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This four week mini session is an exploration of expressive abstract techniques applied to silk. A contemporary approach to Batik, resulting in beautiful fine art for wall hangings or wearable scarves. Students will create dynamic abstract silk paintings inspired by the Abstract Expressionist movement. Working on a 22”x22” silk square suspended and stretched on a frame, students will combine soy wax layering and thickened dye to create whimsical and abstract painterly compositions. Influenced by many of the twentieth century abstract expressionist painters, this is an opportunity for participants to free themselves up to create intuitive, expressive and emotional art on silk. “Abstract Expressionism”, a modern art movement originating in New York in the 1940's after the second World War is characterized by spontaneous brushstrokes, large canvases, and vibrant colors. Some of the renowned artists of this era include Mark Rothco, Helen Frankenthaler, Hans Homan, Joan Mitchel and Lee Krasner among many others. This class takes inspiration from the radical approach to art taken in this era, sometimes referred to as "action painting" because of the physical movement one may feel in viewing some of these works. Students should bring paper towels and disposable gloves Supply fee of $25.00 payable to the instructor at the first class.

Enhance your child's tactile, critical thinking and communications skills with art! Your child will delve into several art mediums, Drawing, Painting, Sculpting, Forming, Collage and more, creating a well-rounded young artist and problem solver. The possibilities are endless!

CLASS CANCELED Learn to paint in acrylic in your own style and at your own pace in a relaxed and supportive atmosphere. Students will learn how to complete a painting from concept to completion, gaining understanding of composition, color mixing, brush handling, and more. We'll use techniques both traditional and nontraditional throughout this course. Students can continue developing their skills session after session, building on their artistic growth with this independent study based class. This class will meet for 5 weeks and is priced accordingly. Supplies included.

This class is for students at any level who would like to try handbuilding techniques. Although this is not a project based class, projects may be assigned to assist students in expanding their handbuilding skills. Great for beginners to advanced! Included in the price of your class is a 25lb bag of clay as well as 2.5 hours of open studio time per week, to be used immediately prior to your class time. Students may purchase 1 additional bag of clay from The Art Center over the course of the session. For a total of 50lbs maximum per session. Tool kits must be purchased by students and are available at most Dick Blick and Michaels stores.

Beginning students will learn the basic principles of ceramics, and explore throwing and trimming on the wheel. More advanced students will continue to develop their skills and concentrate on individual projects and expression. Included in the price of your class is a 25lb bag of clay as well as 2.5 hours of open studio time per week, to be used immediately prior to your class time. Students may purchase 1 additional bag of clay from The Art Center over the course of the session. For a total of 50lbs maximum per session. Tool kits must be purchased by students and are available at most Dick Blick and Michaels stores.

Campers will use a variety of art materials to create original work including watercolor and acrylic paints, chalk pastels, and collage. This age appropriate curriculum is based on a playful approach to art; teaching fine art techniques, art history, and building confidence. Your student will create a variety of 2D and 3D projects that truly shine! Created for kids in grades 2-5, held at The Art Center Children requiring a personal assistant or one-to-one (1:1) support must be accompanied by their direct support professional. Children can explore their creativity in our hands-on art camps. The Art Center camps introduce children to a wide range of art making techniques and medias, from watercolors to acrylic painting, drawing and so much more! You can rest assured your child is in a supervised, creative environment making art and new friends.

This ALL LEVEL sculpting class will focus on shapes, textures, and colors that make up the world around us and how to interpret them through clay. We will use the basics of handbuilding (coil, pinch, and slab techniques) to explore and expand your observational creativity. Strategies and techniques for completion, enhancing your creations through carving, surface treatments and techniques will be presented. This class is not project based. Students are encouraged to choose the type of sculpture or functional work would like to create. Included in the price of your class is a 25lb bag of clay. Open studio hours will begin at 4pm on the day of your class. Students may purchase 1 additional bag of clay from The Art Center over the course of the session. For a total of 50lbs maximum per session. Tool kits must be purchased by students and are available at most Dick Blick and Michaels stores.

In the U.S., one in eight women will develop invasive breast cancer. Most will undergo treatments that significantly affect both their physical and emotional well-being. While support groups, therapy, and meditation are available, there are few spaces focused on fun, joy, and creative play. That's where the "Let's Play to Beat Breast Cancer" project comes in. This low cost program, offered through local art centers, community centers, and volunteer artists, provides a stress-free environment where women affected by breast cancer can create art through play. Here, participants are invited to let go of pressure and perfection, and instead, reconnect with lightness, imagination, and beauty; discovering moments of relief, joy, and new beginnings within themselves. "My friend Linda was the inspiration behind the “Let’s Play to Beat Breast Cancer” project. When she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, I invited her to come paint and play with me in the studio. It was during those sessions that I witnessed firsthand the incredible healing power of play and creativity. In just two hours, I watched her transform. She might arrive in tears, heavy with emotion, but as we played and painted together, her entire energy shifted. She began to smile, to laugh. The weight of everything she was going through seemed to lift, if only for a little while. By the end of each session, she was glowing with joy, with pride in the artwork she had created, and with a renewed sense of herself. She had found refuge, a spark of joy, a moment of peace. This is what I want to offer to other women facing breast cancer: a space to breathe, to create, a spark of joy, a moment of peace, and to feel alive." - Françoise Lama-Solet "When I was diagnosed and became really sick, I was also caring for my ill family members. I was overwhelmed. Then you looked at me and said, ‘You need to come, play, and paint with me—just come and play.’ So, I did. We painted, played, and laughed. In those moments, the weight I was carrying and my stress lifted. You told me, ‘Breathe, have fun, just do it.’ And I did. Those sessions gave me a new perspective. I discovered a creative side I didn’t know I had. I’m still painting today. It became a healing process. I found myself through it. I’m a different person now, less stressed, more at peace. And when I feel stressed, I go to my easel and paint. Not only did you help me, but you also helped bring out my husband’s creativity too.” - Linda

Anime is a highly distinctive style of cartoon drawing which originated in Japan and enjoys immense worldwide popularity. Anime are the characters appearing in manga which are Japanese graphic novels and comic strips. There are a wide variety of manga appropriate for children through adult readers. Manga characters are instantly recognizable by their large eyes, highly stylized hair, fashionable clothing and overall expressive quality. Beginning with simple step by step drawings, students will learn facial expression, body proportions, and coloring techniques. Students will create and develop detailed colored drawings of at least two characters that will be used in the creation of their own manga. Projects change from one session to the next. Includes all supplies. Please note: This session is scheduled to run for 5 weeks and is priced accordingly.

Learn different bead weaving techniques and fall in love with seed beads! We will work on different techniques from Spiral Rope to Peyote Stitch, Herringbone Stich to Right Angle Weave and Triangle Weave. We will be working with seed beads, triangle beads, Czech fire polished beads and Swarovski crystals. You can bring your beads, or all the supplies and kits will be available for purchase.

Art Education Provider, Kathleen Brown, talks about Public Art Mural and the idea of balancing your own artistic vision with the space and community you are making work in. We talk about different concepts and then have the students come up with keywords that connect to their concept. Students then begin to sketch ideas on blank paper - when they are ready to go to the design phase they sketch on the design page where there is an outline of a wall and a van to see how the image translates. (30 min) Once students have completed the concepting and design phase we have a 15 minute introduction to the VR Kingspray App where students can get a feel for the controls and prompts in the application. We discuss how this application has real world rules - there is no undo, you can apply more paint or choose a different space. (15 min) Students receive the VR headsets and are fitted - they are told to remain in the boundaries for safety. Students then are told to translate their design for the Public Art Mural to a space in the game which gives a multitude of Urban environments to paint on. (10 min) Full VR time to paint - 30min - 1hr depending on time allotted for the workshop and how long individual students feel comfortable in VR - some people get headaches. Optional Share Time - If we have good internet connection I can cast students' creations and we will be able to see what they created and they can take photos of the murals. That's a wrap! VR Headsets supplied by Futures Lab, concentration music will be played during VR sessions. Rolling chairs will be provided for students who want to remain seated but still create in 360. Registration open to students in grades 7-12

IMPRESSIONIST FLOWERS IN SOY WAX BATIK This four week mini session is an exploration of expressive abstract techniques applied to silk. A contemporary approach to Batik, resulting in beautiful fine art for wall hangings or wearable scarves. Students will employ a loose, abstract and painterly approach in rendering floral imagery on silk. Working on a 22"x22" silk square suspended and stretched on a frame, students will be influenced and inspired by the French impressionist painters and their floral bouquets, sprays and fields of flowers. Participants may bring a collection of floral photos as reference, or refer to available images provided by the instructor. Absolutely no painting or drawing experience necessary! When considering the French Impressionist painters, one may think of Renoir with his vases of roses or chrysanthemums, or sunflowers in a vase by Monet. Mary Cassettes’ Lilacs in a Window are a loosely rendered interpretation of lilacs. Florals have been a popular subject of painters throughout history, they are almost a textural element in an abstract painting. In this class we will explore how to use soy wax batik to render impressionistic and abstracted interpretations of flowers. Students should bring paper towels and disposable gloves. Supply fee: $20.00 payable to the instructor at the first class covers all other supplies. Class must meet min of 4 students by August 29th to run.