Level up your creativity with the best art classes in Edmonton!
If you’ve ever thought about picking up a paintbrush or sketching for the first time, Edmonton’s art classes are the perfect place to start.
I tried a beginner class myself, and it was an eye-opening experience—relaxing, creative, and a great way to meet new people.
After chatting with other aspiring artists, I’ve come across several other fantastic places to explore your artistic side. So if you’re ready to dive into the world of art, check out the best art classes in Edmonton!
City Arts Centre
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CityArtsYEG/
Address: 10942 83 Ave NW
Phone: +1 780 442 5311
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Friday – 9 AM to 9 PM
- Saturday & Sunday – 9 AM to 4 PM
The City Arts Centre offers creative workshops for students in kindergarten to grade 9. These sessions cover areas like visual arts, dance, cooking, and pottery.
Supplies are not included in the fee unless stated otherwise. A supply list will be sent out three days before the course starts, so it’s a good idea to wait until then to buy materials.
Visual Arts
Types of Classes
- Watercolour Creepy Crawly Insects (Kindergarten to Grade 3)
- Watercolour Landscapes (Grades 4 to 6)
Program Length: 2 hours
Fees: $365
Students can explore watercolour painting by outlining Alberta insects with crayons and adding watercolours to create vibrant effects. Themes include flying insects from forests, crawling ones from the Rockies, or creeping insects from the Prairies.
In another class, students practise techniques like light, shadow, and brush strokes. Themes available are the Northern Lights, a Rocky Mountain sunset, or a bold Prairie landscape.
Pottery
Types of Classes
- My Community Plaque in Clay (Grades 1-3)
- Canadian Animal Masks in Clay (Grades 3-6)
- Coil Pots in Clay (Grades 4-9)
Program Length: 2 hours
Fees: $450
The Community Plaque in Clay class allows students to create a 2D plaque representing their community, with personal details like family, pets, and caregivers. The finished plaques will be fired and ready for pick-up in about three weeks.
In the Canadian Animal Masks in Clay class, students will create clay masks of Canadian animals, such as a fox or owl, while practising basic clay-handling skills.
Lastly, Coil Pots in Clay class teaches students how to make coil pots, drawing inspiration from Canadian artists and Indigenous art traditions. They will shape the clay and add slab-formed details to their pots.
Canvastone Children’s Art School
– Media from canvastonestudios
Website: https://www.canvastone.ca/
Address: 4408 211 St NW
Phone: +1 780 487 2846
Operating Hours: Open daily – 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM
Canvastone Children’s Art Studio offers four types of art classes: painting, drawing, digital, and soapstone carving.
The children work around a horseshoe-shaped table, which helps the instructor guide them effectively. When they are done, the painting projects are framed and ready for display.
Drawing
Age Level: 5 to 16 years old
In the drawing classes, students follow easy steps to create different projects and learn new techniques. They can then continue their creativity at home and take home their framed artwork for inspiration.
Painting
Age Level: 5 to 16 years old
The painting class lets students explore acrylics, watercolours, and watercolour pencils, with each artwork completed over two lessons. The paintings are framed at no additional cost, with a one-time yearly fee for materials.
Soapstone Carving
Age Level: 8 to 18 years old
Duration: 1.5 hours
Soapstone carving classes guide students through two main projects: a bear and a giraffe. After completing these, students can select from various soapstone pieces to carve, with rough-cut stones provided to simplify the process.
The supply fee includes two pieces of soapstone, and the stone used is imported from Brazil for its quality. A free introductory class is also available, where students carve a small inukshuk (a traditional stone marker) shape, with just a $10 charge for the soapstone.
Digital Art
Age Level: 8 to 18 years old
The digital art classes are designed to inspire young artists, guiding them through creative lessons using Procreate on iPad. Children will need their own iPad, Apple Pencil, and the Procreate app to join the fun.
Artelier Studios by PaintSpot
– Media from mariapacewynters
Website: https://paintspot.ca/product-category/art-classes-in-edmonton/
Address: 10045 81 Ave NW
Phone: +1 780 432 0240
Artelier Studios offers a variety of art classes for all levels, taught by professional artists who guide students through different mediums like watercolour, oil, acrylics, and printmaking.
Students can take advantage of affordable student materials and discounts on supplies. Many classes are open to both adults and youth, with mature teens aged 12 and up welcome to join adult sessions.
Classes are seasonal, with new programs throughout the year starting at $80.
Masters Art Academy
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Website: https://mastersartacademy.weebly.com/
Address: West Jasper Community Park Hall, 15430 93 Ave NW
Masters Art Academy is a nonprofit offering art classes, workshops, and school programs for all skill levels. Their approach blends the classical style of the France Academy of Fine Arts with innovative teaching methods.
From 2012 to 2019, over 250 student artworks were published in international magazines, and more than 90 students won awards in global contests.
Regular Painting and Drawing Program
Program Length: 1.5 hours per week
Fees:
- Children – $440 (good for 3 months)
- Adult – $240 (good for 1 month)
Masters Art Academy offers creative classes for students as young as 6, focusing on oil painting, acrylic painting, watercolour painting, and drawing. The academy also provides flexible drop-in classes for all skill levels.
My favourite session here when I joined was the watercolour painting class, where I painted a tulip bouquet on a 16×20 canvas. As I was a beginner, the instructor guided me step by step, explaining techniques for blending colours and controlling water flow.
Online Program
Fee: $269.10
Masters Art Academy’s online program offers flexibility, with 36 instructional videos, 12 sample paintings, and 12 sketches to guide students through each lesson at their own pace. Students can submit their work for feedback when ready,
In the first year, students will paint landscape elements like trees, rivers, and buildings in an impressionistic style. In later years, students will explore still lifes, portraits, figurative art, and techniques of the Old Masters.
School Program
Program length: 1.5 hours
Fee: $13.00/student (min. $260.00/class)
Max. group size: 30 students
Masters Art Academy offers art workshops for schools, bringing professional artists into classrooms to teach printmaking, painting, and silk painting. Each workshop focuses on a specific theme, allowing students to explore topics like nature and culture.
ArtVentures
– Media from artventuresyeg
Website: https://www.artventures.ca/
Phone: +1 587 989 2668
ArtVentures is a mobile art education provider that offers custom programs for events, including corporate parties and artist-in-residence opportunities. They are an approved vendor with Edmonton Public Schools and provide in-school field trips.
Along with in-house programs, ArtVentures offers weekly classes and workshops for all ages and skill levels at local venues. You can check out their upcoming events or get in touch to arrange a custom workshop for your group or space.
In-School Programs
Fees:
- Drawing with Scissors – $20/student
- Paint and Print a Landscape – $18/student
Duration: 1 to 2 hours
Min. group size: 20 students
The in-school programs at ArtVentures offer two classes, “Drawing with Scissors” and “Paint & Print a Landscape.”
In “Drawing with Scissors,” students explore Matisse-inspired cut-outs, experimenting with colours, lines, and shapes. Meanwhile, “Paint and Print a Landscape” gives them the opportunity to use watercolours and printmaking to create their own landscape art.
Hanul Art School
– Media from hanul_art_school
Website: https://www.hanulartschool.com/
Address: 228 91 St SW
Phone: 1 780 757 2787
Operating Hours:
- Tuesday to Thursday – 4 PM to 7 PM
- Friday – 4 PM to 8 PM
- Saturday – 10 AM to 6 PM
- Sunday – 10 AM to 3 PM
Hanul Art School builds its curriculum around each student’s age and stage, helping them learn in a way that feels straightforward and natural. Their step-by-step programs, from basics to applied levels, let students progress comfortably.
Alongside art, Hanul also offers classes in maths, writing, and coding, aiming to blend creativity with practical skills.
Age-Based Art Programs
Types of Classes
- Little artist (Ages 4-6)
- CreArt (Ages 6-8)
- Bridge Art (Ages 8-10)
- Pre-FineArt (Ages 10-12)
- FineArt (Ages12 and up)
Program Length: Starting at 40 minutes
The art programs help students grow from basic skills to more advanced techniques. Starting with Little Artist, children learn the basics, like holding a pencil, recognising colours, and drawing simple shapes, while getting familiar with different art materials.
As they move on to CreArt and Bridge Art, they build on these skills, focusing more on creativity and learning new techniques. By the time they reach Fine Art and Portfolio, they’re ready to explore more complex art forms and improve their skills even further.
Baby Artist
Program Length: 40 minutes per class, with 10 classes in total
The Baby Artist program helps babies develop their five senses and brain function through sensory activities and creative exercises. It also encourages socialisation through fun group activities.
Story Art
Program Length: 10 sessions
The Story Art program by Hanul allows students to write, illustrate, and publish their own storybooks.
Viva Clayworks
– Media from vivaclayworks
Website: https://www.vivaclayworks.com/
Address: 10125 81 Ave NW
Phone: +1 780 413 0118
Operating Hours:
- Tuesday to Thursday – 11 AM to 7 PM
- Saturday – 9 AM to 5 PM
- Sunday – 12 PM to 4 PM
Viva Clayworks offers pottery experiences with 12 wheels and plenty of space to work. The Pottery Night Experience lets you try the wheel and create a piece in one session for $69.95 plus GST, with everything you need provided, including tools and clay.
I enjoyed the Pottery Night, where the instructors gave a demonstration and guided me step-by-step. After shaping my piece, I chose a glaze. Their team handled the trimming, glazing, and firing, and I waited about three weeks to pick up my work.
For those already familiar with pottery, Viva Clayworks offers custom firing. You can bring in your kiln-ready pieces, and they’ll measure them to provide an estimate based on the space used in the kiln.
Pro’s Art School
– Media from prosartatelier
Website: https://www.prosartschool.com/
Address: 16524 111 Ave NW
Phone: +1 780 486 6661
Operating Hours:
- Monday and Wednesday – 9:30 AM to 10 PM
- Tuesday and Thursday – 6:30 PM to 10 PM
- Friday – 10 AM to 1:30 PM
- Saturday – 9:30 AM to 1 PM
Pro’s Art School teaches drawing, perspective, and composition in oil painting. As I took their class, I had the chance to explore different styles like Classical Realism, Naturalism, Gesture, and Impressionism.
Anyone 14 or older can join, and registration is open all year. Classes run year-round, with a short break at Christmas. The first class costs $60 and includes a primed stretched canvas, two Pro’s Art brushes, and oil paints for your first two paintings.
Each class is three and a half hours long, with detailed guidance from the instructor. You can join anytime, and the focus is on helping you improve at your own pace.