Media and Visual Arts short-term training courses and workshops provided concentrated career-related learning opportunities for artists, technicians and other cultural workers. Most courses were designed for self-employed people with limited time, who needed to upgrade their practical skills in a particular hardware or software application for them to earn more of their living directly from their art practice.

Courses were designed as stand-alone learning opportunities. Participants were encouraged, however, to attend one or more courses to upgrade their skills in preparation for application to longer Banff Centre work study/practicum programs.

Participants were also able to combine courses with production opportunities, through a self-directed residency in Media and Visual Arts. After completing a course, artists could work in the Centre’s studios and facilities and put their new skills to immediate use in their work.

In the Introduction to Adobe Photoshop: Part 2 course (with instructor Douglas Smith), participants learned digital photographic techniques using this popular image processing program in an intensive, hands-on computing situation emphasizing their own imagery. Participants were encouraged to bring their own original or stock images on Photo-CD. All participants had the chance to produce colour output on paper and 35mm transparency for discussion in class. This course would have been of interest to people who are familiar with photography or design and layout and were evaluating the potential of the digital revolution in their own image making career. Prerequisite: Intermediate or advanced Macintosh experience or completion of Photoshop Part 1.