figure drawing workshops and open studios

artmodelandrew wrote

on 13 Jul 2009 11:15 PM

I've been compiling a list of figure drawing open studios and workshops in the U.S. and Canada.  Actually the scope includes instructed as well as uninstructed; it also includes figure painting and sculpture.

I hope this will be a useful resource for the figurative art community.

This is a work in progress. If you participate in a figure drawing group that's not on the list, I'd love to hear about it.

Drawing groups come and go, and schedules change, so I prefer that the listings are verifiable by including a URL and the email address of the organizer. When I add a listing, I send an email to the organizer/school/etc asking them to verify the information or correct it.  They don't always reply, but this step has identified several discontinued workshops which the organizations hadn't removed from their websites.

Here's what I have so far:

http://www.artmodelbook.com/figure-drawing-directory.htm

-Andrew

valeriemalley wrote

on 14 Jul 2009 10:31 AM

Hello Andrew.   Thank you for compiling this llist.  I have bookmarked Alberta's listing.  While I was aware of this art school, I had not looked into their adult course of study.  Now I have.

Robin11 wrote

on 2 Aug 2009 6:05 PM

Both Fleischer Memorial and The Plastic Club in Philadelphia have life drawing classes.  I think the Sketch Club does too.

artmodelandrew wrote

on 3 Aug 2009 9:14 PM

Thanks very much, Robin. I have added Fleischer and The Plastic Club. Those are really interesting organizations -- Fleischer because of the free classes, and The Plastic Club because of its history dating back to 1897.

The Philadelphia Sketch Club is already on the list.

-Andrew

amyimann wrote

on 29 Aug 2009 4:02 PM

Andrew, I just saw this post, and it's absolutely fantastic!!! Thanks for doing this! I saw some things in my area that I was not aware of.

artmodelandrew wrote

on 25 Sep 2009 11:43 AM

Amy, I'm glad you found the directory useful.

I've add a lot more recently. The count is up to 467 figure drawing/painting/sculpture venues: 45 in Canada, and 422 in the United States.

In building the list, it has been interesting to observe where there are  pockets of interest in figurative art.  Obviously big metropolitan areas like New York, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area have more options than the rural areas -- I haven't found anything yet in North Dakota or South Dakota.  On the other hand, there's a longstanding group in Taos, New Mexico, which is pretty remote.  I was surprised to discover so many figure drawing sessions on the Florida Gulf coast.  I also found several in downeast Maine. Perhaps because people retire to these areas and have time to pursue their artistic endeavors? Austin also has several groups. I think the video game / animation industry explains at least some of the interest there. 

Andrew

http://www.artmodelbook.com/figure-drawing-directory.htm

amyimann wrote

on 25 Sep 2009 2:41 PM

Taos, NM is a big artist community, so I wouldn't consider that a remote place. And Downeast Maine is where a great many famous artists have done wonderful work, so I think it's an inspiring place for the artist. I guess the figure groups in Maine are to keep the artists busy in bad weather () Thanks again for your great list.

artmodelandrew wrote

on 9 Mar 2010 8:05 PM

Over the past six months I've been finding more figure drawing workshops in the U.S. and Canada. The directory is up to about 600 entries.  (Valerie -- I recently added a few more venues in Calgary.)

If anyone is aware of a school or drop-in figure drawing group that is missing from the list, please let me know.  Thanks!

http://www.artmodelbook.com/figure-drawing-directory.htm

-Andrew

valeriemalley wrote

on 10 Mar 2010 1:03 PM

Thank you Andrew, I've bookmarked this information.

watermike wrote

on 30 Oct 2010 7:22 PM

Andrew, I may be missing something obvious, but I don't see how to contact you directly - so I'll do so here.  There's a Monday eve (when school's in session) Open Studio with nude models, 7:30 - 9 at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio.  Free for students, the rest of us pay $5 toward the models. 

artmodelandrew wrote

on 1 Nov 2010 1:43 PM

Thank you, Mike. I added a listing for Sinclair.  The directory is up to 684 venues now.

http://www.artmodelbook.com/figure-drawing-directory.htm

BTW, there's an email address at the top of each page in the directory for direct contact.

-Andrew

watermike wrote

on 4 Nov 2010 2:03 PM

Thanks Andrew - & by the way, it's 7- 9:30 (I mistakenly put 7:30 - 9 before)

jvienot wrote

on 23 Dec 2010 2:17 PM

The link is not opening for me.  Is there another way to get to this information?

OK, just momentary, it works now.  False alarm.

KatPaints wrote

on 24 Dec 2010 5:36 AM

Thanks for doing this. This is great. Many of these places have a pay as you go policy. I checked Ohio and here is one other place to include. http://www.orangeartcenter.org/artists.cfm#Massaroni. In the past, they had a very professional group of people doing life drawing. I have not been up-to-date though their instructors are top notched. I had one that taught at the art institute, but paid a small fraction of what tuition would cost.

I hope you are finding a way to profit from this work.

artmodelandrew wrote

on 27 Dec 2010 12:31 PM

KatPaints: Thanks! I added Orange Art Center and sent them an email in case they want to revise the description.

jvienot: The web hosting company had an intermittent technical problem a couple of days ago. Sorry about that.