, with weekly thematic assignments given as a prompt. You will look at the work of mixed media artists for inspiration and context about this technique.
No experience is required. The course encourages experimentation and trusting the process for all levels.
Artist Biography: Maria Malatesta lives on Cape Ann. It is this spectacular and changing landscape that contributes to her artistic sensibility. She studied in Massachusetts receiving a Diploma and Fifth Year Certificate from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and a Bachelor of Science from Lesley College, Cambridge. Maria has shown her work extensively in Boston and the North Shore including many solo exhibitions. She teaches and attends residencies locally and internationally, and twice received a grant to the Vermont Studio Center.
Travel Workshop: Plein-Air Painting, Portugal
With Stephanie Chang
Travel Dates: Sunday, June 22 – Sunday, June 29, 2025
Whether you’re a fearless beginner or a professional artist, embrace a unique opportunity to deepen your artistry in historic Lisbon, Portugal.
College credit option available.
Join us in Lisbon, Portugal, with artist Stephanie Chang for an exhilarating immersion into the color and rhythms of the Portuguese landscape. The workshop will provide step-by-step instructions, from composition to a plein-air exploration of the magnificent city of Lisbon and surrounding areas.
Nestled along the Atlantic coast, Lisbon’s winding cobblestone streets, vibrant tiled facades, medieval castles, and picturesque waterfronts provide the perfect backdrop for artists of all skill levels to capture its charm through paint. Over the course of this immersive workshop, you’ll explore the city’s iconic neighborhoods, from the colorful Alfama district to the scenic vistas of Belém, all while honing your plein-air painting techniques under the guidance of an experienced instructor. Whether you’re seeking to refine your skills, ignite your creativity, or enjoy the camaraderie of fellow artists, this workshop promises a unique blend of art, culture, and inspiration in one of Europe’s most captivating cities.
The workshop includes daily painting demonstrations by Stephanie Chang, personalized feedback, painting excursions to nearby towns, and class critiques, ensuring a well-rounded and enriching experience.
Single Occupancy: $3,300
Double Occupancy: $2,850
Non-Participating Companions: $1,400
A deposit of $750 is required to secure your spot. Following this, you will be contacted about how to pay your balance.
Refer-a-friend discount!
$250 off for each person when you refer a friend. Email [email protected] with the names of the two people booked. The discount will be applied when you pay the full balance.
