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A Beginner’s Guide to Choosing the Right Art Class in Breckenridge
Key Takeaways
Most of our beginner classes state it outright: no prior experience is required. Materials, tools, and studio time are included in the price, so you don’t need to own or bring anything.
Choose by how much time you have, not by medium. Metalsmithing, painting, and 3D pen art send you home with a finished piece the same night. Glass cools overnight and gets picked up the next day. Ceramics can take several weeks.
Adult classes run roughly $35 to $118, with a $12 drop-in Crafters’ Circle at the low end. Need-based scholarships are available in English and Spanish.
A $50 Breck Create membership takes 25% off every class and waives all service fees — it pays for itself in about two classes.
Classes are small on purpose. Beginner Metalsmithing is capped at six students, and the Ceramic Studio has eight wheels total.
Kerri Anne Stassen teaches our beginner metalsmithing classes here at Breck Create. But before she taught here, she took classes here — as a beginner, in the same building.
A while back, we sat down with her to talk about her experience, and we think she put it well:
“Art doesn’t have to be intimidating, even if you don’t consider yourself ‘artistic.’ If you’re open to the process, you’ll have fun exploring different mediums, and that’s often when inspiration strikes. What you create may not match your original vision, but that’s part of the magic!”
And she’s not the only one who feels this way. Daniela Veltri took Beginner Glassblowing as a student here and now teaches it.
Her advice to those exploring is pretty straightforward: “I failed many times while learning glassblowing techniques. KEEP GOING!”
Yet one fear we hear from many looking to take art classes is that they’ll “be the worst person in the room”. But look at Breck Create classes on our calendar, and you’ll see each one marked with no prior experience is required.
We’re passionate about connecting individuals to the art world, especially if they are interested in exploring the arts but unsure where to start.
So here’s our beginner’s guide to finding the right class for you!
Start Here: How Long Do You Want to Wait for the Results?
Many beginner art guides start by having you choose an art class based on what you’re into.
Clay? Glass? Metal?
That’s a great place to start, but it may be the wrong first question. The most common way a beginner class goes wrong here is that people pick a medium that they may not have time to invest in.
So a better question is: how long until you want something in your hands?
Consider ceramics. Clay is a multi-step process that takes weeks to dry, fire, and glaze, and kiln firings happen when there’s enough work to fill a kiln. That’s not a drawback, and many love the slow and deliberate process that ceramics requires.
But it means a visitor here for a long weekend will leave without their piece. So we say sort out your options by the time you have first. The medium sorts itself out.
Best Quick Art Classes at Breck Create
Beginner Metalsmithing: Silversmithing runs Tuesday evenings and rotates projects. Some involve stacking rings, stamped earrings, torch-fired enameling, copper ornaments as the holidays approach.
The classes are limited to six students each, and you’ll walk out with a finished piece, no experience necessary. If you want the single best first class we offer, this is our answer.
Bob Ross Style Painting at the Randall Barn is exactly what it sounds like, and exactly as forgiving as you’re hoping. Abstract Art at the Quandary Antiques Cabin is the low-pressure entry for anyone who freezes at the words “paint what you see.”
3D Pen Art is the cheapest way to leave with an object you made, and the most likely to surprise you.
We also offer several seasonal one-nighters throughout the year. Our No Sew Witch Hat class, which focuses on embroidery, is a great example, and if you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at something unique, these are the ones to attend!
Great Classes If You Have More Time
Beginner Glassblowing runs Thursday evenings and is one of our top classes by sign-ups. You’ll work the furnace with an instructor beside you, and your piece needs to cool overnight — so pickup is the next day.
Stained Glass classes split across a Friday and Saturday evening — which makes it the ideal answer for a weekend visitor who wants something real, not a souvenir.
Long-Term Art Classes
If you are local and have time to invest in a longer–term course, there are some great options to consider. These are designed to help you go deeper into a particular medium, where you’ll connect with experts and other community members.
Beginner Wheel Throwing is a three-week series that’s held on Wednesday evenings. Three weeks is the right amount of time to stop fighting the wheel and start understanding it.
If you prefer to skip the wheel, Travel Mugs and Charcuterie Board are hand-building workshops that take place in single sessions and require no prior clay experience.
Another big hit is our First Time Throws: Spin + Smash. It’s a longer class, but — as the name promises — you get to smash your final piece at the end rather than keeping it!
And here’s the part that turns one class into a practice: once you’ve taken a ceramics class and completed Ceramics Glazing 101, you can book open studio sessions and come explore as you like.
How Much Do Breckenridge Art Classes Cost?
Adult classes run roughly $35 to $118 before service fees, and materials, tools, and studio equipment are included in essentially all of them.
A great way to get started is to try them all at reduced prices! An individual membership is $50 a year and takes 25% off classes, workshops, and open studio, and waives service fees entirely.
Take two classes and the membership has already paid for itself — and everything after that is discounted for a year, along with early ticket access for Breck Create Presents and BIFA.
If cost is the real barrier, we’re here to help as well! Our BECAS scholarship program is need-based, open to all ages and skill levels, and applications are available in English and Spanish.
Want to Explore Your Options? Come Visit Breck Create
Whenever you’re ready, the class list is here — and becoming a member is the cheapest way to make this a habit rather than a one-time thing.
And if you’re buying for someone else who’s been saying someday just as long as you have, gift certificates start at $20 and are good for a year.
Will we see you in the studio? We hope so!
See The Full Breck Create Calendar
FAQ
Do I need any art experience to take a class at Breck Create?
Not at all! First Time Throws states that no prior experience is required, Beginner Metalsmithing says no prior experience is necessary, and the stained glass workshop is described as perfect for beginners.
Can I finish something in one class if I’m only in Breckenridge for a couple of days?
Yes, if you pick the right medium. Metalsmithing, painting, and 3D pen classes are built so you leave with a finished piece that night. Glassblowing pieces cool overnight and are picked up the next day.
How much do art classes in Breckenridge cost, and are materials included?
Adult classes generally run about $35 to $118 before service fees, with a $12 drop-in Crafters’ Circle at the low end. Materials, tools, and studio equipment are included in the class price. Members pay 25% less with service fees waived, and need-based scholarships are available for select classes in English and Spanish.
What should I expect at my first class?
Register online, by phone, or at the box office. Arrive 10–15 minutes early to check in directly at your studio. Wear natural fibers you don’t mind getting dirty – all materials are provided.