Pratt Institute: 7th Ave and 14th Street

Twist and Drop Necklace with Double Duty Hook and Eye Clasp

I've told you about The Pratt Institute before (Pratt Gallery), but for the past two weekends, I have been in a fabulous intensive jewelry making class there that I had to share.

Twisty Curl Earrings

I've never made jewelry before.  I had no tools, no beads (other than the ones that I had on jewelry I had bought), and no idea what the class would entail. 

Sea Glass Wrap Pendant on Suede

To my delight, what I found was a small class (6 students were in my class) with lots of individual attention, a really patient and creative teacher, and two full weekends of absolute fun. 

I ended up with 6 pairs of earrings, 6 necklaces, a pendant, a bracelet, and two repaired pieces of jewelry that I love (I had kept broken or damaged pieces that I couldn't wear anymore and repaired or repurposed them). 

We knotted and strung pearls on silk threads, made a simple elastic bracelet, and learned about ribbon knotting.  We also did extensive wire twisting and wrapping, beading, and crimping.

I learned so much more than I thought I would.  I got to indulge in my love of poodles (see Ribbon Necklace and Basic Bead Earrings at left and Elastic Faux Pearl Bracelet with poodle pendant (I added the bone charm too after I took this picture) at right), while also diving into the deep end with a new creative hobby. I also pushed myself to try new colors beyond my black/white/clear, and blues to include some pinks and autumn colors (surprisingly this was one of the harder things to do).

Friends and family should expect one-of-a-kind jewelry this holiday season!

Knotted Grey, Pink and White Pearl Necklace and Matching Earrings

Floating (Flex Wire) Necklace and Matching Earrings

P.S.: I made this last set (and parts of my poodle necklace above) out of some clear and frosted glass balls that I dismantled from a holiday garland (currently available at Crate and Barrel)!  After taking a class like this, my creative juices are really flowing--I've been looking at simple household items in whole new ways. Oh yeah.

Art Classes in NYC: Various

Drawing Class at the Art Students League on 57th Street and 7th Avenue

I have been an art enthusiast all of my life.  With a little investigation, I have been able to find some great art classes that I think are uniquely available in a resource-rich city like NYC.

Watercolor of Peonies

I've taken a drawing and collage studio course at the MOMA.  They were in the evenings once a week for a couple of months and they included after hours access to the galleries in our private class group with an assigned security guard!

I've taken a one-off painting course at Paint Along.  This is a low commitment, fun commercial class that could be fun for a group of friends or a couple to do together.

I've taken a Korean folk art water color painting class called minwha at the Korea Society (see my last project at right).  There are various courses at numerous cultural centers around the City to match almost any interest.  It just takes some hunting on the internet.

Currently I am enrolled in a full-time anatomical drawing class at the Art Students League. For a mere $200 I attend classes taught by professional artists and monitored by 1-2 assistants Monday through Friday for 3 1/2 hours a day for a whole month.  What a bargain!  Also, you should know that they have a gallery and a small but well-stocked art supply shop open to the public with the best prices in town (see below left).  For the commitment phobic, you might also try the model drawing classes hosted by the Society of Illustrators twice a week for $15 a session.

Art Students League Store

Finally, this November I am taking a two-weekend intensive jewelry making class at the Pratt Institute.  I discovered this when I visited the gallery down at their Manhattan campus in Chelsea.  I've never really made jewelry (yes, I've strung beads and made a couple of earrings from the handmade African paper beads I purchased at the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) but that was a one-off thing that I MacGyvered on my own).

There are also places one can try ceramics, photography, glass blowing (Kim Fraczek teaches in Brooklyn--she hosted a booth at the Maker Faire), cooking (try the Institute of Culinary Education's recreational classes), music lessons, etc.  I don't think I could do all of the options justice without starting a new blog, so I thought I would just write this entry to let folks know that there are tons of enrichment classes available in NYC.  They are taught by real professionals, and if you are in the City, they are definitely worth a try.


Prices vary from around $400 for 8, 2-hour sessions to as low as $200 for a Monday-Friday 3 1/2 hour sessions for a whole month of classes.  If you want to just dip a toe in, you might also join in for the free Crafternoons at the New York Public Library once a month (I'm going this Saturday) or go to one of the open sketch Sundays or Saturdays at one of the numerous museums (like the Frick) around the City (check out their websites for details).

The thing is, all of these enrichment classes are available at all price points in NYC.  It really is a tremendous resource that should not be overlooked.  Take a chance and try one.