Whether you’re coming to play for the day or stay for the next twenty years, your time in Edmonds will be ever richer when you take an art class. Or two. Or ten!
Downtown Edmonds was recently designated as the first-ever Certified Creative District by ArtsWA. That means we have the unique distinction as an area of cultural and economic activity that attracts and focuses on art. We are a place for people to gather and enjoy our community’s arts and culture, which means we have lots of opportunities for everyone to learn a new creative skill—and fabulous instructors who live and work right in town!
Art Classes in Edmonds
Kid or adult, novice or expert, Edmonds has a class, experience, or teacher for you. We can pretty much guarantee it. Scroll through the list below to see what jumps out.
Adventures In Art is the place to explore classes for kids. Littles can learn to draw anime characters, make holiday cards, and more. Adventures In Art works in partnership with the Department of Parks & Recreation and also hosts summer camps, so check the website often for opportunities to create.
Aria Studio Gallery is helmed by Joan E. Archer and offers watercolor and oil classes to the public twice weekly. Private lessons, workshops, and multi-week summer drawing workshops are also options.
Art For All empowers and advocates for people with disabilities. Instructors are trained in art therapy, health care, and fine arts. Their classes are in different studios and spaces around town.
ARTspot curates a comprehensive list of Edmonds youth and adult classes on its website. Check it often because they note student discounts at various studios around town!
ArtWise brings kids’ programs to area schools. If you’re grown and flown, schedule an adult workshop on and evening or weekend. Want to plan an art party? ArtWise is your partner!
ArtWorks, right downtown, keeps an ever-updated calendar of classes, exhibitions, and shows around town. Pick from a list of everything from calligraphy to mixed media and encaustics. Never heard of encaustics? It’s using heat with wax to create fused and layered pieces.
Cascadia Art Museum’s Studio Cascadia brings art education to your home. Their collection of free lessons from Mona T. Smiley-Fairbanks explores the concepts of line, shape, texture, space, and more through interactive sessions you can download and print from the museum’s website. Additionally, Cascadia offers free printable coloring pages based on woodblock art of beautiful northwest landscapes. Explore the joy of art from the comfort of your coziest environment, and be sure to tour Cascadia, too!
Cole Gallery offers classes for artists at all levels and with any style. Explore oil painting, finger painting, collage-making, travel sketching, and more. If you’re interested in gifting an art class to a loved one and aren’t sure what they’d enjoy, Cole Gallery also has gift cards, too!
Create Next Steps is a mixed-media art studio housed at Harbour Square. Nicola hosts personalized workshops and private studio sessions to bring out the artist in all of us.
Graphite, the newest artists’ haven in town, lists classes and registration dates on its homepage. Learn everything from bird drawing to clay working and creating collages.
Art Walk Edmonds
Art Walk is a conglomerate of all of our local artists across mediums and worth mentioning here even though it doesn’t technically host classes. You may find your next instructor, partner, or muralist by walking the Edmonds blocks every third Thursday. On the Art Walk website, you can search for artists or apply to be in the directory yourself!
Edmonds Arts Festival
Similarly, the Edmonds Arts Festival brings together artists of all ages and stages in one epic weekend at Frances Anderson Center every summer. Now in its 66th year, EAF will convene June 16-18, and is accepting applications through April 29, 2023. Put all those classes you took to work! Learn more and apply here.
Edmonds Art Studio Tour
Interested in seeing more artists in their natural habitats? Mark your calendar for the Edmonds Art Studio Tour September 16-17, 2023. You’ll be able to see where your classes can take you by embarking on a self-guided tour of the private creative spaces our local artists use to make their art.
We can’t wait to see where your art adventures take you, but what we know for sure is they’ll surely take you to Edmonds—and as far as we’re concerned, exploring Edmonds is what it’s all about. Share the classes you’re taking and the art you’re making with us by tagging @visitedmonds on Instagram and Facebook. Now, let’s go make something beautiful!
Photos Matt Hulbert
