Painting Classes
Oil, acrylic and watercolor painting for beginners through advanced — learn colour mixing, composition and brushwork in our sunlit studio.
Hands-on art classes for every skill level, taught by working artists in our sunlit Fargo studio. Small groups, real materials, and something to take home every session.
Whether you have never held a paintbrush or you are a seasoned creative looking for a new challenge, our instructors will meet you exactly where you are and help you make work you are proud of.
Four disciplines, one studio. Whether you want to paint, draw, sculpt or throw pottery, there is a class and an instructor waiting for you. Every class is designed to be hands-on from the first minute — no watching from a stool.
Oil, acrylic and watercolor painting for beginners through advanced — learn colour mixing, composition and brushwork in our sunlit studio.
From charcoal fundamentals to figure drawing — build the foundation every visual artist needs.
Work in clay, plaster and mixed media to create three-dimensional art you can hold.
Throw on the wheel, hand-build, glaze and fire — from your first bowl to a full dinnerware set.
Each medium teaches you something different about how to see, think and create. Here is a taste of what you will learn in each one.
Our painting programme covers oil, acrylic and watercolor across beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. You will learn colour theory and mixing, composition and focal point, brushwork and texture, underpainting and glazing techniques, and how to develop a painting from sketch to finished work. Classes run in 8-week sessions or as single drop-in workshops.
Explore paintingDrawing is where every artist starts. Our classes cover charcoal, graphite, ink and mixed media. You will build skills in proportion and measurement, value and shading, gesture and contour, perspective and spatial depth, and live figure drawing with professional models. These skills translate directly into painting, sculpture and every other visual discipline.
Explore drawingWorking in three dimensions changes how you understand form, weight and negative space. Our sculpture classes cover clay modelling (hand-building, coil and slab), plaster carving, mixed-media assemblage, and armature construction. You will build finished pieces you can take home after every session, and larger projects across multi-week courses.
Explore sculpturePottery is meditative, tactile and deeply satisfying. Learn wheel throwing (centring, pulling and trimming), hand-building (pinch, coil and slab), glazing chemistry and kiln firing. Our studio has six electric wheels, a slab roller, an extruder and two kilns. Pieces are bisque-fired and glaze-fired for you as part of the class fee — you take home finished, food-safe work.
Explore potteryWe built Art Class Dakota on a simple idea: making art should feel as natural as having a conversation. No gatekeeping, no pretension, no talent requirement. Just a bright room, good materials, a patient instructor and your own curiosity.
Max 12 students per class so the instructor can actually reach you, correct your technique and answer your questions in real time.
Every teacher maintains an active studio practice — they exhibit, sell and create outside the classroom, so you learn current technique, not textbook theory.
Paint, canvas, clay, charcoal, paper, tools, aprons and kiln firing are all included in every class. Just show up ready to create.
From absolute first-timers who have never held a brush to experienced artists looking to push into a new medium — everyone is welcome and everyone learns.
Every class ends with a finished piece (or a work-in-progress you can continue) that is genuinely yours to keep, frame or gift.
Our instructors are not just teachers — they are working artists with active exhibition careers, studio practices and a genuine love of helping others find their creative voice.
Oil and watercolor painter with 15 years of teaching experience. Maria studied at MSUM and exhibits regionally across the upper Midwest. She specialises in landscape, still life and plein air painting.
Charcoal and ink illustrator who has taught figure drawing for over a decade. James brings live models into the studio and runs intensive weekend portrait workshops each quarter.
Ceramic artist and potter whose functional stoneware is sold in galleries across North Dakota. Ava runs our wheel-throwing and glazing programme and fires every kiln load herself.
No complicated sign-ups, no auditions, no portfolio required. Here is what your first experience looks like.
Browse our class catalogue or call the studio. We will help you choose a class that matches your interests and experience level — even if that level is zero.
Arrive 10 minutes early, grab an apron and settle into your station. The instructor introduces the project, demonstrates each step and works alongside you throughout.
At the end of the session you leave with a finished piece, a new set of skills and the recipes to take home. Pottery pieces are fired and ready for pickup within two weeks.
Drop into any open class with a single-class pass or a 5-class pass. Spots are capped at 12 — booking ahead is recommended.
"I walked in convinced I could not draw a straight line. Three months later I finished my first oil painting. The instructors here are genuinely special."
Sarah M. · Painting student
"The pottery class is my weekly therapy. Ava is endlessly patient, the studio is beautiful, and I have a full set of bowls I actually eat from every day."
David L. · Pottery student, 2 years
"I bought the 5-class pass on a whim and ended up trying painting, drawing and pottery. Best impulse decision I have ever made. The community here is wonderful."
Priya N. · Multi-discipline student
No memberships required. No hidden material fees. Pay per class or grab a multi-class pass and save. Your first class is free.
$35
per person · one session
Drop into any open class across any discipline. All materials, tools and kiln firing included. Perfect for trying something new or a one-off creative date.
Book a single class$150
save $25 · mix & match disciplines
Take any five classes across painting, drawing, sculpture and pottery. Priority booking, 10% off workshops and valid for 12 months from purchase.
Get the 5-class passPOA
custom sessions · up to 24 guests
Private lessons, date nights, birthday parties, bridal showers and corporate team-building events. We handle the setup, materials and clean-up — you just create.
Enquire about eventsYour very first class at Art Class Dakota is always free — no credit card, no commitment. Book your trial now.
Our 3,200 sq ft studio sits in a converted warehouse on Broadway in downtown Fargo. Tall ceilings, north-facing windows and natural light all day. The painting wing has 14 easel stations, the drawing room holds 12 desks with adjustable lamps, the pottery area runs six electric wheels, a slab roller and two kilns, and the sculpture corner has workbenches and a ventilated carving station.
Street parking is free after 5pm, and there is a public lot half a block north. The studio is wheelchair accessible.
Tue–Sat 10am–8pm · Sun 12–5pm · Closed Mon
Try any class free with no commitment. Walk in with curiosity, walk out with something you made.
Book a free trial class