Workshop Archive

COMMA SUMMER is a four-week series of design-related workshops taught by graphic design students in COMMA- the BIPOC student group at Portland State University. Students will create theme-driven projects and learn various techniques and tools to create 2-D design pieces. The workshop will culminate in an art show at the…

This workshop invites participants to utilize their lived experience as a personal and performative power source. Students will create share edit and explore their own original written and spoken poetry for performance and personal use. This wordshop invites the challenging and changing of systemic oppression through tongue and thought and…

In this four-week workshop, students will learn to build upon their musical talents while grounding in the aesthetic components of live performance. This workshop will introduce students to a career in music production, set design and show execution while helping them develop their artistic identity and share it with the…

This special hybrid workshop will focus on the importance of slow and ethical fashion- buying less, repairing and repurposing more.  Students will familiarize themselves with sewing machine basics and practice various seams, pressing, surging, and other helpful applications to repurpose, alter, and repair their existing clothing.  By the end of…

Learn how to customize your sneakers in this hands-on workshop with artist and pro-skater Sebo Walker.  Sebo will share the different approaches he uses when customizing sneakers, like creating a simple pattern and repeating it, either across the entire shoe or as an accent on desired sections like a swoosh…

Voiceover is the creative application of voice used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theater, video games and other exciting ways. In this intensive workshop, Adrienne Livingston and Susannah Mars will create a nurturing space for students to build their skills in the art of voiceover. Over the course of…

In this dynamic five-week course, students will explore a range of mixed media materials and learn how to create with each one. Part one of the workshop will focus on familiarizing students with a variety of drawing materials- graphite pencils, ink pens, markers, chalk pastels and colored pencils. In part…

Are you curious about tattooing but aren’t sure where to begin?   In this three-week workshop, you’ll meet a diverse panel of working artists who will introduce you to designing “flash” and custom pieces. You’ll learn about ink application, linework, shading, and will familiarize yourself with the language, techniques and…

Learn how to customize your sneakers in this workshop with artist and pro-skater, Sebo Walker. Sebo will share the different approaches he uses when customizing sneakers, like creating a simple pattern and repeating it, either across the entire shoe or as an accent on desired sections like a swoosh or…

In this workshop you will learn the skills and techniques involved in comic-strip creation. You’ll develop ideas from rough sketches to thoughtfully composed comic panels and pages, apply concepts of value and color, and engage in improvisational, timed and collaborative exercises. This workshop will provide students with an opportunity to…

In this hands-on workshop, you are a design adventurer looking 10 years out to the year 2032. To respond to human needs and the realities of climate change, we will create forward-looking product ideas. Today, it’s not about adding more to an already overwhelmed world. We have to make use…

The MC Workshop was created to support lyric writing, delivery, and performance for Hip Hop music enthusiasts. Students will work on wordplay exercises and techniques to elevate their lyrical style, live performance, and mic skills. With first-hand insights on how to master your craft from a 40-year veteran of Hip…

Illustration is the art of telling a visual story. In this six-week virtual workshop, we will start with building a drawing practice, then move into expanding our technical skills with pen and ink, watercolors, and rendering with pencil. Once these foundations are established, we will create three illustrations: one based…

In this dynamic workshop, Portland photographer Mike Vos will work with students to create visual narratives using photography and writing. We’ll begin by learning about photography as a form of creative exploration. Students will use digital or cell phone cameras to create collections of images for arrangement and layout. The…

This writing workshop builds skills for effective storytelling with an emphasis on professional applications. Each session focuses on a different journalistic skill, including interviewing, research, and developing your tone of voice as a writer. At the end of the term, students will have developed and completed a nonfiction article for…

Sir George Martin. Dr. Dre. Timbaland. Rick Rubin. These internationally acclaimed music producers are all part of our cultural zeitgeist; but what does a music producer actually do? What skills are required and how do you begin to attain them? In this two-week hybrid workshop, we’ll discuss songcraft, strategies for song…

Are you curious about tattooing but don’t know where to begin?  In this three-week workshop, you’ll meet a diverse panel of working artists who will introduce you to designing “flash” and custom pieces. You’ll learn about ink application, linework, shading, and will familiarize yourself with the language, techniques and materials…

Presented in collaboration with ArtCenter College of Design, Pasadena In this four-week workshop, we’ll explore painting and drawing techniques while working from photos of human poses*. We will focus on figures and forms from a variety of races and ethnicities and will practice painting a spectrum of skin tones. You’ll learn…

In this workshop, you’ll learn basic hand sewing skills and explore ways to manipulate existing garments and transform them into something new using various sewing techniques and tools such as resizing, rouching, applique, and patchwork. We’ll cover asymmetry in clothing design and how to deconstruct/reconstruct garments to make them one…

Join us for a series of discussions with leaders from Portland’s thriving motion picture industry. Each session will focus on a different theme: Script and Screen Writing, Animation, On-Set, and Post-Production. You’ll hear from directors, animators, editors, screenwriters, cinematographers, gaffers, grips and more, who will share their experiences working on…

In this workshop, we are going to learn the process of making your own skate video. We will dive into some of the history of skateboarding, learn about the evolution of its documentation, and watch classic videos. You will have the creative freedom to film with friends, collect tricks, and…

In this three-week workshop students will be introduced to the teachings of Indigenous elders and Wisdomkeepers from Africa and Turtle-Island (First-Nation North America). They’ll participate in conversations and talking circles that explore themes of positive transformation through struggle with identity, addiction, violence, and finding a spiritual path rooted in creativity…

Black art isn’t made in a vacuum. References, aesthetics, and history echo through the works of Black artists as diverse as Jean Michel Basquiat and Kara Walker. In Echolocations we’ll explore these intersections to illuminate how you and your artistic voice mirror those of great Black artists from around the…

What do kitchens and print shops have in common? In this dynamic workshop, students will use the vehicle of letterpress printing to explore personal connections to food and food traditions. We will learn the fundamentals of analog design and the importance of book arts in a digital age, then print…

Are you interested in fashion design but don’t know where to begin? In this two-week workshop, you’ll learn to illustrate the traditional fashion figure, the first step in bringing your design ideas to life as you develop your own personal illustration style. From there we will discuss the ins and outs…

Are you curious about clothing design, conceptualization, and decorative construction? In this two-week workshop, you’ll learn hand sewing techniques that will then be used to rework and decorate the most commonly worn garment: the button-down shirt. Through this project, you will learn how to design, customize, and make new, unique…

Truth & Dare is a creative workshop and community favorite that offers one truth (in the form of a writing prompt) and one dare (an art-inspired challenge to make/do) each week. Taking inspiration from contemporary artists and writers, we’ll generate our own work on the page and out in the…

This songwriting class is for experienced songwriters looking to create a cohesive body of work. Participants will share songs and concepts for new material – either pre-recorded or performed in class- to workshop with their peers. Group critiques will help develop your songs and inspire new ideas. We will focus…

This six-week workshop is for rising juniors and seniors who are beginning to think about college and career options in visual and graphic arts, product and packaging, or environments and experience design. Through weekly meetings – including hybrid get togethers in July – and a combination of group and individual…

In this four-week hybrid workshop, students will collaborate to create an original audio sound walk that focuses on Portland’s vibrant street art scene. We will use digital recorders to capture in-the-field audio and original narration as we explore four different mural locations, selected in partnership with Portland Street Art Alliance…