𝐹𝒜𝐿𝐿 𝒮𝐸𝑀𝐸𝒮𝒯𝐸𝑅 ˚꩜ early-bird registration !! now open !!
| EDUCATION 𝐹𝒜𝐿𝐿 𝒮𝐸𝑀𝐸𝒮𝒯𝐸𝑅 PART ONE September 28 – October 31, 2026 [5 weeks] Registration open: September 9 /˚꩜ early-bird registration: today! PART TWO November 9 – December 5, 2026 [4 weeks] Registration open: September 23 Oxygen Art Centre’s Fall Semester is now open for early-bird registration—a special offering to Oxygen’s members and newsletter subscribers  ︎ Taking place from September 23, 2026, to December 5, 2026, at the artist-run centre’s downtown facility, the program features classes in textiles, drawing, and character design, and everything in between. The fall semester is broken into two parts, where students can sign-up for two different blocks of Life Drawing and the studio critique class, Art Speak with Emilie Leblanc-Kromberg. Running over five- and four-weeks each, the sections provide new and returning students with a myriad of opportunities to engage in creative praxis. Part One takes place from September 28, 2026, to October 31, 2026, consisting of weekly sessions in Life Drawing, Storyboarding Workshop, Character Design for Children’s Books, Art Speak, Chinese Brush Painting classes, and single workshops to work from a professional model in any medium or costumed models in movement, and a special four-day weekend workshop to explore flax from plant to textile with West Kootenay Fibreshed Collective co-founder, Danielle Soucie. Part Two takes from November 9, 2026, to December 5, 2026, featuring Life Drawing and Art Speak classes, with additional weekly and one-day workshops to be announced later in the month. Learn about the classes and your instructors on Oxygen’s website. Register early to reserve your spot! Classes are small to create a dynamic experience for each student, but they fill up quickly. Materials and equipment provided for most classes. Oxygen’s Education program has offered professional art classes to adults and youth for over 23 years. The program is unique as it is developed and taught by established, professional local artists and art educators who share their skills and advanced education with the community. Interested participants can register to attend each class by signing up online through Google Forms. As a non-profit artist-run centre we rely on minimum registration to pay professional artist instructor rates and to ensure enough time for instructors and staff to prepare for your class. Community-focused classes are generously subsidized by the Province of British Columbia’s Community Gaming grants program. For information about Oxygen’s registration policies are available on our website and on each registration form. Contact education@oxygenartcentre.org with any questions or for support to register.PART ONEis a MondaysOxygen’s Life Drawing sessions offer a weekly opportunity to draw from a professional model in a studio setting. Poses will typically begin with short (2-minute poses) for quick gestural studies and work up through increments to longer (15-20 minute) poses. No instruction is offered. Participants will have access to easels, donkeys, drawing boards and miscellaneous drawing materials and are encouraged to bring materials for the drawing medium of their choice. Classes are kept small to create a dynamic, engaging environment for creative and technical engagement. Course fee: $90.00Deadline: Monday, September 21, 2026REGISTER Wednesdays This is a daytime version of Oxygen’s Life Drawing sessions, which offer a weekly opportunity to draw from a professional model in a studio setting. Poses will typically begin with short (2-minute poses) for quick gestural studies and work up through increments to longer (15-20 minute) poses. No instruction is offered. Participants will have access to easels, donkeys, drawing boards and miscellaneous drawing materials and are encouraged to bring materials for the drawing medium of their choice. Classes are kept small to create a dynamic, engaging environment for creative and technical engagement. Course fee: $75.00Deadline: Wednesday, September 23, 2026REGISTER Wednesday This figure drawing class features dynamic, costumed models—from fantasy characters to jiujitsu fighters and vintage outfits—striking bold, expressive poses in a relaxed atmosphere. Ranging from 30 seconds to 15 minutes, these short-pose costume studies are a valuable method for capturing actions quickly, make fast decisions, and block-in shapes efficiently. Participants will have access to easels, donkeys, drawing boards and miscellaneous drawing materials and are encouraged to bring materials for the drawing medium of their choice. Classes are kept small to create a dynamic, engaging environment for creative and technical engagement. No prior experience is needed—just bring your sketchpad and an open mind. Course fee: $50.00Deadline: Friday, September 18, 2026REGISTER Fridays Over three sessions, students will explore the wondrous world of Chinese brush painting. Led by Zen Wang, students will cover scenery, animal and plants painting techniques. All supplies will be provided. Course fee: $100.00Deadline: Friday, October 2, 2026REGISTER WeekendREGISTERTuesdaysThis course covers the complete pipeline from script and thumb nailing to creating pitch-ready storyboards to add to your Animation portfolio. Students will be given a short script and characters to work from to then visually draw shot selection, camera angles, perspective, and character acting to drive narrative clarity. In between classes there will be homework that will be reviewed at each following class. Drawing abilities are necessary but no prior experience with animation or storyboarding required. This class will primarily engage in storyboarding techniques with paper and pencil, with some introduction to digital techniques. This class is taught by an industry veteran with backgrounds at studios like DreamWorks. Course fee: $140.00Deadline: Tuesday, September 29, 2026REGISTER Wednesdays This is an introductory course into character design for the development of children’s picture books. Over three classes, students will learn skills in character design from initial idea to sketching, layout, and final illustrations. Leonard Erlbruch is a new Oxygen instructor, recently having moved to Nelson with his family from Leipzig, Germany. Leonard brings an extensive background in illustration, character design, and writing children’s books. Course fee: $100.00Deadline: Wednesday, September 23, 2026REGISTER Thursdays Art Speak is an opportunity to meet other artists and discuss artworks created within a common theme. It is a weekly challenge to listen, think, observe, elaborate, and commit to the creative process. Whatever skill level or medium used, the group supports an intimate space where all feels included, connected, respected, and excited to share courageous exploration. Course fee: $90.00Deadline: Thursday, September 24, 2026REGISTER Saturday An extension of Oxygen’s Life Drawing sessions, Working from a Model provides participants with a four-hour session to work from a professional model in any medium. The long duration supports students interested in developing a body of work or focusing on a single artwork from a single pose held (with breaks) for the duration of the session. Course fee: $50.00Deadline: Friday, September 18, 2026 REGISTER The Flax Lab is a four-session exploration of flax from plant to textile. Through discussion, demonstration, and hands-on practice, participants will learn about growing, harvesting, retting, breaking, scutching, hackling, and preparing flax fibre. The course will then move into spinning and creating a small woven or knitted sample. Beginner-friendly and adaptable for experienced makers, the lab offers space to work at your own skill level while building a deeper understanding of flax, traditional processing methods, and the possibilities of locally grown fibre through shared experimentation. Course fee: $290.00 [all materials + equipment incl.]Deadline: Friday, October 9, 2026 LEARN MORE O2 CALL TO ARTISTS Call to ArtistsO2: window exhibition space Deadline to apply:September 27, 2026, by 12 AM Midnight PSTAPPLY |
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