Figure Drawing Open Studios, Workshops,
and Continuing Education Classes

This page includes Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Tennessee.
Illinois, Texas,Minnesota and Wisconsin have been moved to separate pages.
Other States and Provinces

Alabama

Space One Eleven
2409 2nd Ave N
Birmingham, AL 35203
Contact Suzanne Endsley, Project Director, suzanneendsleyspaceoneeleven.org 205-328-0553
Instructed
ARTfix! is back by popular demand with Figure Drawing classes, open to all skill levels. Come learn to observe and draw the human form from live models while drinking wine with friends at Space One Eleven. Cost is $150 for six Wednesday classes from 6-8pm. Space One Eleven is a visual arts non-profit, and procedes from our for-fee ARTfix! classes help keep our reduced-fee/free art classes available for underserved youth. We have a wide variety of ARTfix! studio classes designed and taught by professional artists.
[2010-07-21]

Birmingham Museum of Art
2000 Rev. Abraham Woods, Jr. Blvd (formerly 2000 8th Ave. N.)
Birmingham, AL 35203
205-254-2565
Instructed
Classes include Drawing and Painting from Life. Advance your artistic skills by drawing and painting the human figure from a live model. Emphasis will be placed on proportional accuracy, foreshortening, spatial relationships, and the use of light and shadow. Prior experience is helpful.
[E]

Forstall Art Center
402 Palisades Blvd.
Homewood, AL 35209
forstallartearthlink.net 205-870-0480
Uninstructed
X8 (Times Eight) Life Drawing Group. Tuesdays 7pm–9pm. Drop in rate $7, by the month $20. This figure drawing group is open to all serious artists from beginner to advanced. The first Tuesday of each month is costume night and the model is clothed. The remainingTuesdays of each month the models are nude and will rotate between male and female. Everyone is welcome to come to the costume night but no one under the age of 18 may attend on the evenings that the models are nude.
[E]

Hoover/Bluff Park Community Center
571 Park Avenue
Hoover, AL 35226
Uninstructed
Figure Drawing Art Group. Life drawing from a model on Mondays 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM. Open studio format with twenty minute poses. Cost varies depending on attendance. contact Artur Umlauf 205-979-4211.
[U]

Huntsville Art League
3005 L&N Drive, Suite 2
Huntsville, AL 35801
MailHuntsvilleArtLeague.org 256-534-3860
Uninstructed
Figure Drawing Group with draped model every Monday morning 9AM-12N, HAL Gallery. Call Terri Shows for information: terrishowscomcast.net, or 882-1427; contact Terri before coming the first time.
[E]

Centre for the Living Arts / Space 301
301 Conti Street
Mobile, AL 36602
cla.phillipscityofmobile.org 251-208-5677
Instructed and Uninstructed
• Instructed figure drawing class with nude models, male and female, night and time changes with season. Meets 6 sessions four times a year. Pose length varies. Easels, tables, and chairs provided. $150 CLA members / $175 non members.
• Uninstructed figure group with nude models, male and female, on Wednesday nights 6:00-8:30pm, 8 sessions four times a year. Pose length varies up to about 20 minutes. Some easels, tables, and chairs provided. $12 per session CLA members / $15 per session non members.
• Saturday Figure Drawing Group meets alternate Saturday mornings at 10 AM on a quarterly basis. Uninstructed. Nude male and female models. tables and easels available. Fees based on number of attendees. For information about the Saturday group contact conroy2k6yahoo.com
[2010-02-23]

Arkansas

Arkansas Arts Center
501 East 9th Street
P.O. Box 2137
Little Rock, AR 72203
infoarkarts.com 501-372-4000
Instructed
Classes include Figure Drawing. Using graphite, charcoal, and pastel, students will work from the draped and undraped figure to create visually expressive work. Class sessions will begin with quick, gestural studies.
[E]

University of Arkansas at Little Rock
2801 S. University Avenue
Little Rock, AR 72204
Uninstructed
Open figure drawing every Tuesday, 7:30-10:30pm in room FA270. All are invited, even bring your friends. The model fee will be split among attendees, so bring a few dollars. For questions contact Stephen Cefalo at 888-5075 or stephencefalosbcglobal.net
[E]

Iowa — sorted by Zip Code

Drink & Draw
Market Street Media Foundry
118 SE 4th Street, Suite 105
Des Moines, Iowa 50309
Uninstructed
Need to practice your figure drawing? We'll have a two hour session with short to medium poses. Bring your own drawing materials (including boards, if you need them), $5, Beer. We'll provide chairs and the model. Monthly Event - Second Thursday of every month: 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM (CT). Please arrive promptly!
[2009-08-24]

The Des Moines Art Center
4700 Grand Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50312-2099
515-277-4405
Instructed
Classes include Open Studio: The Figure. Use oils, acrylics, pastels, or drawing media as you master drawing and painting from the nude model. Work with a range of long and short poses throughout the term. Beginning Drawing is a prerequisite for this class.
[2009-09-02]

Pearson Lakes Art Center
PO Box 255
2201 Highway 71
Okoboji, IA 51355
infolakesart.org 712-332-7013
Uninstructed
Open Studio: Ceramics, Painting, & Drawing. Thursdays 7:00-9:00 PM. Bring your own supplies. Live clothed model available. Suggested Donation: $5. This is not a class, but rather an opportunity to expand your own working techniques.
[E]

Iowa City / Cosgrove Drawing Group
Cosgrove Institute
2009 400th St SW
Oxford, IA 52322
juliejohnsonartgmail.com
Uninstructed
We meet thursday evenings from 6 - 9 pm. The studio is 7 miles west of Iowa City at the Cosgrove Institute. Models are both male and female. We draw both nude and clothed. Poses start out with short gestures (2 minutes) and then go to 10, 15 and 20 minute poses. Please email for more information and to reserve a space, as space is limited.
[2010-02-05]

CR Drawing Group
Coe College, Art Building-3rd Floor
1220 1st Avenue NE (campus address)
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402
crdrawingleadersyahoo.com
Uninstructed
Each session features an experienced model who poses for a set of gestures and then usually does 4-6 twenty minute poses. Sometimes a pose will go as long as 45 minutes. Each session costs $8 per artist (as of 2009) and lasts 3 hours. There are tables provided, boards for paper and some benches.
In the past these have always occurred Sundays 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. and Tuesdays 6 - 9 p.m. Sometimes around the holidays the group doesn't meet. So check yahoo address to get on mailing list for updates.
The models are generally nude, sometimes partially draped. Will take requests from artists for poses or hats,etc. if no one in the group minds. The artists are college students to senior citizens (often professional artists). Music is usually played in the background.
[2009-11-14]

Figge Art Museum
225 West 2nd Street
Davenport, Iowa 52801
563-326-7804
Instructed
Classes include Figure Drawing: Refine drawing skills while working from the unclothed model in a relaxed studio environment. All ability levels are welcome and instruction will be given. Participants under the age of 18 need written parental permission to attend.
[E]

Kansas

Red Door Studios
738 Armstrong, Suite 200
Kansas City, KS 66101
LaceyLSquaredartwork.com 913-909-5408
Instructed and Uninstructed
• Uninstructed Long Pose Open Figure Sessions. Wednesdays 6pm-9pm. $10.00 a session. Models and themes will rotate between males and females, classic nudes and models in costume. Models will pose for two consecutive weeks, allowing us the option of either continuing with the same pose over two weeks, or starting with a new pose for the second week.
• Instructed figure drawing classes for beginners are also offered. Email Lacey for details.
[2009-09-15]

Wichita Center for the Arts
9112 E. Central
Wichita, KS 67206
artswcfta.com 316-634-2787
Instructed and Uninstructed
Uninstructed Open Studio Figure Study. $15 per class. Fridays 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. See website for dates.
Instructed classes include Romantic Figure Drawing/Painting and Figure Study.
Students under 18 must have a signed letter of permission from a parent or guardian.
[E]

Dr. Sketchy's Wichita
Blank Page
917 W Douglas Ave
Wichita, KS 67213
Uninstructed
Cabaret drawing events. This is an affiliate of Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School, founded in New York City.
[U]

Kentucky

Preston Arts Center Inc
3048 Bardstown Rd
Louisville, KY 40205-3020
infoprestonartscenter.com 502-454-9954
Instructed
Classes include Life Drawing, Artist’s Anatomy & Figure Drawing.
[E]

Louisiana — sorted by Zip Code

New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts
5256 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA 70115
504-899-8111
Instructed
Classes include Life Drawing, Life Painting, and Figure Sculpture.
[E]

Fair Grinds Coffeehouse
3133 Ponce deLeon
New Orleans, LA 70119
Coffeehouse 504 913-9072 - Art workshop contact: 504-914-5341
infofairgrinds.com
Uninstructed
Life Art Modeling, Thursdays 8:00-10:00pm. Artist group session with posing model. Fee collected for model.
[2009-07-14]

2001 Magazine Street Gallery
2001 Magazine Street
New Orleans LA, 70130
Wetter1aol.com 504-324-5136
Uninstructed
Tuesdays 7:30-9:00 PM. Professional and amateur men and women gather weekly to draw, sketch, or paint from live male and female nude models. Each participant brings own supplies (a few stools and benches are available in Gallery) and contributes $5-10 to pay the model. Relaxed setting.
[2009-08-03]

Mississippi

No listings yet

Missouri — sorted by Zip Code

Concrete Ocean Art Gallery/Mojo Studios
2257 S. Jefferson (at Shenandoah)
Saint Louis, MO 63104
314-497-0199
Uninstructed
Mojo Studios hosts open figure drawing sessions on Thursday nights starting at 8pm. Feel free to come set up as early as 7pm. Cost is $10, some refreshments are provided. BYOB. We host a diverse set of models and constantly look for ways to keep things interesting.
[E]

St. Louis Artists’ Guild
Two Oak Knoll Park
St. Louis, MO 63105
guild.infostlouisartistsguild.org 314-727-6266
Uninstructed
Weekly sketch groups meet in the third floor studio. The model may be nude or partially nude at times. $5 for students and members, $6 for non-members.
Tuesday Evenings, 7:00 - 10:00 pm
Thursday Afternoons, Noon - 3:00 pm
Thursday Evenings, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
[E]

Dr. Sketchy's Kansas City
1331 Union Ave
Kansas City, MO 64101
drsketchyskcmogmail.com
Uninstructed
Cabaret drawing events. This is an affiliate of Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School, founded in New York City.
[2010-03-19]

Kansas City Art Institute
4415 Warwick Blvd.
Kansas City, MO 64111
rkartmankcai.edu 816-802-3505
Instructed and Uninstructed
Instructed classes include Life Drawing (8 weeks) and Life Drawing Weekend Intensive (2 days).
Uninstructed Life Drawing Open Studio is also offered.
[E]

Nebraska

Joslyn Art Museum
2200 Dodge Street
Omaha, NE 68102
402-342-3300
Instructed
Joslyn offers a variety of figure based art classes throughout the year, such as Life Drawing and Figure Sculpting, although they are not always offered each semester. See the website for current course listings.
[2009-07-21]

LUX Center for the Arts
2601 N. 48th St
Lincoln, NE 68504
402-466-8692
Instructed
LUX Center for the Arts offers figure drawing classes for adult and high school students throughout the year, although they are not always offered each term. Classes in pottery, painting, jewelry, printmaking and textiles also available. See the website for current course listings.
[2009-08-10]

North Dakota

No listings yet

Oklahoma — sorted by Zip Code

Dr. Sketchy's Oklahoma City
IAO Gallery
706 W. Sheridan AVe
Oklahoma City, OK 73102
drsketchyokcyahoo.com
Uninstructed
Cabaret drawing events. This is an affiliate of Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School, founded in New York City.
[2010-03-23]

City Arts Center
3000 General Pershing Blvd - State Fairgrounds
Oklahoma City, OK 73107
nfocityartscenter.org 405-951-0000
Instructed
Classes include Life Drawing, Wednesdays 7:00-9:00 PM.
[2009-07-21]

Oklahoma Art Guild
City Arts Center
3000 General Pershing Blvd - State Fairgrounds
Oklahoma City, OK 73107
405-408-5355
Uninstructed
Tuesdays - Figure Drawing. Figure drawing sessions with live models are provided free for members each Tuesday unless otherwise noted in the newsletter. No guests allowed. Sessions are from 7:00-9:30 PM at City Arts Center. See website for information on membership.
[2009-07-21]

Philbrook Museum of Art
2727 South Rockford Road
Tulsa OK 74114
AdultProgramsphilbrook.org 918-749-7941
Uninstructed
Life Drawing Open Studio, Thursdays, 6:30 pm to 9 pm year-round. $10 per session of $55 for six sessions.
Ages 18 and above. These open studio sessions allow participants to practice drawing nude male and female models through gesture sketches. Intermediate to advanced skill level.
[E]

Dr. Sketchy's Tulsa
Eclipse Cultural House
1336 E 6th St
Tulsa, OK 74120
Uninstructed
Cabaret drawing events. This is an affiliate of Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School, founded in New York City.
Location subject to change - see link above.
[U]

South Dakota

No listings yet

Tennessee — sorted by Zip Code

Plaza Artists Materials
633 Middleton Street
Nashville, TN 37203
helpplazaart.com 615-254-3368
Instructed and Uninstructed
Instructed classes include Introduction to Figure Drawing and Figure Drawing & Painting.
Uninstructed classes include Open Studio with Figure Model.
[E]

Dr. Sketchy's Nashville
The 5 Spot
1006 Forrest Ave
Nashville, TN 37206
drsketchysnashvilleyahoo.com
Uninstructed
Cabaret drawing events. Every third Sunday. This is an affiliate of Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School, founded in New York City.
[2010-03-21]

Watkins College of Art, Design & Film
2298 Rosa L. Parks Boulevard
Nashville, TN 37228
communitywatkins.edu 615-383-4848
Instructed
Community Education classes include Figure Study: Working from a nude model using charcoal, ink, and graphite, students will learn to render a realistic human figure. Studying techniques such as gestures, mass, and volume, students will learn to create effective compositions.
[2010-01-04]

The Oak Ridge Art Center
201 Badger Avenue
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
oakridgeartcentercomcast.net 865-482-1441
Instructed
Classes include Life Drawing. Drawing from the nude model with emphasis on observation skills. An opportunity for adults of all levels of ability to experience working from a live model in a relaxed and supportive setting. Participants may work in the medium of their choice and should bring their drawing supplies with them to class the first evening. Beginners may call the Art Center for a list of suggested materials. Adults only, space is limited.
[E]

Memphis College of Art
1930 Poplar Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104
commedmca.edu 901-272-5142
Instructed
Classes include Life Drawing.
[2009-07-09]