Thursdays 10:00am-Noon
July 16, August 20

Instructor: Jess Ochoa
Ages: Grades 3 and up

$30

Miss Jess will introduce students to activities based in fundamental art skills and FUN!

July 16

1-4PM

Instructor: Heather Noethe

Ages: 14+

Level: Beginner

$45

Learn the basics of soft pastels! No experience needed, and no commitment necessary.  This is an opportunity for students to try something new with guidance.  

Materials are provided by the art center, so students don't need to bring anything but their curiosity and enthusiasm!

$15/session

Experienced figure models, a great space, and a wonderful community. Join us for open figure drawing sessions. Clothed model today. 16+ are welcome. No instruction is provided. Please register in advance. We will hold the sessions if we have at least 4 registrations.

Starting in June, we will offer figure drawing twice monthly on Tuesdays from 1pm-3pm.

Art critiques allow artists to receive feedback on their artwork, as well as gain perspective on how others view and interpret the work. This two-hour critique will be led by Jessie Rebik and will include a structured and guided discussion among a small group of artists. Each participant will bring a finished (or near finished) work of art on which to receive feedback from the group. All feedback will be supportive and constructive with the purpose of helping the artists progress toward their goals in artmaking.

Materials:

1. One finished or near finished artwork that you would like feedback on.

2. Notebook, or something to take notes in

3. Pen, or something to take notes with.

There is no fee for this critique, however, registration is required.

Instructor: Candace Eudaley-Loebach

Level: Beginners and up

Ages: Middle School and up

$30

Candace Eudaley-Loebach will teach you to embroider a prairie bloom and apply it to a piece of wearable art that you can enjoy year-round! Students are encouraged to explore the coneflower shape provided or create their own whimsical version of the flower through their color selection.

You will learn and practice a straight stitch, stem stitch, cross stitch, lazy daisy, and french knots with an instructor-designed prairie bloom sampler. Students will learn how to finish the piece and install it onto a backing piece to create either a necklace, a keychain, a brooch or, for advanced students who can create two, earrings.

Eudaley-Loebach created the sampler and final coneflower design specifically for this class.

Sampler includes:

• Straight stitch;

• Stem stitch;

• Cross stitch;

• Lazy daisy, and;

• French knots.

$15/session

Experienced figure models, a great space, and a wonderful community. Join us for open figure drawing sessions. Nude models. Must be 18+. No instruction is provided. Please register in advance. We will hold the sessions if we have at least 4 registrations.

Starting in June, we will offer figure drawing twice monthly on Tuesdays from 1pm-3pm.

Three Thursdays

August 6, 13, 20

1:30-3:30PM (Please plan an extra 15 minutes for clean up!)

Instructor: Jessie Rebik

Ages: 14+

Level: Some prior drawing experience will be helpful.

$90 (Instruction only)

Learn how to use linear perspective for drawing subjects such as architecture, interior spaces, urban scenes, and any other similar structures.

Materials: Sketchbook, Viewfinder, drawing pencils (at least one H and one B), T-square, eraser

First Friday - August 7, 2026, 12-1:00pm

Jessie Rebik

Rebik explores painting as a visual language within Western art. Beginning with the rise of oil painting and its connection to realism and pictorial representation, Rebik follows how artists across movements have approached the relationship between representation, surface, emotion, and meaning. She also examines the material, physical, and expressive qualities of paint itself.

Free-will donation. No registration necessary.

Feel free to bring your lunch or a snack. We will provide coffee and cookies!

Aug 12 & 19
6-8:15pm

$60 (Instruction and materials)

Instructor: Andonia Giannakouros

Ages: Middle School+

Wheat paste, a glue recipe made by combining flour and water, has been used historically to paste posters, street art, and advertisements quickly and temporarily. Students will have the opportunity to collaborate on a garden themed design and paste the mural on the side of Bluff Strokes Art Center.

Materials provided. Students may bring their own permanent markers or permanent ink supplies to expand available colors.

$15/session

Experienced figure models, a great space, and a wonderful community. Join us for open figure drawing sessions. Nude models. Must be 18+. No instruction is provided. Please register in advance. We will hold the sessions if we have at least 4 registrations.

Starting in June, we will offer figure drawing twice monthly on Tuesdays from 1pm-3pm.

August 18

5-8PM

Instructor: Zoë Couvillon

Ages: 14+

Level: Beginner

$45

Learn the basics of Monotype printing! No experience needed and no commitment necessary. This is an opportunity for students to try something new with guidance from an experienced print maker.

Materials are provided by the art center, so students don't need to bring anything but their curiosity and enthusiasm!

Thursday 10:00am-Noon
August 20

Instructor: Jess Ochoa
Ages: Grades 3 and up

$30

Miss Jess will introduce students to activities based in fundamental art skills and FUN!

Art critiques allow artists to receive feedback on their artwork, as well as gain perspective on how others view and interpret the work. This two-hour critique will be led by Jessie Rebik and will include a structured and guided discussion among a small group of artists. Each participant will bring a finished (or near finished) work of art on which to receive feedback from the group. All feedback will be supportive and constructive with the purpose of helping the artists progress toward their goals in artmaking.

Materials:

1. One finished or near finished artwork that you would like feedback on.

2. Notebook, or something to take notes in

3. Pen, or something to take notes with.

There is no fee for this critique, however, registration is required.

September 4
Noon-1PM

Speaker: K Kriesel

Catholic sisters and nuns, also called women religious, working as professional artists have been uniquely distinct from secular and other religious artists both because they live in community and also because of their three vows: poverty, chastity, and obedience. Women religious artists had access to arts education before secular women, and went on to teach future generations. Each artist among them is distinct and yet shares the commonalities of religious life, influencing their local arts communities while also set apart from them. K Kriesel, local artist and associate of the Sisters of Charity, will provide a presentation on how Catholic nuns and sisters in the Dubuque area have helped shape the local arts community and what we can learn from their stories. All are welcome to participate in this conversation, as there is much to learn from this distinct group of artists.

Talking About Art explores themes in philosophy of art, art history, and more. Bring your lunch. We’ll provide cookies and coffee.
Free will donation, no registration necessary.

Sept 8, 15, 29 
Oct 6, 13, 20

12:30-2:45pm 

$180 (Instruction)

Instructor: Sara Hilby

Ages: 14+

Level: Beginning watercolor painters, drawing instruction preferred 

Designed for beginners, this course invites participants to explore the watercolor medium in a relaxed and encouraging environment. Participants will build confidence and develop foundational skills as they learn about the watercolor process, characteristics, papers, paints, brushes, and essential techniques. Through guided practice and small paintings, participants will gain experience in watercolor.

Sept. 8, 15, 29
October 6, 13, 20 

6pm-8:15pm

$180 (Instruction)

Instructor: Jessie Rebik

Ages: 14+

Level: Previous art instruction in drawing or painting required.

Color is a powerful and complex visual element, and has the potential to add to the impact of an artwork. This course will provide students with a basic understanding of how to approach color in their art making. Content will include color characteristics, color mixing, color relationships, color schemes, and color of light.  Some of the projects in this class will be technical, while others will be observational. All will be colorful!

Sept. 9, 16, 30
6-8:20pm

$95 (Instruction and most materials and equipment)

Instructor: Zoë Couvillion
Ages: 14+
Registration implies guardian permission to use sharp tools.
Level: Beginners and those wanting to explore new one-layer printmaking skills

This workshop introduces the relief print process: pressing and stamping a carved image onto paper or fabric to produce a unique (but repeatable) image-- and using an art-form that dates back to 500 BC!

PLEASE BRING:
Notebook OR 1 or 2 sheets of paper for taking notes.
1 Micro Fine-Point SHARPIE-brand marker (black).
1 Regular-Size SHARPIE-brand marker (black).
Ideas/sketches for a 5"x5" print. (If you're unsure/worried about a sketch, just bring your ideas!)

September 10, 17, 
October 1, 8, 15, 22
12:30-2:45pm

Instructor: Jessie Rebik
Ages: 14+
Level: Beginners and those wanting to dip back into art

$180 (Instruction)

Drawing is as much about seeing as it is about creating an image.  This course will strengthen students’ seeing skills, which will in turn, unlock the skills needed to make more accurate drawings.  Through observation of still life objects, students will learn to utilize negative space, sight measuring, gesture, and line to translate what they see onto paper. These building blocks of drawing apply to any subject, style, and technique, and are the foundation to any two-dimensional art making.

Required Materials

1. Sketchbook (about 9x12 inches)
2. Viewfinder (store bought or handmade)
3. Graphite Drawing Pencils: at least one hard and one soft. Hard graphite pencil have a number and an H, like 4H.  Soft pencils use a B, like 6B. 
4. Kneaded Eraser
5. T-square or ruler
6. Vine charcoal (preferably soft or extra soft)
7. Compressed charcoal (Preferably soft or extra soft)
8. Charcoal Pencils
9. Blending sticks
10. Apron or overshirt

September 19

9AM-4PM

Instructor:Don Yang

Ages: 14+

Level: All Levels

$150

This workshop focuses on the essential fundamentals of urban sketching. The emphasis is on developing strong foundational skills and practical sketching techniques that can be applied to sketching any subject matter. Participants will explore different tool choices, compositional options, and step-by-step approaches to starting and finishing a compelling urban sketch.

Participants may use any medium and substrate of their choice such as, but not limited to; graphite pencil, ball point pen, fountain pen, colored pencil, chalk (Conté pencil or stick), watercolor/acrylic/gouache/oil paint. They should be prepared with enough quantity of substrate to make at least 4 to 6 sketches depending on individual participant’s competency and style.

October 7,14, 21
6-8:20pm

$95 (Instruction and most materials and equipment)

Instructor: Zoë Couvillion
Ages: 14+ 
Registration implies guardian permission to use sharp tools.
Level: Some printmaking experience helpful.
This workshop introduces the layered relief print process: pressing and stamping a carved image onto paper or fabric in a buildable sequence to produce a unique dual-colored image-- and developing an understanding of  an art-form that dates back to 500 BC!

PLEASE BRING:

Pad/Booklet OR 1 or two sheets of paper for taking notes.
1 Micro Fine-Point SHARPIE-brand marker (black).
1 Regular-Size SHARPIE-brand marker (black).
Ideas/sketches for a 5"x5" two/three-color print. (If you're unsure/worried about a sketch, just bring your ideas!)

November 2, 9, 16, 23
6-8:15pm

Instructor: Troy Aiken
Ages: 14+

$120 Instruction and required materials

Troy Aiken will teach foundational sculpture principles using cardboard. Details coming soon.

Nov 5, 12, 19

Dec 3, 10, 17

1-3:30pm

$180 (Instruction)

Instructor: Jessie Rebik

Ages: 14+

Level: Beginning oil painters. Drawing experience is helpful.

This course will introduce painting processes and techniques through the medium of oil paint. Students will learn how to use the materials, determine a composition, mix color, and develop a finished painting.

November 9. 16, 23, 30
December 7, 14
10am-12:15pm

$180 (Instruction)

Instructor: Jessie Rebik
Ages: 14+
Level: Previous drawing instruction required

Jessie Rebik will teach how to draw the likeness of human subjects, focusing on the head and face. Become more confident about structure, anatomy, value patterns, and surface details.  Some experience with drawing will be helpful.  

Required Materials 

1. Compressed charcoal (soft or extra soft),
2. Vine charcoal (soft or extra soft)
3. Charcoal pencils
4. Kneaded eraser
5. Eraser Pencil
6. Blending sticks
7. Paper towels or rags
8. Graphite drawing pencils
9. Tracing paper (9x12 inch)-
10. Sketchbook (9x12 inch)- Drawing or Mixed Media paper

November 10, 17, 24, 
December 1, 8, 15

5:30-8pm

Instructor: Lyric Morris-Latchaw
Ages: 14+
Level: All Levels

$200 (Instruction and Materials)

Lyric Morris-Latchaw will teach a comprehensive overview of the skills needed to design and paint an interior mural. Students will put these skills to work by collaboratively painting a permanent mural in the interior stairwell of Bluff Strokes Art Center! All skill levels and artistic styles are welcome. 

Learn design, material and equipment use, and design translation for painting an interior mural.

Students will be working in a stairwell.  This will require good balance.  Painting wall murals also requires the ability to work for extended periods standing with your arms raised. Please let the Art Center know if you are not able to work on a step stool or ladder. Students should bring a paint shirt and closed toed shoes.