Seattle, WA. Gage Academy of Art is offering a variety of online art classes for the public in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through Gage 360 online classes, people can connect with instructors and peers to learn art skills, receive feedback, and conduct discussions about art from the comfort of their homes. Gage is also offering online summer programs for kids and teens through differing subscription plans. Check out this video introducing Gage 360 to the public:
Gage Academy of Art Registrar Morgan Patten shares that Gage’s goal as an organization is to “provide an array of classes and offerings to not just adults, but youth and teens.” When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Seattle, Patten shares that Gage aimed to still have its regular classes and “maintain connections” through an online model.
Director of Global Marketing, Communications Technology, and Community Engagement Joanne Levy shares that Gage “went from never offering online classes to creating two-quarters of online and free learning” for the public. Patten says that so far “free offerings have been great” and Gage has been able to “maintain the same quality of instruction” as well as “achieve global reach.”
Patten says, “engaging in hobbies and activities that let [people] be creative at a difficult time is important.” She also shares that “the arts is something that needs to be protected and invested in, especially at times like this” to “help those who are struggling.” Through online art offerings, Levy says that Gage wants “people to keep art alive” so that the organization “can be there for another 30 years.”
Among the Gage 360 offerings, Gage Academy of Art is conducting Art Bites, which are $25, hour-long art classes taught by various instructors. People may also partake in the Art to Go series, which is free to the community and offered twice each week. The Art to Go series features free art tutorials, demos, and lectures from Gage instructors through Zoom.
A promotional photo for Gage’s Art Bites online program
A promotional photo for Gage’s Art to Go with instructor Kathleen Moore
There is also an option of Art to Go for teens, which is an online version of Gage’s Teen Art Studio (TAS) program. Teen Art Studio is a free program that increases art access for individuals ages 13-18 who may face barriers to creative outlets. This includes teens who experience homelessness, LGBTQIA youth, or those who speak English as a second language. The program is all about providing teens with a safe space for self-expression. Through TAS, teens receive free online art classes every Friday night from professional instructors in a variety of subjects and mediums, such as drawing, sculpting, painting, visual storytelling, cartooning, and more.
A promotional photo for Teen Art Studio online, featuring art by TAS instructor Scott McCall
Gage has also shifted its youth summer program to an online subscription model. There are monthly and summer-long subscription plans for children ages 6-11, in which participants receive art and movement lessons from professional teaching artists for two hours each day. There are also online summer classes for teens, in which individuals ages 13-18 dive into their art passions in two-week-long drawing, painting, and digital animation intensives. Or teens may explore a variety of new art skills in one-week classes on printmaking, sculpture, and illustration. More information on scheduling and pricing for the different weeks of teen programming is available on Gage’s website. Check out the video below promoting Gage’s summer classes for teens:
An example of printmaking and ceramic art creation taught in Gage’s teen summer program by Nicholas Nyland and Klara Glosova. This work, created by Nyland, combines painting techniques with printmaking and sculpture.
There are also countless online art classes and weekend and week-long workshops for adults to explore. These include Gage’s Plein Air classes, in which participants meet with Gage instructors at a social distance at one of Seattle’s parks or outdoor spaces to learn and create art.
Art by Crystal Soojeoung Shin from a past workshop at Gage Academy of Art on creating “Handmade Cards with Botanicals,” taught by Shin.
For 30 years, Gage Academy of Art has provided contemporary art instruction and personal mentorship for artists of all skill levels. The organization is especially known for its Gage Academy of Art Atelier programs, in which artists pursuing mastery in painting, drawing, or sculpture may receive guidance from accomplished teaching artists.
From Gage Academy of Art:
To support Gage Academy of Art, people are encouraged to take a class this summer, as well as check out upcoming workshops and lectures. People are also welcome to donate.
An innovative and accessible contemporary art school, Gage Academy of Art is unapologetically independent and fiercely committed to excellence in the fields of painting, drawing, sculpting, and printmaking. Celebrating 30 years of service to the community, we believe in personal mentorship and skills-based studio instruction, delivered by brilliant teaching artists with charcoal dust under their nails. Whether you are a curious newcomer or a professional artist, a working creative or a retired passion-seeker, Gage is open to anyone with the desire to learn.
