Our 1- and 2-day workshops offer a taste of something new and a little digging deep, while teaching artists from around the country provide in-depth exploration for the benefit of our instructors, advanced students, and curious learners during Visiting Artist Workshops.
Visiting Artists Workshops
Traditional Water Gilded Panel Workshop / Visiting Artist Workshop
Charles Douglas / Studio 6
August 5 – 7
9am-4pm / 3 Days
$495 / Members: $475
Immerse yourself in a hands-on class on traditional water gilding as used for early Florentine Gilded Egg Tempera Panel Paintings. Suitable for students working in oils and acrylics, they will learn to water gild a panel board that can later be painted on or simply left fully gilded and embellished. Students will learn each step of the ancient traditional water gilding method including sizing the board with rabbit skin glue and fine linen, preparing and applying gesso and clay bole, gilding and burnishing genuine 23kt gold leaf, and achieving those mysterious decorative incised lines and punchwork in the gilded surface known as granito. Use of studio gilding tools is provided for students during class. Tuition includes the $75 materials fee to cover a panel board approximately 8”x10”, one book of 23k gold leaf, and gesso and bole materials used in class. Charles Douglas has 40 years of experience as a gilder specializing in traditional water gilding, oil gilding, glass gilding, and 24kt gilded panels. He has also conducted classes and demonstrations through various organizations including the Seattle Art Museum, Cornish College of the Arts, Bellevue Art Museum, the PPFA, Pacific Science Center, and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.
Summer
FISH TALES
Deborah Mattson / Print Studio
Sat 6/11
12-4pm / One Day
$70 / Members: $50
Get ready for the summer fishing season with this combination of two f ish-themed projects. First, students will employ the Japanese printmaking technique of gyotaku to make relief fish prints, using the Print Studio’s collection of cast rubber fish. Next, learn how to use the prints to make a Fishbone book that looks like a fish skeleton when viewed from above. Take home a book and some extra prints.
WATERCOLOR AND MORE IN THE OUTDOORS
Susan Badger / Location to be determined
Mon 6/6
10am – 3pm / 1-day
Prerequisite: Drawing and/or Watercolor experience
$90 / Members: $70
While experiencing the beauty of southwest Michigan, students will work en plein-air (outdoors!). We’ll create loose and expressive studies at a variety of local sites, learning to focus on composition and yet freely interpret our subjects. Locations and directions will be given upon registration.
PAINTING WITH COLORED PENCILS
Karen Matson / Multi-Purpose Room
Sat 7/16
9 am to 4 pm / One Day
Prerequisite: Beginning Drawing or equivalent
$100 / Members: $80
Learn to create painterly effects very quickly with colored pencils using Prismacolor Art Stix and solvents. You’ll cover large areas of the illustration board with dramatic intense colors in minutes. Photo references will be available to choose as subjects. The Illustration board will be available for purchase at the beginning of class. All other supplies will be provided.
INTRO TO TORCH FIRED ENAMELING
Deb Flook / Jewelry Studio
Sat 6/18
1 – 4pm / One Day
Prerequisite: Beginning Jewelry or equivalent
$70 / Members: $50
Kilns aren’t the only way to enamel! This introductory workshop will begin with how to set up a torch enameling workstation and what tools are required and will quickly move into how to add enamel to your work. How to coat headpins, flat and curved surfaces, beads, and more will be covered. All materials provided with additional available for purchase.
PMC – PRECIOUS METAL CLAY – FINE SILVER
Linda Kekic / Jewelry Studio
Sat 6/25
10am-3pm / One day
$130 / Members: $110
Explore precious metal clay and make a variety of beautiful pieces of jewelry. PMC is a metal material mixed with an organic binder that is shaped by hand and f ired in a kiln. In this class you will create several pieces of jewelry including earrings, pendants, beads, charms, embellishments, and torch fire PMC slip-on sheet metal. We will create individual molds to make multiples and learn how to set a small faceted stone. All materials provided with additional available for purchase.
NATURE FORAGING AND SCULPTURE-MAKING WORKSHOP
Brent Harris / Kalamazoo Nature Center
Fri-Sat 6/24-6/25
6:30-9pm / Two days
$75 / Members: $55
Artists such as Deborah Butterfield and Andy Goldsworthy use natural elements in their work. Discussions will be about nature-oriented work as well as the creative ways to use animals and insects as found objects. As a group, we’ll hike along the Nature Center’s trails and collect objects to bring back for sculpture-making. Foraging bags will be provided. At the Nature Center, participants will convene at the deck (weather permitting) to assemble the works. Artists will have access to glue guns, hemp twine, hand tools, and other elements to bring their works together.
ENCAUSTIC EXPLORATION NIGHT OUT
Laurie Pruitt and Mary Whalen / Studio 6
Fri 6/10
6-9pm / One day
$90 / Members: $70
Experience the beauty of the encaustic wax medium and process. Learn to apply the encaustic wax medium, starting small with trading card-sized panels. A variety of techniques will be demonstrated including photo transfers, selective coloring, and collage. All materials and equipment provided including panels, paint, medium, and brushes.
3-D GLASS SCULPTURE
Linda Kekic / Studio 6
Sun 6/19
1-4:30pm / One day
Prerequisite: $90
/ Members: $110
Explore fused glass and create a 3-D glass art sculpture. Work with beautiful, transparent, and opaque glass; frit; stringer; shards; and confetti to design a two-piece free-standing sculpture. Learn to design, cut, and saw glass. Learn about fused glass properties and firing techniques. A materials packet is included. Additional materials are available for purchase as needed.
GLASS PANEL AND CANDLE SHIELD-FUSED GLASS
Linda Kekic / Studio 6
Sun 7/17
1-4:30pm / One day
$110 / Members: $90
Explore fused glass and create two pieces: a glass art panel suitable for framing or displaying on a stand and a slumped candle shield. Work with transparent and opaque glass, frit, stringer, shards, and confetti to design your two pieces. Students will also have the option of including metallic elements, glass paints, enamels, and fiber paper. Learn to layout, cut, grind, and saw glass along with fused glass properties and firing techniques. Material packet included. Additional materials are available for purchase as needed.
KITCHEN SINK LITHOGRAPHY
Deborah Mattson / Printmaking Studio
Sat 7/16
10am-4pm / One day
$95 / Members: $75
Learn how to make lithographs at home with common household materials. This printing method can be used to print on paper, cloth, even balloons! Bring some simple images you would like to reproduce and lunch.
INDIGO DYEING
Gretchen Huggett / Multi-Purpose Classroom
Sat 6/11
10am-4pm / One day
$90 / Members: $70
Take a day and immerse yourself in the color blue. Learn the care and feeding of natural indigo dye pots plus the instant gratification of pre-reduced indigo. Two silk scarves will be provided with the course plus other blank items will be available for purchase. Stitched and clamped resists will be demonstrated, as well as other resist techniques. A materials list will be provided upon enrollment.
MACRAME SAMPLING
Emily Wohlscheid / Weaving Studio
Sat 6/25
11 am-3pm / One day
$75 / Members: $55
Learn the basics of macrame through practical projects for home and on the go. Students will learn the foundational knots of macrame by creating a keychain and hanging plant holder. The addition of beads and macrame hoops for embellishment and structure will also be covered. All materials provided.
INTRO TO EMBROIDERY
Emily Wohlscheid / Weaving Studio
Sat 7/2
1 - 4 p.m. / One day
$60 / Members: $40
Practice basic stitches to create embroidered masterpieces. This workshop will introduce students to several simple embroidery techniques to bring images on cloth to life through texture and color with thread. All materials provided.
WEEKEND CRASH COURSE: HOW TO SPIN YARN.
Emily Wohlscheid / Weaving Studio
Sat/Sun 7/23-24
12-4pm / Two days
$130 / Members: $110
In this intensive weekend course, beginners will learn the basics of creating yarn by hand including spinning, plying, and setting their finished yarns. Wheels for student use will be available. All materials will be provided.
TOOLING TOOLS
Lauren Tripp / Jewelry Studio
Sat 6/11
10am – 12pm / One Day
$55 / Members: $35
Come learn during this one day intensive workshop how to resurface your steel tools. Students will learn how to both add texture and shape to their tools and also learn how to resurface their tools and bring back the shine. Students are encouraged to bring one tool of their own they would like to work on.
ENCAUSTIC EXPLORATION / NIGHT OUT
Laurie Pruitt and Mary Whalen / Studio 6
Fri 6/10
6 – 9 pm / One Day
$90 / Members: $70
Experience the beauty of the encaustic
wax medium and process. Learn to apply
the encaustic wax medium, starting small
with trading card-sized panels. A variety of
techniques will be demonstrated including
photo transfers, selective coloring, and
collage. All materials and equipment
provided including panels, paint, medium,
and brushes.