Adult Art Classes
Are you a member of the Nicola Valley Community Arts Council? Click here to become a member and take advantage of everything your membership offers: a tax receipt for your membership purchase, ability to register for our programs and to book co-working or studio space, and supporting our mission to connect community through the arts. You can also sign up for our newsletter and stay up to date on all things NVCAC.
We would love your input and we're always looking for workshop teachers! Which art classes for adults would you like to see? Which art classes for adults would you like to teach? Please get in touch with us at programs@nicolavalleyarts.com and let us know.
If you're an instructor and would like to send us a course proposal, please use this form.
Looking for Adult Art Parties? Find them here.
Healing Connection Community Art Classes
Healing Connections is a program of the Arts Council and a community for Merritt and the Nicola Valley. For all who suffer from chronic pain or illness, are part of the support system for someone who does, or simply want to connect with community and resources. While donations are always welcome, all Healing Connections events and art classes are free to attend. A membership for the NVCAC is required ($20 per year) and we have limited grant funding available if this is a barrier. Please reach out to NVCAC director Kerstin Auer (media@nicolavalleyarts.com) for more information or assistance.
Funding for Healing Connections Art Classes has been provided by the BC Interior Community Foundation as part of their Community Prosperity Program.
Watercolour Cards with Amanda Pryzner-Dunn
Join us for a delightful beginner’s watercolour class, focusing on crafting beautiful fall-themed greeting cards. In this session, you'll learn to paint charming fall elements such as a vibrant wreath, a cheerful pumpkin, and other seasonal motifs.
Maximum 10 participants
Cost: FREE!
We would like to thank the Interior Foundation of BC for the grant funding via the Community Prosperity Fund that makes these classes possible and free for the community.
When: Saturday, September 27 2025 @ 1 pm to 3 pm
Where: Studio Room at Nicola Valley Community Arts Centre - 2051 Voght St (beside Kekuli Cafe)
Class is completely full - thank you!
Beeswax Luminaries with Diana Grimshire
In this Beginner workshop, we will be using hot liquid beeswax to craft glowing luminaries adorned with dried flowers and/or temporary tattoos affixed to the outside. The instructor will supply flowers and tattoos but if you have your favourites pressed, please be sure to bring them. Participants will create sweet-smelling luminaries that give off the smell of summer.
Cost: FREE!
We would like to thank the Interior Foundation of BC for the grant funding via the Community Prosperity Fund that makes these classes possible and free for the community.
When: Saturday, October 18 2025 @ 1 pm to 3 pm
Where: Studio Room at Nicola Valley Community Arts Centre - 2051 Voght St (beside Kekuli Cafe)
Class is completely full - thank you!
Branch Weaving with Kim Walter
Branch weaving is a form of hand weaving that uses a natural tree branch as the loom. It's a popular and accessible craft, especially for beginners. We will supply all the materials for this class, but if you have a special branch you would like to use, or yarn in your favourite colour, please bring it. The branch should have a "Y" or "V" shape for stability and ease to work with.
We will create the warp first, which is the foundation for the weaving, and then weave the weft, which goes under and over the warp threads and creates the design. It's fun to play with different types of yarn and different textures, and even add some natural elements like grasses, feathers, or dried flowers. This is a great way to use your natural treasures!
Maximum 10 participants
Cost: FREE!
We would like to thank the Interior Foundation of BC for the grant funding via the Community Prosperity Fund that makes these classes possible and free for the community.
When: Saturday, October 25 2025 @ 1 pm to 3 pm
Where: Studio Room at Nicola Valley Community Arts Centre - 2051 Voght St (beside Kekuli Cafe)
Instructor: Kim Walter
Kim has enjoyed fibre arts her whole life. Embroidery and sewing were Kim's interest in her younger years. She took up knitting in her twenties. When Kim moved to Merritt, she took up spinning and weaving. Kim loves working with natural materials.
Grief Movement with Marcia Cooper
There isn’t just one way to approach the grieving process. Everyone experiences grief differently, so everyone copes with grief differently, and that’s okay. It can make it a little harder to figure out how to care for yourself when you’re grieving, but it also means that there are a lot of options out there for how to cope with and ease your grief.
Each journey is unique, and no matter our type of grief we often hold our pain within our own bodies. With grief movement we can learn to explore our bodies releasing some of the pain we are experiencing. Consider Grief Movement to be another tool of support.
The Instructor is a Certified Grief Movement Guide, and will be providing 4 sessions that incorporate mindfulness, meditation, and movement to help individuals cope with their grief. All sessions will be done on chairs.
Maximum 10 participants
Cost: FREE!
We would like to thank the Interior Foundation of BC for the grant funding via the Community Prosperity Fund that makes these classes possible and free for the community.
When: Wednesdays, October 15, 22, 29 & November 5
6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Where: Studio Room at Nicola Valley Community Arts Centre - 2051 Voght St (beside Kekuli Cafe)
Instructor: Marcia Cooper BEd, MEd, CCC
Marcia has called the Nicola Valley home for over 40 years. She came to Merritt, initially working with the School District as a teacher then later as a school and district elementary counselor.
Due to Marcia’s extensive personal and professional experience with grief and loss, regardless of the type of loss, she recognized the need for counselling support. In 2018, she started her private practice – “Life, Loss & To Live Again – Online Counselling”.
Art Parties
Fall 2025 Paint Party
Come and spend an enjoyable 3 hours eating, drinking... and Painting. The atmosphere in Nana's Hitchin' Post Restaurant in Lower Nicola is Country Comfort.
We will paint a colourful abstract of a Peacock in all its glory, using Acrylic Paint. All supplies are provided. This painting is designed and led by Linda Suzuki. The Cost of this event includes a Drink and and a selection of appetizers from the Appetizer Buffet. Seating is limited, so grab a friend, and book soon :) Or come alone, and meet some new friends!
Ages 18 and up (attendees may be required to show ID if they select an alcoholic beverage as their free drink). Open to all. No Membership required.
When: Saturday, Sept 20 2024, 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Doors open at 5:45 pm, Drink and Appetizers at 6:00 pm.
(You can order additional food and beverages at your own cost.)
Cost: $40
*No refunds on art programs, classes or events, unless NVCAC cancels.
Where: Nana's Hitchin' Post Restaurant, Lower Nicola.
(On Highway 8, 10 km towards Spences Bridge, on the right just past Canco) View the available menu for this evening.
Instructor: Linda is a professional art teacher and artist. She has taught art in a wide variety of mediums to young children, teenagers and adults for over 30 years. In addition to teaching, Linda now focuses her energy on her second career as a professional watercolour and acrylic painter.
Learn to Eco Dye Party
This is a 2-part class (Oct 3 & Oct 4)
Part 1 (Oct 3 - Optional) Fabric Preparation - 2 pm to 4 pm
Part 2 (Oct 4) - Dyeing, Steaming & Revealing the Dyed Fabric - 10 am to 4 pm
This beginner class is an introduction to eco/botanical printing. Participants will work on a silk or wool scarf of their choice using natural dyes and tannins and leaves and flowers they have collected from their house, neighbourhood or nearby park. Participants will spend some creative time to learn this craft, by playing with fibre, dyes, and natural objects. Each piece contains a little something from the Nicola Valley.
Oct 3 (attendance optional) Participants will learn to wash, chalk and mordant the fabrics to prepare them for dyeing. Participants will also mix and prepare the dyes and tannins for the Workshop on the following day.
Oct 4: In the morning we will practice with work on a tea towel (and watercolour paper if there is time). Then, once the concept of transferring and making marks is learned, we will work on the scarf and roll it for the steamer. The steaming takes 1.5 hours (break and lunch). the latter part of the class will be the big REVEAL as we never know exactly how the fibre pieces will turn out. many factors affect the outcome.
Refreshments included.
Minimum 6 / Maximum 10 participants
Cost: $100
*No refunds on art programs, classes or events, unless NVCAC cancels. Nicola Valley Arts Council membership required, $20 per year.
When: Friday, Oct 3 2025 @ 2 pm to 4 pm (Optional)
Saturday, Oct 4 2025 @ 10 am to 4 pm
Where: The Instructor's Private Residence in Lower Nicola (address to be sent to participants)
Instructor: Lynn Cox - Lynn loves to capture nature and transfer its beauty onto various fabrics, materials and fibres. She then turns these objects into unique wearables or captivating decor. Lynn wants to share her inspiring journey learning the various methods and techniques for making permanent marks with leaves, flowers, and vegetables onto natural fibres like wool, cotton, silk, linen and paper.
Lynn's work is available in the art gallery/gift shop .
Creative Play - Free Drop-In Art Sessions
Join us twice a month for Creative Play, a free drop-in art session, no registration required! This is a great opportunity to get to know what the Arts Council has to offer, try something new (with our supplies!) or bring a project you are working on.
Meet us at the Artist Studio in the Nicola Valley Arts Centre, every second Tuesday of the month and fourth Thursday of the month, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. No registration required!
Adults only, please.
Find all the dates in our Event Calendar or on our Facebook page.
See you at the Arts Centre!
