Valley Art Workshop Youth Program

Valley Art Workshop Youth Program offers drawing, painting, design, art history, printmaking, paper crafts, and environmental subjects, along with student exhibitions. Participants may take part in field trips to local museums and parks for landscape painting, assist in public art projects, and attend specialized options such as the Master Class program, Life Drawing Workshops, open community life drawing, and a Cyanotype Class. The program also connects with a fine art printmaking studio (operated from 2013–2016) and hosts jazz and classical concerts.

• Ages: 9–18 years old
• Schedule: Weekly youth classes on Sundays for Pre-Teen and Teen groups, and Fridays for College-Prep, in four-week sessions
• Price: $160/4 weeks (Pre-Teen class); $160/4 weeks (Teen class); $160/4 weeks (College-Prep class)

The youth program is described as the cornerstone of Valley Art Workshop and has hosted hundreds of young artists since 2009. The program includes weekly Pre-Teen (ages 9–13), Teen (ages 14–18), and College-Prep (ages 12–18) classes, with age listings given as guidelines only and students welcome to try whichever time is most convenient. Pre-Teen classes meet on Sundays from 10–12PM or 12:30–2:30PM, Teen classes meet on Sundays from 3–5PM or 5:30–7:30PM, and the College-Prep class meets on Fridays from 4–6PM and operates like a college program. Free trials are available for all weekly instructed classes, and required materials for these classes are a sketchbook, pencil, and pen. The Teen class is described as having a small class size and a collaborative approach, and students in the youth program can also learn with other instructors through the Master Class program and develop figure drawing skills in Life Drawing Workshops.

The program’s mission states that it takes a holistic approach to creative development, with kids developing drawing and painting skills, sharpening critical and creative faculties, expanding cultural literacy, learning the nature of design, and finding their place as communicators and thinkers. The Workshop opened in 2009 and is led by Director Miles Lewis. Valley Art Workshop is also a performance venue and has offered open community life drawing with Gallery Girls. The organization has received city recognition for involvement in environmentally focused educational arts programming.

Community involvement includes collaborations on educational programming with 11:11 A Creative Collective and Reseda Rising. Youth program students have assisted in public art projects produced by Miles Lewis or associated artists through 11:11 A Creative Collective and participated in the Kiss The Ground mural by 11:11 A Creative Collective.

Former students describe experiences such as learning perspective and cross-hatching used later in illustration and architecture work, being among other young artists, receiving support and mentorship, being introduced to mediums such as printmaking that led to studying graphic design, building portfolios in life drawing classes that helped with art school admissions, and gaining tools to become working artists. Testimonials mention graduates continuing on to schools including Washington State University, Humboldt State University, Otis College of Art & Design, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, School of Visual Arts in New York City, Washington University in St. Louis, and Syracuse University.

Last updated June 25, 2026.