Appreciate art through learning

Our Art History courses will give you a deeper understanding of what you're looking at. When it comes to art, everyone's has their own opinion on which artist is better than the other, and what their most famous work signifies.

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Through exploring the world of art history, you'll be learning about why pieces are made in the first place and what the pieces mean. You will also examine how that’s changed over a period of time, as well as the impact it’s had on society. 

You’ll be taught about many of the aspects from the art creation process, such as the materials used in artworks, and how different kinds of artists contribute differently in expressing their ideas through freehand drawing or digital media. 

Whether you're a seasoned art appreciator or a newbie, there's something here for everyone. From exploring art painted by Salvador Dali or learning all about the history of Nordic Art from the Viking era, we have a selection of online and in-person art history courses from different decades to choose from.  

Attend an Art History course near you  

Whether you choose to learn from the comfort of your own home, or opt for a space in your local community, you’ll be taught by a talented tutor who is an expert in their field. 

The support you’ll receive on our Art History courses

Your tutor will encourage you to develop an understanding of Art History that goes beyond what's on the surface, motivating you to truly immerse yourself in the subject. It’s our learning experience that sets us apart too, with an encouraging environment that ensures you attend each session with the excitement to learn.   

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Creative Writing in the Landscape: Writing the River Tamar

In a stunning location overlooking Brunel’s famous Tamar Bridge to Cornwall, this workshop will be a feast for the creative senses. You’ll be encouraged to write what you can see, hear, feel, smell, touch – and taste! - in this ever-changing landscape. The workshop is open to everyone who likes to write, from beginners to published, and all genres from poetry to prose. This is a unique and wonderful opportunity to spend a day in the company of other writers, exploring the immediate natural and human-made environment. It’s also a chance to share your written work, if you wish, at a local festival.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 20/03/2025 -
Thu 20/03/2025
Times:
10:00am - 4:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Bridging the Tamar Visitor and Learning
Tamar Bridge Office
Pemros Road
Plymouth
PL5 1LP
Tutor:
Kate Cotton
Course code:
Q00018499
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £25.20

Art Appreciation: Why so Radical? An introduction to Post Impressionism

This course provides an introduction to the work of key artists who rejected the concerns of 19thcentury Impressionism and evolved away from it in new and radically independent directions. Now grouped together as Post Impressionism, we will consider how these groundbreaking artists related to developments in philosophy, psychology and science at the time to inspire their artwork. We will examine the artistic concerns and work of Cezanne – and discuss why he was thought to be the father of modern art, Gaugin. Seurat and Van Gogh, famous for his use of bright emotive colours, amongst other artists. We will also examine as to how their artistic journey and style contributed to paving the way for the modern art movements that followed.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 25/03/2025 -
Tue 15/04/2025
Times:
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Debra Collis
Course code:
Q00021378
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £29.60

Art Appreciation: Spanish painters from Velazquez to Miro

An introduction to the rich history of painting in Spain, which had produced some of the most important and influential artists in art history - from Baroque masters Velázquez, El Greco, and Murillo to romantic figurehead Goya and impressionist Sorolla to the vital role Spanish painters like Dalí, Picasso and Miró played in the development of 20th Century Art.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 27/03/2025 -
Thu 08/05/2025
Times:
2:45pm - 4:45pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Ruth Mulandi
Course code:
Q00017449
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
1 place remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £44.40

Art Appreciation: Sculptures and 3D Art

This 5 week course delves into the works of 5 street artists including Damian Ortega, Antony Gormley, Marc Quinn, Rachel Whiteread and Micheal Craig-Martin. Each week explores key art concepts including, colour and composition through sampleas of their work. You will engage in group discussions, take notes, and recall information. By the end of the course, you will be able to name significant sculptors, describe their artistic methods, sport similarities and differences among their work, deconstruct essential components of artworks, and select a preferred piece based on personal opinion.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 28/03/2025 -
Fri 25/04/2025
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Castle Methodist Church (Colchester)
Maidenburgh Street
Colchester
CO1 1TT
Tutor:
Abbie Cairns
Course code:
Q00017692
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £33.60

WEA Membership

WEA membership is changing: more information is coming soon!

Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
£15

Art Appreciation: British Art, Architecture and Design; 1900- 2000

This course will cover the changing currents of the ways in which the Visual Arts in Britain have evolved over the Twentieth Century. It will be broken into 4 parts; the pre 1914 period, the War and its aftermath, the post WW2 years and lastly the period 1980 onwards. The foci will be on changing relationships with international art, the impact of the Wars on art; and also how art maps in in relation to evolving concerns about equality and in relation to rapid urban and social change

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 29/03/2025 -
Sat 29/03/2025
Times:
10:00am - 3:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Swaffham Community Centre (Swaffham)
Iceni Partnership
Campingland
Swaffham
PE37 7RB
Tutor:
Guest Speaker
Course code:
Q00019920
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £21.00

Art Appreciation: Art and the Arts in the 1950s.

If there is such a thing, at any time the “national mood” in any country is reflected in the cultural products of the period - visual works, theatre productions, the movies, the literature. The course will provide an overview of the decade from the artistic and cultural viewpoint. This will include the art movements which emerged such as Abstract Expressionism, exemplified by people like Jackson Pollock, music developments such as rock'n'roll famously promoted by Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and many others and epoch-making movies such as West Side Story.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 03/04/2025 -
Thu 08/05/2025
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Colin Lomas
Course code:
Q00021341
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £44.40

Art Appreciation: British Modern Art at the Tate Britain. Pimlico London.

Meeting at the Tate Britain, Pimlico London; side entrance Manton Street; in the Entrance Hall; On this outing at the gallery, you will view and compare and contrast, artists from a variety of art movements with the guidance of tutor Caroline Levisse, British works of art made from the 1880s to 1960s. We will look at the paintings of George Clausen, mark Gertler, Gwen John, Ben Nicholson, Eileen Agar, Graham Sutherland and many more. We will also consider sculptures, with the work of Gaudier-Breszka, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, and Elizabeth Frink. The aim of the visit is to deepen your knowledge of British art, as well as practice looking at and interpreting paintings and sculptures. This is a follow on course from Q00019786.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 03/04/2025 -
Thu 03/04/2025
Times:
10:30am - 1:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Tate Britain (London)
Millbank
Meeting Point
London
SW1P 4RG
Tutor:
Caroline Levisse
Course code:
Q00021477
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
9 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £14.10

Art Appreciation: Hilma af Klint: Swedish painter, spiritualist and pioneer of abstract art

The emergence of abstract art in the early 20th century was a revolution. When looking into its very beginnings the names of Kandinsky, Malevich, and Mondrian come to mind. But in the 1980s, the world discovered the abstract paintings made by a Swedish artist, as early as 1907. Should her many abstract paintings encourage us to rewrite the history of abstract art, or can her work and experiments be seen as marginal because of her intense spiritualism? Why did her works come to our attention so late? This is a thought-provoking case, and a great story!

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 07/04/2025 -
Mon 07/04/2025
Times:
10:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Caroline Levisse
Course code:
Q00019199
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £11.10

Art Appreciation: Painting in the 21st Century

This course views painting produced in the twenty-first century. The course will include developments of figurative and abstract painting. There will be views of artists already prominent in the twentieth century and newly emerging artists from a wide range of attentions. From those born in the 1930s to those born in the 1980s. The course will attend to direct visual experience of reproduction of the works involved linked to elements of comprehension and understanding through a considerable range of exciting encounters and engagements. This course will put an emphasis on developments of figurative and abstract painting in the twenty-first century. There will be views of artists already prominent in the twentieth century and newly emerging artists from a wide range of attentions. From those born in the 1930's to those born in the 1980's.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 08/04/2025 -
Tue 27/05/2025
Times:
11:15am - 1:15pm
Duration:
8 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Allen Fisher
Course code:
Q00016750
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
9 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £59.20

Art Appreciation: The Unique Architecture of Antoni Gaudí

Gaudí’s works in Catalonia are world-famous. Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia and the Park Güell come to mind as two favourite spots. In this session, you will learn about the life of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1862-1926) and discover his main creations. We will study the well-known works, but also lesser-known ones, such as Casa Vincens and “El Capricho”. This will be a session filled with bright colours and exuberant shapes, as well as with interesting history as we connect Gaudí’s unique style to its cultural context.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 09/04/2025 -
Wed 09/04/2025
Times:
10:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Caroline Levisse
Course code:
Q00019196
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
0 places remaining
Status:
Waiting list (Waiting list)
Fee range
Free to £11.10