A group of about 10 women poured wine, mixed paints and kicked off the first class at the new Austin Area ArtWorks Center Monday night.

Though still under construction, Krystal Lennie taught Uncork and Create, a painting class at the center, which is set to open in August before the ArtWorks Festival.

“It’s very exciting,” said Jennie Knoebel, the executive director of the Austin Area Commission for the Arts.

The class was small with eight students, but Knoebel described it as a good trial run before the center’s official grand opening in August and before larger classes get underway

With wine and painting classes becoming more popular, Knoebel said they may look to put a different spin on them in the future. Once it’s open, the center also plans to offer children’s classes.

The Austin Area Commission for the Arts will have another person to help make the various classes a reality.

ArtWorks intern Grace Heimsness will soon be hired as the full time education and marketing coordinator.

For July and August, Heimsness will continue to focus on the 2014 Austin ArtWorks Festival, but then she’ll shift her focus to organizing classes and working on the group’s social media presence.

Along with overseeing classes and helping out, Heimsness was excited that she’ll get to help shape the new position.

“I get to make it what I want [it]to be,” she said.

Grace, who has a creative writing background, may also lead writing classes. She recently led a writing class at the Austin Public Library.