Rhode Island School of Design Continuing Education (RISD|CE) will offer three courses this spring at the Westerly Education Center. The newly opened Westerly Education Center on Friendship Street is a public/private entity of the state and higher education institutions and serves as a satellite campus for RISD|CE.

“We want to stretch the reach of our Continuing Education courses, and Westerly is an ideal locale for people in southern Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut to work with RISD|CE’s renowned faculty in a range of visual arts and design disciplines,” said Sarah Caggiano, executive director of RISD Continuing Education.

“We’re thrilled to host RISD|CE in Westerly as we know that there is a vibrant artistic community who will welcome their presence,” said Amy Grzybowski, executive director of the Westerly Education Center. “These first three courses are a perfect introduction for those wishing to experience personal enrichment and engage in creativity, explore a new artistic medium and refine their skills.”

The three evening courses meet April 25 through May 30, and enrollment is open now. They are: Essentials of Digital Photography, Foundations of Drawing, and Introduction to Painting with Acrylics. To register for these courses, visit cereg.risd.edu and enter the keyword “Westerly” in the keyword field of the top navigation.

Introduction to Painting with Acrylics
Painting can be the ultimate escape: both relaxing and intuitive, a timeless form of self-expression. Have you always wanted to learn how to paint? In this course, you’ll explore the entire process from start to finish, using the classic medium of acrylic paints, popular among the great masters as well as today’s contemporary artists. You’ll also arm yourself with the mental and physical toolset to bring your observations and perspectives to life. Using a hands-on approach, you’ll learn the fundamentals of compositional structure, color theory, figure-ground relationships, two-point linear perspective, spatial concepts, and critical thinking associated with the language of color, composition, and value of the subject. Classes will work inside and outside of the studio and be inspired by the beautiful surroundings of Watch Hill. The instructor will provide subject matter to focus on, but students are encouraged to seek their own focus and passions to paint, utilizing this course as a launch pad to a lifelong practice of painting.

Essentials of Digital Photography
If you’re a photographer eager to understand the basics of digital workflow while sharpening your compositional eye, then this introductory course is the ideal opportunity. You’ll begin with the rudiments of camera operation and handling to increase your confidence as you complete weekly assignments that build upon one another. These pictures are reviewed during class time in a focused critique led by your instructor, with participation by classmates. Throughout the course, the history of the art form is presented to give students a context for their re-engagement with digital photography.

Foundations of Drawing
In this course, students get a comprehensive overview of the fundamentals of freehand drawing; representation of objects and natural forms; problems of analysis, response, perception and composition; and technical standards. This course is designed as the key building block for establishing a working knowledge of spatial organization and visual problem solving. All aspects of the course will be supported by dynamic classroom lectures, drawing demonstrations and visual aids. Throughout the term, there will be in-class critiques and designated homework assignments, as well as some in-class exercises. Students will draw using various artistic media.

Founded in 2017, the Westerly Education Center is a public/private collaboration designed to bring together higher education, business, industry, and community partners to provide high-quality educational programs to meet projected workforce growth in the region. For more information visit http://www.westerlyedcenter.org/

One of the oldest colleges of its kind in the US, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) stands out as a leader in art and design education. Rhode Island School of Design Continuing Education (RISD|CE) educates students of all ages in art and design with high quality, accessible programs. The division serves more than 4,000 individual students per year in its non-credit courses, six-week Pre-College Program for high school artists and designers, and Summer Programs for college credit. RISD|CE also offers non-credit certificate programs for adults and teens. For more information about RISD Continuing Education, visit http://ce.risd.edu

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