Autumn sparks creativity with days becoming shorter and cooler while nature bursts with brilliant seasonal color. When fall arrives this month, artist Joseph Bryant will lead a series of Wednesday evening classes at the Albany Museum of Art, allowing high school and adult participants to express themselves on canvas.

“Joseph will teach the process of creating a painting from the first raw sketches to the finished details in this series of six weekly workshops,” AMA Director of Education and Public Programming Annie Van Oteghem said. “He will guide participants through the painting process, covering foundational drawing, proportion, light and shadow, color mixing, painting techniques, and finishing a completed work.”

The workshops will be from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm on six consecutive Wednesdays starting on Sept 16—just a few days before fall officially arrives—and concluding on Oct 21.

“We have gotten requests for art classes for teens and adults, and this will be an excellent series for both those who have never painted and want to learn how, and those with experience who want to refresh and work on their skills,” Van Oteghem said. “Plus, it’s always more enjoyable painting together. It creates great synergy for the artists.”

Bryant, who is in his fourth year of teaching art at Deerfield-Windsor School’s upper campus, has a passion for teaching art to all ages. He has experience in visual art, digital art, oil painting, acrylic painting, linoleum cuts, graphic design, and photography. An exceptional portrait artist, he also loves character design and visual storytelling.

“Joseph really connects with his students, and that showed this past summer when he taught a week-long portrait painting art camp for high school students at the AMA,” Van Oteghem said. “The teens had a great time, and they did outstanding work.”

While each of the six classes can be signed up for individually, she said participants are encouraged to take the full series. Each class will build on the skills introduced in the previous session, allowing participants to develop their work and confidence over the full six weeks.

“We also will offer participants in the series free independent studio time in the AMA Classroom on Saturdays,” Van Oteghem said. “We will let them know the exact Saturday hours of availability when the series gets underway.”

All painting materials are included with registration, but participants should bring their own sketchbooks.

The dates for the workshops are Sept 16, 23, and 30, and Oct 7, 14, and 21. The cost for each session is $20 for AMA donors, or $25 for non-donors. The online registration link is at www.albanymuseum.com/fall-2026-painting-series/.

“If you’re an adult or a teen in high school, this is a terrific opportunity to unlock your inner creativity in a friendly, stress-free environment,” Van Oteghem said. “We hope to see you in class!”

Upcoming AMA EXHIBITIONS

• Artifacts of a Fate That Never Was, works by O.M. Norling, is Sept 17, 2026-Jan 2, 2027, in the East and Hodges Galleries.
• New York Origins: Building a Collection is Sept 17, 2026-Jan 2, 2027, in the Haley Gallery.
• Woven, Dyed, Sewn: Textiles from the Sub-Saharan African Collection is Sept 17, 2026-Jan 2, 2027, in the McCormack Gallery.
• Twenty Portraits, from the Permanent Collection, is Sept 17-Oct 24, 2026, in the West Gallery
• The 3^rd annual Student Art Exhibition is Oct 30, 2026-Jan 2, 2027, in the West Gallery.