Art Instruction
In-Person Art Classes
The Adler Center reserves the right to cancel any class that does not meet its minimum student enrollment prior to the first class.
If a class is cancelled by the Adler Center due to lack of enrollment, the Adler Center will offer a full refund or credit to the student in the manner in which tuition was paid. (Cash payments will be refunded by check.)
Student cancellations up to 7 days prior to the start of class will receive a full refund or credit, minus a $20 withdrawal fee.No refunds are available after this time.
Refund requests must be made in writing and submitted to Ellen Williams at ellen@adlercenter.org.
The Adler Arts Center is located in a historic building and is not fully ADA accessible. Some art classes are held in studios that are accessible only by stairs.
We want to help all students participate as fully as possible. If you have accessibility needs or would like to request a reasonable accommodation, please contact us before registering so we can discuss available options.
For accessibility questions or accommodation requests, please email ellen@adlercenter.org.
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Youth Classes
Youth Clay
(Ages 8-12)
In this class, students will explore the fundamentals of hand-building through fun, creative projects. Young artists will learn pinch, coil, and slab-building techniques while creating decorative and functional pieces, experimenting with texture and surface design, and developing their own artistic style. The session concludes with glazing, giving students the opportunity to add color and finishing touches to their ceramic creations.
$250
Mondays 4 - 5:30pm
(6 weeks)
Sept 14 - oct 19
Instructor: Emily Luna
Drawing Adventures
(Ages 4 - 8)
Young artists will explore the joy of drawing in this playful, encouraging class designed especially for ages 4–8! Through fun projects inspired by animals, nature, favorite characters, and their own imaginations, students will learn the basics of line, shape, texture, pattern, and simple shading. Each class introduces age-appropriate drawing techniques while giving children plenty of room to make their artwork uniquely their own. Perfect for budding artists of all skill levels—just bring your imagination and get ready to draw!
$150
Tuesdays 5 - 6pm
(6 weeks)
Sept 15 - Oct 20
Instructor: Amanda Losness Ross
Fake Food Art!
(Ages 7-11)
Get ready to make art that looks good enough to eat! In this playful mixed-media sculpture class, young artists will create their favorite foods using cardboard, paper, paint, recycled materials, and more. From giant slices of pizza and colorful cupcakes to silly sandwiches and sweet treats, students will experiment with texture, shape, color, and 3D construction techniques to turn everyday art supplies into delicious-looking works of art.
Come hungry for creativity—no actual cooking required!
$200
Wednesdays 4:30 - 6pm
(6 weeks)
Sept 16 - Oct 22
Instructor : Heather Krebs
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Teen/Adult Classes
Adult Ceramics
(Ages 13 & Up)
This six-week class offers a creative space to expand on the foundations of making clay vessels with coil, slab, and pinch techniques as you plan and execute your own projects. Whether you arrive with a clear vision or want to discover your direction through play, this class supports you in creating work that reflects your interests, skills and curiosity.
Let creativity lead as you learn how to handbuild sets of functional wares or sculpt abstract vessels as well as learn surface decoration methods including texturing, sgraffito, mishima, and glaze application.
Throughout the session, you’ll receive individualized guidance, group feedback, and plenty of flexible studio time to experiment, refine ideas, and dive deeper into class work. Perfect for beginners and experienced ceramicists alike.
$275
Mondays 6:30-9pm
class is full
(6 weeks)
Sept 14 - oct 19
Instructor: Emily Luna
Oil Painting
(Ages 13 & Up)
Explore the expressive and immediate nature of alla prima painting with artist Laura Castanos. Using quick-drying oils, students will work from observation to develop paintings in a single session while exploring color mixing, expressive brushwork, composition, and confident paint application. Inspired by Laura’s own artistic practice, this guided class encourages experimentation and spontaneity while building strong painting skills. Classes may also incorporate oil pastels and plein air painting when weather permits. Open to beginners and experienced painters alike.
$200
Tuesdays 6:30 - 8:30pm
(6 weeks)
sept 15 - oct 20
Instructor: Laura Castaños
Charcoal Portraiture
(Ages 13 & Up)
Discover the expressive power and depth of vine charcoal. Designed to build foundational clarity and technical confidence, this class guides students through essential drawing principles, classical structural methods, and full-value portrait creation. The course opens with essential perceptual tools such as comparative measurement, value mapping, and edge design. Students then analyze iconic structural approaches to the head developed by George Bridgman, Frank Reilly, and Andrew Loomis. Applying these techniques, students will spend the final two sessions executing a refined self-portrait from a photograph, translating light, form, and character into dynamic charcoal drawings.
$175
Thursdays 6:30-8:30pm
(4 weeks)
Sept 17 - oct 8
&/or
oct 29 - nov 19
Instructor: Chris Seidel
Hard Cover Junk Journal
(Ages 13 & Up)
Join mixed media artist Genevieve Dawn of Emerald Momma’s Creations to learn how to upcycle an old hardcover book into a themed junk journal. Over the course of 3 weekly sessions you will learn how to transform a discarded book into a beautiful junk journal (a journal made from items that would have otherwise been junk)!
All materials provided, but you are welcome to bring personal ephemera and paper to incorporate. You will be able to choose from a variety of themes for your journal. You will leave the course with a fully assembled hardcover junk journal that will be ready for you to personalize with journaling and collage.
$120
Thursdays 6:30 - 8:30pm
(3 weeks)
Oct 8 - 22
Instructor: Genevieve Modlin
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Workshops & Drop-ins
The Adler Arts Center offers dynamic Workshops and welcoming Drop-In opportunities for all skill levels.
Experiment with inspiring materials, learn new techniques, and enjoy relaxed, creative exploration.
A perfect way to engage with the arts – on your schedule.
Adler Art Faculty
Laura Castaños is a multidisciplinary traditional media artist and instructor working primarily in oil paint, soft pastels, charcoal, and ink. She also has a deep appreciation for traditional crafts, including fiber arts, weaving, and bookbinding. Her creative practice is driven by energy, curiosity, and an enthusiasm for welcoming more people to participate in the arts.
She holds a B.A. in Studio Art from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, with a focus on landscape painting and 20th-century Western art history. Laura lives and paints from her studio in her beloved hometown of Mundelein, Illinois, where she shares life with two of the cleverest cats in Lake County and her math- and physics-savvy partner.
Heather enjoys working in gouache and watercolor when she paints. She generally focuses on animals and pastries. She additionally works with fiber, knits, crochets, and renovates her clothing. She often plays with depth and implied texture and movement.
Heather was classically trained in painting, sculpture, and printmaking at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and was a high school art teacher for over 16 years. She lives and makes things in Libertyville.
Amanda holds a degree in Fine Art and English from Montana State University Billings and brings a wonderful blend of creativity, curiosity, and outdoor enthusiasm to our youth art program.
With a strong background in leading children’s summer camps, Amanda discovered her passion for combining artistic expression with outdoor exploration. Her own artwork is deeply inspired by nature, and she loves sharing that inspiration with her students.
An avid backpacker, camper, and wilderness explorer, Amanda brings that same spirit of adventure into her teaching. She helps kids connect with the natural world through hands-on art projects that spark curiosity, imagination, and a lasting appreciation for creativity in the outdoors.
Emily is an artist and maker who works primarily in clay and occasionally in prints. She’s driven by a basic desire to make, and in doing so draws inspiration from her Mexican cultural upbringing and the visual eclecticism of popular cultures and symbols. Her hope is to make art that is brimming with layers of color, pattern, pain and joy, and which showcases the resilience of the human spirit.
She studied drawing, printmaking, sculpture, and ceramics at Carleton College where she got her Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art. Since then, she has been making art, teaching ceramics, and residing in the Chicagoland area.
A teacher by trade and an artist at heart, I help artists grasp classical art foundations while embracing contemporary methods. I also maintain a studio practice at The Palette and Chisel Academy of Art, focusing on drawing and painting from life.
I want my work to be both accessible and resonant, using the human form as a universal language of connection and expression. Reflecting on the relationship between my teaching and studio practice, I often say, “one hand washes the other.”
I am an alumnus of The Homewood-Flossmoor High School Art Department, earned a B.A. in Studio Art from Beloit College, and completed an M.A. in Secondary Education at St. Xavier University.