Continuing Education | Minneapolis College of Art and Design (2024)

Youth Classes and Camps

Innovative and immersive classes and camps that inspire kids’ self-expression, encourage creativity, and instill an excitement for learning. For ages 6–12.

Both winter/spring and summer classes are now open for registration.

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Young Teen Classes

Young teen classes are designed to introduce students to a variety of mediums, processes, materials, and ideas. Teens will develop technical skills and learn how to translate their ideas into visual form. For ages 12–15.

Both winter/spring and summer classes are now open for registration.

See All Young Teen Classes

Pre-College

MCAD provides high school students the chance to learn from professional artists at one of the top art and design colleges in the Midwest.Offering a transformative education open to all backgrounds, MCAD gets you ready to confidently lead and practice in an ever-evolving world.

A variety of classes are available, with some having the possibility to earn college credit. For ages 15–18.Many adult classes are open to students ages 16 and above.

The Pre-College Summer Session is also available for students who have completed their sophom*ore, junior, or senior years of high school.

Learn more about MCAD's Pre-College programming

Adult Classes

Evening, weekend, and online. Explore classes for personal enrichment or courses that take your career to the next level, including certificate programs. Topics include painting, graphic design, animation, illustration, and more.

Discover all Adult Classes

Art Educator Workshops

Workshops run June–July.

Specialized, week-long summer workshops. Gain creative techniques and make connections with fellow teachers, as well as find inspiring professional development opportunities.

2024 Art Educator Workshops are open for registration.

Find out more about Art Educator Workshops

Sarah Weiben ’04 has been teaching Painting classes for Continuing Education since 2008. Originally focusing on Russian studies, Weiben began to pursue her interest in art in 1991. In a recent interview, Weiben invokes that career shift when describing their CE courses:

A lot of people come to CE because they wanted art earlier in their lives and for some reason decided not to pursue that. But it has stayed with them. And so people are either pursuing a long-time interest or returning to something that they started and didn't finish earlier in their lives. Since I came to art later in life, I feel like I'm the right person to usher them back in.

Weiben also talked about how diverse their CE classes are, with students ranging from 18 years old to 80. In response, Weiben wants to create a certain atmosphere in their classes:

I try to quickly let them know that they're here to have fun and that they will be supported and grow. I assure them that even later in the class, they will already be laughing and enjoying themselves. And all of that sort of newbie anxiety just melts away.

Michael Gaughan ‘02 has been a Painting and Drawing instructor for Continuing Education at MCAD since 2006. Gaughan’s teaching style allows for a welcoming, safe, and productive environment. In an interview, Gaughan shared why both he and his students continue to participate in MCAD’s Continuing Education:

Helping people with their creativity and giving them the techniques to express themselves is the best job in the world. People want to be here and I’m really lucky to be a part of that. I see people signing up for Continuing Education classes as enrichment–a desire to better themselves. [My students] have the passion and this is a structured way to push themselves.

Gaughan described CE courses as college quality but designed for those who are not pursuing a degree.

You can pick and choose what appeals to you and your creativity. We have students who experience this is as their first art class because a family member has gotten it for them as a gift, and they're brand new to art making. We have students who have master's degrees in painting and design, and they're here to keep their education going. So it's really for everybody.t's really cool to see everyone working together and sharing classrooms.

Brian Britigan, an Illustration instructor, has been teaching at MCAD since 2020. In an interview about Brian’s experience teaching Continuing Education courses, he explains;

When coming into the classroom, I try to meet folks wherever they are at. I have students who might have been working in a single artistic practice for 40 years, and they're experts in their area. And then there are folks who have dabbled in a sketchbook, enjoyed that process, and wanted to figure out what their next steps might be.

What's really great about the CE classes that I've taught is the way that students interact with each other. Students are very courteous about meeting folks where they are and helping everybody move on to their next step. If you're somebody who feels self-conscious about your arts experience or the amount of work that you have under your belt, I think a CE class is a great space to try something new and expand what you might expect from yourself.

Brian’s encouragement for others to take CE courses is not unwarranted; he explains that community education courses are a way that he has built community and connections in his own artistic practice. Teaching was a natural progression. Brian has taught online, in-person, and hybrid courses, which means students are often local, but have come from all over the world. Brian has had students from across the U.S., as well as students located in Malaysia and Indonesia. Describing what to expect in a CE course, Brian says

Peer critique is a huge part of what I do. I don't like to be the sole source of knowledge in the classroom that I'm imparting to these students, but, instead, I really view it as a meeting space for a group of creative people to collaborate on projects together. We're bringing so many different skills to the table. We have graphic designers in the room, we have photographers in the room, we have comics artists in the room, and all of them are speaking languages that overlap a little bit, but are all coming from really unique perspectives.

For questions regarding registration, payment, withdrawal, and refunds, contact Continuing Education:

612.874.3765
continuing_education@mcad.edu

View Continuing Education's Class Policies

*Gift certificates are nonrefundable and may be purchased for any amount. Class tuition ranges from $75-$420, generally, for adult classes and from $150 to $350, generally, for summer kids and teens classes. Gift certificates are valid on any Continuing Education class, including Summer Youth Program classes for ages 5-18. Gift certificate will be emailed within (3) business days of the order. No cash back.