Every day someone new discovers the Washington Studio School. For more than 35 years, Washington Studio School has believed in the power of art education to change lives. For years, WSS was largely run by a dedicated group of part-time staff and volunteers who have shaped the distinctive community we are today. Today, WSS is a financially strong organization and a dynamic hub for artists of all skill levels and walks of life who come together to study art in an accessible and welcoming environment.
Our vision of "drawing the artist out in everyone," shapes our distinctive studio-based curriculum, numerous free programs, rotating exhibitions, and financial aid programs organized throughout the year. WSS now serves more than 3,500 students and visitors from across the District and the region.
As a tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization, Our fee-based income only covers about 60% of the costs of keeping our class offerings affordable, programs free, equipment in good shape, and talented faculty and professional staff on board. The remaining 40% of our budget comes from the generosity of individual, foundation and corporate donors as well as grantmakers to help support our ambitious programs.
How have WSS and the arts sustained you over the last year?
Support our future by making a gift.
Thanks to your support, WSS successfully turned the multiple challenges of the pandemic into an exciting new chapter in our school’s history. A mix of online, outdoor, and in-person courses and public programs sparked new connections between students, faculty, visiting artists, and the community at large throughout the DC area, across the country, and around the world.
Virtual programming has produced unexpected benefits by making our programs accessible to more people of varying abilities and by allowing us to re-envision how we engage with our community, visiting artists, and the general public.
But we still need your help to support our staff and make further progress on engaging broader communities reflective of the District. As a student, visitor, and supporter, you are at the core of what makes all of our current and future work possible. When you take a class or workshop, attend a public program and share what you do at WSS with others, you are supporting our mission and vision to make Washington Studio School a place where people come together to grow, explore and learn together.
Join us by making a contribution today. You will champion our excellent faculty and staff, and help sustain, strengthen and broaden our programs.
2021/2022 IMPACT
+2,000
Students and
Visitors
91
classes
AND
WORKSHOPS
17
ARTISTS
EXHIBITED
+10
FREE
Public
pROGRAMS
+$5,800
IN scholarshiPs
AND
WORKSTUDY
OPPORTUNITIES
AWARDED
Thank you!
On behalf of all of us at WSS, thank you for your generosity and for being a part of our future! We are where we are today because of the financial generosity and volunteerism of our community. To view a list of our generous supporters, CLICK HERE.
QUESTIONS?
Email board@washingtonstudioschool.org.
More Ways to Give
Interested in making a sustaining contribution? Click the button below to learn more about ways you can give by joining one of our Giving Circles, making a sustaining monthly contribution, or a qualified charitable distribution.
Washington Studio School is a tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization, Tax ID 52-1345165. Your gift is tax-deductible to the extent fully allowed by law.
View Our FY2021
Annual Report
Read about highlights from this past year, view artwork featuring WSS students, and learn more about our plans for the coming year.
To view a full-sized version of the report, click on the button below.
What Our Students Say About Us
RACHEL HEISS ARTIST & ILLUSTRATOR / WORK-STUDY PARTICIPANT
"Taking courses at WSS made me feel like an art student again. My instructors taught me everything from
foundational skills such as setting up a palette and color-mixing, to more complex skills, strategies and thought
processes. Their courses helped me dust off the artistic cobwebs and gain confidence as a painter. I have a
deeper connection with the school because of my time spent as a work-study participant. WSS has outstanding
teachers, staff members, donors, and students, and I'm happy to be a part of their community."
SERENA MARTIN ILLUSTRATOR and DESIGNER
"I am a self-taught Washington, DC-based watercolor illustrator and stationery designer, and I began taking
classes at Washington Studio School in June 2018. I can tell that my skill level as an artist has improved
since taking classes, but also my appreciation for art history and ways of looking at art. The community of teachers, students, artists, and volunteers also provides a warm and welcoming environment. The teachers I have taken classes with are all phenomenal. They not only teach students the foundations, but they also show students new ways to look at their surroundings, subjects, and how art responds and captures what we feel and see. It is a truly comprehensive art education and experience!"
