Open Studies Course Registration

ONLINE: A methods course focused on strategies used in teaching Visual Art, PreK-12, this seminar involves the search of one’s own studio investigations for metaphors and themes, which then become the focus of the construction of units of study. Students develop unit materials including: research on art and artists, formation of an elegant problem, experimentation with materials, creation of a prototype, design of teaching visuals, assessment process and criteria, and a written unit plan with ideas for adapting the unit to different grade levels. As a result, students select and apply a variety of strategies for exploring form and materials, developing symbolic and academic language, and different ways of knowing and thinking in art. Class meetings involve studio investigations, presentations, discussions, and group work. This course is intended for new teachers in the field, fulfills 3-credits toward Maryland Teaching Certification, and is approved by the Maryland State Department of Education; however, it could also be applicable to veteran teachers who wish to renew their own artistic practice and develop new instructional units.

ONLINE: This course will promote alignment and expedited feedback ensuring the candidates grow and flourish in teaching literacy as the root of the arts. Students will gain necessary hands-on experience to activate their creativity in order to integrate art and core content across disciplines. Students will be exploring the tools and resources teachers need to support developing readers. This course meets the Maryland State Department of Education standards for Literacy in the Content Area – Part I.

Ages 16+: This asynchronous class is a fun, hands-on introduction to the fundamentals of creating video games from the ground up. In addition to learning the design processes used to make digital games, students will develop foundational skills in working with the Unity game engine, basic programming in C#, and incorporating art assets created with other digital tools. No prior experience necessary! Equipment suggestions: You will need a Mac or Windows computer capable of running Unity for this class. Please check Unity's website for recommendations. Make sure you have plenty of room on your computer’s internal drive. Unity’s installed size is about 7GB after you factor in all the basic features (and Visual Studio programming editor). Projects can sometimes be several GB each. Unity is designed to be used with a 3 button mouse.

ONLINE: Unlock your creative potential and dive into the world of digital art with Procreate. Whether you're an aspiring artist, designer, or hobbyist, this course will guide you through the fundamentals of Procreate, empowering you to create stunning digital illustrations and paintings on your iPad. This class will help you gain a comprehensive understanding of how to use various brush types, layers, blending modes, color palettes, and advanced features like time-lapse recording of your work. This course requires Procreate on the iPad and an Apple pencil is highly recommended.

"ONLINE: This course provides a comprehensive introduction to one scene visual storytelling and asks how composition, color, and other visual language tools can express a narrative. Through seminars, workshops, and feedback sessions, this class will use themed prompts to guide students from the concept and ideation process through to a final illustration. Using a medium of their choice, students will combine imagination with critical thinking skills to produce illustrations that tell a creative story. Please note: this class will focus on building a narrative in one single composition, not on sequential art."

ONLINE: A workshop for artists and designers getting started with Illustrator. Subjects covered include drawing with bézier curves, working with color, gradients, brushes, patterns, typographic effects and more. Students will learn how Illustrator files are exported and used in other Adobe applications such as Photoshop and InDesign. New features and best practices will also be covered. Adobe Creative Suite is included for the duration of the workshop.

ONLINE: Join us to indulge in the delicious world of food illustration! Discover the art of illustrating food and learn how to create illustrations that capture the essence of food through drawing and painting techniques. From vibrant fruits to tantalizing desserts, learn how to convey texture, color, and flavor on paper while honing your skills in composition and storytelling. This is a great workshop for beginner illustrators!

ONLINE: Elevate your Photoshop skills! This workshop is tailored for artists, designers, and photographers looking to enhance their digital image editing expertise. Explore topics such as color correction, retouching, image manipulation, and mastering layers & masks. We'll also cover digital file formats and industry best practices. Join us for an interactive learning experience. You'll have exclusive access to Adobe Creative Suite throughout the workshop, empowering you to create professional-quality work.

ONLINE: One of the best ways to attract and retain followers on your social media accounts is to use video. This 3 evening workshop will cover the best practices for video editing using Adobe Premiere. The class will cover formats, combine images, video clips, telling a short story, special effects, and how to combine type and sound successfully.

ONLINE: Explore the methods and tools to create effective designs for marketing, web, print, branded spaces, and objects. Join the world of visual design with MICA, learning best practices from expert instructors that bring your business alive. In a workshop format, we will explore a range of visual exercises and a branding project that can be applied to a variety of designed objects.