art education programs
2026 SEASON
Announcing our 2026 Programs
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Dream it
Announcing our 2026 Programs 〰️ Dream it
Contact allison@creedecenterforthearts.org for programming related inquiries.
Now Open for Registration
Each evening session is hosted by a local professional and is designed to help you take home a unique handmade project, ranging from crafty to fine arts. These sessions focus on meeting new people and creating together. All materials are provided. Snacks and beverages will also be provided through partnerships with local restaurants.
Sessions start at 6:00 pm (unless otherwise noted), are located upstairs of the Quiller Gallery in Creede and cost $30. We offer a 25% discount to locals, Creede art organization affiliates, and military personnel.
FINE ARTS WORKSHOPS
Black & White Linocut Workshop
Adults, All Levels(teens welcome)
Whether you are new to the medium of printmaking or are interested in developing your skills further, this class is for you! On Saturday, July 11, local artist and printmaker Allison Quiller will introduce the endless possibilities of black and white relief printmaking. You will learn basics in designing graphically and each student will design and develop their own linocut print. You will explore processes that can be repeated and applied at your home studio (or living room!) All materials are provided. Come ready to teach your brain new tricks and leave with something to be proud of.
Date: Saturday, July 11
Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM (lunch 12-1)
Location: Upstairs at the Quiller Gallery, 110 Main Street, Creede, CO
Cost: $125 (limited scholarships available, apply today)
Materials: All materials provided
Introduction to Watercolor
Adults, Beginner (teens welcome)
Explore the beauty of watercolor in this beginner-friendly class! You'll learn essential techniques such as wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, color mixing, glazing, lifting, and creating texture. A master of color and technique, Mike Henry will provide guided demonstrations and help you through hands-on practice. You'll gain confidence in controlling watercolor and preserving highlights, with plenty of time for questions and personal painting. Whether you're new to watercolor or looking to strengthen your foundation, this class offers a fun and inspiring introduction to the medium.
Date: Monday, August 3
Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM (lunch 12-1)
Location: Upstairs at the Quiller Gallery, 110 Main Street, Creede, CO
Cost: $150 (limited scholarships available, apply today)
Materials: All materials provided
Introduction to Color Theory
Adults, All Levels (teens welcome)
Have you ever wondered how to create harmonious color balance in paintings? Mike Henry will explain how to use the palette using Stephen Quiller's color theory method. Starting with simple gray value studies, you'll learn how value adds structure, depth, and mood to a painting. We'll look at warm and cool color relationships using glazing techniques and play with color temperature to enhance form and atmosphere. Through a series of small paintings, you'll practice using complementary color schemes, semi-neutral palettes, and triadic harmonies. This class is great for artists who want to feel more confident in choosing and mixing colors to make stronger, more expressive artwork. Note: This class is meant to follow the Introduction to Watercolor class, but more experienced painters do not need the prerequisite knowledge.
Date: Monday, August 10
Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM (lunch 12-1)
Location: Upstairs at the Quiller Gallery, 110 Main Street, Creede, CO
Cost: $150 (limited scholarships available, apply today)
Materials: All materials provided
Crash Course in Acrylic Painting
Adults, Beginner/Intermediate (teens welcome)
Acrylics are popular, water based and dry quickly – but few students know how to take advantage of their amazing versatility. This class is for painters who want to gain confidence in a new medium, or learn techniques that take advantage of Acrylic's special characteristics.
Students will work thru 2 projects and learn techniques that can be applied to their own work, no matter the style.
Coni Grant is an award-winning painter with 30 years of teaching experience in Oil. As primarily a landscape painter, her focus has been on plein air painting but in the last 10 years she has studied Acrylics as a way to push forward her ideas about light, form, and imagery. Coni’s classes embrace a fearless approach to Acrylic that is based in solid design principles and sound painting practice. Beginners will learn skills to take them forward; Advanced painters will learn techniques that can be applied to their work.
Date: Monday, July 27
Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM (lunch 12-1)
Location: Upstairs at the Quiller Gallery, 110 Main Street, Creede, CO
Cost: $150 (limited scholarships available, apply today)
Materials: All materials provided
SUMMER YOUTH CLASSES
REGISTRATIONS OPEN
JULY: POSTPONED TBA
INSTRUMENT BUILDING
(Ages 5-13)
Creede Center for the Arts &Creede Musical Arts Collective are bringing back last summer's most popular instrument building extravaganza! In this hands-on Instrument Building class, presented in collaboration with Creede Musical Arts Collective, students will explore the basics of sound-making and rhythm while designing and creating their very own one-of-a-kind instrument. Using materials like washboards, bells, and other found objects, each student will build and decorate a unique piece that’s as expressive visually as it is musically. Perfect for curious creators, this class blends art, music, and play into a joyful, creative experience!
Date: Friday, July 17
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: TBA
Cost: FREE
Materials: All materials provided
AUGUST:
SOUNDS OF ART CAMP! WITH ALISA NELSON & MEG MARINO
(Ages 5-13)
In partnership with the Creede Musical Arts Collective, we are thrilled to welcome Oklahoma-based artist Alisa Nelson for this 3-day camp. Inspired by the groundbreaking artist Wassily Kandinsky, this dynamic camp will explore collage, texture, and the concept of synesthesia—the blending of senses—by connecting music and visual art. Through guided experimentation, students will discover how sound, color, and movement can come together to create bold, expressive works of art.
Date: August 11, 12 & 13
Time: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: Upstairs at the Quiller Gallery, 110 Main Street, Creede, CO
Cost: $45 (Scholarships Available)
Materials: All materials provided
POP IN FOR ART & MUSIC!
(Ages 3-5)
For our littlest artists, Alisa Nelson and Megan Marino will also host this fun, free event where tots can move, listen, dance and create!
Date: August 12
Time: 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM
Location: Upstairs at the Quiller Gallery, 110 Main Street, Creede, CO
Cost: FREE
Materials: All materials provided
About our 2026 Fine Arts Workshops
We are excited to significantly expand our lineup of full-day fine arts workshops, designed for adult learners and led by some of the most accomplished artists in our region– and beyond! We have curated a selection of offerings tailored across skill levels. From the beginner looking to build a foundation, to the experienced artist who wishes to dive deeper into a medium, each class will spark creativity in an immersive studio setting.
Highlights include Wildflower Drawing with Peggy Stenmark; Crash Course in Acrylic with Coni Grant; Intro to Watercolor and Intro to Color Theory with Michigan-based artist Mike Henry; Plein Air Painting with David Montgomery;and the return of our ever-popular figure drawing intensives with Kris Gosar—plus many more offerings to be announced.
Our 2026 Printmaking Series, multi-day workshops offered throughout the year, will launch in March, where we will see both Introduction to Linocut Printmaking for beginners and an advanced Relief Printmaking Masterclass focused on creating exhibition-ready work for submission to the Creede Arts Council’sNational Small Print Show. A Relief Cut Printmaking Workshop follows in July for summer visitors. A festive, small-format printmaking card workshop is planned for November—just in time for the holidays.
All workshops include high-quality materials, so participants can simply show up and create. To make these opportunities accessible to more artists in our community, we are also proud to offer three full-scholarship spots for every adult workshop in 2026. Watch for more information - we will announce and provide links for scholarship applications as they become available!
Evening Creative Sessions
Community Partnerships
& Collaborations
SCHOOL OUTREACH
We are thrilled to initiate our partnership with the Creede Consolidated School District and support the creativity of local students. This winter, Director of Programming Allison Quiller will bring her Linoleum Cut Printmaking class to Creede High School, offering students a hands-on introduction to this expressive art form. Students will get an overview of the printmaking art form, and each will design, carve and print their own linocut on a variety of professional western and Japanese printmaking papers.
Later, we will introduce our flagship program, Illustrated Stories, to middle and high-schoolers. This multi-week unit invites students to explore the intersection of visual and literary arts, guiding them through storytelling, illustration, and collaboration. Students will pitch story ideas and be paired with another student illustrator to create a unique pairing of style, genre and visual storytelling. The program will culminate in a one-of-a-kind student-created anthology, celebrating their voices, imagination, and artistic growth.
For summer 2026 we are also partnering with the Creede Early Learning Center, and are proud to be providing weekly creative engagement for Creede’s youngest artists!
Arts Collaborations
Creede Center for the Arts is proud to be collaborating with many of our incredible community organizations in 2026. In January, we kicked off the year with our annual Winter Writer’s Workshop, a joint effort between ourselves and the Creede Community Center. This year, award-winning poet Alicia Cook will step in for a special session with our writing group, part of her upcoming Creede residency alongside composer Evan Mack through the Creede Musical Arts Collective. This writing class is also geared as a platform to encourage local writers to submit to the Creede Arts Council’s literary magazine, The Willow Creek Journal.
Later this summer, we are partnering with the Creede Repertory Theatre for a special camp for youths ages 12+. Writing for Screen and Stage will guide young writers through the process of developing characters, building structure, and finding tone, while exploring the subtle nuances of writing for the screen versus stage productions.
We’re also working on an exciting new collaboration that brings together all of Creede’s arts organizations: Kids’ Guide to the Arts in Creede. This free sketchbook and “passport” will be available to all young people in the Creede area and is designed to inspire youth to explore and engage with Creede’s vibrant arts scene. Stay tuned for more details!
Help keep art education at CCA free or accessible!
2025 Highlights
"Before taking Kris Gosar’s class, I had never taken a drawing course in my life. I honestly didn’t think I had any real talent for it. But after just two classes, the difference was remarkable — not only in my technique, but in the way I see. Chris has a unique way of breaking things down so you actually understand what you’re doing, and his feedback helps you grow fast. Everyone around me noticed how much my drawings improved in such a short time. I’m genuinely grateful for the experience — it’s given me confidence I didn’t know I had." - Damian Richardson, 2025 Participant
"CCA truly has something for everyone. My elementary age son loves drawing already and these workshops really encourage out of the box thinking and creativity for both kids and adults. I took a printmaking class over the winter and it reignited my love of visual arts that I hadn't experienced since college. The class offered background of the art form, one-on-one help, but also allowed us to unlock our own individual expression. What a great addition to the Creede arts community!" -Kate Berry, 2025 Participant
