Art allows us to express ourselves in ways never thought possible. Here at The J, we believe everyone has a creative side waiting to get out. Our adult art classes are the perfect venue to develop a new skill and engage in a new and rewarding hobby.
Hosted in our art studio in Overland Park, The J is proud to offer a variety of classes led by professional artists and instructors. Adult art classes are updated year-round, so check back regularly to see what new creative experience awaits you at our community center.
Fine Arts for Adults 55+ Our Instructors
If you’ve been looking for ceramics and pottery classes near you in Overland Park – look no further than The J. Along with ceramics and pottery, we also offer watercolor and macramé as part of our adult art classes, anyone 16 or older can participate in these creative expressions of form, texture, and shape.
Discover watercolor techniques and build an understanding of the medium. All levels of experience are welcome.
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Refine your skills with advanced watercolor techniques and paint works of art with greater detail.
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Learn the fundamentals of throwing on the potter’s wheel while creating various pottery forms, including tea bowls, mugs, bottles, and or pitchers.
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Work with raw clay to create personal masterpieces which will be hand-built, glazed, and kiln-fired to perfection.
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Open studio is available for students seeking self-directed access to the ceramics studio.
View class times & registerThe J is proud to offer adult art classes specifically tailored to adults in Overland Park through the Heritage program. Whether you’re a beginner wanting to learn the foundations of art or looking for advanced pottery classes near you, The J offers a wide variety of options that encourage your creativity to fully bloom.
Adult art classes also have numerous health benefits. Through creative-based sensory stimulation, our students will feel a boost in mood and a sense of accomplishment as their work evolves and improves.
A qualified local art instructor leads each class, and the supplies for most of the classes are included when there is a class fee. Our studio is equipped with enhanced lighting, a ceramics kiln, and potter’s wheels in a spacious environment.
Our adult art classes are ongoing and can usually be started anytime. You can check the availability/open spots of each class by clicking on any of the class images below.
Students will study a variety of sculptural techniques using Jewish artists as inspiration. Participants will use accessible materials and three-dimensional processes, including plaster mold-making, wood assemblage, papier mache, textiles, mosaic, and found objects to create expressive works of art.
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This is an introductory art class where students explore a variety of well-known painting, drawing, and mixed media techniques to determine their personal areas of interest.
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Using raw clay, students will create individual works through pinch, coil, and slab methods. Your personal masterpiece will be hand-built, glazed, and kiln-fired. All supplies included. Students must be able to lift 15 lbs. of clay.
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Explore a variety of media, application techniques, and surfaces. You’ll have the opportunity to work with acrylic, ink, soft and oil pastels, Prismacolor pencil, collage, paper, canvas, and wood. The possibilities for original works are endless.
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Silk can be easily painted and used in a variety of decorative ways including art for the walls, pillow, scarves, and other types of apparel. Special dyes are painted onto the fabric. When all is dry the silk is steamed or ironed for the dye to become permanent.
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In this class, you will learn the wonderful technique of impasto, thick, acrylic painting. You will be painting on a canvas using pallet knives, assorted brushes and maybe even your fingers. The pallet knife is a great tool that's not just for mixing paint.
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This hands-on class offers a rotating series of 1-3 week sessions, each focused on a single, immersive art project.
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Learn to use the potters wheel as the primary method of working the clay.
View class times & registerWhether learning a new skill or enjoying a favorite hobby, art classes are a great way to express your creativity. Classes are led by professional art instructors in Overland Park. Check back as we continue to add new art classes in Overland Park in our state-of-the-art studio space.
Ceramics - Wheel Throwing
Abby Callaghan is a ceramic artist and educator working in Kansas City, MO. She has been practicing ceramics since 2009 and received her BFA in Ceramics and Art History from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2017. Upon graduating she enrolled at the University of Central Missouri where she received her k-12 art education license and her MAT in 2019. Having taught elementary art for 3 years, she is currently working as an artist and ceramics educator at various Kansas City ceramic studios. Apart from teaching and making her own work, Abby has been working towards expanding accessibility to the arts in the community, serving as the Education Chair at the KC Clay Guild since 2020.
Watercolor
Born in Boulder, Colorado, and raised in Kansas, Tucker Claflin radiates a free-spirit mountain vibe with a strong Midwestern sense of humor. Her art shares that same aesthetic. Adept at watercolor, oil, and acrylic, her creativity seems to shine brightest through her illustrations, which all exhibit her off-beat humor. Leading classes for children, adults, and seniors, Tucker finds an emotional empathy that engages artists of all ages. Whether because they harnessed some latent talent or simply laughed through a session, class participants share a consistent glowing evaluation of their experiences.
Ceramics Open Studio
Debi Cox grew up in Wichita, Kansas. She earned a BS at Friends University, a MS in Art Education Wichita State University, and completed her MFA in Ceramics at Fort Hays State University. Debi began her art education career at Derby High School but spent the majority of her career teaching ceramics at Maize High School. She most recently was a ceramics professor at Friends University and Wichita State University. For over 30 years, she has focused on creating ceramic artwork inspired by nature and family. Her most recent work depicts nature’s forms which reveal the duality of life - loss, birth, renewal, and growth. She shares a studio with her husband Tom who enjoys woodworking. Together, they enjoy time with family, creating, traveling, and exploring their new city.
Pallet Knife, Mixed Media, Painting on Silk
Gayle is a Textural Acrylic Artist using palette knives in conjunction with acrylic paint, gels and modeling paste. Her paintings are full of colorful texture and invite the viewer to walk into the landscape to discover a memory or a new favorite place. Having devoted many years to working, understanding the elements and principles of design and honing her creative skills, Gayle considers herself to be self-taught. She often thinks by not having a formal art education, she has enhanced her ability to create. Gayle is represented by Amsterdam Whitney Gallery in New York, Artifact in New York, Jones Gallery in Kansas City, Missouri and Circle Arts in France. Her work has been published in numerous magazines including Art in America, Observica, Exhibitzone, Spotlight and Artistonish. She has also been included in the book Current Masters 6 and ATIM Top 60 Masters 2023. gaylefaulknerfineart.com.
Acrylic
As a native of Kansas City, MO, Gloria’s parents gave her the advantage to attend excellent art education venues such as art classes at Kansas City Art Institute, the Nelson Atkins Art Museum then majoring in art at the University of Missouri - these opportunities launched her into a world of artistic creativity. Presently her various indulges include art history, art residences, and a constant curiosity to learn, which keeps her own painting practice current. Acrylic painting is Gloria’s medium of choice, particularly painting en plein air but drawing is not far behind. Gloria’s intention is to capture the vibrant four season in KC as well as in the world. Should you want to see more of Gloria’s work, please visit her website, gloriagaleartist.com. She is represented by Gallery V Fine Arts in Overland Park. KS.
Project Studio
Artist, educator and advocate, Calder Kamin, transforms trash into beautifully crafted creatures and opportunities to inspire others to be creative and courageous about the future. Kamin's recycled art and public workshops have traveled to museums across the states including The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Utah MOCA, The American Museum of Natural History, The Wolf Museum of Exploration and Innovation, The DoSeum, The Currier Museum of Art, the Contemporary Austin, and Women & Their Work. She has recently appeared on the Disney Channel and a segment of Craft in America on PBS. She is preparing for her first permanent commission for Austin Art in Public Places. Kamin holds a double Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics and Art History from the Kansas City Art Institute.
Pallet Knife, Beginning Watercolor, Artistic Storytelling, Drawing
Taj attended Kansas City Art Institute and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Illustration & Graphic Design in 2003. During his time at KCAI he attended the Illustration Academy in Richmond, Virginia where he was able to learn from internationally renowned artists. After an accident that injured his dominant hand in the summer of 2016, Taj left his life of working as a graphic designer and illustrator to pursue a new way to tell his stories with artwork. Taj has pushed to learn new way of drawing that he can approach ambidextrously. At the start of 2018 he began #DrawEveryDay – a way to force himself to take time each day to make one work on paper. In 2020, Taj worked with incredible creators on a whole new world filled with adventure - Coldstream Tales. Artists are here to create art for the world, and Taj spends most days in his studio discovering new ways to make art that continues to fill him with excitement.
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