The Richmond Art Center is a leading visual arts center in the East Bay, offering diverse arts experiences to people of all ages. They provide hands-on learning, well-equipped studios, traveling art programs, and rotating exhibitions featuring both emerging and established Bay Area artists.
Unleash your creativity in a pottery class where you will explore both hand-building and wheel-throwing techniques. Perfect for intermediate students looking to enhance their skills and create unique projects.
Next start date:
Wednesday, Apr 3rd, 2–4pm Pacific Time
Unleash your creativity with bronze and silver metal clay in this hands-on jewelry-making course. Learn techniques for crafting stunning pendants, rings, stone settings, and molds while discovering the art of firing and finishing designs. Gain the skills to bring your unique jewelry visions to life.
Next start date:
Thursday, Mar 28th, 6:30–8:30pm Pacific Time
Discover the art of screen printing in this hands-on course at the Richmond Art Center. Gain a solid foundation in the techniques, materials, and processes involved in creating your own screen-printed designs. Unleash your creativity and bring your ideas to life on paper and fabric.
Next start date:
Wednesday, Mar 27th, 10:30am–12:30pm Pacific Time
Unleash your creativity and master the art of weaving beautiful fabrics on a convenient tabletop loom. Dive into a hands-on experience of setting up the loom and crafting your own unique textiles in a supportive studio environment. Develop your skills with personalized projects and guidance, all while exploring the intricate world of weaving.
Next start date:
Wednesday, Mar 27th, 2–5pm Pacific Time
Elevate your weaving skills with advanced techniques like pile, soumak, and weft interlocking in this class at Richmond Art Center. Explore creative freedom in choosing patterns and designs while advancing from beginner to intermediate levels. Join us for an enriching weaving experience!
Next start date:
Tuesday, Mar 26th, 10am–1pm Pacific Time
Unveil the art of transforming silver into stunning jewelry with our hands-on course. Discover the intricate techniques of sawing, filing, and soldering as you craft your own exquisite multilayered pendant or earrings. Elevate your skills week by week, from wire bending to refined finishing touches, and unleash your creativity in a supportive environment.
Next start date:
Tuesday, Mar 26th, 5:30–8:30pm Pacific Time
Unlock the secrets of metal forming in this comprehensive course. From mastering drawplates to wielding a 20-ton press, delve into the art of shaping metal with precision. Walk away with a beautifully textured bracelet or necklace, equipped with the skills to bring your metalworking visions to life.
Next start date:
Wednesday, Mar 27th, 5:30–8:30pm Pacific Time
Unleash your creativity through clay as you learn essential handbuilding techniques in this 4-week class at the Richmond Art Center. Dive into the world of pinch pots, coils, and slabs to craft your own functional ceramic pieces, exploring surface decorations and glazing methods along the way. Embrace the hands-on experience with minimal tools and space required for an enriching artistic journey.
Next start date:
Thursday, Mar 28th, 1:30–3:30pm Pacific Time
Discover the art of glass bead making in this hands-on class at the Richmond Art Center. Learn the history, techniques, and safety procedures while creating your own unique glass beads. Unleash your creativity and add a touch of elegance to your jewelry collection.
Next start date:
Thursday, Mar 28th, 5:30–8:30pm Pacific Time
Unleash your creativity and craft unique jewelry pieces in metal! Discover the art of fabrication, shaping, texturing, and finishing to create stunning rings, earrings, or pendants. Perfect for beginners and intermediates alike, this class offers a hands-on experience in jewelry making.
Next start date:
Saturday, Apr 6th, 10:30am–1:30pm Pacific Time
Discover the groundbreaking work of women in ceramics in this engaging workshop at the Richmond Art Center. Explore the history and techniques of 20th-century and contemporary ceramicists through virtual lectures and hands-on studio sessions. Enhance your skills and be inspired by the influential women who shaped the field.
Next start date:
Tuesday, Apr 16th, 1:30–4:30pm Pacific Time
Master the art of bezel ring making with silver and stone at Richmond Art Center. Explore design principles and gemstone setting techniques in this intermediate-level class. Create your own unique rings under expert guidance, using sterling silver and a semi-precious gemstone of your choice.
Next start date:
Friday, Mar 29th, 10:30am–1:30pm Pacific Time
Explore the art of sculpting hard glass into intricate plant life forms. Delve into the unique process of shaping borosilicate glass rods while creating stunning botanical pieces. Unleash your creativity and bring your favorite plants to life in this hands-on workshop.
Next start date:
Saturday, Apr 6th, 10:30am–1:30pm Pacific Time
Refine your painting skills by learning how to enhance photo references in this comprehensive class. Explore techniques to bring life to your landscapes and master the art of painting from photos. Open to all painting media, this course will transform your artwork beyond mere copies.
Next start date:
Tuesday, Apr 9th, 5–8pm Pacific Time
Unleash your creativity with unique folding structures, sewn bindings, and more in this hands-on course. Explore the art of crafting books without glue and master the fundamentals of bookmaking with expert guidance and all necessary supplies provided.
Next start date:
Tuesday, Apr 9th, 6–8pm Pacific Time
Unleash your creativity with a comprehensive exploration of oil painting techniques, from materials to composition, at the Richmond Art Center. Master the art of still life painting in a supportive and inspiring environment. Discover the beauty and versatility of oil paints while honing your artistic skills.
Next start date:
Wednesday, Apr 10th, 2–5pm Pacific Time
Explore the beauty of natural habitats through the art of Pastels in a dynamic and engaging way. Unleash your creativity and learn to paint landscapes with various media, adding depth and texture to your artwork. Join us for an enriching artistic journey at the Richmond Art Center.
Next start date:
Tuesday, Mar 26th, 10am–12:30pm Pacific Time
Discover the joy and versatility of watercolor painting in this engaging course at the Richmond Art Center. Explore various techniques, materials, and styles while receiving expert guidance. No drawing experience is required.
Next start date:
Friday, Mar 29th, 2–4pm Pacific Time
Unleash your creativity in a supportive studio environment at Richmond Art Center. Join fellow artists to work on your projects with guidance from the instructor and valuable feedback from peers. Elevate your art with shared inspiration and diverse perspectives.
Next start date:
Tuesday, Apr 9th, 1–4pm Pacific Time
Explore the art of embroidery at Richmond Art Center, where students delve into material research and basic stitching techniques. Gain inspiration from contemporary textile artists as you learn to interpret imagery into your own unique self-portrait. Join us stitch by stitch to unlock your creativity in textile artistry.
Next start date:
Tuesday, Apr 9th, 5:30–8:30pm Pacific Time
The Richmond Art Center is the largest visual arts center in the East Bay, and we deliver exciting arts experiences to young and old alike who reflect the diverse richness of our community. We do this through hands-on learning, well-equipped studios, traveling Art in the Community programs and contemporary exhibitions in our galleries.
Every year, we serve thousands of students through classes and programs taught by professional artists, both onsite at the Art Center and at sites throughout Richmond. Our four galleries allow us to mount rotating exhibitions that display the works of emerging and established Bay Area artists. Artists such as Richard Diebenkorn, Jay DeFeo, Wanxin Zhang, Hung Liu, Ed Rossbach and Peter Voulkos have been showcased here.
The Richmond Art Center originated in 1936, when local artist Hazel Salmi, who worked for the WPA, traversed the streets of Richmond with a suitcase packed with art supplies, eager to teach art to anyone interested. Today, everything we do at the Center continues to breathe life into Salmi’s original vision: That within every person lives an artist.
Reviews of Richmond Art Center
(4.8-star rating across
13 reviews)
Bookbinding
Reviewed by Laurie P. on 2/24/2023
Loved the class and the instructor!!
Screen Print Skeletons!
Reviewed by Julian M. on 10/27/2019
This hands on class is a great introduction to screenprinting. We made a screen from scratch with affordable materials. We could design our own image in a variety of ways, most of them also accessible. And I even exposed my screen using the sun! I loved the ability for students to print their own gifts like cards, shirts, napkins, etc. I would definitely take this course again with a different project in mind.
Natural Bundle Dyeing and Eco-Printing
Reviewed by Julian M. on 10/7/2019
Lovely afternoon spent with a bunch of plants. Kirsten's workshop approach worked great, as people brought their independent projects and even contributed plants. Kirsten steamed a ton of stuff. My pillowcase looks exquisite! I would definitely take this class again.
Stitch-Resist Shibori Workshop
Reviewed by Maggie G. on 9/30/2019
We learned 5 different Shibori techniques.
The teacher was very organized and everyone came away feeling successful.
Ceramic Pots for Plants
Reviewed by Elliott C. on 8/5/2019
Fun class with great instruction. I highly recommend it.
Intro to Welded Sculpture
Reviewed by Mandana C. on 3/23/2023
Bookbinding
Reviewed by Karen K. on 3/1/2023
Intro to Oil Painting
Anonymous review on 3/16/2021
Beginner Origami
Anonymous review on 7/31/2020
Shibori Dyeing with Indigo
Reviewed by Angeles T. on 3/8/2020
Precious Metal Clay Jewelrymaking
Anonymous review on 3/4/2019
Intro to Colored Pencils
Anonymous review on 1/28/2019
Improv Weaving: Wall Hanging
Reviewed by Stephanie W. on 11/5/2018
Review Summary by CourseHorse
Students at the Richmond Art Center have positive things to say about their classes. They appreciate the hands-on approach and the opportunity to learn new skills. In a screenprinting class, students were able to design images and create screens using affordable materials. They were also able to print gifts, such as cards, shirts, and napkins. In a plant-related workshop, students brought their independent projects and learned different Shibori techniques. The teacher was praised for being organized and providing clear instruction. Overall, students felt successful and expressed a desire to take the classes again.
Direct quotes from reviews:
- "We made a screen from scratch with affordable materials... I loved the ability for students to print their own gifts like cards, shirts, napkins, etc."
- "Kirsten's workshop approach worked great... My pillowcase looks exquisite! I would definitely take this class again."
- "We learned 5 different Shibori techniques... The teacher was very organized and everyone came away feeling successful."
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