Workshops
year-round
Workshops
Art Drop-in
(Ages 13 & Up)
Join us in the Adler Ballroom for a monthly evening of drawing and painting. Each month features guided exercises, demonstrations, and a live model or still life set up, giving participants the chance to practice proportion, composition, light, and color in a supportive environment.
This free program is open to all levels. Bring your own supplies—easels, drawing boards, models, still life set up, and instruction are provided by the Adler Center.
FREE
6 - 8 pm
feb 18, mar 18, apr 15
(3rd Wednesday of every month)
Instructor : Chris Seidel
Writers' Salon
(Ages 16 & Up)
Join us in the Adler Dining Room for a monthly Writer’s Salon the second Wednesday of every month. In this space, writers of all skill levels can dedicate time to improving their craft in the company of like-minded individuals. You will have the opportunity to write, discuss various creative topics and themes, get feedback on your current projects, and discover the works of others in your neighborhood.
All you need to bring is your favorite stationary and preferred writing tools. We will provide light snacks and tea for your enjoyment.
FREE
6 - 8 pm
feb 11, mar 11, apr 8
(2nd Wednesday of every month)
Facilitator: Jayda Delatorre
Mini Makers Art Drop-in
(Ages 5 & under)
Join us each month for a creative afternoon designed especially for our youngest artists! Mini Makers will explore colors, textures, and simple art-making. Each session features a new theme and introduces age-appropriate materials like paint, paper, etc.
Each adult can bring up to two children under age 5, and each child must be registered. Older siblings (over 5 years old) may not attend.
Parents and caregivers are required to stay and create alongside their children, making this a fun, relaxed, and inspiring introduction to art.
Due to limited space, pre-registration is required.
FREE
4 - 5:30 pm
feb 2, mar 2, may 4
(1st Monday of every month starting in february)
Instructor: Amanda Losness-Ross
one-day
Workshops
A Structural Approach to Figure Drawing
(Ages 18 & Up)
This workshop will focus on how to think of the figure in terms of its basic proportions and structural forms in order to better draw what we see when looking a figure from different points of view. The concepts taught will give students a better understanding of foreshortening as well as the tools necessary to more effectively compose figures from their imagination.
Students will be drawing in pencil or charcoal from a live nude model. Instruction will be given through short lectures, demonstrations and individual coaching.
This workshop is 4 hrs long with a 30 minute break for lunch.
$50
10am - 2pm
saturday, feb 21
Instructor: Eric March
Travel Journal Workshop
(Ages 13 & Up)
Create a personalized travel journal to capture your wanderings, memories, and creative spirit. Guided by Genevieve of Emerald Momma’s Creations, you’ll choose cover materials, papers, and accents; build pockets for keepsakes; and set up pages for sketches and notes. No prior experience required-just curiosity and a sense of adventure. You’ll leave with a unique travel journal ready for your next journey.
$20
10 - 11:30 am
saturday, April 18
Instructor: Genevieve Modlin
Floral Workshops
(Ages 18 & Up)
An Afternoon in Giverny
April 4 | 12:30–2:00 PM
Spend a creative afternoon immersed in the beauty of Claude Monet’s garden. Inspired by the lush florals and dreamy landscapes of Giverny, participants will create their own floral landscape arrangement that captures the color, texture, and romance of impressionism.
Springtime in Paris
May 9 | 12:30–2:00 PM
Celebrate the elegance of spring with a hands-on workshop inspired by the timeless charm of Parisian flower markets. In this class, you’ll learn the art of creating a beautifully styled Parisian bouquet, focusing on balance, texture, and natural movement.
$125
Instructor: Vaishali Acharya
Adler Workshop Faculty
Vaishali believes flowers tell stories and that each bouquet and arrangement is a symphony of color, texture, and scent that captures life’s most meaningful moments. Her floral journey began with the fragrance of jasmine and blossomed into a lifelong passion that led her to train in Paris with world-renowned designer Catherine Muller.
Inspired by the artistry of European floral design, Vaishali founded You, Me & a Bouquet to help others discover the joy of floral creation. Her workshops invite you to slow down, connect, and craft arrangements that reflect your own story, one bloom at a time.
Jayda Delatorre, a Round Lake native and Pomona College English graduate, joined the Adler Center with a mission: to create space for writers to connect, create, and break through blocks. Just weeks into her role, she launched The Writer’s Salon, a workshop series that quickly became a creative spark for local writers.
Jayda writes short stories and flash fiction, drawing inspiration from authors like José Saramago and Salvador Plasencia. She’s passionate about storytelling that moves people—and believes in the power of writing to inspire change.
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.
Eric March is a New Haven, CT-based figure painter whose work uses figurative realism to create visual metaphors and explore issues of personal responsibility, institutionalized inequality and communal resilience. Eric earned his BFA at Indiana University and studied at the Art Students League. Honors include a 2025 Connecticut Artist Fellowship, New Haven Arts Council Grant, Queens Council on the Arts Artist Grant, the Provincetown Dune Shack Residency, and the Hudson River Fellowship. Eric’s public artworks can be seen at Yale New Haven Hospital and two large scale outdoor murals in New Haven. He currently teaches at the Art Students League of New York and Creative Arts Workshop in New Haven.
Photo by Maher Mahmood
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.
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.