Adult & Teen Classes

Creative York offers art classes in a fun and supportive environment. Come learn a new skill and connect with your innate creative self!

Creative Classes | Drawing | Painting | Clay
Fibers | Art Parties | Team-Building Art Classes

In the best interest of our community’s health and safety regarding the COVID-19 virus with the input of State and York City Departments of Health, Creative York has postponed all in-person classes, community outreach programs, and events until June 15. All registered students will get updates about this postponement period via email. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
We look forward to being able to get together again soon! In the meantime, consider our online class options below.

Online Classes

Private Online Drawing Lessons

In response to postponed in-person classes, Creative York has launched new online private art lessons, a learning option that will put you in a custom video conference with one of our talented teaching artists! Improve your drawing skills from the comfort of your home with tailored lessons that match your skill level and goals. We have teaching artists who specialize in the Basics of Drawing, Figure Drawing, Drawing Portraits, and Animal Anatomy. Online private art lessons are available for kids starting at age 8 as well as adults of all ages. Lessons are typically scheduled once a week but can be customized.
Instructor: Kate Rush, Annelise Vuono, or Cait Deane
$40/1-hour lesson • Ages 8+

Email info@creativeyork.org with questions and to schedule your online lessons.

Digital Painting in Photoshop

Learn how to paint in Photoshop with the guidance of a professional teaching artist as well as the support of a small class of like-minded peers. All skill levels are welcome in this 4-week Digital Painting course held via online video conference. Key skills covered in this course include knowing your tools and experimenting with various brush styles; color mixing, matching, and blending; how to incorporate traditional drawing into your digital painting; and techniques for bringing your ideas to life.
Instructor: Annelise Vuono
Wednesdays (4), June 3-24 • 5-6:30 pm • $90 • Ages 13+ REGISTER
Software and drawing tablet must be purchased separately. Follow the registration link above for more information.

Creative Classes

Making Sense of Modern Art

Come to this lecture series held in the Creative York gallery if you’ve ever wondered “How can this be art?” Through slides and stories, discover how modern art movements developed from the time of the Impressionists to the present. Learn how to see the “big picture” of modern and contemporary art and prepare to be inspired!
Instructor: Ellen Ehlenbeck
Ages 14+ CLOSED

Poetry A la Carte

Choose what you want to write in a flexible series of workshops designed to let you dictate the lessons. Would you like to investigate a form, participate in a critique session, experiment with new ways to construct modern and post-modern poems? Tailored to your interest and convenience.
Instructor: Carol Clark Williams
$25/person for a 2-hour session • Ages 14+ • Minimum of 6 people CLOSED

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Drawing

Drawing Workshop

Whether a beginner drawing student or an artist looking to brush up on observational drawing skills, this 2-hour workshop is a great way to practice those foundational techniques like material and application, color, line, and tone. Draw from a still life set up in the classroom, or bring you own photo reference. Students can expect to have individualized drawing instruction in this workshop.
Instructor: Leah Limpert Walt
Ages 13+ CLOSED

Beginner Portraiture

Learn how to break down one of the most daunting of art challenges: the human face. Get an introduction to various drawing tools, learn methods for laying in tone, and develop a good understanding of proportions that will help you with any drawing that you do in the future. Students draw from various models throughout the series.
Instructor: Leah Limpert Walt
Ages 13+ CLOSED

Concept Art for Teens

Conceptual artists create images for use in areas such as animation, comic book illustration, gaming, advertising, print, and many other professional creative careers. Over the span of 6 weeks, students create three polished portfolio pieces with traditional art materials featuring their own character, environment, and character prop. Class discussions cover the theory and nature of careers within the concept art field. This course is designed as the first part of a portfolio prepatory class for teen artists with an interest in entering the concept art field.
Instructor: Annelise Vuono
Ages 12-18 CLOSED

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Painting

Paint Night

Follow our professional painting instructor step-by-step in this beginner-friendly painting workshop. Instruction for the class revolves around starting a painting, technique, color mixing, application, and core concepts for composition.
Instructor: Leah Limpert Walt
Ages 13+ CLOSED

Paint Your Pet Workshop

Join us at Creative York to paint a custom portrait of your beloved pet. This workshop includes a hand-sketched template of your pet on a canvas, all painting supplies, and hands-on instruction. After registration is complete, send us a high resolution photo of your pet (one pet only and photo should feature your pet’s head and shoulders), and our instructor will transfer the image to your canvas before class.
Instructor: Annelise Vuono
Ages 14+ CLOSED

Acrylic Painting

This painting series will utilize two ways of working to improve painting skills: working from direct observation and also using a master copy as a reference. We will talk about color, technique, and other foundation skills used in starting any painting. Students can expect to take home multiple pieces and feel more confident when putting their brush to the canvas!
Instructor: Leah Limpert Walt
Ages 13+ CLOSED

Watercolor Foundations

This four-part foundation course is a perfect entry point for beginners, providing a basic understanding of how to paint with watercolors. Students will learn about specialty papers, different types of paintbrushes and tools, color mixing, and application techniques.
Instructor: Elizabeth Morrison
Ages 16+ CLOSED

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Fibers

Needle Felted Animal Workshop

Needle felting is the art of working with special barbed needles and wool roving to create a textile object. Learn how to transform colorful wool roving into your own little 3-dimensional animal. No experience necessary.
Instructor: Elizabeth Morrison
Ages 14+ CLOSED

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Clay Classes

Clay Workshop

Learn the basics of creating a piece of pottery with a ball of clay on a potter’s wheel. Our instructor breaks down this art form step-by-step and then helps students individually as they learn the techniques of centering, opening up the clay, and pulling up the walls on the spinning potter’s wheel. This is the perfect class for beginners! Students also have the option of getting their final pieces glazed and fired by our studio manager for $5 per piece.
Instructors: Amy Diamond, Cassandra Horn, Jen Hall, or Cait Deane
$45/person • Ages 14+
Friday, June 19 • 6-8 pm CLOSED
Saturday, June 20 • 3-5 pm CLOSED
Saturday, June 27 • 3-5 pm CLOSED

Date Night Pottery

Grab a loved one and join us in the pottery studio for an evening of throwing on the potter’s wheel! One of our teaching artists will demonstrate the basic process of creating a piece of pottery out of raw clay, and then students work at their own wheel and try it out for themselves! Participants are welcome to bring their own snacks and beverages. Students also have the option of getting their final pieces glazed and fired by our studio manager for $5 per piece.
Instructors: Amy Diamond, Cassandra Horn, Jen Hall, or Cait Deane
$45/person • $90/couple • Ages 18+ • BYOB if 21+
Saturday, June 20 • 6-8 pm CLOSED
Friday, June 26 • 6-8 pm CLOSED
Saturday, June 27 • 6-8 pm CLOSED

Beginner Wheel Throwing

This six week class is a great introduction to functional clay. Learn the basics of shaping clay on the potter’s wheel and finish your pieces with colorful glaze. Explore different forms such as cups, mugs, plates, and bowls. No experience necessary.
Instructor: Amy Diamond
Ages 14+ CLOSED

Clay Studio Classes

Our Clay Studio classes are for those students wanting to explore and develop their own aesthetic and style through clay. Students in these classes have the benefit of being able to work on their own self-directed projects while having an instructor present to guide them. Choose to focus on wheel throwing or hand building. Returning students will be challenged with new projects and techniques for their skill level. All skill levels welcome in this fun and vibrant studio class!
Instructor: Holly Davis

Ages 16+ CLOSED

Clay Berry Basket Workshop

Join us for this one day hand building workshop. Create a warm weather-inspired berry bowl using a simple weaving technique. Your piece will be fired by our studio manager and will be available for pick-up at a later date.
Instructor: Amy Diamond
Ages 14+ CLOSED

Functional Clay

Make and design functional dinnerware in this daytime ceramics class. Design pottery for specific foods and uses, build a serving platter, a butter dish, appetizer trays, and other functional forms. Students create their pieces using hand building techniques with opportunities to add wheel thrown components for those with wheel experience. Apply color, patterns, and design with glaze. All skill levels welcome.
Instructor: Holly Davis
Ages 16+ CLOSED

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Personalized Arts Experiences

To schedule the following Personalized Arts Experiences, email steph@creativeyork.org or call 717-848-3200.

Creative Team-building Experiences

Step out of the office and into the art studio! Creative York can design custom arts-based experiences for your corporate team, business staff, or community organization. This is an arts experience that will ignite your team’s creativity, strengthen their working relationships, and encourage collaboration and open communication. Choose from ceramics or painting for your team’s 2-hour arts experience. Many groups also decide to rent out our beautiful gallery space as a place to host a reception before class.
$30/person for painting • $45/person for clay • 2-hour class • Minimum of 6 people
$90/1-hour gallery rental

Art Parties

Gather your friends to celebrate a special occasion or to put together a creative girl’s night out. Work with our staff to build your own class. Perfect if you want to learn something specific, or if you’d like to schedule an existing class or workshop during a different date/time that suits you and your friends. Drinks and snacks are welcome!
$35/person for painting • $45/person for clay • 2-hour class • Minimum of 6 people

Private Lessons

Are you looking for individualized instruction? Our team of teaching artists is able to offer private lessons in a variety of styles, materials, and time frames tailored to your interest and convenience.
$40/hour

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Teaching Artists This Session

Holly Davis

Holly Davis is an artist, wife and mom from York, PA. She received her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Ceramics from Beaver College, completed her PA Art teaching certification through Millersville University, and received her Masters in Education from Wilkes University. She also studied at Glasgow School of Art in Scotland and Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. Holly has exhibited work throughout Pennsylvania, in Scotland, and in North Carolina, and she was the recipient of a PA State Grant for the Arts. Holly loves clay and teaching art, especially ceramics. She has taught artists of every age and has a passion for sharing her appreciation of clay with those she gets to work with.

Cait Deane

Cait Deane is a multi-media artist from Carlisle, PA. In 2017 she graduated from Arcadia University with a BA in Fine Art ceramics, and a minor in Arts Management and Entrepreneurship. While her primary love is ceramics, Cait also regularly works in a variety of other mediums, such as ink, watercolor, and acrylic. Cait has experience teaching both adults and children, and enjoys assisting students of all ages and abilities as they navigate their creative journey.

Amy Diamond

Amy Diamond is a graduate of Millersville University, with a degree in Art education with a concentration in Inclusive Education. Her main focus is in ceramics, and Amy has attended multiple National Conferences dealing with ceramics and art education. While working with her own peers in class and her students in her middle school internship, she’s grown to appreciate the studio culture of collaboration. Amy enjoys learning through play and the educational and cultural benefits of creating art with others. She believes that all individuals have the ability to grow and learn and that art is a pathway to do so.

Jennifer Hall

Jennifer is a graduate of the Tyler School of Art at Temple University where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts along with her PA teaching certification. After teaching art full time in Philadelphia for 4 years, she is thrilled to come back to her roots and teach for her Alma Mater, York Suburban School District. Growing up in York County, Jennifer interned at Creative York and spent many summers taking their classes. As an artist, Jennifer practices multiple mediums focusing primarily on clay and watercolor, and is also working on illustrating her first children’s book! She is looking forward to contributing to the thriving arts community at Creative York!

Ellen Ehlenbeck

Ellen Ehlenbeck holds a BFA in painting from Penn State and a MA in graphic design from Savannah College of Art and Design. A working artist, Ellen has exhibited her work widely in the region, in both solo and group shows, as well as juried exhibitions. She loves to teach, and currently serves as a Resident Teaching Artist with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts as well as teaching at Harrisburg Area Community College, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and Creative York.

Cassandra Horn

Cassandra Horn is a graduate of Kutztown University, where she studied art education while also earning a minor in crafts that focused on ceramics. After graduation she has had many different experiences working with school-age kids as a day care teacher, summer camp facilitator, a substitute teacher, and a middle school and high school art teacher in York city.

Elizabeth Morrison

Elizabeth Morrison has been a watercolor artist for 50 years and counting. Also working as a classroom teacher for 17 years, she has had a great deal of experience teaching beginners the ins and out of this fascinating material. At Creative York she has teaches fibers and painting classes in the Teen Art House program, leads Arts Discovery Camps over the summers, and holds art classes for adults and children.

Gabi Portelles

Gabi Portelles is a Millersville University graduate with a BA in Fine Art. Growing up as an artist in York, she has been collaborating with Creative York since high school. In 2017, she interned as the assistant coordinator for for Creative York’s Art In the Parks program. Following her passion for empowering the creative minds of York city’s youth, Gabi is now one of our summer camp instructors in addition to other classes she teaches during the year. She is also working with The Parliament Arts Organization as gallery assistant to curate exhibits and plan events that encourage community collaboration. Having a creative background in both fine art and music, Gabi encourages students of all ages to have fun by boldly experimenting with materials and ideas during their creative process.

Evelyn Price

Evelyn Price is a York native. She enjoys traveling and has kept a written journal since she was very young. She has been teaching the Artworks program at Creative York since 2014. The program focus is to help students on probation with life and social skills through art projects. Her passion is to inspire students through different mediums, including yoga. She earned her 200 hour yoga teaching training in 2017 and teaches locally in downtown York. Evelyn’s favorite artists include Salvador Dali, Georgia O’Keefe, Diane Arbus, and Dan Eldon.

Ivy Rodgers

Ivy Rodgers is a graduate of York College’s Fine Art program, where she focused on painting and printmaking, as well as minoring in Art History. She has had a studio at Marketview Arts in Downtown York for 2 years, and was the Gallery Assistant to Matthew Clay Robison for 2.5 years. She had her first solo exhibition of her work at the age of 21, and has shown regionally at numerous galleries and institutions in group shows and juried exhibitions alike. She has experimented with many different mediums such as, collage, letterpress, charcoal drawing, ceramics and assemblage sculpture. Ivy is very involved in the downtown York arts scene, including designing the logo and branding for Paco’s in Royal Square District, as well as running York’s first-ever art criticism site entitled CritiqueYork. She listens to a lot of hip hop and eats a lot of noodles.

Kate Rush

Kate is a mother of two daughters and a self-taught artist who resides in York, PA. She has been an active member in York County and the State of Pennsylvania as a Crime Victim’s Rights Advocate and has recently returned to her artistic roots. Kate enjoys working with a variety of artistic mediums, designing adult coloring book pages, and creating custom art pieces and commissions. Kate regularly participates in group exhibits at Hive artspace and other artistic opportunities as they become available. She loves sharing her passion for the arts with children and teenagers. Presently, Kate is working as a program monitor for Teen Art House and teaching private art lessons through Creative York.

Allison Seitz

Allison received her Bachelor’s Degree in Art Education from Towson University and a Master’s from Millersville University. She lives in Southern York County with her family and has been an elementary school art educator for 20+ years. Currently she teaches for Baltimore County Public Schools in Maryland. Although, Allison has experience in teaching all areas of art, her passion is working with clay. She taught for the Baltimore Clayworks for several years and spent many summers running her own Creative Clay Camp for kids.

Annelise Vuono

Annelise Vuono is an artist whose style is characterized by figurative elements within abstract environments. Her paintings in particular feature strong color schemes and an emotional presence. Originally based out of Central Pennsylvania, Vuono is the daughter of an art educator and designer. She began drawing at a young age finding inspiration from fantasy films, music, graphic novels, and nature. Later, she graduated with a BFA from Pennsylvania College of Art and Design. Vuono has been working for the past decade in various visual arts fields, has been published in books and magazines, and worked as Program Coordinator for Creative York’s Art in the Parks Program. Annelise has a passion for community involvement and raising awareness in the arts.

Leah Limpert Walt

Leah Limpert Walt is a York based painter and draftsman known primarily for her nocturne landscapes and surreal figurative oil paintings. She studied art at The University of Delaware and Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia, but ultimately received her BFA from Pennsylvania College of Art and Design in Lancaster. She has shown her work across south central Pennsylvania, the Lehigh Valley and in New York City. She lives in York City with her husband Craig and their dog, Monk.

Carol Clark Williams

Carol Clark Williams is poet laureate emeritus of York, Pennsylvania and a rostered artist for the Arts in Education StART Something. She teaches poetry workshops in high schools, libraries, prisons, support groups, and halfway houses. She has recently received the Above and Beyond award from the National Federation of State Poetry Societies for her work with young people. Carol’s poems have been published in print and online journals including Mad Poets Review, Margie, Byline, Passager, Fledgling Rag and Broadkill Review, and Bent Pin Quarterly. She has authored two poetry books: Escaped Without Injury and Stories of the Tribe.