Adult and Teen Classes

AVA Members receive 10% off most classes!

Most classes are for students 16 and older.
All welding classes are for students 18 and older.
Financial Assistance is available for all classes.
Adult and Youth Class Cancellation Policy: Cancellations made up to fourteen business days prior to the onset day of an adult or youth class (not camps) are eligible for a full refund less a $30 registration fee. Cancellations made less than thirty days to onset are not eligible for a refund unless we are able to fill the canceled spot.
Class Information & ScheduleClass ImageClass Medium, Level, & PriceClass DescriptionRegistration

Spring Life Drawing Open Studios

Wednesdays, April 2-June 11
10 sessions

9 am-12 pm

open studio drawing

Drawing Open Studio

for Continuing and Advanced students

$200* / $25 per individual session

Weekly monitored life drawing sessions, without instruction, open to individuals of all levels of experience. 

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Summer Life Drawing Open Studio

Wednesdays, June 18-Aug 27
11 sessions

5:30-8:30 pm

open studio drawing

Drawing Open Studio

for Continuing and Advanced students

$225* / $25 per individual session

Weekly monitored life drawing sessions, without instruction, open to individuals of all levels of experience. 

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College and Mixed-media Open Studio
ANASTASIA TAMBAKIS

Thursdays, May 15-June 12
6 sessions

6-7:30 pm

tambakis collage

Collage & Mixed-media Open Studio

for Beginning & Continuing students

$180* / $30 per individual session

This is an open studio for artists of all skill levels who are interested in exploring the creative possibilities of combining various artistic materials and techniques. With the help of an experienced AVA instructor, you'll learn how to integrate different media—such as paint, collage, drawing, and found objects—into a cohesive and expressive artwork. While there will be materials available, please bring any found objects (magazines, papers, fabrics, etc.) that you would like to us in your collage creations.

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Creativity Workshop: Ink Wash Painting
EMILY BATTLES

Saturday, May 17

6:15-8:30 pm

battles-inkwash-16x9

Painting

for Beginning & Continuing students

$25* / $35 at-the-door

Join Us for a Night of Fun, Creative Art-Making!

Feeling nostalgic for those carefree days of elementary school art class? Now’s your chance to relive the fun! Whether you’re a total beginner or just looking to loosen up and play with art again, our Open Studio for Novice Artists is the perfect way to spark your creativity in a relaxed, no-pressure environment.

The theme of the May 17 Creativity Workshop is Ink Wash Painting.

Beginners welcome; no artistic experience necessary. Creativity workshop is meant specifically for adults 18 and up.

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Anatomy for Figure Drawing
CHALICE MITCHELL

Saturday, May 17
1 session

10 am-4 pm

cmitchell-16x9-anatomy

Drawing

for Beginning & Continuing Students

$185*

Click here for a class materials list

In this workshop, you will learn the important basics of anatomical knowledge in order to improve Figure Drawing. Topics will include the interaction of form and function in the musculoskeletal system, rhythm and geometry to look out for in the body, and basic structural drawing approaches to depict a 3-dimensional living being on a 2-dimensional sheet of paper. Focus will be on landmarks of the bone structure and major muscle groups that are necessary to create convincing figure drawings. 

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Plein Air with Watercolors
JENNIFER BROWN

Tuesdays, May 20-June 10
4 sessions

10 am-12 pm

claire-pleinair-01

Painting

for Beginning & Continuing Students

$130*

Click here for a class materials list

This is a four week Plein Air class is designed to take full advantage of the seasonal Spring and Summer weather and the environment surrounding AVA. Our most important goal will be to work directly from life but we will also emphasize strengthening skills in brushwork, constructing compositions, tonal studies and color study.  Assembling a kit for working outdoors is also an important component of the class; see the materials list for what you'll need.

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Paper, Plate & Press: Drypoint
DEREK BELL

Sat & Sun, June 7-8
2 sessions

10 am-3 pm

dbell-bee-print-16x9-best

Printmaking

for Beginning & Continuing Students

$215*
 
$30 materials fee 

Get ready to explore the unique printmaking technique of drypoint. This process of printmaking involves scratching a sharp needle or tool into a plate to create burrs that hold ink. When printed, these lines yield rich lines when printed.

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Beginning Figure Drawing

Thursdays, June 19-Aug 7
7 sessions; no class July 24

6-8:30 pm

adams drawing figure

Drawing 

for Beginning and Continuing students

$380* 

click here for the class materials list

This class is a traditional yet a novel approach to figure drawing. It's for beginners to learn new skills, for the more intermediate to expand existing skills interested in drawing the human figure­. A live model will be present at every session. Be prepared to arrive with questions, open minds, curiosity, and a commitment to draw, to learn and to have fun! 

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Inside and Outside: Landscape Oil Painting
with Meg McLean
Saturday, June 21

11 am-4 pm

meg mclean

Painting

for Continuing students

$110* 

click here for a suggested materials list

In this one-day oil painting workshop, using AVA as a home base you'll paint on location in the nearby neighborhoods and fields in downtown Lebanon (or, depending on the weather, from the windows of AVA). You'll learn how to see and understand color value relationships and group them together to create bold, underlying designs in your paintings. Slowing down to make a value plan helps keep you on track with your compositions and also encourages an economy of brushstroke for a bolder, more energetic painting. Some oil painting experience required.

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Continuing Pottery
MAXWELL HOLDEN

Wednesdays, June 25-July 30
6 sessions

6-8:30 pm

pottery-16x9

Clay

for Beginning & Continuing Students

$325*

$75 materials fee

Learn to center clay on the potters wheel, make mugs, bowls, pitchers, casseroles and much more. If you are a beginner or more advanced you will enjoy the clay experience. Acquire the skills of throwing, trimming, making handles, glazing and kiln firing. 

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Blacksmithing
ROFF HARROFF

Tuesdays, June 24-Aug 12
8 sessions

6-8:30 pm

Roff blacksmith blacksmithing anvil fire

Metal

for Beginning & Continuing Students

$430*

$75 materials fee

Progressing from simple forging and turning to more advanced techniques we will explore traditional and modern techniques using forge hammer and anvil. Please wear natural fibers, long sleeves and pants and closed shoes (traditional blacksmith working cap optional). Ages 18 and over (16 if taken with a parent who will be your teammate).

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Introduction to Wood Carving and Whittling
ANTON PRIKAZCHIKOV

Wednesdays, June 25-Aug 13
8 sessions

6-8 pm

wood-carving-16x9

Wood

for Beginning & Continuing Students

$350*

$85 materials fee

This 8-week workshop will introduce you to woodcarving and carving safety. You'll make everything from wooden spoons to small animals while you learn basic techniques like stop cutpush cut, and draw cut. This is a great way to get both your hands and creative energies moving while learning something new.

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Metalsmithing
ROFF HARROFF

Thursdays, June 26-Aug 14
8 sessions

6-8:30 pm

roff-shell-16x9

Metal

for Beginning & Continuing Students

$430*

$75 materials fee

Forging, forming, and fabrication of brass, bronze, copper and other non-ferrous metal with traditional and non-traditional methods will be explored in class.  Please bring a sketchbook with you and wear natural fabrics long pants and closed supportive shoes.Register Now

Introduction to Printmaking: Linocuts
MAGGIE MINOR

Mondays, June 23-July 14
4 sessions

5:30-8 pm

mminor-DENNYSprint-16x9

Printmaking

for Beginning & Continuing Students

$215*

$20 materials fee

In this 4 week class, participants will dive into lino-cut carving and printing to produce their own 2 to 3 color print. Participants will learn how to transfer drawings onto their block, carve, register their layers, and print using a Takach press

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Introduction to Ink Painting
CHALICE MITCHELL

Sat-Sun, June 28-29
2 sessions

10 am-4 pm

mitchellC-ink-16x9

Painting

for Beginning & Continuing Students

$330*

$15 materials fee

Learn the basics of traditional Ink Painting! Drawing on 8 years of living and studying in Japan, the instructor will distill her experience to create a step-by-step beginners’ progression that makes ink accessible. You will learn about preparing the materials, mixing the ink, laying out the composition, and the basic brush strokes. The instructor will teach these techniques through the four symbolic plant forms–bamboo, orchid, chrysanthemum and plum. You'll leave this weekend workshop with a solid foundation to begin an ink painting journey.

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Watercolors & Natural Dyes: Dive Into Colors
JENNIFER BROWN & KATIE SPENCER

Saturdays, monthly: June 28, July 26, August 23, Sept 27 
4 sessions

1-4 pm

katie spencer jennifer brown

Painting & Mixed-media

for Beginning & Continuing Students

$250 / $75 per session

$10 materials fee

These 4 monthly workshops give students an introduction to natural dyeing and watercolor painting. Each session focuses on a specific color, teaching you how to yield that color from plants and how to incorporate the color in your watercolors. You'll leave with beautiful dyed fabrics and watercolor studies & paintings. 

Note: materials will be provided, but feel free to bring in additional small cotton, linen, or wool items to dip in the dye pots. $10 Materials fee applied at checkout.

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Introduction to Welding
IAN BLACKMER

Wednesdays, July 2-Aug 8
6 sessions

5:30-8:30 pm

Wedling

Metal

for Beginning & Continuing Students

$390*

$90 materials fee

Learn to select, measure, mark, cut and prepare mild steel for welding, then join the pieces together through the Metal Inert Gas (MIG) wire feed welding process. During this eight week course students will become familiarized with working safely in an industrial shop setting. Students will learn and practice basic wire feed welding techniques as well as hand and power tool operation and apply those newly learned skills to the creative process.

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Hand-building with Clay
KÄRIN ROTHWELL

Thursdays, July 10-31

6-8:30 pm

Rothwell Clay Hand-building Pear

Clay

for Beginning & Continuing Students

$215

$75 materials fee

Possibility comes to fruition as you and your hands learn how to move and manipulate clay without the use of a wheel. Hand-building means constructing with coils and slabs of clay, pinching and 'modeling'-- techniques used since antiquity in every corner of the earth. Both functional pieces and works of art will be ready to glaze and take home at the end of the session.  Each class starts with a demonstration and group time, then students may turn to individual work on independent projects: wind chimes and garden statues, serving dishes and fruit bowls— you name it! All kinds of construction will be covered and available. Bring your imagination and a journal for reserved for clay class! Surface decoration will also be addressed, using slips and underglazes followed by finished glaze techniques. Open to all skill levels. Please bring a notebook dedicated to ceramics. $75 Materials fee applied at checkout.

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Pet Portraits in Acrylic
SARAH MAXELL CROSBY

Tuesdays, July 8-Aug 12
6 sessions

6-8:30 pm

smaxellcrosby-pet-01-16x9

Painting

for Beginning & Continuing Students

$325*

click here for a class materials list

Learn acrylic painting techniques by painting pet portraits from reference photos. (Sorry, no live models in this class!) You’ll learn about composition, color, tone, texture, and application techniques. You’ll also learn about how to make artistic choices so that your portrait expresses the subject’s personality. Beginning and more advanced painters are welcome. 

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Beginning & Continuing Watercolor: Beautiful Brushwork & Colors
JOAN HOFFMANN

Wednesdays, July 9-30

6-8:30 pm

hoffmann joan watercolor

Painting

for Beginning & Continuing Students

$215

click here for the class materials list

Begin your watercolor journey or continue beyond the basics! Technique demos, along with critiques and discussions, will guide you through a painting each session. In this class there will be an emphasis on how to use your brushes to create beautiful colors. Beginning and more experienced students are welcome.

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Decorating Succulent Cupcakes
LEAH BLACK

Sat, July 12
1 session

2-4:30 pm

LBlack-Succulent Cupcakes-16x9

Cooking

for Beginning & Continuing students

$55*

$25 materials fee

In this workshop you'll learn several techniques for making stunning hand-piped buttercream succulents, with step-by-step demonstrations in a small class setting. At the end you'll get to take home your decorated cupcakes, a recipe for Italian Meringue Buttercream, as well as a list of all the supplies used during class. All experience levels are welcome, but some intermediate techniques will be used. Cupcakes, buttercream, and supplies will be provided for your use during the workshop; Cupcakes & buttercream used for class contain gluten, dairy, eggs, and are made in a kitchen that processes nuts & other allergens.

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Painting Outside the Lines
JOE SAGINOR

Sat-Sun, July 12-13
2 sessions

10 am-2 pm

sagnior-02-16x9

Painting

for Continuing & Advanced Students

$120 regardless of membership; all proceeds go to AVA's Financial Assistance fund.

All painters have all experienced the pleasure of seeing a painting flow, as well as the frustration of seeing it get stuck. This workshop explores ways to get unstuck with an emphasis on intuition and experimentation rather than technical skills. Participants will be encouraged to work on two paintings with time at the end each day to talk about their experiences.

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Found Objects
LYN SWETT MILLER

Mondays, July 14-28
3 sessions

5:30-8 pm

lyn swett miller

Photography

for Continuing Students

$175*

Our possessions, whether a treasure from a loved one or a favorite souvenir from a recent trip, offer portals to self. In this photography workshop, you'll work with lighting, perspective and setting to explore the character of an object that's meaningful to you. Each session will include a short inspirational talk, practical photography-based activities, and time for sharing work. After the initial introduction, participants will investigate strategies for telling the story of their own object or objects. 

This will not be a technical workshop; students need to bring a camera with them to class, but it can be anything from a smart phone to a DSLR. Students should have a basic understanding of how to use the camera they bring.

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Jump-start Your Watercolor Painting
JOAN HOFFMANN

Saturday, July 19

10 am-2 pm

hoffmann composition watercolor

Painting

for Beginning & Continuing Students

$90

click here for the class materials list

Jump-start what you know about watercolor painting or try something brand new! This 1-day workshop is great for both beginners and more experienced painters. It's a great way to get to know watercolor painting or learn some new techniques. 

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Abstract Ceramics Sculptures
DAN FALBY

Saturday, July 19

10 am-2 pm

FalbyD-RaucousGarment2-16x9

Ceramics

for Beginning & Continuing Students

$110*

$30 materials fee

In this one-day workshop AVA exhibiting artist Dan Falby will demonstrate his dynamic technique for creating abstract ceramic sculptures. By tossing and dropping meticulously prepared clay slabs, Falby invites gravity to shape his work. He will take us through each aspect of his process: making slabs, building and altering forms, firing strategies, and glazing methods. Over the course of the day, Falby will share his creative approach, influences, and considerations for working intuitively with clay. Furthermore, participants will have the opportunity to incorporate what they have learned into their own clay-work during the hands-on portion of the workshop. 

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Introduction to Printmaking: Linocuts
MAGGIE MINOR

Mondays, July 28-Aug 18
4 sessions

5:30-8 pm

mminor-DENNYSprint-16x9

Printmaking

for Beginning & Continuing Students

$215*

$20 materials fee

In this 4 week class, participants will dive into lino-cut carving and printing to produce their own 2 to 3 color print. Participants will learn how to transfer drawings onto their block, carve, register their layers, and print using a Takach press

Register Now

MORE INFORMATION

AVA Faculty

Derek Bell received his BFA in Painting in 2008 from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Painting and spent three of his years there as a Teaching Assistant. As a painter, Derek prefers landscape, portraiture, and animals, as well as an occasional still life. Since graduating from RISD, Derek has worked primarily in oils, watercolor, gouache, and more recently egg tempera. https://www.instagram.com/perfectpoultryportraits/

Jennifer Brown began her art career at a young age making woodblock prints in her family kitchen. She majored in Visual and Environmental Studies at Harvard University and earned a degree in art and education from Vermont College as a parent and working adult. Most recently she has taken painting and printmaking workshops at Art New England in Bennington, VT, as well as continuing to study oil painting with painter, Peter Granucci. She uses watercolor and gouache to explore nature, landscapes, and figures in the landscape.

Amber Geneva Erkiletian received her BFA at the School of the Art Institute, Chicago where she gained a passion for working in large-scale steel sculpture. Her curiosity about the range of materials available for sculpture caused her to pursue diverse fields that feed her professional development and her application of technical knowledge. Amber’s experience ranges from casting aluminum and bronze for art and industry to fine woodworking and fiberglass construction to refining microscopic precision components for the Mars mission. As an artist, Amber is drawn to the minute subtleties of expression in human body language. Her art practice uses welded steel and Pal Tiya Premium, a unique sculpting cement, to create chimerical animal sculptures for outdoor installation. As an independent art teacher, Amber considers it her mission to ensure that everyone who wants to make sculpture can, at any scale and for any environment. For more information about Amber, please visit her website.

Fred Faudie works out of his studio in Norwich, Vermont where he lives with his wife and teenage son who share his painting, photography, and design studio: SeeingMind. He has exhibited his drawings, prints, and paintings in numerous juried shows across the country, including having his work accepted to group and one-person exhibitions in Washington, D.C., Andover, Massachusetts, Boston, and New York City. He is a Professor Emeritus with the Art Department of the University of Massachusetts Lowell where he taught studio courses for thirty-four years. During his tenure there he taught basic, intermediate, and advanced studio courses, various art history courses, set up several analog darkrooms, and taught the first computer art course. He was a key player in developing their accredited B.A. and B.F.A. degrees. Fred Faudie holds an A.B. in Art History from Cornell University, an M.A. in painting from the University of Iowa; participated in post-graduate studies in photography at the University of Iowa, and holds an M.F.A. in Illustration from Syracuse University.

Nick Gaffney received his M.F.A. in Fine Arts/Photography from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, in 2002. Since then he has taught Photography, Studio Art, and Digital Media at various places. He has exhibited his photography throughout the country, including solo shows at AVA and the Vermont Center for Photography, in Brattleboro, VT. He is currently on the board of the Vermont Center for Photography and is also a member of the Lebanon Arts and Culture Commission. He lives in Lebanon with his wife, two daughters, and dog Ruby. ngaffney.net

At the age of eight, Olivia Janna Genereaux took her first after-school art class painting. She learned to paint from life and to mix colors. She loved the control of building her world and found her place. She chose to attend Rhode Island School of Design, where she studied textiles and illustration, majored in painting, and graduated in 1986. Four decades later in 2014, she earned a Master’s Degree from Lesley University, College of Art and Design. Her love of art is a gift she gives to herself and shares with others every day.

Stephanie Gordon received her BFA from the University of Michigan. Stephanie taught art at Hanover High School for 18 years before retiring. She currently teaches community art classes for adults and teens. Stephanie has most recently been making encaustic paintings. She exhibits work locally and regionally and her art is in many private collections. sbgordonart.com

Joan Hoffmann paints impressionistic oil and watercolor landscapes and birds in plein air. She is dedicated to painting, teaching, and preserving the wild landscapes that she explores. Joan lectures on the History of American Landscape Painting, National Parks, Public Lands, and the Art of Landscape and teaches and exhibits her work in UT, CO, CA, and at her studio in South Royalton. www.joanhoffmann.com

Mike Howat is a New Hampshire-based painter and printmaker. His work explores themes of urbanization, Americana, and collective memory. Since earning his B.F.A. from the New Hampshire Institute of Art in 2014, he has been actively engaged in the growing New England art scene. He exhibits regularly with Kelley Stelling Contemporary and Mill Brook Gallery & Sculpture Garden and has shown with Chase’s Garage, Rochester Museum of Fine Arts, and Nahcotta, among others. He is the current artist-in-residence at Kimball Jenkins School of Art, where he teaches classes and workshops in painting, printmaking, and drawing. mikehowat.com

Michael Kraatz holds a BS in Art from the University of Wisconsin and an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. He has been a roster artist with the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts for many years, completing numerous Arts in Education residencies in public schools. He works in 2-D and 3-D and is particularly known for his blown glass. Kraatz’s work has been shown nationally and regionally, including at AVA. www.kraatzrussell.com

Maggie mayfly Kundtz Joseph: Visual artist; AVA studio tenant since 2013; AVA instructor.  Strives to nurture & empower young and old in the creative process.  Earned a BFA from the University of Michigan in painting & photography; Master’s in photography from Maine Media College.  Early life, worked in the gallery/ museum arena and NYC photography scene; Currently, immersed in art making and raising a family.  Created the artist persona, mayfly, to better embody the ideas of ephemerality and transformation in her art.

Sue Martin majored in art at a teacher training college in Ripon, Yorkshire, England. Currently retired as a classroom and reading teacher, she has time to rekindle and expand her artistic interests to include stained glass. She finds great delight in incorporating found objects into her work and she has exhibited her stained glass panels, in the Upper Valley.

Chris McGrody has been building custom furniture and handcrafted cabinetry professionally in his shop for 15 years. Before starting his shop, Chris worked for several years at a local furniture studio building high-end traditional Shaker furniture. While working there as a craftsman, he also ran the workshop program and taught week-long and weekend workshop courses. Chris also instructs regularly at the Dartmouth College Student Woodshop. Chris enjoys passing along his knowledge of woodworking through project-based classes. www.chrismcgrody.com

Robert O’Brien received his BA from S.U.N.Y. at Buffalo and has worked in watercolor for 40 years. Since moving to Vermont in 1977, he has focused his work on the landscape and architecture of New England. He studied with James Whatford, Tony Couch, and Marshall Joyce. He is a member of many watercolor societies and has won numerous awards. www.robertjobrien.com

Tracy Penfield has a history with AVA going back to 1985. She exhibited her fiber art, taught and modeled at AVA until founding SafeArt in 2000, based in Chelsea VT, where she resides. She passed SafeArt on to the next generation in 2020 and has a private practice in trauma healing at the Center for Integrative Health in Hanover and in Chelsea. She is also a dancer and the Artistic Director of the Passing Project: www.passingproject.org.     Kärin Rothwell became a student of clay under the tutelage of Karen Williamson at the Davidson Pottery at Dartmouth College in 1981, followed by post-grad classes at UNH and workshops at Haystack Mountain School in Maine and ‘Phoenix’ with Gerry Williams in Goffstown. Surrounded by the rich history of strong clay cultures while living in the Middle East, Holland, Spain, and Mexico in her early years led to her desire for personal exploration in the medium. Kärin was a teacher/trainer at Dartmouth for many years and began the children’s program at the League of NH Craftsmen in 1984.

Meredith Smith holds a BFA and MAT from the Rhode Island School of Design and did postgraduate study in costume and theater design at Brown University. She has worked as a costume and jewelry designer, college professor, and owner of a London-based clothing company. Meredith is a juried member of the League of NH Craftsmen.

Teaching and Modeling at AVA

Modeling: If you are interested in modeling for art classes at AVA (clothed or unclothed), please contact our Education Manager, Nick Gaffney, at nick@avagallery.org.

Teaching: AVA is always interested in learning more about creative educational experiences for our community. If you are interested in teaching a workshop at AVA, please email nick@avagallery.org.

Financial Assistance

Legacies Live On

Thanks to the generosity of family and friends of prominent past AVA supporters, AVA is honored to offer financial assistance to mitigate the cost of classes and workshops.

Click here to apply for Financial Assistance.

AVA Financial Assistance Fund

The AVA Financial Assistance Fund provides eligible individuals of all ages and abilities with tuition assistance in any of AVA’s art camps, educational workshops, or outreach programming. Funds donated for financial assistance but not specifically directed to the Al Quirk or Aya Itagaki funds are allocated to this fund. Click here to donate to the AVA Financial Assistance fund.

Al Quirk Financial Assistance Fund

The Alfred T. Quirk Senior Student Financial Assistance Fund was established to support seniors (60 and over) in their artistic endeavors. After his retirement from a thirty year career at Dartmouth College, Al Quirk began a new calling as a watercolor artist, taking classes at AVA and eventually serving on AVA’s Board of Directors. Recognizing the significance art and AVA played in Al’s later life, eligible seniors can apply for financial assistance for any AVA class or workshop.

Aya Itagaki Financial Assistance Fund

The Aya Itagaki Financial assistance Fund provides eligible individuals of all ages and abilities with tuition assistance at either AVA or the Okinawan Karate Academy. Aya was an AVA founding member, artist, teacher and AVA board member for over four decades. Her family established this fund to continue her legacy of support. Applicants may receive financial assistance toward classes at either AVA or the Okinawan Karate Academy.

All financial assistance funds help provide creative opportunities for those who would otherwise not be able to participate due to financial concerns. Contributions can be made to any of these funds by phone (603) 448-3117, online by clicking here, or by mail: AVA Gallery and Art Center, 11 Bank Street, Lebanon, NH 03766.