General registration

Students may register online, in-person or over the phone. Payment can be made online and in person by credit card (VISA or Mastercard) or by check. Tuition payment in full must be received at time of class registration to secure your placement in a class. Limited work-study opportunities and scholarships are available for students in need. Click here for more information about scholarships and our work-study program.

Is partial registration available?

No. So that students may best benefit from the sequential nature of our in-person 10 week classes, and online classes and workshops, WSS does not allow pro-rated or partial registrations.

Class make-ups

As of January 2019: WSS student enrollments and classroom size no longer permit WSS to offer make-up classes to students who miss a class. For students registered in a 10-week class, WSS offers one pass for a Drop-in Figure Drawing session for a missed class. Passes are limited to one pass per term, per student, irrespective of the number of classes missed. Unfortunately, WSS cannot offer passes to students enrolled in short classes or workshops.

Students should contact WSS Administration staff in writing at admin@washingtonstudioschool.org in order to request the pass.The pass will be valid for six months from the date of issuance and is non-transferrable. For online offerings: WSS does not record online classes or workshops, therefore students are urged to ensure they can attend all sessions prior to registration.

Tuition refunds

The WSS refund policy for online and outdoor classes and workshops is as follows: For classes– Withdrawal 14 days or more before the start of the class – full refund less a $10 administrative fee. Withdrawal 7 days or more before the start of the class or visiting artist workshop - 50% refund less a $10 administrative fee. For summer workshops, including visiting artist classes/workshops– Withdrawal 7 days or more before the start of the workshop – 100% tuition refund less $5 administrative fee. Withdrawal 6 days or less before the start of the workshop a refund will only be permitted if there is a waitlist for the workshop and someone else registers in your place. Otherwise, no refund will be given. For summer teen program– Due to the limited space in this program, registration is final and no refunds or withdrawals will be allowed except under the following circumstances: A severe illness of the student or death in the immediate family; A withdrawal request is made no later than 15 days before the start of the Program and another person registers in the student’s place. In this case, you will be refunded the tuition less $35 for administrative fees. If no other student registers, we regret that we are unable to issue a refund. ​ For artist demos– Withdrawal 7 days or more before the start of the demo – 100% refund.
All withdrawal requests must be made in writing to admin@washingtonstudioschool.org. WSS does not record any online classes or workshops and so regretfully, cannot offer make-ups or pro-rate registrations for missed classes or workshops.

WSS will only refund tuition for in-person offerings under the following circumstances:

School closures

Federal Holidays Washington Studio School is closed the following holidays: Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Classes do not meet the week of Thanksgiving. WSS will be closed from Tuesday, December 24, 2019 to Wednesday, January 1, 2020. Inclement Weather WSS weather closures follow the Federal government office closures. When the Federal government announces a delayed opening, WSS will open one hour late. Weekend cancellations will be determined by WSS and will be posted on our website. When classes are cancelled, WSS staff and instructors make every attempt to notify students by email or phone. Please make sure your contact information is current. Classes canceled by WSS due to inclement weather, instructor illness, or other reasons will have make-up classes scheduled.

Transportation and parking

There is limited metered and timed street parking available by the school in addition to daily and hourly car parks. Students are encouraged to use public transportation. The Dupont Circle Metro Station is 0.3 miles away and there are several bus routes that serve the neighborhood.

Recycling and eco-friendly practices

Please help WSS be as eco-friendly as possible. Please recycle plastic bottles, glass bottles and aluminum cans in the blue recycling bins located on each floor. Recycle paper and cardboard, and reuse or repurpose materials as much as possible. Paper towels, rags, palette paper and other items soiled with oil paints or acrylic paint must be placed in the red or yellow disposal cans located on each floor. To conserve energy use, temperatures are kept at a minimum of 70 degrees. Instructors may change the temperature if necessary. Students should not alter the set temperature.

Kitchen, drinking water, general building use

• A water cooler is located for your use in the basement next to the elevator.
• Please feel free to use the kitchen located in the basement. There is a refrigerator and microwave there for your use. Please be sure to clean up any spills in the microwave and clean up counters and tables after use.
• Please help WSS keep our building clean and pleasant for everyone’s use by properly discarding food and other trash, and keeping the restrooms clean.
• Please raise and lower window blinds with care to avoid damage to the blinds.
• Please fold and put easels back into their storage area at the end of each class.

Lockers, canvas drying racks, large drawing pads

Lockers are available for storing your materials free of charge for so long as you are registered for a class. The lockers are located in the basement. Please see administrative staff at the front desk to complete a registration form to reserve a locker. You may only use a combination lock on your locker and you must provide the combination to administrative staff. Use of other kinds of locks or failure to provide the combination to staff will result in the removal of the lock and loss of locker privileges. Wet canvases may be stored in drying racks located in the basement. Please be sure to mark your name on all stored canvases. Please remove canvases as soon as they are dry. Large drawing pads may be stored in the racks above the sink in the second floor drawing classroom. Please be sure to mark your name on all drawing pads. Please be sure to empty your locker at the end of the term, unless you are registering for a class in the next term. So that there is room for new paintings, please be sure to remove all canvases no later than the end of the term. Materials may not be left in the basement unless they are placed in a locker or drying rack. WSS is not responsible for loss of materials left outside of lockers. To prevent overcrowding, WSS may discard materials left in the basement that are not properly stored in a locker or drying rack.

The use of solvents and the use of sinks

Please follow signs posted in the classrooms and guidelines from your instructor for proper cleanup of paint and paint brushes. According to DC regulations, paint residue and cleaning fluids MUST NOT be poured into the sink. Brushes must be cleaned with a rag or paper towel before rinsing. Round metal self-closing trash cans are provided for disposal of these flammable trash items. Use all thinning fluids from a glass container with a lid and seal this product after every session. Only odorless solvents (such as Gamsol) and mediums may be used at WSS. Turpentine may not be used at any time. Liquin medium is discouraged due to its toxicity. For both acrylic and oil paints, you must thoroughly first clean your brushes with rags or paper towels. After removing as much paint as possible, you may use sinks located in the classrooms to wash your brushes with soap. Remember:

• Never put solvents down the sink
• Never clean brushes in bathroom sinks

Models

WSS employs professional adult models who pose nude in drawing, painting, and sculpture classes. Teens under the age of 18 must provide written parental permission to participate in WSS classes that use nude adult models. We request that you DO NOT photograph the models.

Non-discrimination, community involvement, and volunteerism

WSS is a non-profit organization whose day-to-day operations are run by a a small paid staff, board of directors and various volunteers. WSS welcomes students of all backgrounds and seeks to promote inclusion, diversity, and equity to all. WSS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. We offer classes to adults and teenagers (14 years of age and older). We encourage all students to become active participants in our community by volunteering for and attending free lectures, exhibit receptions, and other events held at the School. Your help with other activities would be very much appreciated – please talk with our Managing Director about other volunteer opportunities.

Suggestions and feedback

Your suggestions and feedback are always welcome. Please feel free to talk with faculty, staff, the Managing Director, or board members at any time.

Term schedules

Classes and workshops are offered during four terms/semesters each year. The 2020 schedule is as follows: Winter: January 20 - March 28 Spring: April 13 - June 22 Summer: June 30 - August 30 Fall: September 13 - December 16 Winter 2021 Term classes (5 and 10-weeks long) will begin on January 25, with workshops starting in early January. The schedule of classes and workshops is announced between six to eight weeks ahead of the term start.