Painting & Drawing
Code: D1124-25
-
IV
Level IV
Students have advanced skill and knowledge of painting and drawing. Students are highly motivated and self-directed, have a minimum of five years experience in their field and have multiple portfolios of their artwork. Portfolio review is required for admittance to some Level IV classes.
Advanced Mentored Studies: Topics in Painting: Studio Practice and Critique
Aug 11 - 15, 2025
9AM - 5PM
Concept
This three-year advanced mentorship program encourages students to push their studio practice. Working at a rigorous pace, engaging in critical dialogue with the group and with the instructors in individual critique, artists refine and expand their investigations. Wide-ranging topics include concept and approach to contemporary art practice as well as technical and material explorations. Students are expected to work independently with the support of their class peers and instructors, raising the ambition of their own studio goals. Although primarily a painting workshop, participation by installation artists and other artists working across media is encouraged. The goal of the series is for students to gain community, develop insight into their work and, through discussion, challenge themselves to reflect on their artistic intentions.
2025 is the first year of this three-year intensive program. In the subsequent two years of the program, the cohort meets in-person at Anderson Ranch from August 10th – 14th, 2026 and August 16th – 20th, 2027. Over the course of the program, there are group and one-on-one meetings via Zoom in March and October of each year. The final meeting is via Zoom in October 2027. Tuition listed is the program cost per year.
TO APPLY: Applications for enrollment are accepted on a rolling basis. To apply, please fill out the 2025 Advanced Mentored Studies Online Application Form.
Media & Techniques
Materials of students’ choosing.
Faculty
Shahzia Sikander
Shahzia Sikander is widely celebrated for subverting pre-modern and classical Central and South-Asian miniature painting traditions into dialogue with contemporary international art practices and launching the form known today as neo-miniature. Recipient of the MacArthur grant, Sikander’s early work is touring at the Morgan Library, the RISD museum, and MFA Houston in 2021-2022.
Holly Hughes
Holly Hughes is a frequent Ranch faculty member and professor emeritus of painting at Rhode Island School of Design. Having exhibited nationally and internationally, Hughes’ painting has been greatly influenced by both ceramic and printmaking practice and research. She loves “Salon Style” installations—the mixing of these genres on the wall—such as BLAZON created for the Dorsky Museum. Her most recent exhibit was “Salad Days” at Pamela Salisbury Gallery in 2024.
Tuition: $2,730.00
Studio Fee: $125.00
Registration Fee: $45.00
Painting & Drawing
Make, reflect, consider, engage—these are all critical elements of the Painting and Drawing workshops at Anderson Ranch. Our exceptional workshops combine focused, hands-on art making with critical feedback for artists of all levels. Painting and Drawing guest faculty are phenomenal artists and educators with experience supporting students by offering technical knowledge and encouragement.
The bright, natural light of the Wyly Painting and Drawing Building provides an inspiring environment where students can explore and expand their artistic practice. Our facilities are equipped with individual worktables, wall space, easels, rolling palettes, odorless solvents, a wide range of hand tools, computer access with Adobe software, wifi, printing, scanning, and projection capabilities. Spend a week here— or several—and engage in a variety of activities that will fuel your practice throughout the year.
Workshop Details>
Lodging & Meals
Housing is limited and includes shared and private lodging options. Reservations will be managed on a first-come, first-served basis. The earlier you reserve housing, the better your chance of receiving your preferred option. Please note: Workshop costs do not include accommodations.
NEW: Tuition includes a welcome dinner and lunches. In our effort to foster a stronger sense of community and accessibility at Anderson Ranch, we include the welcome dinner and all lunches as part of the tuition for summer workshop students. Our hope is that this adjustment will encourage all students to come together to share meals and engage in meaningful conversations. The Ranch Café Meal Plan, which is included with Room and Board fees, strives to provide healthy, creative meals that will nourish your artistic creativity. Learn more.
We have established a Business Safety Plan with added layers of precaution that prioritize the health and safety of our staff, students, faculty and guests while continuing to provide you with the Anderson Ranch experience that you know and enjoy.
Scholarships, College Credit & Discounts
Making Art Accessible
Applications for scholarship support are encouraged. Specific scholarships are funded by Ranch supporters, either through endowed funds or special gifts.
Many colleges and universities offer college credit for workshops taken at Anderson Ranch. Discounts are available for students and teachers.
You Might Also Be Interested In>
-
O
Open to All
Students of any skill and knowledge level.
Jan 6 - 17, 2025
9AM - 5PM
Painting and Photography: An Archaeological Approach to Text and Image
Kate Leonard
Tuition $2,150
Code JANSTU2025P
Two art forms collide in this fascinating look at the intersection of photography and painting. Join us for an engaging exploration of the artistic synthesis between these two distinct art forms. Discover new transfer techniques that integrate photographic images and text directly onto painted surfaces. Using traditional collage and photomontage, master new methods that allow for opaque and translucent layers. Reductive methods such as sanding and scraping reveal the history of earlier photographic layers and suggest an archaeological approach to image development. We begin each morning with a technical demonstration illustrated with visual examples from contemporary art. A range of integrated photographic painting approaches will be introduced on paper, canvas and panels in acrylic. By midweek, our investigations continue to larger artworks tailored to each student.
Jan 6 - 24, 2025
Monday-Friday, 9AM-5PM
Participants may register for one, two, or three weeks
TUITION is $1,110 per week or $3,300 for three weeks
January Studio Sessions: Painting & Drawing
Lindsey Yeager
Tuition $1,110
Code ZSD0101-25
Anderson Ranch’s January Studio Sessions provide artists the opportunity to work on independent projects while receiving mentoring and critique sessions with Anderson Ranch artistic staff. Each participant receives an assigned studio space, orientation and access to equipment, as well as some morning group demonstrations and / or critiques. This program affords artists the experience enjoyed by national and international artists who access our state-of-the-art studios. Participants may expand their practices, take artistic risks, try new media or complete works for exhibition. *Studios are open 24 hours a day with limited use of equipment due to safety requirements. IMPORTANT DETAILS: Students will be responsible for all material costs associated with their projects. Participants who register for multiple consecutive weeks will gain access to the studios on weekends (with the exception of the machine rooms due to safety constraints.) Private dorm rooms are available at Anderson Ranch for one, two or three weeks for an additional fee; click here to view January 2025 lodging options. TO APPLY: Applicants must submit project proposals or portfolios for approval. Contact Liz Ferrill to apply: [email protected]
-
O
Open to All
Students of any skill and knowledge level.
Jun 2 - 6, 2025
9AM-5PM
Works on Paper: Collage and Gouache
Amaryllis R. Flowers
Tuition $1,415
Code D0102-25
Students explore mixed media as they create works on paper in this dynamic and experimental workshop for students of all levels. The beauty of gouache and its potential for vibrancy and rich, matte tones is introduced and put into practice. Paper and its seductive surface quality and versatility as a substrate is used in a variety of ways to create collaged and multilayered imagery. Students produce multiple works on paper and discover new skills through prompts and exposure to materials, with both abstraction and the figure as options for subject matter.