New School Art School: Seattle Artist League Puts People First
The new Northgate school offers flexible, community-centric art classes
By Megan Toal February 21, 2018
This article originally appeared in the February 2018 issue of Seattle magazine.
This article appears in print in the February 2018 issue. Click here to subscribe.
Artist Ruthie V. and City Catering owner Lendy Hensley met as teacher and student a few years ago at an oil painting class at the Pratt Fine Arts Center and quickly formed a close friendship, bonding over a love of art and the energy of the creative community.
Inspired by their shared values, the two formed the Seattle Artist League (Northgate, 10219 Aurora Ave. N; 206.483.9749) in 2016, calling it a “people come first” art school.
How is it different than nonprofit art centers like Pratt or Gage? Its founders see art as a shared activity and put students at the center of their approach to teaching. The one-and-a-half- to four-hour courses take the pressure off of creating perfect artwork; instead, students focus on experimenting with individual styles with the support and fellowship of classmates.
Classes range from figure drawing sessions ($14 per session) to six- to eight-week courses, such as portrait painting ($310), and are offered by a staff of artists and art academics in the morning, afternoon and evening hours to accommodate busy professionals, so that anyone with an interest in art—and connecting with others with similar goals—can pursue their dream.
Follow Us
From the Emergency Room to ‘The Pitt’
Bellevue-raised nurse Ned Brower brings real-life experience to one of TV’s most medically accurate dramas.
HBO’s The Pitt, now in its second season, has distinguished itself as one of television’s most realistic medical dramas, earning awards like an Emmy and Golden Globe for Best Drama Series. The show has received widespread praise for its clinical accuracy and emotional intensity. Created by ER alums Noah Wyle, John Wells, and R. Scott…
Nord-West Connection
Food for thought.
There has always been a strong connection between Seattle and the Nordic countries, and the National Nordic Museum’s current exhibition, New Nordic: Cuisine, Aesthetics and Place, is a visual reinforcement straight from Norway. A cross-disciplinary show exploring how New Nordic Cuisine—a culinary movement that developed in Scandinavia in the early 2000s that focuses on using…
Black History Month in Seattle
Events, landmarks, and businesses to support year-round.
Black pioneers first arrived in Seattle in the mid-19th century. The city’s earliest known African American resident was Manuel Lopes, who arrived in 1852 from Cabo Verde. A couple of decades later, African Americans began migrating to the Pacific Northwest from Southern states to work in coal mines. During this period, two Black enclaves began…
A New Year of Influence
Seattle magazine’s Most Influential list kicks off 2026 with leaders across the city.
New year, new issue! As we kick off 2026, Seattle magazine is proud to present this year’s cohort of the Most Influential list, which showcases local leaders in politics, philanthropy, arts, hospitality, and business. Determined, creative, empathetic, humble, and bold are just a few of the words you’ll see describing them—each one has achieved great…