Classes and workshops
Weekly Watercolor Art Class
► Each Thursday 10:00am – 12:00pm
► Four-Week Tuition (18 or older): Members: $65.00 or Non-Members: $85.00
►Flex schedule: you can start at any time
Beginner & Intermediate Ages: 16 and older (Exceptions can be made for experienced students)
*Classes will take a break from December 1 - February 28*
In this four-week class we will discuss paper, brushes, color theory, paint, technique, and more. The class is for first timers or someone who wants to expand their skills and knowledge. Each student is encouraged to work at their own pace and skill level with individual guidance provided.
You may bring your own supplies or wait for recommendations from our instructor. Some basic supplies will be provided.
► Each Thursday 10:00am – 12:00pm
► Four-Week Tuition (18 or older): Members: $65.00 or Non-Members: $85.00
►Flex schedule: you can start at any time
Beginner & Intermediate Ages: 16 and older (Exceptions can be made for experienced students)
*Classes will take a break from December 1 - February 28*
In this four-week class we will discuss paper, brushes, color theory, paint, technique, and more. The class is for first timers or someone who wants to expand their skills and knowledge. Each student is encouraged to work at their own pace and skill level with individual guidance provided.
You may bring your own supplies or wait for recommendations from our instructor. Some basic supplies will be provided.
Art Instructor: Betty Predmore
Betty Predmore is an award-winning artist and teacher based in Dixon. You have probably seen her work on display at many of the area art fairs and galleries including the Grand Detour Art Festival, Nuts About Art, TNPS, and Coliseum Museum.
You may register online below. Registration forms are available at the Coliseum. You may also call 815-595-5810 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
Betty Predmore is an award-winning artist and teacher based in Dixon. You have probably seen her work on display at many of the area art fairs and galleries including the Grand Detour Art Festival, Nuts About Art, TNPS, and Coliseum Museum.
You may register online below. Registration forms are available at the Coliseum. You may also call 815-595-5810 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
Drawing Fundamentals Art Classes
► Each Wednesday 10:00am – 12:00pm
► Four-Week Tuition (18 or older): Members: $65.00 or Non-Members: $85.00
► Instructor: Carolyn McKee-Freese
Anyone can learn to draw! Drawing is the most underrated and often overlooked art form, yet all other art forms begin with the ability to draw. This class is designed for anyone wishing to improve their drawing skills, whether as a foundation for other media or as an art form of its own.
This ongoing series of four-week classes will address the following list of topic skills through instructional worksheets, still life drawing and individual objects, and individually chosen compositions, as well as guided personal instruction.
► Each Wednesday 10:00am – 12:00pm
► Four-Week Tuition (18 or older): Members: $65.00 or Non-Members: $85.00
► Instructor: Carolyn McKee-Freese
Anyone can learn to draw! Drawing is the most underrated and often overlooked art form, yet all other art forms begin with the ability to draw. This class is designed for anyone wishing to improve their drawing skills, whether as a foundation for other media or as an art form of its own.
This ongoing series of four-week classes will address the following list of topic skills through instructional worksheets, still life drawing and individual objects, and individually chosen compositions, as well as guided personal instruction.
- Sketching
- Blocking Out
- Creating Textures
- Building Form
- Values
- Animals
- Proportion
- Shading Techniques
- Still Life
- Line Variation
- Linear Perspective
- Atmospheric Perspective
You may register online below. Registration forms are available at the Coliseum. You may also call 815-595-5810 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
Cross-Examination, Closing Argument & Credibility:
How to Write Compelling Fiction & Poetry
Presented by Donna Kathryn Kelly
March 8, 2025
10:00am – 12:00pm
Donna will be presenting a 90-minute creative writing workshop, "Cross-Examination, Closing Argument & Credibility: How to Write Compelling Fiction & Poetry." She has presented a similar program in the past at the Nebraska Writers' Guild Conference in Omaha (2019) and, more recently, at the Gail Borden Library (2023), the Sterling Public Library (2024), and the Yorkville Public Library (2024).
Kelly is an attorney who has practiced law for three decades, primarily in the Illinois criminal justice system. During the class, she discusses how her own life experiences have influenced her creative writing. The workshop is a dynamic, interactive approach to creative writing: one that encourages attendees to reflect introspectively on their own life experiences in drafting realistic fiction and poetry. The workshop includes a writing exercise, focusing on dialogue and character development, so attendees should bring a piece of paper and a pen along to participate.
Donna Kathryn Kelly [@donnakathrynkelly.com] is a poet, playwright, and novelist. Kelly's paranormal horror thriller, THE DESCENT: A Halloween Novel, was a semi-finalist in the 2023 Soon to be Famous Illinois Author Project Manuscript Contest. Her latest novel, THE LION AT THE FALLS, was a finalist in the 2024 Killer Nashville Claymore Award Competition (Supernatural Category) and the third place entry in the 2024 West Virginia Writers' Competition (Book-Length Prose Category).
* Photo of Donna by Linda M. Barrett Productions.
Registration will open in January.
How to Write Compelling Fiction & Poetry
Presented by Donna Kathryn Kelly
March 8, 2025
10:00am – 12:00pm
Donna will be presenting a 90-minute creative writing workshop, "Cross-Examination, Closing Argument & Credibility: How to Write Compelling Fiction & Poetry." She has presented a similar program in the past at the Nebraska Writers' Guild Conference in Omaha (2019) and, more recently, at the Gail Borden Library (2023), the Sterling Public Library (2024), and the Yorkville Public Library (2024).
Kelly is an attorney who has practiced law for three decades, primarily in the Illinois criminal justice system. During the class, she discusses how her own life experiences have influenced her creative writing. The workshop is a dynamic, interactive approach to creative writing: one that encourages attendees to reflect introspectively on their own life experiences in drafting realistic fiction and poetry. The workshop includes a writing exercise, focusing on dialogue and character development, so attendees should bring a piece of paper and a pen along to participate.
Donna Kathryn Kelly [@donnakathrynkelly.com] is a poet, playwright, and novelist. Kelly's paranormal horror thriller, THE DESCENT: A Halloween Novel, was a semi-finalist in the 2023 Soon to be Famous Illinois Author Project Manuscript Contest. Her latest novel, THE LION AT THE FALLS, was a finalist in the 2024 Killer Nashville Claymore Award Competition (Supernatural Category) and the third place entry in the 2024 West Virginia Writers' Competition (Book-Length Prose Category).
* Photo of Donna by Linda M. Barrett Productions.
Registration will open in January.