Art Schools & Classes
Triangle ArtWorks strives to include as many galleries in this listing as possible. Please email us any updates or suggestions for addition. Our goal is to keep this list as complete and up-to-date as possible.
This list is provided as a service to the community. Triangle ArtWorks makes no endorsement or recommendation regarding the businesses or organizations listed. Be sure to review their websites and other sources independently before you patronize them.
Visual Arts for Adults and Children
Wake County
Arthouse – Classes focus on teaching artistic creativity through the combination of sensory stimulation … sound through music, sense of touch, smell, taste and sight. ARTHOUSE stimulates creativity through various mediums ranging from watercolor, paint, pastels, pencil and recycled found objectsA unique curriculum has been created to balance the study of art through awareness to form, tone, color, pattern, line and shape. Each student is taught artistic projects, according to their appropriate skill and age level, in an intimate small-class setting. ARTHOUSE allows children to experiment with self-expression and creates an environment where the boundaries of artistic creativity can constantly be pushed. Through the stimulating atmosphere and projects, students become curious, confident, independent and creative decision makers. Website.
Artspace – Educating the public about art and artists is at the core of the Artspace mission. For this reason, Artspace is an important partner in the region’s educational system. Artspace challenges students through award-winning and innovative programs, for kids, youth and adults, including a vibrant summer program. Website.
Arts Classes at Town of Cary Arts Centers -The Town of Cary offers a wide array of classes in the visual arts, including ceramics; oil, acrylic and watercolor painting; fiber arts; jewelry and more. Classes feature parent/child experiences for toddlers and general classes for all ages. Specialty classes include those on history and heritage, plus a week-long clown camp and a month long youth video camp where students learn the ins and outs of documentary film-making. Much more can be found through the Town of Cary’s program brochure published three times a year. Website.
Bella Vista Photography – Mary Louise Ravese, owner of Bella Vista Photography since 2000, is an award-winning professional photographer and experienced photography instructor who has trained hundreds of amateur photographers. She teaches both the technical and aesthetic aspects of picture making. From 2 hour private sessions to week-long workshops in photogenic locations across the US and overseas, she provides a range of offerings to suit the beginner to advanced photographer. Website.
Champion Art Academy – An art studio that encourages every student to learn the basic fundamentals of drawing and painting to build a skill set that will maximize their potential for life-long creative expression in a supportive studio environment. The studio’s imaginative curriculum was developed by professional artists and exceeds the National Standards for Visual Arts Education. Each talented instructor brings their own unique, creative voice to the classroom. Website.
Cocoon Gallery - Cocoon Gallery offers workshops by local master artisans throughout the year. Past topics have included coptic stitch bookbinding, millinery techniques, felt-making, china painting, weaving, mosaic jewelry making, silk painting, boro stitchery, bead weaving, basket making and more. Website.
D H Bloomfield Photography Workshops – Diana Bloomfield has been an exhibiting photographer for over 30 years. She specializes in and teaches 19th century (‘alternative’) photographic printing techniques in her studio, located in downtown Raleigh. These techniques include gum bichromate; platinum/palladium; and cyanotype. Website.
KidzArt – KidzArt is the place to have fun, learn to draw and experience creativity building exercises. By using our simple drawing method, certified instructors help students create original works of art beyond what they thought possible. We are a drawing based program offering on-going classes for preschool, elementary age, teens and adults. Our new Palette Up™ Adult Art Soiree is a fun creative evening out for adults. These fun-filled painting and mixed media events offer an opportunity to relax, have a beverage and make art with your friends. The KidzArt Studio is located in historic downtown Apex. Website.
NCSU Crafts Center – The Crafts Center at NC State University functions as an art school specializing in crafts. Classes are offered each semester in various craft media such as pottery, sculpture, photography, woodworking, fiber arts, lapidary, glass, jewelry, metals and more. Classes are offered for all skill levels from beginner to advanced. Website.
Pullen Arts Center – Office of Raleigh Arts – Pullen Arts Center offers a variety of classes for children, teens, and adults in drawing and painting, fiber arts, glass, jewelry-making, pottery, and printmaking, for beginners and for experienced artists and craftspeople year-round. Website.
Sertoma Arts Center – Office of Raleigh Arts – Arts center operated by the City of Raleigh, Office of Raleigh Arts, offers classes and workshops in painting, drawing, photography, pottery, performing arts and more, along with exhibitions, studio spaces, group support and community outreach. Website.
TC Artworks – TC Artworks is an Art Teaching Studio in North Raleigh. We offer a plethora of Art Classes: Kid’s Track Out Classes (ages K – 15), VINO & VINTAGE classes for Adults, Fine Art Painting and Drawing Classes, Small Furniture Workshops (Beginner & Advanced), Decorative Finishing Workshops and Pre – School Fun (Mommy & Me). We offer Private Parties for Corporate Team Building, Kid’s Birthday Parties etc. Instructor/ Artist & Owner Tamara Clary Clark is a former Art Education Teacher and has worked as a Decorative Finisher, Cabinet & Furniture Refinisher, Muralist, Corporate Interior Designer and Fine Artist for over 2 decades. Located in Leesville Towne Center. Website.
The Centerpiece – The Centerpiece offers fine art workshops at all career levels. We bring in only the highest quality local and national instructors, guaranteeing an amazing, enriching experience for participants. The Centerpiece welcomes artists interested in teaching workshops to email the Gallery. Website.
Wake Forest
Daily Designist - Provides online classes on all forms of painting including folk arts for kids and adults. They also provide art therapy/mindfulness classes for adults and corporations. Website.
Orange County
ArtsCenter – ArtSchool at The ArtsCenter is Orange County’s most comprehensive non-profit resource for continuing education in the arts on a non-degree, community basis. Opportunities abound for students of all ages – toddlers to seniors – to try their hand at a variety of artistic media or to increase their skills in intermediate/advanced classes. ArtSchool serves as a resource for many of the area’s professional artists, who experience teaching as a way of sharing their expertise, while keeping their own work continually challenged. Fall, Winter/Spring and Summer sessions are scheduled annually. Website.
Art Lessons with Emily Anderson - Weekly 2 hour teen or adult classes in either drawing/mixed media or oil painting in her home studio in Chapel Hill (northern Chatham County side). Classes are a combination of structured instruction based on the fundamental principles of drawing and painting along with self paced working time during which she provides individual support. Class size is small and all levels are welcome. Younger students may be considered for the teen curriculum. Website
Bad Art Company: A Hub For Creative Classes & Services - Bad Art Company offers creative classes and services to build a more fulfilling life. We provide creative, project-based, and long-term services to community organizations, non-profits, major universities, businesses, and entrepreneurs. Looking for a creative class? Our classes are ideal for new artists, non-artists, and those who love to create. Interested in collaborative art? We are known for our cooperative art projects with UNC - Chapel Hill's DEAH Day of Service, Artspace's Pride First Friday, and Grow Your World's "Prescription for Healthy Drugs" art show. We also offer custom guided tours of art exhibits at galleries and museums. Email Website.
James Carter Studio/School of Jewelry Arts – James Carter Studio and School of Jewelry Arts has been offering jewelry making and metalsmithing to students since 2006. Most of the classes are taught by renown metalsmith and enamellist James Carter, but guest instructors are also invited to teach. Classes range from Jewelry I, II and III ending in a certificate of completion to advanced cloisonne enameling and silversmithing. Classes run 1 to 4 days and are small (maximum of 8 students) which allows for individual attention and creative direction. Each student works at a bench complete with individual torch, Fordham tool and bench light. All other tools are also provided. In addition, the studio offers private lessons and Open Studio sessions for intermediate and advanced students who need a space to work. James Carter Studio is located in Carr Mill Mall. Website.
Johnston County
Artmosphere Community Arts Center – Artmosphere Community Arts Center (CAC), housed in the historic Walter R. and Eliza Smith Moore House repurposed into an arts center, offers art classes/lessons for adults, teens and children with varying instructors in multiple mediums. You will find classes in photography, painting, drawing, alcohol inks, watercolor, textiles, soap making, candle making, yoga, writing, mosaics, fundraising projects and much more. Artmosphere CAC offers children’s art weekly classes, birthday art parties and summer camps. The space is available to be rented for studio space, meetings and events of all sorts, including weddings. CAC also has gallery space with shows and openings for local artists. Website.
Visual Arts – Adults
The Joel Fund was launched in 2017 to bring low cost ART classes to the Veterans in our community. Operation ART at The Joel Fund is a community arts program, aiming to provide an expressive outlet for emotional wellbeing in the lives of veterans and their families. We seek to connect veterans and their families with peers in their community through the power of art. ART always tells a story. Operation ART classes are a way to express emotions without speaking. Operation ART students have the opportunity to be introduced to new art skills or to continue developing new proficiencies in different ART classes as well as connecting with peers and building community. Website.
Alia Fine Art Studios is a beautiful, new teaching studio in Raleigh that helps students of all levels gain real skills to draw and paint the human figure and portrait. You will learn classical methods through a contemporary approach to representational figurative art. AFAS offers monthly classes, one day intensives and nationally acclaimed invited artist and expert workshops. For more info on current offerings visit the Classes tab our website.
Claymakers Studio– Claymakers is a nonprofit arts community dedicated to pottery and the clay arts. With classes and workshops for everyone from novice to professional, Claymakers seeks to support individuals in developing skills and finding creative expression in clay. A regular offering of pottery wheel throwing, hand building, and sculpture classes is complemented by special topics courses and workshops, which change throughout the year. An active and vibrant arts center, Claymakers Studio offers open studio hours for students, community studio rentals and kiln rentals for the public, and individual artist studio spaces. Website.
Liberty Arts, Inc. - Liberty Arts is an arts collective located on Pearl St in Durham with a foundry in downtown Durham at Durham Central Park. Our mission is to enrich our community with arts experiences that inspire, empower, educate, and entertain. We: facilitate the creation of quality, saleable works of art; attract innovative and accomplished artists; educate aspiring artists and incubate their careers; inspire enthusiasm in our community for the arts; and provide easy access to skills associated with the industrial arts. Our spaces are available for rent on a long-term basis at very affordable prices. Becoming a Liberty Arts Artist is also a commitment to a community. Our artists serve on committees and volunteer their time to support the mission of the organization and make the collective function and grow. Website.
Painting Miles – Offers multi-day art related workshops for adults taught by nationally and internationally known artists. Classes include a refresher course in painting fundamentals; a very unique Open Studio is available almost every Tuesday morning. Website.
PERC Photography School - PERC provides practical education in digital photography and related software applications through online webinars, field workshops and classroom instruction at our Raleigh, NC facility and other Triangle area venues. PERC offers a Digital Photography Certification program for professional and semi-pro photographers and non-certificate instruction for amateurs. PERC also rents studio space and provides a multimedia Resource Center for photographers in the Triangle area of North Carolina. Website.
Triangle Cultural Art Gallery - The Triangle Cultural Art Gallery offers fun paint and sip parties where participants can gather and create with family and friends, such as Adinkra Symbol Painting and Ornament Decorating. We provide a fun relaxed environment that encourages creativity and relationship building. We also offer art lessons for more serious artists (ages 10 and up) teaching beginners through advanced. Website.
The Village Art Circle - The Village Art Circle in Cary offers quality oil and watercolor painting classes and workshops throughout the year. Award-winning artist, JJ Jiang, brings his unique and insightful perspective into his teaching through demos, discussion and personalized instruction. Website.
Music Programs
Artmosphere Community Arts Center – Artmosphere Community Arts Center (CAC) is housed in the historic Walter R. and Eliza Smith Moore House, repurposed into an arts center. We offer music lessons in guitar, piano, voice and violin. Website.
Community Music School – The school provides an opportunity for children from low-income families, ages 6-18, to receive individualized instruction and guidance from area professionals and instructors in most orchestral instruments in addition to piano and guitar. Each half-hour lesson costs the student only one dollar. Whenever possible and when a need exists, the school also provides and repairs instruments for the students to use free of charge for the duration of their enrollment. Website.
Girls Rock NC – Girls Rock NC is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that runs programs that encourage girls to be confident, creative members of their communities. Girls make bands, have workshops in teamwork, body confidence, zine-making, DIY clothing, recording, Tech Talk, songwriting and more, and are supported as they speak up and share their experiences as girls. We’re part of the international Girls Rock Camp Alliance, helping each other stay true to our mission–empowering girls! Website.
Musical Empowerment – Through free, one-on-one music lessons, Musical Empowerment nurtures meaningful relationships between collegiate mentors and children in under-served communities based on a shared love of music and learning that builds a foundation of confidence, creativity and self-discipline to create successful individuals. Musical Empowerment has chapters at NC State University and UNC-Chapel Hill serving Wake County and Orange/Durham County K-12 students. Website.
Musicians Learning Center – The Musicians Learning Center is Raleigh’s largest private music school. Currently offering lessons in Piano, Guitar, Voice, Drums, Violin, Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, and Music Therapy. Website.
Theater Programs
Actors Training Ground – Actors Training Ground’s mission is to bring professional training to actors of all levels. We offer Acting, Character Development, Voice for the Actor, Dialects, Scene Study, and Audition Technique. We also have a 10-week Acting Intensive Program during the summer. A variety of techniques are used in our Acting classes including Meisner, Hagen, Strasberg, and Stanislavsky. The International Phonetic Alphabet is the base of the Dialects class and our voice class uses the approach taught at Actors Studio Drama School: Voice and Speech for the Stanislavsky Actor – Building the voice and sound through proper alignment and support. Our primary goal is to help adult and young actors prepare for the acting industry by giving them the tools to succeed as an actor. Private coaching is also available. Our classes are designed for both beginning and advanced levels of acting. Actors Training Ground teaches classes at different venues in the Raleigh/Triangle area and offers actors the opportunity to explore themselves, push their limits, and hone their craft to enrich their acting skills and character development. Classes are offered for ages 17 – Adult and run 8 – 10 weeks at a time. Currently classes are held at Raleigh ACT in North Raleigh, and Sonorous Road near NCSU. Website.
Burning Coal Theatre Company – Burning Coal is a small professional theatre located in downtown Raleigh at the historic Murphey School auditorium. We offer Summer Theatre Conservatories for both middle and high school students each summer, as well as adult classes in playwriting, advanced playwriting, understanding Shakespeare and Acting (Uta Hagen approach) throughout the year. Website.
Carolina Academy of Performing Arts - Carolina Academy of Performing Arts (CAPA) is a musical theater and acting conservatory located in Apex and Holly Springs, North Carolina. CAPA offers a wide variety of classes in theater arts, dance, voice, acting, improv, and acting for the camera. Along with providing instruction, CAPA offers a pre professional company program and training, a Junior Theatre Festival Company, and Summer Stock master performance opportunites. CAPA classes are offered year round including school year and summer programming for ages 4-21. CAPA partners with their non profit partner, CAPA Theatre, Inc. to build a regional youth performing arts center to house preprofessional level youth performing arts training and performances. Website
Moonlight Stage Company– Moonlight Stage Company, located in North Raleigh has a full drama school for youth and adults. Over 20 classes are offered including Acting (For Stage and Screen), Improv, Singing/Songwriting, Playwriting, Clowning, and in the spring also Stand Up Comedy. The faculty is made up of current working professionals who have their finger on the pulse of the industry and also teachers who have worked at the highest levels of the entertainment industry. Website.
North Carolina Theatre Conservatory - The Conservatory is a safe, supportive, challenging, and innovative environment where students will discover and develop their unique, creative voice. It's a profound path to empowerment and to unlocking their artistic potential. North Carolina Theatre Conservatory offers a variety of classes in performance, dance, and acting. Website.
North Raleigh Arts & Creative Theatre – North Raleigh Arts & Creative Theatre is a non-profit, community-based performing arts center, created to enrich the cultural life of the North Raleigh community. We provide a creative outlet for all ages and openly invite community involvement. Along with providing instruction in the performing arts, we seek to promote the traditions and values of the theatre and to produce quality entertainment in a community-oriented atmosphere. We offer classes for all age ranges as well as summer camps and track-out camps. Website.
Raleigh Little Theatre – Raleigh Little Theatre is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to enrich, educate, and entertain our community by providing a superior theatre experience. Raleigh Little Theatre is a community theatre that produces 11 full productions annually and maintains a comprehensive youth and adult theatre education programs. Website.
Theatre Academy Productions – TAP, in Cary, strives to cultivate and instill in children a passion for theatre and the performing arts through self-exploration, teamwork, creativity, and play. Through theatre, we empower children to explore their own potential. The children collaborate with peers and professionals to create engaging and challenging theatre experiences. TAP believes that every child has unique gifts and should be given the opportunity to explore them. TAP educates children in theatre and the performing arts, while encouraging them to explore their gifts and talents, to entertain and bring joy to their audiences. Website.
Walltown Children’s Theater – Durham residents Joseph Henderson and Cynthia Penn founded Walltown Children’s Theatre to serve as a “Door of hope and place of opportunity for all children”. Walltown presents touring performances in schools and other venues, as well as classes, camps, after-school programs. Website.
Young People’s Performing Company – YPPC provides classes, workshops and performance opportunities in the dramatic arts for children and teens from kindergarten through high school. Since 1985 YPPC has been granted class, rehearsal and performance space in the downtown Durham Arts Council building. Website.
Dance Programs
City Ballet –City Ballet is a dance school offering training in ballet, pointe, modern, character, jazz, hip hop and tap to all levels of students. City Ballet’s goals are to nurture a love of movement, music and performance while training dancers through a structured syllabus that builds their technical expertise and their physical strength, All ballet students are trained following the Cecchetti method, an internationally recognized method of classical ballet instruction. Students have two performing opportunities: a full-length, professionally staged Nutcracker, and a professionally staged spring show. Website.
Expressions in Rhythm Studio – Our studio was born out of a love for the arts and our passion for community service. But what makes E.I.R Studio unique is the fact that we are the only full service performing arts studio in Raleigh. We offer expert instruction in tap, ballet, jazz, hip hop, creative movement, African dance, and Djembe drumming. Our motto is “Don’t fit in. Stand Out” and we encourage our students to do just that by being the best versions of themselves that they can possibly be. Website.
Duke University Dance Program: -Dance at Duke encourages the total union of our physical, intellectual, and expressive capabilities. The student dancer develops skills of perception, analysis and expression that benefit many fields of endeavor beyond the dance world. The Program in Dance provides a wide choice of classes for everyone from the highly trained dance technician to the absolute beginner. Beyond the three main areas of emphasis in ballet, modern, and African dance, other courses including jazz, swing dance, floor-barre, tap, Flamenco and classical Indian dance are offered on a rotating schedule. Extensive full credit courses include areas of study in history, choreography, kinesiology, world dance cultures and dance writing. Website.
Infinity Ballet Conservatory and Theatre – Infinity Ballet Conservatory is an instructional studio for students of Classical and Contemporary Dance. Infinity Ballet Theater is a related nonprofit organization committed to building theatrical arts in the community by offering high quality dance instruction with performance opportunities for young dancers to express themselves and grow as artists. Website.
Multi-Discipline Programs
Lune Spark - is a creative center for children and adults, allowing them to explore and discover their creative passions, collaborate with like-minded individuals, and grow with the support of dedicated teachers who are also practicing artists. We run art, music, theatre classes for ages 7 years and up. We also run 1-day and weekly camps (Trackout Camps, Summer Camps, Teacher Work Day Camps, etc). We offer a range of weekly classes: Drawing, Painting, 2D Animation, Anime, Comic Book Creation, Digital Illustration, Music Production & Songwriting, Audio Engineering, Acting, Movie Making, Digital World Building, Flute, Photography, Leadership & Entrepreneurship, Creative / Fiction Writing, Character Design, and many more. Website.
Arts Together – Arts Together is Raleigh’s only non-profit multi-arts school. Arts Together offers a rich blend of classes in art, dance, drama, voice, Pilates and yoga for ages 3 through 18 and adults. Arts Together offers a daily preschool designed around the arts as the basis for kindergarten readiness. As Raleigh’s community school for the arts, Arts Together also has the distinction of nurturing the only area dance program focusing its curriculum around modern dance, with offerings for preschoolers through dance professionals. Website.
Cirque de Vol Studios – Cirque de Vol Studio’s offers professional instruction for both kids and adults in aerial dance, acrobatics, yoga and the flow arts of traditional cirque theatre. These practices inspire personal fitness for the whole body, mind and spirit. We offer a creative and safe community atmosphere in which to learn and explore the art of flow and body movement while building and conditioning the physical body’s core strength. Our goal is to inspire healing and growth in our community through art, dance, and creative movement that strengthens the mind-body connection. Cirque de Vol Studios is located on the corner of Hargett St and Dawson St in the ground floor of the HUE building, nestled in the blossoming warehouse district of downtown Raleigh. Website.
Chatham Arts Council – The Chatham County Arts Council, is a not for profit organization that supports and presents the arts and artists in our community. The Council encourages community participation in the arts to enrich the quality of life of the county’s residents. The Council fosters arts awareness and education, and encourages the use of arts as a tool for economic development. ChathamArts offers classes, camps, events, a gallery, and organizational grants, among other services. Website.
Durham Arts Council School – The Durham Arts Council School is a vibrant community education program for visual, performing and literary arts which provides over 700 courses each year to more than 3,400 adults, teens and children in drawing and painting, dance, clay, sculpture, theatre, photography, digital arts, writing, fiber arts and more. DAC offers intersession and summer camps and intensives for K-12, individual music lessons for all ages, and ballet classes in a partnership with Triangle Youth Ballet. DAC offers special classes in a partnership with Triangle Youth Ballet and provides a multitude of opportunities for students outside the classroom. Four sessions are offered per year. Website.
Hayti Heritage Center – The Hayti Heritage Center is a cultural arts and arts education venue that opened in 1975 under management by St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc., a 501c3 non profit. Hayti is an African American cultural hub rooted in the historic Hayti community of Durham, North Carolina. Hayti’s mission is preserving and advancing the heritage and culture of historic Hayti and the African American experience through programs that benefit the community locally, nationally and globally. The Center offers visual and performing arts, and arts education programs and classes, facility rentals and tours year round. Website.
Arts and Crafts Courses at Lifelong Learning w/ Community Schools – Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) offers a program for ages 16+ where you can enjoy a variety of creative courses, including oil and watercolor painting, calligraphy, jewelry, soap making, photography, photo editing, web design and cake decorating. There are seven Lifelong Learning sites in Wake County. Check out the Adult Evening Education catalog published three times per year (fall, spring, and summer) available in libraries, schools, community centers, and select businesses throughout the county. Website.
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Duke University – Offers an extensive program of courses for adult learners, including offerings in the performing arts, fine arts, crafts and architecture, and special activity groups including photography and musical performance. Website.
TheGifted Arts, Inc. – TheGifted Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization serving youth in Raleigh, Garner and the greater Triangle of North Carolina. We aim to influence academic outcomes and help build confidence with our students, by utilizing character building techniques and arts access, such as through: dance, music, fashion and drama, as a means of both creative expression outlets and social personal development. Classes include dance, hip-hop, creative movement, vocal expression and songwriting. Website.
The Scrap Exchange – The Scrap Exchange is a nonprofit organization with a mission to promote creativity, environmental awareness, and community through reuse. Offers creative classes for adults and children that emphasize recycling and reuse. Also includes an open studio for art-making on an hourly basis. Website.
