Join Our Life Drawing Classes

Every Tuesday and Wednesday | 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM | $21 per session

For 16 years, our untutored life drawing classes have been a staple in Melbourne CBD, welcoming all levels of artists. Join our casual weeknight classes.
 

• All Skill Levels Welcome: Our untutored classes are open to all. 
• Materials Provided: We provide paper, drawing boards, charcoal and pencils. 
• Relaxed Environment: Feel free to bring food and drinks. Wine and beer are available by donation.
• Arrival Time: The venue opens at 6:30 PM. Please arrive before 7:00 PM.

Dates

Location

Get directions

Coates Community Arts
Suite 6, Level 4, 20 Collins Street, Melbourne Victoria 3000

Coates Community Arts is in the Coates Building. We are situated on Collins Street, between Spring and Exhibitions Streets. Enter the building, take a lift to level 4, and walk to your left. Coates Community Arts is at the end of the hall. Look for the window signage: 'Federation of Chinese Associations.'

Getting Here

Tram: 
#8 Spring Street/Collins Street (free tram zone)
Trams: 11, 12, 48, and 109 at the door
Train: 
Parliament Station (140 metres from the venue)
Bike and Scooter Parking: 
Collins Street
Bicycles and electric scooters are not permitted inside the venue.
Car Parking: 
Undercover Secure Parking on Little Collins Street.
2-hour ticketed street parking on Collins, Exhibition, and Spring Streets. 
If you don't mind a 5-minute walk, take advantage of free street parking at Fitzroy Gardens from 6:30 PM on weeknights. 

Meet Our Facilitator

Louise (Lou) Klerks is a passionate contributor to the arts. In 2024, she was awarded a Lord Mayor's Small Business Achievement Award for her longstanding commitment to the life drawing community. She founded her life drawing class in 2008 at No Vacancy Gallery. In 2011, she co-founded and directed a non-profit window gallery, Chapter House Lane, curating the entire program from 2011 to 2018. In 2016, Lou moved her life drawing class to the Nicholas Building, where she established Missing Persons, a multi-arts space. Lou closed Missing Persons in late 2023, and launched Coates Community Arts in the following months. 

Coates Community Arts is the first and only arts space in the Coates Building, a predominantly medical building at 20 Collins Street. For over 15 years, Lou has taken great pleasure in establishing art spaces and facilitating life drawing classes. She believes that her life drawing classes are a great place to meet like-minded people, build connections in the arts community, and benefit from a sense of social wellbeing. Lou is proud to work with a range of highly skilled and professional life models who are central to this small operation. 

Tickets, Exchanges, Refunds

Please let us know if you have a ticket and cannot attend. An exchange or refund will be issued if you request it via email before 1:00 pm on the day of your booked class. If your email request is for a change of date, please include the new class date in the email. Email us at hello@coatescommunityarts.com. If your cancellation is last-minute or sent via social media, we will not exchange or refund your ticket. The best thing to do is gift it to a colleague or friend.


Life Drawing 16th Anniversary Class Exhibition 

From 14-16 November, we celebrate our 16th anniversary with a special pop-up class exhibition. The exhibition will take place at Coates Community Arts. This is a free event. All are welcome. 

See the exhibition: 14 November, 6-8pm, 15 November, 12-6pm, 16 November 11am-4pm


Frequently Asked Questions

• Do I need to book? It’s a good idea to book in advance. If we have seats available, we are happy to accept walk-ins. We accept payment in cash or EFT at the door. Before walking in, check our trybooking page to ensure that the class is not already full. Our class capacity is 30(ish) people. We will always do our best to accommodate you. 
• The class I want to attend is sold out; do you have a waiting list? Yes, follow the prompts to purchase a ticket on trybooking. If the class is fully booked, an option to join a waiting list will appear. If a space becomes available for you, we'll let you know.
• How much is the class? We have casual classes for $21 per session. This cost includes our art materials, butcher paper, and drawing boards.
• What do I need to bring? Some extra dollars if you fancy a glass of wine or beer by donation. We accept cash and EFT. BYO is fine too! We provide drawing materials, boards, and paper (this is included in your ticket price).
• I've never drawn before, is this going to be an issue? Our classes are structured but untutored. Please give it a go. There's no judgment here.
• How long is the class? The class is 2 hours from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. Our doors open at 6:30pm. Please come early but don’t be late. We suggest that you arrive at least 5 minutes before 7:00pm so you can get ready for the class. If you need to leave before 9:00pm, we have a break from 8:00pm to 8:20pm. This is a good time to sneak away.
• I purchased a ticket and cannot attend, what do I do? We are more than happy to refund and exchange tickets if we receive an email request from you by 1:00pm on the day of your booked class. Scroll up to the section about 'Tickets, Exchanges, Refunds' to learn more.
• I'm under 18, can I attend the classes? Of course, but don't drink alcohol in our class. If your parent or guardian wants to make contact with our organiser, they can email Lou, and she is happy to exchange phone numbers and be of assistance.
• Is the venue wheelchair accessible? Unfortunately, no. The after-hours entrance to the Coates Building is 70cm wide. It is a glass door that opens outwards (towards the street) and is manually operated. The Coates Building has no accessible toilets. We have made repeated requests to the building's management to make these improvements. 
• Can I bring my electric scooter or bicycle to the class? No. We don't have storage space for them in our drawing room.
• How do I know who is modelling? You can see who is modelling on the calendar on our website. You can also check Facebook or Instagram 

Contact Us

For any further questions, please contact us at hello@coatescommunityarts.com 

Stay connected with the class. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram 

Contact Event Organiser