Non-credit classes offered by community arts orgs, without the protective umbrella of academia, are the feral cats of art education, living by their wits. Several new classes offered by Houston orgs deploy a cunning blend of art, education, and entertainment in their bid to survive: this week, the tiny Pearl Fincher Museum of Art in Spring, TX, just north of Houston, is offering three sessions on “Painting with Coffee,” where participants enjoy their medium’s pleasant aroma while learning to make the most of the limited palette.
Beginning in January, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s Glassell School is offering Film Salon, with weekly screenings of works by Luis Buñuel, John Ford, Ingmar Bergman, Werner Herzog, Stanley Kubrick, and Pedro Almodovar, followed by lively after-discussions with instructor Chris Ballou. Over at the Art League Houston, instructor Whitney Riley has thought up the ultimate in edu-tainment: Pub Drawing. Each week, the class meets at a different bar to “explore the interior, atmosphere, light, and local pub patrons.” For Houston Center for Photography Members, pub drawing might combine nicely with HCP’s new “iPhoneography” class taught by Thersa Escobedo. Getting some visual literacy was never so much fun!
