Education & Classes in Warr Acres

Determined to keep their students interested and engaged, the instructors of Wine and Palette hold classes at myriad locations throughout the city. Each class focuses on a different art piece, be it a painting of a stained-glass window, a multihued owl, or an autumn farm scene. Additionally, each artist brings their own outlook and skills to the class, helping students learn specific brush strokes and how to touch up their daily driver so it looks just like the sheriff’s squad car.

Sharyn Jump introduces students to the stress-relieving potential of art in laid-back classes that comprise equal parts fun and instruction. During the two- to three-hour sessions and multiday workshops at Sharyn's Paint 'N Crafts Studio, visitors work with varied media such as acrylics, oils, watercolors, charcoal, or colored pencils to create completed art pieces, which they can take home for display or graciously donate to the nearest museum.

A team of resident artists mentors pupils in different styles, such as the One Stroke painting technique taught by guest artist Donna Dewberry. At birthday parties or open-studio sessions, participants may bring their own food or alcohol to foster a celebratory atmosphere.

Painting A Night Out hosts guided painting events lasting 2–3 hours, accented by beverages and camaraderie, at different venues around Oklahoma City. Artists of all skill levels can perch in front of a provided canvas, and then follow the lead of an instructor demonstrating how to reproduce a featured painting. Attendees may also choose to add personal tweaks to the imagery or work on a completely independent design. Subject matter constantly changes but often includes colorful tree silhouettes, still lifes with wine, flowers, and sunset scenes that look like sunrise scenes when held upside down.

All materials are provided, including canvases, paint, aprons, and brushes. While friends or couples can arrive hand in hand and enjoy a group night out, solo artists are equally encouraged to mingle and acquire new acquaintances.

For 22 years, the Oklahoma School of Bartenders has instructed up-and-coming mixologists in the art of pouring drinks and managing the masses. The school’s classroom mimics a real bar, with shelves of liquor, vital tools, and three guys trying to beat the record on Deer Hunter at pupils’ disposal. Students get behind the bar to practice shaking and stirring under the careful supervision of teachers, all of whom have been training bartenders since 1988. Afterward, a job-placement program helps newly certified students land drink-slinging positions.

Christa Carretero packed up and moved to San Francisco in 2003, where she began her journey into the culinary world. After attending the California Culinary Academy, Christa switched coasts and found herself living and working as a chef at a variety of restaurants in Washington, DC, where she further honed her skills. Finally finding herself in a geographical compromise between East and West, Christa now runs Cooking Girl catering in Oklahoma City, where she oversees a host of menus, from Christmas dinners to casual box lunches and party trays. Christa also leads a variety of weekly cooking classes, with themes that range from Summer Desserts to All About Steaks, where small groups of students learn basic skills, kitchen techniques, and how to wield an 8-inch knife in a way that is least threatening to vegetables.

Since the early '70s, Jeannie Colbert has aspired to spark joy in others with her clay handiwork. At ClaydoodleZ Pottery Art Studio, she molds plates, flowers, and other pieces for visitors to decorate during artistic visits, and her studio pizza parties encourage fun and creativity without the slippery dangers of paint-your-own Twister mats. A collection of retail crafts occupies the adjacent Southern CharmZ Market, where guests can pick out trinkets such as photo frames, statues, and tea sets.