Education

 DAC Educ slider

Sandra Butler, Education Coordinator

sandra@durangoarts.org | (970) 259-2606

DAC offers a year-round education program in the visual and performing arts, featuring classes, artist lectures and workshops for teens, adults, and children as young as two years of age. In the DAC’s art education studio and in local schools. In 2011 the DAC’s education programs served 432 children, 175 youth and 250 adults. The 2012 summer program alone includes 13 kids-oriented classes (for 2-12 yr. olds) and 5 programs for teens and adults.

DAC offers ongoing Figure Drawing for adults 18 and up every Tuesday evening from 6:30–8:30 p.m. in the upstairs DAC art education studio.  The open studio class costs $15 for non-members and $10 for members. DAC provides aisles, but participants need to bring personal art supplies.  Please contact Sandra Butler to learn more.

DAC continually offers adult workshops and classes along with rotating exhibits such as basket making, Plein Air, paper making and many others. Please check out Exhibits webpage to learn more about upcoming workshops and classes.

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Key Programs

  • GOAL: DAC’s summer educational activities also include the Girls Opportunity for Art and Leadership (GOAL) two-week intensive summer camp designed for girls in sixth through ninth grades. Since 2003, the program has supported youth skill development in the arts while encouraging the process of self-inquiry, self-expression and leadership.
  • Arts in the Schools: An educational program for children K-5th grade, is done in the classroom as a presentation of an artist’s work followed by the docent guiding the children to develop an art project that reflects the featured artist.
  • DAC Docents: The DAC’s Docent Program allows volunteers to share their passion of the arts with children through 2 different programs. Docents conduct student tours, providing an orientation to gallery behavior that helps children gain a level of comfort in attending gallery exhibits and develop a love of experiencing art to last throughout their life.
  • Arts After School: During the school year, the DAC offers the Arts After School program, which in collaboration with the Durango 9-R School District helps children develop a love of experiencing art to last throughout their life. 432 students participated in 2011. Now in its 19th year, the program offers art classes in drawing, printmaking, sculpture, and painting to kindergarten through fifth grade children every week in all seven elementary schools in the district.