Marwen | Courses & Workshops

Find Your Passion

Spring term is currently in session and runs through Saturday, May 3.

Returning student? You’re first in line to select classes! Online registration for Summer courses opens April 24 at marwen.org/registration.

New to Marwen? Welcome! To get started, sign up for a New Student Open House & Registration events on May 17 or June 7. RSVP HERE You will get a tour of our galleries and studios, meet staff, and register on the spot.

Key information:

1. Summer term runs July 7 - August 8, 2025. There are 2 sessions: July 7-18 and July 28-August 8.

2. Summer term offers 25 unique classes. Each class meets five days a week, Monday through Friday, either in the morning (10 AM - 12:30 PM) or afternoon (1:30-4 PM) and runs for two weeks.

3. Young people can register for up to 2 classes per term.

Marwen’s free programs exist for young artists in Chicago who want to explore visual arts, can commit to a multi-week art class, are in 6-12th grades during the 2025/26 school year, and do not have access to arts programming due to financial and systemic barriers. Learn more about our values and how we invest in the power of young artists.

Have questions? Reach out to us anytime at registrar@marwen.org.

The courses below reflect Spring term offerings.

Get ready to stitch your imagination into reality! Whether you’re new to needle and thread or looking to build your skills, this course is perfect for you. Learn the basics or level up from simple stitches to fun patterns. Explore different techniques like backstitch, satin stitch, and French knots. Discover how to add personal touches to your projects, such as custom patches, bookmarks, or decorative pieces.

In Stitches: Embroidery for Everyone

Mel Cook-White

Grade: 6, 7, 8

Wed

5 PM - 7:30 PM

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Learn the art of blending techniques using acrylic paints, watercolors, and color pencils. Play with the ways in which color, form, and technique work harmoniously to unify a series of artworks. Create a variety of paintings and sketches that will showcase your skills.

From Sketch to Finish

Erica Scott

Grade: 6, 7, 8

Sat

1:30 PM - 4 PM

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Get ready to bring your imagination to life in this hands-on puppet-making class! Learn how to design and build your own puppets using materials like fabric, felt, and found objects. Explore different styles of puppets like hand puppets and marionettes. Bring your creation to life with a performance on your own puppet theater stage.

Puppet Studio: Crafting Characters

Maria Rosa Rizzi

Grade: 6, 7, 8

Sat

1:30 PM - 4 PM

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Learn how to throw on the potter's wheel or use hand-building techniques to create beautiful functional artworks like a pot for your favorite plant! Whether you're new to clay or building on past experience, this class is a fantastic opportunity to dive into the world of ceramics.

Pots for Plants: Wheel Throwing Ceramics

Ari Karafiol

Grade: 9, 10, 11, 12

Sat

1:30 PM - 4 PM

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Unleash your creativity and expand your photography skills. From light- painting to alternative photo printing methods, learn multiple styles and choose one technique for your final artwork. Make a digital print or a character created in Photoshop.

Pixel Perfect: Digital Photo Adventures

Joselyn Corona

Grade: 6, 7, 8

Sat

10 AM - 12:30 PM

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Dive into the art of bookmaking to create your own one-of-a-kind books! Learn the basics of designing and crafting books from scratch. Explore techniques like making paper, book charms, paper marbling to create your own sketchbook. Build a collection of handmade pieces perfect for storytellers and artists.

Handmade Stories: Creative Bookmaking

Jimena Hernandez

Grade: 6, 7, 8

Wed

5 PM - 7:30 PM

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Explore experimental painting and 3D scenes. Use watercolor, gouache, and collage to make dioramas, vignettes, and shadow boxes! Through various mediums create narrative pieces using found objects to tell a story. Learn how to use various materials like paper, fabric, found objects, and paint 3D scenes inside of a sculpted box.

Sculpting Stories: Painting & Sculpture

Jesus Gonzalez Flores

Grade: 6, 7, 8

Wed

5 PM - 7:30 PM

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Design to Print is an opportunity for young people (ages 16-18) to be hired as commissioned artists to create one-of-a-kind designs for Marwen’s greeting card line. Young artists will receive a $300 stipend to create gouache paintings that will be scanned and printed as a greeting card for sale. Apply here: https://tinyurl.com/MarwenD2P.

DESIGN TO PRINT

Lyndsay Murphree

Grade: 9, 10, 11, 12

Thu

5 PM - 7:30 PM

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This class will guide you through the essential techniques of cutting, arranging, and adhering mosaic pieces to various surfaces. Explore real-life examples and photo references of mosaic art, sparking inspiration and discussion. It’s a fun twist on a mosaic-themed version of the "Exquisite Corpse" game to fuel your creativity!

Mosaics: World of Color

Cassandra Schifano

Grade: 6, 7, 8

Sat

10 AM - 12:30 PM

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Welcome to the world of hand building. Create your own miniature worlds inspired by your favorite places! Learn the basics of working with ceramics, then sketch your ideas of your favorite places like parks, gardens, or houses. Bring them to life by constructing miniature homes and characters that belong in a place of your choice.

Clay Stories: Ceramic World-Building

Christina Sadovnikov

Grade: 6, 7, 8

Sat

10 AM - 12:30 PM

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Learn the basics of wire jewelry making and discover how to transform simple wire into beautiful, wearable art. Using techniques like twisting, coiling, and shaping, create stunning necklaces, bracelets, rings, and more! Explore different types of wire, beads, and charms to personalize your designs and bring your unique style to life.

From Wire to Attire: Jewelry Design

Destiny Harris

Grade: 6, 7, 8

Thu

5 PM - 7:30 PM

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Explore the world of digital portrait photography! Learn essential techniques to capture compelling portraits from lighting and composition to editing and retouching with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. Take portraits that express personality, emotion, and style.

Portraits in Focus: Digital Photography

Gina Santellano

Grade: 9, 10, 11, 12

Thu

5 PM - 7:30 PM

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Welcome to the world of video and animation! Dive into various techniques for creating moving image art. Explore the stages of video production: cinematography, lighting, stop-motion animation, puppet animation, and more. Learn Adobe Premiere for video editing and iStopMotion for animation, too.

Make it Move: Video and Animation

Pablo Monterubio

Grade: 6, 7, 8

Wed

5 PM - 7:30 PM

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Inspired by iconic artists like Andy Warhol, dive into bold colors, playful patterns, and unique techniques to create your own pop art masterpieces. Experiment with various mediums, including painting, collage, and digital art. Learn how to mix traditional and modern techniques while exploring themes like culture and self-expression.

Pop Goes the Palette: Experimental Pop Art

Griffin Goodman

Grade: 6, 7, 8

Thu

5 PM - 7:30 PM

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Print like a pro! In this skilled printmaking class, dive deeper into the exciting world of print art. Immerse yourself in traditional and experimental printmaking methods. Learn how to create complex layers, textures, and patterns, to make each print unique. Perfect for those with some printmaking experience.

Level Up Printmaking

Jose Casales

Grade: 6, 7, 8

Sat

10 AM - 12:30 PM

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Step into the world of digital design and discover how to bring your creative ideas to life! Learn the foundations of graphic design from typography and color theory to layout and composition. Using Adobe Illustrator explore how graphic design is used in everything from logos and posters to websites and social media.

Graphic Design Essentials

Nancy Alvarado-Rosas

Grade: 9, 10, 11, 12

Sat

1:30 PM - 4 PM

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Develop your own negatives and create stunning prints using classic darkroom techniques. Explore the entire process from loading and developing film to enlarging and printing images on photographic paper. Learn light exposure, composition, and the technical aspects of film photography.

From Film to Photo: Advanced Darkroom

l o t i Walker

Grade: 9, 10, 11, 12

Thu

5 PM - 7:30 PM

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Explore self-expression through digital portraiture. Gain hands-on experience with Adobe Illustrator, learning to work with tools like the Pen Tool, Paint Bucket, Shapes and Patterns, and Eyedropper to bring your vision to life. This course offers both a technical and creative journey, helping you craft portraits that reflect how you see yourself.

Make it Digital: Portrait Illustrations

Rosalia Marzullo

Grade: 6, 7, 8

Wed

5 PM - 7:30 PM

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Learn the art of basket weaving from start to finish! Explore different weaving techniques, patterns, and materials to create beautiful, functional baskets of your own design. Along the way, discover how cultures around the world use basket weaving in everyday life and art.

Be-weave It or Knot: Basket Making

Eseosa Edebiri

Grade: 6, 7, 8

Sat

10 AM - 12:30 PM

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Transform your stories into finished works of digital art. Explore the basics of drawing, collage, and digital techniques to create a personal zine about your interests, then bring your comic characters to life. This class gives you the tools to express yourself in unique, creative ways.

Set the Zine: Comics & Storytelling

Sophia Clason

Grade: 6, 7, 8

Sat

10 AM - 12:30 PM

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This painting class invites you to explore the art of figure painting through the study of the human form. Using live models, learn techniques for capturing anatomy, proportion, and gesture, while developing skills in shading, color mixing, and brushwork. Experiment with different styles and learn to express movement, emotion, and perspective in your work while building your portfolio.

Figure it Out: Painting the Body

Mel Cook-White

Grade: 9, 10, 11, 12

Sat

10 AM - 12:30 PM

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