Art School
SUMMER REGISTRATION
Art School summer registration is now open!
To view a week by week schedule of our children's courses, VIEW OUR CHILDREN CLASS OVERVIEW PAGE.
To view a week by week schedule of our adult courses and workshops, VIEW OUR ADULT CLASS OVERVIEW PAGE.
This summer, The Art School will offer exciting classes for children ages 4 - 17 in painting, drawing, ceramics, sculpture, and more! New course offerings include Storytelling through Art, Fashion Week, Crazy Critter Sewing, Jurassic Art, Texas Wildlife, DIY Kicks Design, and more! Your child can tap into their inner creativity and take inspiration from the beautiful 14 acre sculpture park at Laguna Gloria. Whether they choose to try their hands at ceramics to create vessels or fantastical sculptures, learn about different art techniques practiced around the world, study influential artists throughout history, or paint a collaborative mural, there’s a class for every artist.
Adult classes and workshops will primarily take place on weekends and evenings, from May 27 – September 1. New courses include Contemporary Vessels, Intro to CGI (3D Modeling) for Painters, The Contemporary Landscape, and more.
Our week-long children’s classes will run from May 30th - August 11th. The Art School offers morning classes from 9 AM - 12 PM and afternoon classes from 1 - 4 PM. Please note that the Art School is not an accredited summer camp and we require parent supervision between morning and afternoon sessions.
All students must sign and agree to our Student Contract when registering for a class to help us maintain a safe and healthy campus! Take a look at our Art School Student Contracts 2023 before registering! Scroll to the bottom to review our children specific policies.
Please reach out to artschool@thecontemporaryaustin.org with any questions.
About
To better serve our students and our mission, most of our Art School classes require a museum membership. JOIN AS A MEMBER to register!
Full details on Art School membership can be found here.
The Art School is located on the fourteen-acre Lake Austin site of historic Laguna Gloria, a natural setting conducive to the creation of art. Our studios have direct access to the outdoors, and we encourage you to explore the grounds while working on class projects. Our goal is to foster your creativity, enhance your visual awareness, and improve your technical skills in your chosen medium. Our small classes increase your interactions with our credentialed and talented faculty members.
Having recently celebrated our 50th anniversary, the Art School continues to strive to maintain the highest standards of educational excellence, offering you the added bonus of experiencing changing exhibitions at The Contemporary Austin's two locations.
There are so many ways to enjoy the Art School and our campus at the beautiful Laguna Gloria, so whether you are a beginning student, a serious amateur, or a returning artist, we invite you to enroll.
We have classes for ages four through adult.
Adult Classes: Weekdays, Evenings, and Weekends
Kids' Classes: Saturdays and Sundays, and Weeklong Camps in the Summer
Classes are offered in mediums including painting, drawing, wheel throwing (pottery), photography, Photoshop, collage, mosaics, watercolor, pastels, jewelry, glass, metal, and more! Classes start at various dates during the semester and registration is ongoing.
Scholarships
Students and families demonstrating financial need are eligible to apply for scholarships to the Art School. We award up to two scholarships per year per individual and a maximum of two scholarships per semester per household. Download the appropriate application at the link below. For additional assistance or inquiries, please contact the Art School office at 512 323 6380 or email us at artschool@thecontemporaryaustin.org.
Printable: YOUTH (ages 4-13) Scholarship Application
Online: YOUTH (ages 4-13) Scholarship Application
Printable: TEEN (ages14-18) Scholarship Application
Online: TEEN (ages14-18) Scholarship Application
Printable: ADULT (ages 19+) Scholarship Application
Online: ADULT (ages 19+) Scholarship Application
Deadline: Art School scholarship applications are accepted December 1 - February 1 for Spring; March 1 - July 1 for Summer; and August 1 - October 1 for Fall. Please allow up to one month for us to process scholarship applications.
Eligibility: The Contemporary Austin Art School uses the Income Limits for the Austin - Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) as defined by Travis County to determine scholarship eligibility. Income that qualifies as very low, low or below moderate qualifies for a scholarship that covers up to 100% of tuition costs. Individual circumstances are considered on a case-by-case basis and may be taken into account in determining eligibility.
You, too, can make a difference in the lives of students in need by supporting Art School scholarships—make your gift to the Education Fund today!
Art School Scholarships sponsored by The Berman Family
Parking
To increase security for visitors, staff, and Art School faculty, and to meet the growing demand for additional ADA parking availability, TCA has revised our Parking Policy for 2023. Beginning Saturday, May 27, 2023, parking on-campus at Laguna Gloria is reserved for:
-TCA Staff
-Art School Faculty (Only with a valid TCA-issued pass on class scheduled days)
-Visitors who are pregnant or who have Texas State ADA parking certification
-Vendors (emergency services, plumbers, electricians, etc.)
-Executive, Curatorial, or Programming special guests
Visitors are invited to park along West 35th St. both in the laneway leading to the lake and along the street-parking spaces extending from Laguna Gloria towards Camp Mabry and beyond. Do not leave any valuables in your car.
SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES RELATED TO ART SCHOOL AT TCA
-Art School Students may park on-site for evening classes from 5:30 pm on if there are no other TCA Events taking priority.
-TCA events or partnerships may require special parking plans to be implemented by the Operations Department. Notice will be given regarding any changes to the standard parking policy described here, as soon as available to the department.
-TCA Leadership can change or alter this policy at any time.
Volunteering & Internships
The Art School is not currently accepting volunteer applications. Please check back at the end of August for our Fall Semester volunteer opportunities (September - December 2023)!
Teaching
The Art School is always looking for excellent teachers with exciting new course ideas. We take pride in the high quality of our instruction and the student-centered learning environment offered here at the Art School. Please review our website to become familiar with the subjects we currently offer.
Faculty Requirements:
- BA or MFA in studio art, art education, or relevant teaching subject
- Minimum of 2 years' teaching experience
- Teaching certification preferred for children and teen instructors (but relevant experience may be substituted)
- Demonstrated expertise in teaching field
- High level of quality in personal artwork
- High level of personal motivation and dependability
- Ability to work independently
- Punctuality
- Skilled in organizing subject material in incremental steps designed for beginners, or whatever skill level the class encompasses
- Ability to nurture, encourage, and support the creativity of children and/or adult students
You may apply to teach existing classes or include a proposal for a new class. Please complete the application at this link: Class Submission and Instructor Application
Contact
To reach the Art School staff:
Phone: 512 323 6380
E-mail: artschool@thecontemporaryaustin.org
Art School Staff
Manager of Registration and Student Affairs: Ariel Spiegelman
Administrative Coordinator: Katherine Vaughn
Studio Coordinator: Alissa Neal
Ceramics Coordinator: James Tisdale
Registration Assistant: Ruby Bronaugh
Mailing Address:
The Art School at Laguna Gloria
3809 West 35th Street
Austin, TX 78703