You probably won’t get promoted based on your ability to make a fuzzy stool. And a crocheted lemon serves no real purpose. So, why does Trade Oak Cliff offer classes on both? The better question is: Why not?
Long-time public school educators Corrie Pocta and Brooke Chaney founded the artists’ co-op and workshop space in Dallas’s Tyler Station with adults in mind.
“One of the most popular statements in adult art classes is, ‘Well, I’m not very creative,’ ” says Chaney, who goes by the artist moniker MOM. “Once you get to a certain age, you’ve been stifled and beaten down by life and you don’t think that you could experience or learn something new.”
Courses are curated by Trade Oak Cliff’s six in-house artists—as individuals, they decide on a theme, develop the curriculum, set the rates, and take home all of the profits. And lessons are beginner-friendly so there’s no need for first-day-of-class jitters.
“We make it really accessible,” Pocta says. “We know how to play and put people at ease—a skill we’ve developed because we’re used to having ninety kids in class every day.” Plus, she adds, there’s no homework, it’s BYOB, and you might even make a new friend.
After researching dozens of adult art classes across Texas, we’ve picked ones that you can squeeze in after work, on the weekend, or via a short field trip. Organized by medium, there’s something for everyone. Grab your supplies and let go of any self-imposed expectations. There are no grades here.
Calligraphy
Kimberly Erickson, owner of boutique lettering studio Paperwing Letters in Fort Worth, leads pop-up workshops around the DFW area at bars, coffee shops, and wineries. Her holiday classes, which often use pumpkins or ornaments as the canvas for hand lettering, are particularly popular.
Extra credit: Calligraphy is a form of self-care, according to Amanda Reid, founder of Amanda Reid Designs and Calligraphers of Color. She periodically offers classes around Austin.
Film
The Austin School of Film can teach you how to use your DSLR camera or edit in Final Cut Pro, but the classes that caught our eye were the nostalgia-inducing “Intro to Super 8 Filmmaking” and the “16mm Direct Animation Workshop.” The latter involves marking up old filmstrips with paint and ink to produce a new flick. For a spooky twist, sign up for the Halloween edition focused on surrealism and a “blood red” color palette. Part of the take-home package includes a list of experimental horror films to watch for continued learning.
Extra credit: Capture bluebonnets beneath the Milky Way at the weekend-long Big Bend Night Photography Workshops in West Texas.
Flowers
Set in an unassuming strip mall in Roanoke, thirty minutes north of Fort Worth, the Floral Bar offers workshops that feel more like a party, inspired by Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and Barbie, and—coming this fall—Steel Magnolias and Gilmore Girls, where the vase doubles as a coffee mug and the flower selection includes cappuccino roses, mocha ferns, and pumpkin magic sweet peas. For date night, try one of the classes geared toward couples.
Extra credit: At Windmill Meadow Farm in Fredericksburg, you can craft bouquets from fresh-cut flowers grown on-site.
Glass
A wine-bottle wind chime, a whimsical night light, an abstract nativity scene—what sets Stained Glass Crafters Workbench apart is its variety of classes that can be completed in a day or two. In their shop, on the outskirts of San Antonio, learn how to cut, fuse, solder, and employ techniques like the Tiffany foil method.
Extra credit: In the small Central Texas town of Salado, Salado Glassworks specializes in handblown glass art. Pupils can take home everything from a pumpkin to a pint glass.
Metal
Hark back to the olden days with a blacksmithing class at the Ploughshare Institute for Sustainable Culture in Waco. No prior experience is necessary and the introductory course teaches you everything from how to light and maintain a coal fire to the proper hammering form needed to forge a simple, three-hook wall rack. (Can’t make it to Waco? Dallas’s Old City Park offers something similar).
Extra credit: Stock your jewelry box with a chain bracelet or mixed metal earrings after a class at the Katy-based Multiplicity studio.
Needlework
Two people with ties to the University of Texas at Austin—one a graduate, the other a student—founded Fuzz Lab earlier this year in the capital city. With a few hours and a tufting gun, attendees can turn yarn into whimsical rugs in every shape imaginable: Pokémon characters, cowboy boots and, of course, a longhorn in that characteristic burnt orange.
Extra credit: Looking for something more traditional? Chaparral Needlework in Dallas and Needle House in Houston are the needlepoint pros, and the ladies at Two Chicks Quilting in Ganado can teach you everything you need to know to sew an heirloom-quality quilt.
Paint
The hardest part of a visit to Dallas Silk Art in the Colony is choosing your canvas: cork coasters, a ceramic planter, a silk scarf, a leather bracelet, a pair of shoes. Once you’ve made your choice, select your acrylic paints and use marbling to fashion a groovy, one-of-a-kind print. Pro tip: You can pick up a bottle of red beforehand at the Colony Wine Bar next door and bring it with you to class.
Extra credit: Add a little pizzazz to your front door with Kicky Mats. Their themed workshops (think nineties R&B and Beyoncé) promise to help you design a painted doormat that’s “hotter than Houston in the summertime.”
Paper
A cornerstone of the Lubbock Arts District, the Charles Adam Studio Project is known for its printmaking prowess. In an intimate setting (classes are often capped at just nine students), learn the basics and create up to four original artworks to be exhibited during the monthly First Friday Art Trail.
Extra credit: Learn ancient techniques and bind your own paperback at the Bookbindery in Houston.
Mixed Media
Ideal for those that don’t want to pick just one creative outlet, TXRX Labs in Houston offers an array of classes, many of which double as professional development. Learn how to weld, use a 3D printer, or wield a laser cutter. Or try something that speaks more to your inner kid, such as airbrushing or molding a ceramic pet bowl.
Extra credit: The Contemporary Austin’s Art School is a mix of high and low with classes on smartphone photography and couture embroidery, while Upstairs Circus combines cocktails and one-off crafts at its Dallas and Austin locations. Last but not least, try your hand at stamp carving or clay jewelry at Denton’s Wildflower Art Studio.
Weaving
Out in the Hill Country, Wimberly Valley Saori employs a free-flowing Japanese weaving technique. Popularized in the sixties, the Saori method not only embraces imperfections but encourages them because it indicates that the cloth was made by humans rather than machines. This Zen-like approach allows novices to easily join in, and a five-hour workshop gives you the tools to create a wall hanging, pillow cover, or tote.
Extra credit: In downtown Austin, Hill Country Weavers offers affordable how-to’s, virtual chats with top designers, and even a “Math for Weavers” class that takes the guesswork out of estimating materials.
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