Looking to pick up new art skills in 2022 or improve your existing ones? These sixteen artists and organization offer adult art classes in Northwest Connecticut that are sure to get your creativity flowing.

2. Heather Neilson

Heather Neilson’s abstract artwork draws inspiration from the natural world, and she seeks to impart this lesson in the courses on abstract painting, mixed-media collage, and art journaling that she offers. She encourages artists to bring their own personal images and ephemera into journaling on “universal themes such as compassion, ancestral memory and more.”



3. Five Points

The Five Points Gallery has seen amazing growth in 2021. One of their most significant accomplishments was opening the new Five Points Art Center at 855 University Drive in Torrington, CT in October, which is now home to a variety of labs for artists to work in different materials and techniques. Subjects of upcoming workshops include monotypes, figure drawing, pastel portraits, and layered woodcuts. With skilled instructors and a beautiful new location, these classes are sure to help artists hone their craft in the coming year.

4. Washington Art Association

The Washington Art Association in Washington Depot, CT has been both exhibiting art and educating artists since 1952. Their courses and workshops are suitable for artists of all skill levels and cover a wide variety of visual mediums and subjects, from oil to mixed media and from figure drawing to abstract painting. Advanced courses such as “Advancing Your Personal Artistic Journey” with Edward Devoe are designed to help experienced students find their own artistic voice. Any class with the Washington Art Association is sure to help artists find a new approach to their work.

5. 550 Gallery

The mission of the 550 Gallery in Bethlehem, CT is to “offer a gathering space where people can come to learn, create, teach, exhibit and sell their art.” Starting in January, 2022 they will be offering a class on figure drawing. Learning in an environment where every artist is encouraged to be both teacher and student is certain to be stimulating for both beginners and experienced artists.

6. Pamela Vitale

The ArtJams course at Pamela Vitale’s New Hartford studio focuses on art as play. Introducing students to a variety of mediums and techniques such as paper, fabric, painting, and printmaking, the course strives to help students learn to see the world differently and build confidence in their ability to create art. In addition to ArtJams, Pamela also offers art classes in her gallery. 

7. Under Mountain Weavers

Weaving is one of the world’s oldest arts. Although the fragile nature of textile products makes firm dating difficult, the craft is thought to date back to the Neolithic period and is likely even older than pottery. Under Mountain Weavers in Salisbury, CT sells a variety of woven products, some made on two-hundred year old looms. They offer weaving classes for those interested in learning one of the many forms of this ancient art. 

8. Thomasina Levy

The Connecticut State Troubadour is an honorary position dating back to 1991 who “serves as an ambassador for music and song and promotes cultural literacy among Connecticut residents,” according to the state’s official website. Thomasina Levy of Litchfield, CT held the position during 2005 and 2006, and continues to take her role as a teaching artist seriously as she strives to inspire both audiences and students throughout the region. She offers a variety of workshops on her primary instrument, the mountain dulcimer, as well as singing circles, music improvisation workshops, and different forms of creativity exploration for adults. Thomasina’s dedication to helping students understand music, nature, themselves, and others is sure to awaken your creativity this year.

9. Pilobolus

This year is the 50th anniversary of Pilobolus, a nationally-recognized dance troupe headquartered in Washington Depot, CT. In addition to performances, the organization also offers both master classes to teach dancers using Pilobolus’s improvisation and movement techniques. Their Connecting with Balance workshop aims to help students of all ages and abilities connect to their own bodies and creativity. 2022 is a great time to both learn from this great organization and to support their mission as they move into their second half-century. 

10. Pamela Harnois

Pamela Harnois is a nationally-known watercolor artist working in Norfolk, CT. During the pandemic, she began offering weekly online demonstrations, which quickly formed a tight community of artists. She currently teaches watercolor classes and workshops via Zoom and also offers the option of purchasing a gift card to help a friend or loved one experience her classes as well.

11. The Institute for American Indian Studies

The Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington, CT aims to educate the public on Indigenous history and issues. They craft events and events centering Indigenous artists and authors, and offer a variety of programs on Native American history, art, and culture. Programs like “Native American Pottery: The Sacred & Mundane” will give students new insight to the art of the often marginalized and misunderstood Indigenous cultures of the region. 

12. P-R Blackman

P-R Blackman is an artist in Torrington, CT who works with reclaimed timber to create unique and sustainable apparel and works of art. He offers demos and classes to give people insight into the combination of traditional and contemporary techniques that go into his pieces.

13. Lori Barker

Lori Barker’s multi-media art, made in her studio in Goshen, CT is fascinating, evocative, and above all varied. Her Purple Door Gallery exhibits everything from sculpture to labyrinths, and her work incorporates a variety of techniques to create ethereal and spiritual pieces. She offers workshops to share some of those techniques with students, including courses on printing, collage, and painting.

14. Main Street Ballet

Ballet’s highly-technical nature can make it both daunting to understand and daunting to try for many people. In Woodbury, CT, Main Street Ballet’s classes offer adults both the opportunity to better understand the art and to practice it themselves. 

15. Terri Tibbatts

Terri Tibbatts is a multimedia artist in Washington Depot, CT who specializes in the art of the book. She offers a variety of classes on book arts, including bookbinding for artist’s books, creating miniature books, and suminagashi, or Japanese paper marbling. People interested in sustainable arts practices will enjoy her eco books and altered books workshops, which teach students how to turn recycled and upcycled materials into unique works of art. This is a great opportunity to learn this time-honored craft from an established and talented local artist. 

16. Red Room Sound Studios

Lucinda Rowe-Connolly of Red Room Sound Studios has a long and impressive resume in the music industry. She offers private vocal coaching lessons out of the all-analog, all tape studio in Torrington, CT on styles from rock to blues to pop. Working with Lucinda offers artists both the opportunity to learn from an experienced and talented professional as well as a glimpse into one of the most unique new businesses in the historic downtown area.

Arts education is a lifelong process. We hope that this guide helps you find the arts class in Northwest Connecticut that is right for you!