Lifelong Learning Courses for Adults

Drop-in Figure Drawing – Spring 2025

When: Tuesdays from 7–9pm
Location: Montserrat College of Art, 23 Essex Street, Beverly, MA 01915
Start date: Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Final Class Date: Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Tuition: $20 per class; $160 for 8 classes

Drop-in figure drawing sessions continue over eight weeks with a live model. Whether you’re a beginner, experienced artist or looking to develop your portfolio, these open sessions allow you to draw freely and experiment. A variety of nude models will be available over the eight weeks. A member of staff will guide shorter and longer poses to enable you to warm up and work in more detail. There is no instructor present, this is your space to develop and deepen your practice in a peer environment. Bring your own drawing materials; easels are available.

Book online to guarantee your place. Classes have a maximum capacity of 15 places; you can also pay on the door, space permitting.

Please note Montserrat courses are designed for adults aged 18 and up.

Sculpture Workshop Sundays

When: Sundays April 6, May 4, June 1, 2025 from 9am–2pm
Location: Montserrat College of Art, 301 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA 01915
Compulsory induction: Sunday April 6, 9–10am
Tuition: Tuition: $40 studio access fee, per session

Sculpture Workshop Sundays are dedicated times for alumni of our BFA or continuing education sculpture programs to make independent use of the workshop for your own projects. Alums working in wood, metal, stone, and ceramics are welcome to use the workshop to finish existing work or construct new pieces. All participating alumni must have the appropriate skills to work independently and safely operating equipment and within the studio spaces, and bring all materials to work with. Studio monitors will be on hand to support and answer any questions you may have.

We are holding an induction covering workshop orientation on Sunday April 6 from 9–10am. The induction is compulsory for all alumni attending any of the sessions.

Fused Glass

With Lisa Richardson-Bach
When: Saturday May 3, 2025, from 9:30am–1:30pm
Location: Montserrat College of Art, 301 Cabot Street
Tuition: $95 including materials

In this workshop Lisa Richardson-Bach will show you the beauty and excitement of working with glass. You will have the opportunity to create two fused glass projects which include a 5” by 5” tile and a small bowl. We will use glass bits, frit and glass stringer to decorate glass blanks. These will then be fired and available for pick up following the class. Glass, supplies and tools will be provided. Specialty glass and unique decorative glass will be available for an additional fee if interested. Come create your own glass masterpieces!

Artist Biography: Lisa Richardson-Bach worked as an Aerospace Engineer before discovering art was her passion. Art and technical knowledge came together when Lisa learned to work with glass. The color, the beauty, the fluidity of glass inspired her artistic spirit, while the technical intricacies of how glass cuts, melts and forms, satisfied her engineer’s brain. Lisa has spent her whole life near the ocean and is a keen boater, which deeply affects her art. She designs the feel and the motion of the sea into her work. While Lisa does branch into other styles and designs she always comes back to the fluid lines of the ocean.

Pinhole Cameras

With Patricia Scialo
When: Saturday May 3, 2025; 2–5pm
Location: Montserrat College of Art, 23 Essex Street, Beverly, MA 01915
Tuition: $60
Rain Date: Saturday May 10, 2025

Discover hands-on early photographic processes in this workshop making unique prints using a pinhole camera. Craft a working camera using a light-proof cardboard box with a pinhole aperture. Head out and take photographs, making black and white paper negatives and positives while working with cameras of various shapes and sizes. Return to the darkroom to process your images. You will come away with unique photographic prints bearing the dreamy hallmark of the pinhole process.

No experience required.
Please bring a container for camera making. A small oatmeal tube is ideal.

Artist Biography: Originally from Long Island, NY, Patricia Scialo currently lives on the North Shore of Massachusetts. She has been practicing in the field of fine art photography since 1979. Influenced by her experience of living and working in a craft community early in her photographic career, she was challenged to experiment with historic processes that included hand applied light sensitive chemistry and view camera work. Patricia’s concentration on historic and alternative processes in photography has led to the creation of handmade, unique prints that combine mixed media techniques such as hand-tinting, encaustic, and hand paper-making.  Patricia has exhibited at numerous art centers on the east coast and internationally. She has been awarded state fellowship grants, several Best of Show Awards and she is the 2020 winner of the Women in Photography, 15th Julia Margaret Cameron Gala Awards, Barcelona, in the categories of Abstract, Alternative Processes, and Children.  

Introduction to Black and White Film Photography

With Patricia Scialo
When: Thursdays May 8, 15, and 22; 7–9pm
Location: Montserrat College of Art, 23 Essex Street, Beverly, MA 01915
Tuition: $150

Using Montserrat College of Art’s darkroom lab students will have a comprehensive introduction to traditional black and white photography. Ideal for beginners or those looking to refresh their skills, the course covers the essential techniques of analog photography. Through interactive demonstrations and hands-on learning, students will learn to operate 35mm film cameras, explore different approaches to lighting, process black and white negatives, and create prints in the darkroom. During the first week, participants will have the opportunity to practice camera functions and create a photogram using found objects.

No prior darkroom experience is needed.

Please bring a 35mm or medium format camera with manual to class.

Artist Biography: Originally from Long Island, NY, Patricia Scialo currently lives on the North Shore of Massachusetts. She has been practicing in the field of fine art photography since 1979. Influenced by her experience of living and working in a craft community early in her photographic career, she was challenged to experiment with historic processes that included hand applied light sensitive chemistry and view camera work. Patricia’s concentration on historic and alternative processes in photography has led to the creation of handmade, unique prints that combine mixed media techniques such as hand-tinting, encaustic, and hand paper-making.  Patricia has exhibited at numerous art centers on the east coast and internationally. She has been awarded state fellowship grants, several Best of Show Awards and she is the 2020 winner of the Women in Photography, 15th Julia Margaret Cameron Gala Awards, Barcelona, in the categories of Abstract, Alternative Processes, and Children.  

Sgraffito Plates

With Jennifer Boisvert
When: Saturdays May 10 and 17, 2025; 10am–1pm
Location: Montserrat College of Art, 301 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA 01915
Tuition: $120

Sgraffito returns with a two-part course where you will make and decorate your own ceramic plate from scratch. Sgraffito is an artistic or decorative technique of scratching through a coating on a hard surface to reveal parts of another underlying coating which is in a contrasting color. The technique is subtractive in nature, enabling the artist to work imagery into the surface of unfired clay. The technique was first popularized in 16th Century Italy and can be found in African artworks and used in many other cultures throughout history.

In this workshop you will learn to wedge (remove air pockets and ensure pliability), roll and shape stoneware clay into a smooth round plate form. Using the sgraffito process, you will apply glaze and use tools to scratch a pattern, design, words or drawings onto your piece of leather-hard greenware clay. You are welcome to bring a sketch design idea with you or free draw during the class. The decorative plates will be kiln fired ready for pick up one week following the final class. All skill levels are welcome.

Artist Biography: Jen Boisvert is a native North Shore area artist who explores visual relationships between humans and nature using sculpture. Jen received her BFA concentration in Sculpture from Montserrat College of Art, and an M.Ed. from Plymouth State University. She is an artist member at two local art associations, a recipient of the Mary Arakelian Foundation Award for best work in sculpture, and her artwork has been featured in galleries and exhibitions throughout New England.

Mixed Media Painting and Collage

With Maria Malatesta
When: Saturdays from 10am–1pm 
Location: Montserrat College of Art, 23 Essex Street, Beverly, MA 01915
Start date: Saturday May 10, 2025
Final Class Date: Saturday May 31, 2025
Tuition: $230

This four week course introduces techniques to add depth and interest to works on paper using water-based paint and mixed media. Experiment with stained paper to unify and add surface texture to the base paper; make gelli prints where paper is pressed onto a painted gel plate manipulated with stencils or objects to add pattern and image; and transfer images to layer designs. Add collage to build dimension, using old books, letters, papers, found objects and other personal materials to incorporate into the work. The course encourages the expression of personal ideas and vision, with weekly thematic assignments given as a prompt. You will look at the work of mixed media artists for inspiration and context about this technique.

No experience is required. The course encourages experimentation and trusting the process for all levels.

Artist Biography: Maria Malatesta lives on Cape Ann. It is this spectacular and changing landscape that contributes to her artistic sensibility. She studied in Massachusetts receiving a Diploma and Fifth Year Certificate from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and a Bachelor of Science from Lesley College, Cambridge. Maria has shown her work extensively in Boston and the North Shore including many solo exhibitions. She teaches and attends residencies locally and internationally, and twice received a grant to the Vermont Studio Center.

Summer Intensive: Alternative Processes in Photography

With Patricia Scialo
When: Saturday 14 and Sunday 15, June 2025, 10am–4pm
Location: Montserrat College of Art, 23 Essex Street, Beverly, MA 01915
Tuition: $300

A weekend intensive to immerse yourself in experimental photography, making use of the darkroom lab facilities at Montserrat College of Art’s campus in beautiful downtown Beverly. Over the course of the weekend, we will construct pinhole cameras to make paper negatives, create photo-gram collages using found objects, use 35mm cameras, and explore hand-tinting black and white prints. Students are welcome to bring black and white 35mm negatives for printing. Using the summertime light we will conclude the weekend with cyanotype sun printing. No previous experience required.

Please bring:
A container for pinhole camera making – a small oatmeal tube is ideal
Found objects for photo-grams and cyanotype

Artist Biography: Originally from Long Island, NY, Patricia Scialo currently lives on the North Shore of Massachusetts. She has been practicing in the field of fine art photography since 1979. Influenced by her experience of living and working in a craft community early in her photographic career, she was challenged to experiment with historic processes that included hand applied light sensitive chemistry and view camera work. Patricia’s concentration on historic and alternative processes in photography has led to the creation of handmade, unique prints that combine mixed media techniques such as hand-tinting, encaustic, and hand paper-making.  Patricia has exhibited at numerous art centers on the east coast and internationally. She has been awarded state fellowship grants, several Best of Show Awards and she is the 2020 winner of the Women in Photography, 15th Julia Margaret Cameron Gala Awards, Barcelona, in the categories of Abstract, Alternative Processes, and Children.  

Summer Intensive: Fused Glass

With Lisa Richardson-Bach
When: Saturday 14 and Sunday 15, June 2025, 10am–4pm
Location: Montserrat College of Art, 301 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA 01915
Tuition: $300

A weekend intensive working with the beautiful medium of kiln formed glass. You will explore the many options to construct fused glass pieces using glass frit (ground glass), pieces, and stringer (thin, flexible filaments) to make designs on blank glass bases. Students will create two different pieces. The first will be fired to a smooth surface and may be slumped into a mold to form a bowl. The second piece will involve layering of frit and glass and will be fired to a lower temperature creating a textured effect. Design considerations, glass choice and color selection will be explored, as well as glass compatibility and firing schedules for different effects. Glass, supplies and tools are provided. Some specialty glass will be available for purchase from the instructor. Come learn about glass fusing and create two glass masterpieces!

Artist Biography: Lisa Richardson-Bach worked as an Aerospace Engineer before discovering art was her passion. Art and technical knowledge came together when Lisa learned to work with glass. The color, the beauty, the fluidity of glass inspired her artistic spirit, while the technical intricacies of how glass cuts, melts and forms, satisfied her engineer’s brain. Lisa has spent her whole life near the ocean and is a keen boater, which deeply affects her art. She designs the feel and the motion of the sea into her work. While Lisa does branch into other styles and designs she always comes back to the fluid lines of the ocean.

Summer Immersive: Bead Weaving and Embroidery

With Lisa Richardson-Bach
When: Monday, June 16–Friday, June 20, 2025; 10am–1pm
Location: Montserrat College of Art, 301 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA 01915
Tuition: $375 including materials

A weeklong summer immersive takes place over five weekday mornings. Students will learn the fine art of weaving with beads using the peyote stitch and embroidery. Peyote is a hand-beading technique similar to weaving without a loom, where small beads are woven together with needle and thread to create a wide surface and intricate patterns. Once the peyote stitch is mastered, this knowledge will be applied to embroidering with beads. You will make a pendant necklace with a bezel set cabochon (a smooth polished gemstone), securing it in place with a halo of beads and embellished with more bead embroidery if you wish. You will learn the Russian Spiral weave to create a rope necklace. Finally, we will make a beaded bail that attaches the pendant to the rope to complete a stunning necklace. Come learn the magical art of beading and create some beautiful jewelry!

All materials are provided including a selection of cabochons and beads. You are welcome to bring your own materials if you wish. Cabochons must have a smooth surface. Squares, teardrops and sharp edges are not suitable. If you are bringing your own beads, contact the instructor at [email protected] to determine what size and style you need.

Artist Biography: Lisa Richardson-Bach worked as an Aerospace Engineer before discovering art was her passion. Art and technical knowledge came together when Lisa learned to work with glass. The color, the beauty, the fluidity of glass inspired her artistic spirit, while the technical intricacies of how glass cuts, melts and forms, satisfied her engineer’s brain. Lisa has spent her whole life near the ocean and is a keen boater, which deeply affects her art. She designs the feel and the motion of the sea into her work. While Lisa does branch into other styles and designs she always comes back to the fluid lines of the ocean.

Summer Immersive: Drawing into Painting – Toward Abstraction

With Maria Malatesta
When: Monday, June 16–Friday, June 20, 2025; 10am–1pm
Location: Montserrat College of Art, 23 Essex Street, Beverly, MA 01915
Tuition: $375 including materials
No. of places available: 12

A weeklong summer immersive takes place over five weekday mornings. The class begins with drawing and quickly moves into painting. A live model will be available for reference or as a jumping off point into your own imagination and imagery. We will use water-based paints and drawing materials that include artist crayon, graphite, ink, collage, and more. Looking at contemporary and historical artists will provide context and inspiration for freeing up your painting technique using gesture and shape. The class is process-oriented. You will be encouraged to experiment with materials and take risks to discover new ways of working.

This class provides a bridge from a drawing to a painting practice.
Open to all levels, some experience of drawing is helpful if you are new to working with paint.

Artist Biography: Maria Malatesta lives on Cape Ann. It is this spectacular and changing landscape that contributes to her artistic sensibility. She studied in Massachusetts receiving a Diploma and Fifth Year Certificate from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and a Bachelor of Science from Lesley College, Cambridge. Maria has shown her work extensively in Boston and the North Shore including many solo exhibitions. She teaches and attends residencies locally and internationally, and twice received a grant to the Vermont Studio Center.

Summer Immersive: Stone Carving

With Jennifer Boisvert
When: Monday, June 16–Friday, June 20, 2025; 10am–4pm
Location: Montserrat College of Art, 23 Essex Street, Beverly, MA 01915
Tuition: $750 including materials

A weeklong summer immersive takes place over five full weekdays. Learn how to use tools and techniques to carve a sculpture in marble. Discover the art of seeing sculptural form within a block of stone and understand how to remove the excess to reveal the form. Through demonstrations and guided practice, you will learn to utilize the subtractive method to make your sculpture. You will be introduced to specialist equipment in our sculpture workshop. Beginning with hand carving techniques, you will move on to using a pneumatic air hammer. Complete the week by grinding, sanding and polishing your marble sculpture to take home.

This course is suitable for beginners and those who want to advance their skills further.

The class size is small (just five places available) to ensure students are supported and have ease of access to equipment. The course involves working indoors and outdoors in our sculpture workshop and yard.

All equipment and materials are supplied.

Artist Biography: Jen Boisvert is a native North Shore area artist who explores visual relationships between humans and nature using sculpture. Jen received her BFA concentration in Sculpture from Montserrat College of Art, and an M.Ed. from Plymouth State University. She is an artist member at two local art associations, a recipient of the Mary Arakelian Foundation Award for best work in sculpture, and her artwork has been featured in galleries and exhibitions throughout New England.

Summer Immersive: Writing and the Natural World

With Julianna Thibodeaux
When: Monday, June 16–Friday, June 20, 2025; 10am–1pm
Location: Montserrat College of Art, 23 Essex Street, Beverly, MA 01915
Tuition: $375 including materials

A weeklong summer immersive takes place over five weekday mornings. In the beautiful surroundings of Beverly’s beaches and parks as well as in the classroom, this course will encourage participants to look closely at the world around them by recording and reflecting upon what they observe using nature journaling. Readings and participants’ own nature journal entries will provide a base from which to explore larger ecological concepts and a personal connection to nature. Natural history is currently enjoying a rebirth as we continue to make new discoveries about the interconnectedness of the natural world. There is a new appreciation for scientific generalists and citizen scientists who, through their observations, contribute to scientific studies. There is also a growing interest in nature in the urban environment, from urban farming to local food cooperatives. This course will explore these and other exciting developments and concepts as we engage in direct observation as prompts for discourse, reflection, and writing. All levels of writing experience are welcome.

Instructor Biography: Julianna Thibodeaux is an assistant professor at Montserrat College of Art and has taught creative writing for more than a decade on the North Shore in a variety of settings, from college classrooms to community centers. Her creative writing and journalism have appeared in numerous publications and earned several awards. She holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Art from Goddard College.

Summer Immersive: Figure Drawing

With Brett X. Gamache
When: Monday 16, Tuesday 17, Thursday 19, Friday 20 June 2025 (no class on Wednesday); 6–9pm
Location: Montserrat College of Art, 23 Essex Street, Beverly, MA 01915
Tuition: $300 including materials

A summer immersive taking place over four weekday evenings. In this drawing class you will use the figure as a basis for understanding drawing elements such as line, form in space, spatial relationships, value, gesture, and composition. The instructor will guide you through drawing fundamentals and thorough observation. The course begins with two classes focusing on line drawing, moving on to value drawing. Value drawing uses light and dark tones to create dimension and spaciousness, building depth and mood in your images. Beginners are welcome and continuing students will also be challenged. We will work with a variety of live models over the four classes.

Artist Biography: Brett X. Gamache has taught drawing and painting for over 15 years. He holds an MFA in Painting from the University of New Hampshire along with a BFA from MassArt in Art Education and Painting. He is a recipient of a Fulbright Grant (Italy) and was recently awarded a Blanche E. Colman Award. He has received artist residency fellowships at the Vermont Studio Center, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and the C-Scape Dune Shacks in Provincetown, MA. His artwork can be viewed at brettgamache.com.

Summer Immersive: Intaglio Printmaking

With Hannah Jacoby-Brooks
When: Monday June 16–Friday June 20, 2025; 6–9pm
Location: Montserrat College of Art, 23 Essex Street, Beverly, MA 01915
Tuition: $375 including materials

A weeklong summer immersive taking place over five weekday evenings. Join artist and printmaker Hannah Jacoby-Brooks for a hands-on dive into printmaking, focusing on the intaglio method. In intaglio printmaking, a drawing is etched into a thin sheet of metal (a plate).  When the plate is pressed to paper, ink transfers from the recessed lines to make an image. This course will guide you through the basics of traditional copper plate etching. You will learn how to prepare plates, draw and etch your own imagery using acid and other techniques, and print your finished work by hand. Along the way, you will explore mark-making, tone, and texture, all while developing your personal artistic voice through this historic process. The immersive offers a welcoming, studio-based environment with plenty of one-on-one guidance, and you will leave with a small edition of your own hand-pulled prints.

Whether you are looking to expand your creative practice or dive into something new, this course is a hands-on gateway into the inky, expressive, and endlessly rewarding world of printmaking. No prior printmaking experience is needed.

Artist Biography: Hannah Jacoby-Brooks is an interdisciplinary artist and educator working in print media, sculpture, textiles, and writing. With humor and a tint of sadness, her work explores the intersecting issues women navigate in contemporary America through their roles and relationships to machines, family, and our consumer-driven world.  She holds a BFA in drawing, painting, and printmaking from the Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design at Georgia State University; and an MFA in interdisciplinary studio practice from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University. Her work has been exhibited in venues including Tufts University Art Galleries, Montserrat College of Art, Marrietta Cobb Museum of Art, and Lunder Gallery at Lesley University. Jacoby-Brooks currently lives and works in the Boston area.

Travel Workshop: Plein-Air Painting, Portugal

With Stephanie Chang
Travel Dates: Sunday, June 22 – Sunday, June 29, 2025

Whether you’re a fearless beginner or a professional artist, embrace a unique opportunity to deepen your artistry in historic Lisbon, Portugal.

College credit option available.

Join us in Lisbon, Portugal, with artist Stephanie Chang for an exhilarating immersion into the color and rhythms of the Portuguese landscape. The workshop will provide step-by-step instructions, from composition to a plein-air exploration of the magnificent city of Lisbon and surrounding areas.

Nestled along the Atlantic coast, Lisbon’s winding cobblestone streets, vibrant tiled facades, medieval castles, and picturesque waterfronts provide the perfect backdrop for artists of all skill levels to capture its charm through paint. Over the course of this immersive workshop, you’ll explore the city’s iconic neighborhoods, from the colorful Alfama district to the scenic vistas of Belém, all while honing your plein-air painting techniques under the guidance of an experienced instructor. Whether you’re seeking to refine your skills, ignite your creativity, or enjoy the camaraderie of fellow artists, this workshop promises a unique blend of art, culture, and inspiration in one of Europe’s most captivating cities.

The workshop includes daily painting demonstrations by Stephanie Chang, personalized feedback, painting excursions to nearby towns, and class critiques, ensuring a well-rounded and enriching experience.

Single Occupancy: $3,300
Double Occupancy: $2,850
Non-Participating Companions: $1,400
A deposit of $750 is required to secure your spot. Following this, you will be contacted about how to pay your balance.

Refer-a-friend discount!
$250 off for each person when you refer a friend. Email [email protected] with the names of the two people booked. The discount will be applied when you pay the full balance.

More Information