Education & Classes in Irving

Art creates collateral damage. Paint flecks—ocean blues, blood reds, and fell-asleep-tanning oranges—splatter the floors and walls of any active studio. Art Class Dallas wears its creative war wounds proudly, welcoming member artists and guests to its eccentric, warehouse-style space. After drawing their eyes away from the expressionist splatters and the finished pieces hung overhead, painters focus on creating a new work with the blank canvas in front of them. Artistic director and founder Cynthia Chartièr oversees the studio and espouses a philosophy for painting that encourages self-discovery through the brush strokes, the shaping, and the texturing that goes into each work. Her space regularly hosts open workshops, sparking the imaginations of singles, couples, corporate teams, and private parties.

At Ruby Room Studio, it's perfectly normal to go from practicing a calm and centered yoga pose to donning a gigantic feather boa in the same day. In fact, the instructors encourage students to mix and match their class offerings. For example, Vinyasa poses can complement the fast-paced choreography of hip-hop, or the flexibility-based moves of Adult Ballet.

As owner and head of the resident burlesque troupe, Ruby Revue, Missy Lisa welcomes ladies of all experience levels to the alternative-dance studio. Having danced on stage with Al Green and for the Dallas Desperados, her experience comes in use during her Burlesque Body Workout class, during which she spices up an aerobics routine with flirtatious moves. The staff also includes award-winning burlesque dancer Ginger Valentine, break-dancer ShelBelle Shamrock, and yogi Ashley Compton. The fierce quartet shows visitors how to shimmy and strut in heels, whether they're attending a group lesson, throwing a private burlesque party or fighting off fire ants.

Situated in the heart of Dallas’ Design District, E Gallery Studios is a workspace for local artists as well as a creative facility where aspiring painters can attend workshops. E Gallery looks every inch the modern art studio, with large works of local art adorning the chocolate-hued walls. In addition to BYOB painting classes, the studio also hosts private painting parties for up to 45 participants. Visit the onsite frame shop for a custom frame for your masterpiece.

Many children dream of one day being a pilot; for most, however, real life usually gets in the way. At US Sport Aircraft, students can reclaim the thrill of youthful possibility by taking to the sky with the help of an accomplished staff of flight instructors. Students grab their first taste of flight during 60-minute introductory flights, taking wing at the controls of a lightweight SportCruiser aircraft. After alighting back on Earth, they can continue training toward the 20-hour sport-pilot license, or pursue a private pilot's license with accelerated training and flexible scheduling. US Sport Aircraft also offers fractional ownership, allowing pilots to share ownership equity in one aircraft with up to four co-owners. Co-owners coordinate scheduled flights online and share damages if one pilot clips the rear bumper of a low-flying satellite.

Artistic Gatherings unleashes inner artists with a schedule of drop-in classes, multi-week courses, and children's art camps. Classes furnish students with materials to express their creative sides, including premade ceramics, blank canvases, and lumps of clay awaiting transformations into coil-formed bowls or slightly altered lumps of clay. Meanwhile, adults can bring their favorite beverages to evening BYOB classes, during which wine and paint flow freely in two-hour sessions of artistic revelry.

Most days, The Bottle Shop is a bar founded by the owners of World Beer Company, with a selection of more than 500 beers and a reflective metallic-topped table at which to drink. On select Wednesday evenings, however, the bar transforms into an institute of higher learning: Beer College. Between its exposed brick walls, students learn about eclectic topics, from home-brewing to pairing beer with food—rather than drinking beer and then eating the empty bottle. The walls themselves offer inspiration, with their shelves stocked with diverse beers such as Denver Pale Ale and Duvel.