We offer in-person vocational classes and workshops to adults at any level who are exploring, learning, or practicing the 2D Visual Arts. We teach drawing, painting, mixed media, collage, printmaking, color theory, and design within the framework of a learner-driven curriculum.
Creativity knows no bounds. Whether you're a beginner exploring the foundations of the Visual Arts, a novelist, intermediate to advanced, or a mastering your craft, our passionate instructors are here to inspire and guide you.
Enable adults at any skill level to learn, create, or practice the 2D Visual Arts within a studio environment in person or live online within a group setting!
Our Mission
Learn, Create, and Cultivate!
Our curriculum provides demonstration, lecture, or practice in a variety of mediums, techniques, or subject matters. Our classes and workshops are held in person or live online within a group setting. Our learner-driven approach leads to a deeper understanding of hands-on techniques and engages lifelong learners beyond content knowledge.
Our instructors act as guides to emphasize collaboration, agency, practice, and reflection, enabling you to express yourself or share your stories. They provide your with individual feedback or one-on-one instruction, tailoring to your individual needs, learning style, or goals.
Rather than promoting a specific artistic style or aesthetic, our instructors encourage each individual to embark on a unique journey, develop their skills, or explore their creative potential.
We provide the studio environment, tools, and community to bring your vision to life. No prerequisites are required, except a willingness to learn or, at the very least, a sense of humor.
Our Story
We didn't realize we were a thing until we got the "verve," which refers to the energy or enthusiasm behind expressing an idea.
How We Got Our Start?
On a sweltering summer day in 2015, a local art organization in Tucson, Arizona, received an unexpected donation.
After providing dance every Saturday night since 1972, "Singles & Friends," a nonprofit organization, donated its building, which was well-suited for a dance hall, to the Tucson Pastel Society (TPS).
Conveniently located at 1st and Grant, this building has ample open space spanning 1,832 square feet, making it perfect for studio art classes and workshops.
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Artwork by Stacy Egan |
Upon receiving this generous donation, the Tucson Pastel Society, an existing 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, would seek the surrounding community's help in raising maintenance funds.
In the spring of 2016, a small group of independent artists began teaching art classes at the site to help maintain and renovate the building, bringing it up to city code.
Those classes were well-received, and students requested more; the Art Verve Academy became a reality.
How Are We Unique?
We are unique in strategically partnering with other art-related organizations, non-profits, or small businesses to cultivate Tucson, Arizona's vibrant local Visual Arts Community.
We operate as a member-managed educational service provider. If we share the same vision or a worthy cause, we partner with other small local businesses or non-profit organizations.
What's an Art Verve?
Verve is synonymous with vigor, the energy or enthusiasm that drives the expression of an idea. It is vital in the creative process! Whether they know it or not, artists need this stuff to keep creating. Notice how we said, "Keep on creating."…
It's not an energy drink or a rock band…' verve' is a noun synonymous with 'vigor', defined as the following:
- Energy or enthusiasm in expressing ideas, especially in artistic performance or composition. An example would be "the revival lacked the verve of the original musical."
- vitality; liveliness
Have you ever taken a class and created something you liked or were really proud of, then thought, "I can do this!" You then proceeded after the class with enormous motivation to go home or out into the world and create even more. Do you envision yourself making a massive quantity of work or practicing day after day, honing your skills to become a master, only to find yourself a few weeks later staring at all of your art supplies and collecting dust?
You may need the artistic verve!
Folks who create art, whether they are new to the process or masters, need inspiration, support, or a community in which to build their work. No one tells you that in art school, there is a romantic idea that you will graduate with your degree in art, step up to a workspace, start creating, and presto. You become a professional artist!
On the other hand, beginners or self-taught artists have many reasons to create, but they are not making art within their workspace. This is similar to what's commonly referred to as writer's block, but for visual artists. The secret ingredient is a community or collective group of people, and you need that to be inspired, create with vigor, or generate enthusiasm for an idea.
Whether you recognize it or not, you get the verve when participating in an art class. This event is what motivates you so much that you feel inspired beyond attending class or doing your homework. Art Guilds can also have the same effect. They facilitate events for people to draw or paint together.
History repeats itself over and over. Ever wonder why all those famous artists were always found hanging out with one another? A great example of this was the French Impressionists and their artistic movement. They all knew each other, hung out together, and sometimes even shared studio spaces. Together, they changed the world!
Some of the most famous artistic movements were spawned by art schools where students collaboratively shared ideas and inspiration with one another. The Bauhaus was a renowned art school in Germany, exemplifying the integration of the visual arts with crafts. In the early 20th century, their students were responsible for the Art Deco movement and its incredible architectural designs that are now permanently reflected in New York's Chrysler Building.
These individuals, whether consciously or not, share artistic techniques and use each other as sounding boards for new ideas. Together, they form a "verve" for one another, which motivates their community to continue to create over time. Barbara Streisand said it best in the movie Funny Girl: "People who need people are the luckiest people in the world."
Take a workshop or class, or join our community to experience the "verve" that will propel your artistic journey forward!
Our Partners
We're an educational service provider that partners with other local businesses or organizations to cultivate Southern Arizona's vibrant Visual Arts Community. We partner with the following organizations.
Strategic Partners
We partner with other small businesses or organizations that share our vision or support a worthy cause.
Shop Our Promotional Partners
Most locally owned art supply stores offer a 20% discount to students enrolled in an Art Verve Academy class. Be sure to call ahead and ask or inquire at checkout.
We partner with local art suppliers in Arizona!
Partnerships are brokered between the Art Verve Academy and small businesses within Arizona to provide awareness, leverage collective resources, or introduce new products, materials, or art supplies. Our local promotional partners include:
Our Staff
Our Instructors love to share their techniques and are known for creating a supportive classroom environment.
Why We Love What We Do!
Welcome to a place where imagination takes flight and dreams are brought to life.
Our roots are in human connection, and our unique culture has evolved organically. We take pride in making the local community a better place. It's how we got started.
Our instructors do not endorse any specific artistic style or unique aesthetics. Individuals are encouraged to improve their skills and explore their own artistic style or creative abilities.
Our Instructors
Our Instructors love to share their knowledge and are known for facilitating a warm, welcoming, and nonjudgmental environment that is encouraging, supportive, and respectful. Click here for a list of our current instructors.
Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit.
Our Administration
The administration is responsible for planning events, scheduling, renting facilities, financial transactions, and maintaining accounting records.
The director provides, enforces, and evaluates academy policies or guidelines. Our current director is Christy Olsen.
Cultivate the Visual Arts Community of Southern Arizona!
Our Vision
