Many parents tell us that Studio Arts is their teen’s home away from home. Our greatest achievements at Studio Arts lie in helping teens meet lofty art goals through serious study. For 25 years our studio has supported teens as they create individualized portfolios to successfully gain admission to Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, other local high schools and first-choice colleges and art schools. Pre-Portfolio is the class for seventh through ninth graders interested in pursuing Portfolio class in June for Booker T. hopefuls. In February, we offer Post-Portfolio class for those students who want to continue on with their Portfolio tribe. Our College Portfolio class continues to grow by leaps and bounds. Barley Vogel, Studio Arts director, has created a safe space that allows art students to gather as they build relationships and continue their transformation into creative, successful, young-adult working artists.


Drawing & Painting

Are you always drawn to pick up a pencil? Hey! Don’t brush off your painting skills! Draw from still life (but really COOL still life), clothed models (sometimes the studio dog, Wyatt), and work from your imagination while learning important stuff like proportion, perspective, composition and hatching/cross hatching to add value. Supplies and model fees included.


Wheel & Hand-build Clay

Making awesome stuff from mud is nothing short of miraculous. The process is as simple as you need it to be and the challenges are very exciting. Throwing on the potter’s wheel can really get you centered. Hand building sculpture and dinnerware is a perfect meditation. You will be amazed at how quickly your skills develop. Please note that all clay must be picked up within two weeks of the class end or find your clay in the clay garden!


Young Illustrator

Do you enjoy drawing in pen and pencil? In fact, are you pretty much addicted to it? You might be headed for a career in Illustration! Take any good book as your subject matter and discover new ways to express characters/action/place/style. This class is sort of a book club for drawing geeks. We also support future advertising artists, game creators, and manga masters here. Illustration, you know!


Portfolio Classes for Booker T prep and College Prep

Pre-Portfolio, Post-Portfolio, Portfolio Class for Admission to Booker T. HSPVA, and College Portfolio Prep classes are all available.

Please visit our Portfolio Series page for detailed information!


The Portfolio Class - Studio Arts Dallas

Our High School and College Portfolio Preparation classes continue to garner results. Barley Vogel, Studio Arts director, has created a safe space that allows art students to gather as they build relationships and continue their transformation into creative, successful, young-adult working artists.

For 25 years our studio has supported teens as they create individualized portfolios to successfully gain admission to Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, other local high schools and first-choice colleges and art schools.

Studio Arts Dallas - Portfolio Class

Pre-Portfolio Class

February-May

Starting every Spring semester and continuing twice a week until summer in June when The Portfolio Class begins. This class helps us all determine if charting a course for Booker T. is a wise investment for your family. Students learn to make art-on-demand and to finish assignments on a deadline – just like in high school. Learning to work on assignments at home after working on techniques in class becomes a primary focus. Another marker we introduce and consider is receiving instruction and participating in critique. We highly advise making this class a priority to achieve your teen’s goal to attend Booker T. Don’t miss this important pre-requisite to The Portfolio Class. We accept students 7th grade to 9th grade in this class.

The Portfolio Class

The Portfolio Class

June – February

Begins in early June and continues through late January or early February. The Portfolio Class offers a completely unique opportunity to young artists who wish to audition for admission to Booker T.  Over the past 25 years, we have coached more than 400 students who landed one of the few coveted spots in the visual arts cluster at the prestigious Dallas arts magnet. If a student does well at Booker T., they will find many opportunities for scholarship to the great art colleges and universities in this country and abroad.

We have come to understand The Portfolio Class as one of the most important offerings in our teaching practice. This class provides a private tutorial experience in a classroom setting. Please understand that this class is only for the art student who is serious about building an audition-ready portfolio. Our student placement success rate is fantastic, and for 25 years we are the only prep class recommended by Booker T.

The numbers: At Booker T. almost half the freshman class spaces are filled each year with Studio Arts Portfolio Class graduates. Close to 100% of in-district freshmen that complete our coursework have portfolios polished enough to enter the freshman class. It isn’t easy to become one of the forty five or so visual arts cluster freshmen accepted.

We prepare students on many levels. We teach them to draw correctly. We get them ready for the rigorous audition. Our students develop confidence in their own visual language which allows them to excel as artists as they mature.

To request detailed information on this class and to get on the list for the introductory parent meeting, please contact Barley Vogel, Portfolio Class lead instructor at studioartsregistrar@gmail.com. For testimonials, click here.

If you are not able to attend Pre-Portfolio Class, please set up an interview with us to join Portfolio Class.

Please note: if you miss a good part of the Summer during The Portfolio Class or join us late, expect to make up this missed time with private lessons.

For a sampling of student work please visit our Instagram hashtag, #theportfolioclass

Post Portfolio - Studio Arts Dallas

Post-Portfolio Class

February – May

Post-Portfolio Class is for students who complete Portfolio Class. It is a fun way to continue to enjoy studio time with friends! Starts in February each year.

Teens - Studio Arts Dallas

The Homework Class

Year Round

The Homework Class is open to any student attending or about to attend Booker T. who needs studio time and support completing assignments. We provide guidance, love, an assortment of future/current classmates and critique.

College Portfolio Prep, oil pastel, Studio Arts

College Portfolio Prep

Year Round

This class is for college-bound or gallery-bound artists who desire guidance and dedicated studio time. If you need an exceptional eye and expert critique to support your art process, while making work for your college admissions portfolio, you can find it here.  Please bring current portfolio and any specifics or guidelines provided by your college for entry. Private lessons and private critiques also available for extra support or if your schedule doesn’t allow for the class.


The Homework Class

The Homework Class is open to any student attending or about to attend Booker T. who needs studio time and support completing assignments. We provide guidance, love, an assortment of future/current classmates and critique. The Independent Study course is open to any teen from any school who needs studio time to work on independent projects in most mediums. Also good for College Portfolios! There are separate classrooms or kids can share a big room – your choice. Please email with any questions:  studioartsregistrar@gmail.com


Drawing from Observation

Classical Instruction accompanies experiences in figure drawing, still life, landscape and portraiture in this multi media drawing and painting class. A great resource for making work/preparing for college portfolios as most colleges wish to see strong work from observation and very few high school programs provide useful instruction in this area.


Wildlife Illustration

Drawing, Painting, Illustration focus. Classical techniques taught as you are offered assignments (in class and outside of class) that investigate observational approaches to honor the beloved plants/insects/animals and the landscapes they inhabit.

Explore different illustrative languages / techniques / approaches, all based on direct observation.

Traditions presented through historical and contemporary examples are used to help you develop a personal style of representing wildlife (includes our domestic beasties also).


College Portfolio Preparation for Art School

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