Photograph
by Judith Taylor
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General
| Registration
& Enrollment | Kids
Classes |
Absence and Make-up Policy | Teaching
General
What age ranges are the classes at the Brentwood
Art Center (BAC)?
We offer classes for adults, teens and children (starting
at age 4). See below under the Kids
Classes heading for a full description.
What is the average class size?
For children, ages 4-5 years and 5-6 years, the
maximum size is 9 students. For classes with the age
range of 6-8 years through adults, the average class range is 12-13
students.
Where are you located?
We are located at 13031 Montana Avenue on the corner of Montana Avenue
and 26th in Los Angeles (on the Los Angeles/Santa Monica border). Click
here for directions to the BAC. (Scroll to the bottom of the page).
What are your office hours?
Click here for specific
office hours. After office hours, you may always leave a message on
our voicemail, and we will get back to you shortly.
Where can I park?
We have a small parking lot that is located at the back of the school
(entrance on 26th street). There is also ample street parking. Please
be aware of the following restrictions on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays:
 |
Mondays |
| 9-11am: East side of 26th Street | |
|
10am-Noon: South side of Montana Ave |
|
Thursdays |
|
Noon-2pm: North side of Montana Avenue |
|
Fridays |
|
1-3pm: West side of 26th Street |
Are your teachers professional working artists?
The majority of our teachers are working artists who, aside from teaching,
produce their own work. Many have gallery representation and exhibit regularly.
Click here for a full listing
of our faculty.
I like to travel and have a sporadic work
schedule. Do you have any way of addressing that?
We offer the option of doing Pay-Per-Visits (PPVs), space and curriculum
permitting. You must meet the prerequisites for the class you are interested
in as well as have the appropriate supplies. As long as there is space
in the class, you can pay per visit, with a $5 upcharge per class. PPVs
must be scheduled with the front desk ahead of time so that we can prevent
classes from being over-booked. Please do not “show up” at
a class without previously scheduling and confirming a PPV in a particular
class as there is limited space and enrollment in all classes.
Continued availability of PPVs cannot be guaranteed; therefore, if your space in a particular class is important to you, we recommend enrolling and utilizing our absence and make-up policy (see below).
If a PPV is scheduled but not attended nor cancelled with a minimum of 24 hours notice, the student is still responsible for the class tuition.
How can I automatically pay my bill each
month?
Many of our students have requested automatic payment via their credit
cards each month. If you would like us to automatically charge the tuition
to your credit card each month, please download and complete the Automatic
Payment PDF Form, and fax or mail it to us. You may also choose whether
you wish to receive a copy of your bill for review (or not) each month
10 days prior to your card being charged on the 25th of the month.
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Registration and Enrollment
What do you recommend for an adult or teen
who is an absolute beginner?
We recommend a Drawing Fundamentals class to teen or adult students who
are brand new to art or who have not taken an art class in several years.
This class allows the student to explore the fundamental concepts of drawing
such as line, shape, form, volume, spatial relationships, and perspective
while working with a variety of drawing materials.
In addition, Drawing Fundamentals (or its equivalent) is a prerequisite for many of our other classes. Other options for beginners are Beginning Figure Drawing, Art of Color, Figure Sculpture, Introduction to Abstraction, and Photography. Classical Painting Fundamentals or Painting Fundamentals could also be taken; however, Drawing Fundamentals is strongly recommended before taking either of these courses.
Can I use my other art experience and courses
as my prerequisites?
Your past experience may be discussed with an Advisor at the front desk
to see if it would fit our prerequisite standards. In some instances,
we will request that you provide images or originals of your previous
work to assist us in determining if you have met the prerequisite(s) and
to help us place you in the appropriate class for your skill level and
interests.
Are supplies included in the class tuition?
The Brentwood Art Center provides supplies for most of the children’s
classes as well as a few of the adult classes. However, most of the teen
and adult classes require students to provide their own supplies; a supply
list is provided at the time of registration.
Does the Brentwood Art Center sell art supplies?
The BAC sells a limited amount of basic drawing supplies including charcoal,
pencils and erasers. Our front desk may assist you with recommending art
stores.
What is the difference between “continuing”
and “session” classes?
Continuing Classes
All courses are continuing classes with the exception of session classes
(see below). Most continuing classes begin mid-September and continue
through mid-June. Students may enroll in continuing classes at any time
during the year, space and curriculum permitting.
The tuition listed by each class (without an asterisk [*] next to it) is based on a four-week month and is adjusted during months with holidays or a varying number of weeks. Students are billed prior to each new month with tuition being due by the first of that month. Students or parents of children wishing to withdraw from class must notify the office at least one week prior to the beginning of a new month in order to avoid incurring new tuition charges. Refunds are not possible after the first of the month if a student withdraws within that month.
Session Classes
Session classes, which are marked with an asterisk (*), run for a specific
number of weeks. These classes are paid for in advance, and the student
enrolls for the entire course. All summer classes are considered session
classes.
When do your classes “begin”?
Continuing Classes
Many of our classes are continuing
classes which means you can begin at any time as long as there is space
in the class and the curriculum permits. Most of these continuing classes
begin mid-September and will be held continuously through mid-June of
the following year; we also offer a 10-week summer session.
Students are sometimes concerned that they are not “starting” with everyone if they begin a class after the mid-September “start” of the class. However, by offering continuing month-to-month classes, a great deal of flexibility is offered for students to begin and stop enrollment as their schedule and interests permit. Furthermore, our exceptional faculty are accustomed to the enrollment policies of our continuing classes and are very adept at welcoming in and orienting new students during the academic year. The instructors will familiarize themselves with your skill level and background and begin your instruction accordingly. (See above question for a full description of continuing and session classes and the differences between the two).
Session Classes
Our session classes, which meet for a specific number of weeks, have exact
beginning and ending dates. Please see the Schedule of Classes for the
semester you are interested in for specific dates.
Session classees usually have very sequential lesson plans with each consecutive week building on the previous week's instruction. Therefore, enrollment is usually restricted after the second or third week because enrollment after this time can put the student, their classmates and the instructor at a disadvantage based on the extra attention needed to “catch students up”. However, some session classes are able to accomodate "open enrollment" as long as there is space in the class. Please see the Schedule of Classes for the semester you are interested in for specific details. (See above question for a full description of continuing and session classes and the differences between the two).
How come one class is more expensive than
another?
“Per class” prices vary depending on the number of hours the
class is in session, whether supplies are included, and whether there
is a model.
Furthermore, our pricing is separated between continuing and session classes. Session class tuition for classes held from September - June is listed with an asterisk (*) next to the tuition amount. This amount represents the tuition for the full number of weeks the class will be held. All summer classes are considered session classes and, therefore, no asterisk is shown. Usually, the “per class” price for classes with a similar subject is the same amount, but for a session class the amount is higher because you enroll for the full class and pay the tuition in full at least two weeks before the start of class. For example, a continuing painting workshop class is $260 per 4-week month (which equals $65/class) while a Painting Fundamentals session class which meets for 10 weeks in a row is $650 for the full class (which also equals $65/class).
(Please see above for a complete explanation of the difference between a "continuing” and a “session” class.)
Do I have to enroll from September through
June?
No. The Brentwood Art Center offers two types of classes: continuing or
session classes.
For continuing classes, students may enroll at any time, space and curriculum permitting. Students are billed prior to each new month and, if the student wishes to withdraw, they must notify the office at least one week prior to a new month in order to avoid incurring new tuition charges.
For session classes, the course runs for a specific amount of weeks (usually 8-13 weeks). These classes are paid for in advance, and the student enrolls for the entire course.
What is your policy if I need to stop my
enrollment?
For continuing classes, if a student wishes to
withdraw from a continuing class they must notify the office at
least one week prior to the beginning of a new month in order to
avoid incurring tuition charges for that new month.
If a student wishes to withdraw from a session class, the Center will refund all monies paid for session classes, except the non-refundable, non-transferable deposit, if a student cancels at least four business days prior to the first class meeting; 80% of the tuition will be refunded if cancellation occurs at least four business days prior to the second class meeting; 70% of the tuition will be refunded if cancellation occurs at least four business days prior to the third class meeting. No refunds are possible thereafter.
In all refund instances, including Day Camps, a minimum of the non-refundable,
non-transferable deposit will be retained.
Back
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Kids Classes
What age ranges are the classes?
Mixed media classes for children start at 4 years of
age, with drawing and painting classes beginning at age 6. Our children’s
classes are structured by age so that students will have comparable levels
of motor skills, manual dexterity, attention spans, social skills and
interests (i.e., 7-9 yrs or 8-11 yrs). We also have more structured drawing
classes for 9-12 year olds and 12-15 year olds. In addition, we also offer
a wide variety of classes for teens and adults. Students 16 years and
older may also take adult classes.
What is the average class size of your kid’s
classes?
For children, ages 4-5 years and 5-6 years, the maximum size is 9 students.
For classes with the age range of 6-8 years through teen, the average
class range is 12-13 students.
Can my 3-year-old take the 4-5 year mixed
media classes?
No. Our classes start at 4 years old, and we feel any child younger than
that should be allowed to play and experiment freely with artistic materials,
instead of being put into a more structured class. At 3 years or younger
a child is at a different developmental level than a four or five year
old. Further, there is a significant difference between a 3 year old and
a 4 or 5 year old's attention span, motor skills, manual dexterity, and
emotional level. It can be hard for the younger child when they compare
themselves to the abilities of 4 and 5 year olds. These differences in
ability and temperament can also be difficult for the teacher.
For your kid’s classes, what is the
difference between “mixed media” and “drawing and painting”?
Our “mixed media” classes
provide the students with a variety of materials to work with. The teachers
create projects that incorporate different techniques and mediums in both
two and three dimensions, including sculpture and collage. Our “drawing
and painting” classes allow for the students to focus on
just two-dimensional art-making techniques.
Do you offer Day Camps?
Yes. We offer Day Camps during the summer and a couple of days during
the Winter Break. We do not offer Spring Break Camps due to the varying
schedules of the local schools. We have 5 sessions of summer camps that
are two weeks long and meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays for a total of 4
meetings or Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for a total of 6 meetings;
camps for 5-6 year olds meet Tuesdays and Thursdays or Mondays and Wednesdays
for a total of 4 meetings. Click
here for a full explanation of our Summer 2008 Day Camp program.
Absence and Make-up Policy
What if I have to miss a class?
We have a make-up policy that you can utilize (described below).
Make-up Policy
Refunds or credit cannot be given in case of absences and in no event
may missed classes be deducted from tuition payment. However, students
who notify the office, not the instructor, 24 hours or more in advance
of an absence will receive a make-up class as a courtesy. Unforeseen circumstances
that prevent students from giving 24-hours notice cannot be accommodated.
Students may use make-ups in appropriate alternate classes, excluding the class(es) they are enrolled in, space and curriculum permitting. Only enrolled students who are currently enrolled and are attending classes may schedule and attend make-ups. Make-ups expire six months from the date of the original absence and must be scheduled with the office, not the instructor. If a make-up class is scheduled but not attended nor cancelled with a minimum of 24 hours notice, the make-up is then forfeited.
How do I use my make-ups?
Review the schedule of classes and identify classes that you would like
to use your make-ups in. You must meet the prerequisites for the make-up
classes as well as have the appropriate supplies. Then, call the front
desk and let the staff know which classes you are interested in and the
dates that you are available for make-ups. Make-ups will be scheduled
immediately, if possible. If not, your name will be placed on a list,
and you will be called as soon as a space opens up. The more options you
can give for make-up requests the better the chances of being able to
complete a request.
You must schedule make-ups with the front desk. Please do not “show up” at a class without previously scheduling and confirming a make-up in a particular class as there is limited space and enrollment in all classes.
Can I end my enrollment at the end of April,
and then use my make-ups in May?
It depends...see below.
Yes
The make-up program involves significant resources to organize, maintain,
schedule and track, and the program is a courtesy to enrolled students.
Therefore, if you will continue to be enrolled in another class or classes,
you will be able to use your make-ups in May (in the above example) as
long as they have not expired (make-ups expire six months after the original
excused absence).
No
If you are ending your class and will not be enrolled in any other class
in May (in the above example), then you cannot use your make-ups in May
as only enrolled students may avail themselves of our make-up program.
We encourage students to use their make-ups as soon as possible after
the original absence (in any class other than the class(es) they are enrolled
in) so they do not lose them due to expiration or an unexpected change
in their schedule which causes them to cancel enrollment sooner than anticipated.
Should you enroll and attend classes again within six months of your original absence, you will be able to use your remaining make-ups at that time (make-ups expire six months after the original excused absence).
Teaching
How do I find out about teaching at the Brentwood
Art Center?
Please familiarize yourself with the BAC by reviewing the website to determine
whether the BAC is the right place for you. If so, then email your resume
and a sample of 5-6 images of your work (or a link to images located on
the internet) to the email
address listed on this page under the Email Info heading.
