Due to construction, Museum parking may be limited at the time of your visit. Look for additional parking in free or metered spaces along nearby streets.

Mini Masters: Watercolor Play Date

Saturdays, September 19 – October 3 / 9 – 10 am

Parent and child will have fun exploring the dynamic qualities of watercolor. Using various techniques, classmates will create colorful works of art.

Instructor: Reena Spansail
Ages: 4 – 7 with parent

Arte en Español

Thursdays, September 10 – October 15 / 4 – 4:45 pm

Children ages 4 to 7 will have fun learning Spanish through play, music, games, books and art. Each day, we will begin with circle time and end our class with an original art activity.

Instructor: Maria Segura
Ages: 4-7

Studio Photography: Portraiture

Wednesdays, August 12 – 26 / 6 – 9 pm

Explore portrait photography in a professional studio environment. Students will work with live models and will experiment with various qualities of light, including natural and artificial, framing and composition and variations in the photographic environment. Students will examine the work of photographers such as Arnold Newman, Karsh, Platon and others. NOTE: Classes are taught off site at Jeff Ross’ Studio.

Instructor: Jeff Ross
Ages: 15 and Up / Some Camera Experience (students must be familiar and comfortable with their DSLR camera settings)

Required Supplies: Digital slr with manual control for shutter speed and aperture, laptop or home computer with image editing software, flash drive to transport images.

Mosaics 101: Introduction to Mosaics

Saturday, August 29 / 10 am – 2 pm and Sunday, August 30 / 10 am – noon

NOTE: This class is now sold out.  The next session of Mosaics 101 will he held on Saturday and Sunday, October 10 and 11. Please click here to register for the October session.

In this two-day class, students will learn the basics of mosaics, including techniques, design and grouting. Using various materials, students will be guided through a 10” x 10” mosaic mirror project. All materials provided but students may bring other objects (stones, jewels, beads, etc.) to incorporate into their piece. This class is intended for those unfamiliar or new to mosaics but all skill levels are welcome.

Instructor: Katie Packham
Ages: 15 and up / All levels

Landscapes in Oil

Thursdays, October 1 – November 5 / 9 am – noon

This course teaches the basics of painting landscapes with traditional oils. Students will gain a good foundational working knowledge of equipment, supports, brush selection, brushwork, mixing color and mediums. The direct painting techniques of landscape painting will be taught without the use of solvents. Each lesson has demonstrations of the techniques with hands on experience.

Ages: 15 and Up / All Levels
Instructor: David McCamant

Required Supplies:

SUPPORTS 
Inexpensive canvas boards or panels.
Students who wish to do the homework will need to double the number of panels. 

  • 1 – 11″ x 14” (OPTIONAL – add one more for homework*)
  • 2 – 8″ x 10″ (OPTIONAL – add two more for homework*) 
  • 3 – 6″ x 8″ (OPTIONAL – add three more for homework*) 

OIL PAINT

  • 1 – 37 ml tube of oil paint in the following colors: 
  • WHITE Titanium White (2 tubes are suggested) 
  • YELLOW Cadmium Lemon, Windsor Yellow, Hansa Yellow Medium or Cadmium Yellow Light 
  • RED Cadmium Red Hue, Cadmium Red Medium or Cadmium Berium Red (not deep) 
  • BLUE French Ultramarine Blue or Ultramarine Blue 
  • BLACK Ivory Black 
  • MAGENTA (OPTIONAL*) Permanent Rose or Quinacridone Red 
  • CYAN (OPTIONAL*) Thalo Blue or Phthalo Blue 
  • You may bring whatever paint you have as long as they are the correct hues or colors. I recommend inexpensive Windsor Newton Winton student colors. 

PAINTING MEDIUM

  • Neo MeGilp Medium 2oz or Larger 

 

BRUSHES 

  • Recommend Connoisseur brand #2106 pure synthetic oil paint brushes or any artist quality manufacturer 
  • VERY IMPORTANT 1 each #6 and #8 Long-Handled Filberts 

PALETTE 

  • Gray Matters, palette paper or equivalent 

CLEANING JAR 

  • Silicoil cleaning jar or other small jar with lid 

CLEANING SOLUTION 

  • 1 – 8oz bottle of artist grade Walnut oil 

BRUSH CLEANER

  • 2.5 OZ small cake of The Masters Brush Cleaner

PAPER TOWELS 

  • 1 roll of BLUE shop paper towels (OPTIONAL – add one more for homework*) 

WET PANEL CARRIER 

  • Inexpensive cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil or aluminum roasting pan for wet painting transport

Approximate Materials Cost $100. With optional items $130.

Kids’ Corner: Drawing Basics

Wednesdays, September 9 – October 14 / 3:30 – 5:30 pm

Drawing from the Museum’s exhibitions, students will explore basic drawing techniques in this six-week series. All materials and a snack are included with registration.

Instructor: Merry Mathers
Ages: 7 – 12 years

Tahoe: A Visual History – Learning to Look

Thursdays, September 17 – October 8 / 6 – 8 pm

Students will enjoy this four-week gallery and classroom based series on the art of learning to look while analyzing the exhibition Tahoe: A Visual History. Students will develop a visual literacy and will build on their visual language while examining historical and contemporary paintings and photography and three-dimensional artworks centered around the Lake Tahoe region. The first day of class will include admission to a very special lecture “Art Historian Alfred Harrison on Lake Tahoe’s Nineteenth-Century Artistic Heritage” followed by a class discussion.

Instructor: Katty Hoover
Ages: 15 and Up / All Levels

Portrait Painting: Open Studio

Sundays, November 15 – December 6 / 1 – 4 pm

Students will enjoy developing their portrait painting techniques and skills in this open studio class.  A live, clothed model will be present each week. Each class will begin with brief instruction followed by an open studio format painting class. Students may use acrylic or oil paint. Dry media is also welcome.

Instructor: Daniel Helzer
Ages: 15 and up / All levels

Supply List:

Color recommendations are as follows though all mediums are welocome for this open studio class.

  • Titanium White 
  • Ultramarine Blue 
  • Cadmium Red Medium or Light
  • Lemon or Cadmium Yellow 
  • Light Yellow Ochre 
  • Burnt Sienna 
  • Viridian Green 
  • Burnt Sienna 
  • Selection of brushes
  • Pallet 
  • Palette knife
  • Painting Board or Canvas
  • Container/jar water and brushes 
  • Paper towels 
  • Cheap Plastic Ruler
  • Gamsol mineral spirits (if working in Oil)

Portrait Painting in Oil or Acrylics

Sundays, September 6 – October 11 / 1 – 4 pm

Students will be introduced to portrait painting techniques in the first two class sessions (without a model). The following four classes will have brief instruction at the beginning of class followed by an open studio format painting class working from a live model. Students may use acrylic or oil paint.

NOTE: These dates were changed from Sept 13 – Oct 18 to Sept 6 – Oct 11.

Instructor: Daniel Helzer
Ages: 15 and up / All Levels

Required Supplies:

Color recommendations are as follows:

  • Titanium White 
  • Ultramarine Blue 
  • Cadmium Red Medium or Light
  • Lemon or Cadmium Yellow Light 
  • Yellow Ochre
  • Burnt Sienna
  • Viridian Green 
  • Burnt Sienna 

Selection of brushes 
Pallet
Palette knife
Painting Board or Canvas (16×12 or smaller, is appropriate) 
Container/jar water 
Brushes 
Paper towels
Cheap Plastic Ruler
Gamsol mineral spirits (if working in Oil)

Miniature Pine Needle Baskets

Saturday, December 5 / 10 am – 2 pm

Create a miniature pine needle basket using natural materials. Learn from the basket making tradition of Audrey Frank’s native Nevadan Washoe/Paiute culture. Explore weaving methods by combining pine needles, Sinew and raffia in this one-day workshop.

Instructor: Audrey Frank
Ages: 15 and Up / All Levels

Required Supplies: Small sewing scissors, small hand towel/dishtowel. Instructor to provide raffia, pine needles, thread.