Community Arts Program

8 Week Class: 3 Hours Per Day
Instructor: Jef Gunn
Dates: July 2-August 20
Days and Time: Thursdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Ages: 18 and Up
Skill Level: All Levels
Class Size: 6 minimum, 10 max
Tuition: $370 ($345+ $25 materials fee)
Location: Catlin Gabel East Campus, Vollum Building, 2nd Floor, room 202, 8245 SW Barnes Road, Portland, OR
Course Description: Let’s make relief prints! Printing images and text by wood block has been around since ancient China. It was the first printmaking process and is still done the world over in many ways. For this introductory class, we’ll learn about designing the image in reverse, carving linoleum blocks and/or wood blocks. We’ll print with black ink on white or colored paper. More complex prints with other colors might be possible toward the end of the term.

• Tools: carving tools: purposes, sharpening and safety; ink brayers and palettes; wooden spoon, baren, and etching press.
• Materials: wood or linoleum for the block; inks (we can use either oil or water-based inks; papers (lightweight printmaking papers)
• Process: Design in black and white; cutting; proofing; printing and editions. Move to color depending on experience.

Materials List: You are welcome to bring any of your favorite chisels and gouges, brayers, barens or wooden spoons. We’ll review this in our first class. Each student will be provided with 2 linoleum blocks, inks, some papers, and access to cutting tools, brayers, barens and the press. 

Jef Gunn has studied and practiced drawing and painting since the 1970s, with formative experiences in California, Barcelona, and Paris. He began working in encaustic in 1985, integrating materials such as paper, ink, tar, fabric, and gold leaf to explore layered meanings influenced by Asian art. His work has been exhibited nationally, including solo and group shows at Oregon State University, Marylhurst University, and the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art. In 2006, he co-curated the national encaustic show Impulse. Jef has taught painting and drawing in Seattle and Portland since the mid-1990s, and his work is represented by galleries in Seattle, Edison, Honolulu, and Portland.

Questions? Please contact Jef Gunn
 

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2-Day Workshop: 6 Hours Per Day
Instructor: Patty Schmidt
Dates: July 27 and July 28
Days and Time: Monday and Tuesday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Ages: 18 and Up
Skill Level: All Levels
Class Size: 6 minimum, 14 max
Tuition: $255 (no materials fee)
Location: Catlin Gabel East Campus, Vollum Building, 2nd Floor, room 205/206
8245 SW Barnes Road, Portland, OR  

Workshop Description: Enjoy the best of both worlds! With step-by-step instruction, paint with watercolor for a soft-focus background and then add fine line details to your rose painting with watercolor pencils. Easily add a brilliant yellow glow to the Peace rose painting with another great watercolor pencil technique. Also create a Watercolor Pencil Chart for reference. No drawing skills are necessary. A rose drawing to transfer to your watercolor paper, a reference photo, warm-up exercises, and step-by-step handouts with color illustrations will be provided. Have fun at this 2-day immersion into floral painting with demonstrations, plenty of painting time, and a PowerPoint presentation of several of Patricia’s floral watercolors to see the steps in her painting process. 

Patty Schmidt is an award-winning watercolor artist with more than 30 years of experience, known for her super-realistic paintings filled with vibrant color and luminous light. She has taught watercolor, drawing, and colored pencil courses at regional colleges and art centers throughout Oregon and Washington, including Mt. Hood Community College, Portland Community College, Clark College, and Sitka Center for Art and Ecology. A signature member of the Northwest Watercolor Society and the Watercolor Society of Oregon, Schmidt’s work has been featured in multiple Splash watercolor collections and Watercolor magazine. Her paintings are exhibited through the Portland Art Museum Rental Sales Gallery. In addition to fine art, Schmidt has illustrated children’s books, created greeting card art for major publishers, and designed pen-and-ink artwork for commercial clients.

Questions? Please contact Patty Schmidt. 

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9 Week Class: 3 Hours Per Day
Instructor: Jef Gunn
Dates: June 24-August 19
Days and Time: Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Ages: 18 and Up
Prerequisites: Beginning painting or equivalent.
Class Size: 6 minimum, 12 max
Tuition: Tuition: $390 (no materials fee)
Location: Catlin Gabel East Campus, Vollum Building, 2nd Floor, room 205-206, 8245 SW Barnes Road, Portland, Oregon

Course Description: The idea with this class is to become free in your own painting. We’ll learn how to bring life and energy, through structure, distortion, and well considered color into a composition that will enliven anything you do with paint. Central to this class is color mixing and color interactions and…importantly…fun.

We’ll work on at least five paintings, hopefully finishing all of them. Our work will take place outdoors when the weather permits. Being spring, after all, we’ll likely hold most classes in the upstairs studio at Catlin Gabel East Campus. There will be lectures, slide shows and demonstrations during most classes and plenty of time for students to practice. It is hoped that you’ll be painting during the week too. The first two or three classes will be the most dense with information, so don’t miss those.

• Learn basic and advanced dynamics in 2D composition
• How Cézanne and other painters organized a picture
• How to analyze a painting
• Learn terms common to art composition and color
• Deepen your looking and your painting
• Ways to see through space regarding perspective 
• Realism and Abstraction
• Problems of scale and control of volume and space

Materials List: Provided upon registration

Jef Gunn has studied and practiced drawing and painting since the 1970s, with formative experiences in California, Barcelona, and Paris. He began working in encaustic in 1985, integrating materials such as paper, ink, tar, fabric, and gold leaf to explore layered meanings influenced by Asian art. His work has been exhibited nationally, including solo and group shows at Oregon State University, Marylhurst University, and the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art. In 2006, he co-curated the national encaustic show Impulse. Jef has taught painting and drawing in Seattle and Portland since the mid-1990s, and his work is represented by galleries in Seattle, Edison, Honolulu, and Portland.

Questions? Please contact Jef Gunn.
 

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7 Week Class: 3 Hours Per Day
Instructor: WiL LaBelle
Dates: July 6-August 17
Day and Time: Mondays, 6-9 p.m.
Ages: 18 and Up
Skill Level: Beginning and Intermediate
Class Size: 6 minimum, 12 max
Tuition: $375 ($315+$60 materials and firing fee)
Location: Catlin Gabel East Campus, Ceramics Building
8245 SW Barnes Road, Portland, Oregon

Course Description: This class is for both beginning and intermediate level students. For beginners, with little to no experience, it will highlight the basic tenets of function regarding utilitarian pottery while covering basic shapes that will include the mug, the bowl, and the plate.  For intermediate level students this class will explore more advanced projects such as: Teapots, Pitchers, altered vessels, and lidded jars, while incorporating slab and coil techniques. Glaze demonstration will include application and discussion. Students are expected to follow the curriculum and do a majority of the assignments.

Included are 3 Open Studio sessions per week as a part of tuition. Open Studio hours are Monday 2-6  p.m., Tuesday 2-6, Wednesday 3-7  p.m., Thursday 12-4  p.m., Friday 12-4  p.m. (Days and Times subject to change). We will make every effort to get work glaze fired but may not get everything fired by the end of the term. The studio is for educational and recreational use, commercial or production work that is produced for sale, is not allowed.

Materials List: Students are required to bring their own towels, tool kits, aprons, and masks. Studio equipment such as wheels, buckets, bats, and shelf space will be provided. Materials/firing fee includes 1 bag of studio made clay per student and glaze/bisque firing of pieces. You may purchase additional bags of clay, limited to 4 bags per term.

Have questions? Please contact WiL LaBelle.

Register Online

7 Week Class: 3 Hours Per Day
Instructor: WiL LaBelle
Dates: July 7-August 18
Day and Time: Tuesdays, 6-9 p.m.
Ages: 18 and Up
Skill Level: Beginning
Class Size: 6 minimum, 12 maximum
Tuition: $375 ($315+$60 materials and firing fee)
Location: Catlin Gabel East Campus, Ceramics Building, 8245 SW Barnes Road, Portland, Oregon

Course Description: This class will highlight the basic tenets of function regarding utilitarian pottery, while covering the three basic shapes. Projects will include the mug, the bowl, and the plate. Basic glaze demonstration will include application and discussion. This course is geared toward beginners with little to no experience. Students are expected to follow the curriculum and do a majority of the assignments.

Included are 3 Open Studio sessions per week as a part of tuition. Don’t come to Open Studio until you have attended the first class. Open Studio hours are Monday 2-6 p.m., Tuesday 2-6 p.m., Wednesday 3-7 p.m., Thursday 12-4 p.m., Friday 12-4 p.m. (days and times subject to change). We will make every effort to get work glaze fired but may not get everything fired by the end of the term. The studio is for educational and recreational use, commercial or production work that is produced for sale, is not allowed.

Materials List: Students are required to bring their own towels, tool kits, aprons, and masks. Studio equipment such as wheels, buckets, bats, and shelf space will be provided. Materials/firing fee includes 1 bag of studio made clay per student and glaze/bisque firing of pieces. You may purchase additional bags of clay, limited to 4 bags per term.

Have questions? Please contact WiL LaBelle.

Register Online

4 Week Class: 3 Hours Per Day
Instructor: Grace Hartley
@heygracehartley (Instagram)
Dates: July 28 – August 18
Day and Time: Tuesdays 11a.m.-2 p.m.
Ages: 18 and Up
Skill Level: Beginning and Intermediate
Class Size: 6 minimum, 12 max
Tuition: $210 ($180+$30 materials and firing fee)
Location: Catlin Gabel East Campus, Ceramics Building
8245 SW Barnes Road, Portland, Oregon 

Course Description: This class leans into the soft, strange, and expressive possibilities of clay. Using foundational handbuilding techniques like pinch, coil, and slab, we’ll move beyond function and into sculptural territory, building objects that feel held, held onto, or maybe just barely holding together.

Each week, we’ll explore a different approach to form: small-scale figures, large scale forms, abstract shapes, vessels that verge on collapse, surfaces that sag, stretch, and gather. We’ll experiment with texture, attachment, and intuitive making, using tools like the extruder and slab roller, and of course our hands (always our hands). Perfect for beginners or those looking to loosen up their practice, this class centers play, material curiosity, and following the pull of the clay. Expect to make things you didn’t know you knew how to make.

Materials List: Students are required to bring their own towels, tool kits, aprons, and masks. Studio equipment such as wheels, buckets, bats, and shelf space will be provided. Materials/firing fee includes 1 bag of studio made clay per student and glaze/bisque firing of pieces. You may purchase additional bags of clay, limited to 4 bags per term.

Grace Hartley was born and raised in Northern Michigan and now resides in Portland, Oregon. She is an interdisciplinary confessional artist who creates objects that hold and are meant to be held, tactile vessels of care and contradiction, using ceramics, glitter, epoxy, fabric, spoken word, and her own body. Blending traditional ceramic craft with a ritualistic embodiment practice, she explores the vulnerability of being in relation with others. With a background in community art and recognition as a NAEA award-winning art educator, Grace approaches both teaching and making as acts of reciprocity. Her installations, performances, and intimate objects invite viewers into moments of personal reflection, often functioning as containers for quiet witnessing. She holds a BFA in art education from Kendall College of Art and Design and an MFA in Visual Studies from the Pacific Northwest College of Art, where she was awarded the Thesis Writing Award in Visual Studies.

Questions? Please contact Grace Hartley.

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4 Week Class: 3 Hours Per Day
Instructor: Grace Hartley
@heygracehartley (Instagram)
Dates: July 30-August 20
Day and Time: Thursday 6-9 p.m.
Ages: 18 and Up
Skill Level: Beginning and Intermediate
Class Size: 6 minimum, 12 max
Tuition: $210 ($180+$30 materials and firing fee)
Location: Catlin Gabel East Campus, Ceramics Building
8245 SW Barnes Road, Portland, Oregon 

Course Description: For the love of the squish, let’s get together and make! Beyond the bowl explores the foundational handbuilding techniques that make up much of ceramic craft: slab, coil, and pinch. Each week, we will focus on a new method and form, building skill through guided projects and exploration. You’ll learn to use the slab roller, extruder, and basic texture methods. This class will focus beyond basic functional work (like bowls and mugs) and move into exploring functional work that verges on sculpture like large scale forms, wall hung work, and more! Perfect as an introduction to ceramics or as a way to expand your current practice, this class encourages experimentation and personal expression. 

Materials List: Students are required to bring their own towels, tool kits, aprons, and masks. Studio equipment such as wheels, buckets, bats, and shelf space will be provided. Materials/firing fee includes 1 bag of studio made clay per student and glaze/bisque firing of pieces. You may purchase additional bags of clay, limited to 4 bags per term.

Grace Hartley was born and raised in Northern Michigan and now resides in Portland, Oregon. She is an interdisciplinary confessional artist who creates objects that hold and are meant to be held, tactile vessels of care and contradiction, using ceramics, glitter, epoxy, fabric, spoken word, and her own body. Blending traditional ceramic craft with a ritualistic embodiment practice, she explores the vulnerability of being in relation with others. With a background in community art and recognition as a NAEA award-winning art educator, Grace approaches both teaching and making as acts of reciprocity. Her installations, performances, and intimate objects invite viewers into moments of personal reflection, often functioning as containers for quiet witnessing. She holds a BFA in art education from Kendall College of Art and Design and an MFA in Visual Studies from the Pacific Northwest College of Art, where she was awarded the Thesis Writing Award in Visual Studies.

Questions? Please contact Grace Hartley.

Register Online

9 Week Class: 3 Hours Per Day
Instructor: Kurtis Piltz
Dates: June 25-August 20
Day and Time: Thursdays, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Ages: 18 and Up
Skill Level: All Levels
Class Size: 6 minimum, 12 maximum
Tuition: $495 ($435+$60 materials and firing fee)
Location: Catlin Gabel East Campus, Ceramics Building
8245 SW Barnes Road, Portland, Oregon

Course Description: This is an all-levels class that will focus on the fundamentals of throwing and hand-building. Besides basic throwing and trimming techniques demonstrations will include slab-building both soft and hard, coils, handles, throwing off the hump and simple alterations. No prior experience is necessary. Students are expected to follow the curriculum and do a majority of the assignments. Included are 3 Open Studio sessions per week as a part of tuition. Don’t come to Open Studio until you have attended the first class. Open Studio hours are Monday 2-6 p.m., Tuesday 2-6 p.m., Wednesday 3-7 p.m., Thursday 12-4 p.m., Friday 12-4 p.m. (days and times subject to change). We will make every effort to get work glaze fired but may not get everything fired by the end of the term. The studio is for educational and recreational use, commercial or production work that is produced for sale, is not allowed.

Materials List: Students are required to bring their own towels, tool kits, aprons, and masks. Studio equi p.m.ent such as wheels, buckets, bats, and shelf space will be provided. Materials/firing fee includes 1 bag of studio made clay per student and glaze/bisque firing of pieces. You may purchase additional bags of clay, limited to 5 bags per term.

Kurtis Piltz has been teaching at the Multnomah Arts Center for many years. He is adept at both throwing and building slab forms. 

Have questions?  Please contact Kurtis Piltz.

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9 Week Class: 3 Hours Per Day
Instructor: Dale Rawls
Dates: June 26-August 21
Day and Time: Fridays, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Ages: 18 and Up
Skill Level: Beginning and Intermediate
Class Size: 6 minimum, 12 maximum
Tuition: $495 ($435+$60 materials and firing fee)
Location: Catlin Gabel East Campus, Ceramics Building
8245 SW Barnes Road, Portland, Oregon

Course Description: A beginning level class for students new to pottery and a review for returning potters. All levels welcomed. Hand-building techniques will include slab, coil, and press-molds. Throwing techniques will include basic throwing, trimming, and introduction to appropriate potter’s tools. Surface design will focus on slips, oxides, underglazes and stoneware glazes and application. No prior experience is necessary. Students are expected to follow the curriculum and do a majority of the assignments. Included are 3 Open Studio sessions per week as a part of tuition. Don’t come to Open Studio until you have attended the first class. Open Studio hours are Monday 2-6 p.m., Tuesday 2-6 p.m., Wednesday 3-7 p.m., Thursday 12-4 p.m., Friday 12-4 p.m. (days and times subject to change). We will make every effort to get work glaze fired but may not get everything fired by the end of the term. The studio is for educational and recreational use, commercial or production work that is produced for sale, is not allowed.

Materials List: Students are required to bring their own towels, tool kits, aprons, and masks. Studio equi p.m.ent such as wheels, buckets, bats, and shelf space will be provided. Materials/firing fee includes 1 bag of studio made clay per student and glaze/bisque firing of pieces. You may purchase additional bags of clay, limited to 5 bags per term.

Have questions? Please contact Dale Rawls.

Register Online

9 Weeks During Open Studio Times
No Instructor: Studio Manager approval required for sign up
Dates: June 22-August 21
Days and Time: Monday 2-6 p.m., Tuesday 2-6 p.m., Wednesday 3-7 p.m., Thursday 12-4 p.m., Friday 12-4 p.m. (Days and times are subject to change)
Ages: 18 and Up
Skill Level: Experienced Artists, Intermediate to Advanced
Class Size: TBD
Tuition: $490 ($450+$40 studio glazes and firing fee)
Location: Catlin Gabel East Campus, Ceramics Building
8245 SW Barnes Road, Portland, Oregon

Description: Maker Space participants work in a self-directed course of study (no teacher). Artists need to have appropriate training, understand how a clay studio functions and fully understand clay and glazes. Registration is contingent upon meeting the criteria in the Maker Space Application and upon Studio Manager’s approval. The Maker Space Application will guide the selection of Maker Space participants. To that end, applicants will describe their thesis, skills, training, and studio histories. You must have the Studio Manager’s okay, to work in Maker Space.

You will need to complete an application for Maker Space Ceramics and turn it in by email to the Studio Manager before the term starts, Thursday, June 18. There will be a mandatory Maker Space meeting, Monday, June 22 at 2 p.m.. 

Please note that fees do not cover materials. Bags of clay can be purchased from the studio manager, limited to 5 bags per term. All materials must be purchased through the Ceramics Studio Manager. Any materials being brought in by students must have prior approval for use. No outside glazes and clay bodies can be used unless they are approved by the studio manager and tested for use in the studio. Failure to do this may result in loss of studio access. We will make every effort to get work glaze fired but may not get everything fired by the end of the term. The studio is for educational and recreational use, commercial or production work that is produced for sale, is not allowed. Maker Space Ceramics is not available for outside firing.

Do not register online for Maker Space Ceramics. To receive the Maker Space Application please contact the Studio Manager, Dale Rawls.