Santa Cruz Art League Classes

Santa Cruz Art League Classes offer a wide selection of art classes with mediums including pastels, watercolors, oil painting, acrylic painting, drawing, and sketching. The program also includes a monthly artistic discussion group, First Friday Receptions, Artist Talks, and a Clothesline Art Sale featuring Art League members’ work.

• Schedule: Office hours Wednesday–Saturday, 11am–5pm, with gallery hours Wednesday–Saturday, 12pm–5pm, and special events such as an Artist Talk on Saturday, March 14 from 1:30pm–3:00pm and a Clothesline Art Sale on Saturday, April 12 from 3:00pm–6:00pm
• Price: SCAL members enjoy discounted classes, with a 12% discount on classes for members

In 1919, the Santa Cruz Art League was founded, with Frank Heath acting as president. It is one of California’s most historic and enduring arts organizations, and its Annual Statewide Landscape Exhibitions were maintained throughout the Depression and paused only briefly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Exhibitions, First Friday Receptions, and Artist Talks are always free and open to the public to view. Clothesline art sales of Art League members’ work were used to build the historic cinderblock building and purchase the property, and the organization continues to emphasize community and discussion as essential to artistic growth. The Santa Cruz Art League states that its mission is to inspire creativity and community through vibrant visual and performing arts and to support visual and performing arts and artists through art education, exhibitions, and theatre. The Santa Cruz Art League describes itself as a community-centered organization that relies on the generosity of friends and members, and it acknowledges that it is located on the unceded territory of the Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe, with the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band working to restore traditional stewardship practices and heal from historical trauma. SCAL members receive discounted classes, higher commission rates, access to an exclusive members’ exhibition, and other perks, and the classroom welcomes all levels of students, from complete beginners to experienced artists.

Last updated March 12, 2026.