Visual Arts   

Beyond beautiful flower arrangements, ikebana (“giving life to flowers”) is a contemplative practice firmly rooted in Japanese culture, aesthetics and philosophies of wabi sabi, simplicity, understated elegance and living harmoniously with nature. We will explore and practice the current expression of this graceful, ephemeral art by creating basic arrangements from simple miniatures to more advanced arrangements that can be reproduced and admired at home. Prerequisites: Participants must be able to use garden scissors to clip flowers and small branches and to carry flower containers and full water cans. Materials: Japanese kenzan (flower frog) and other common household items (list to be provided). Materials fee (payable to instructor): $25 for fresh flowers and other shared materials.

Bracelets are a quick and easy way to start beading using a bead loom! We will learn to set up the loom, make it work and select seed beads to make a simple pattern. Depending on progress, we may move into a choice of project formats. Prerequisites: Participants should have hand dexterity to work with fine threads, seed beads and a loom. Materials: Sharp thread scissors, additional beads. Materials fee (payable to instructor): $30 for tools, beads, cord and thread.

Start or expand your quilting journey by completing a sampler! We will complete three different types of quilt blocks (pieced, appliqué and paper-pieced) to make a table runner. We will then have the option of modifying our projects with additional blocks for a larger table runner or even a quilt. Prerequisites: Confident beginners are welcome; participants should have access to and ability to navigate a sewing machine. Note: Participants may choose to attend each week either in-person or online. Materials: Fabric, batting and backing; approximate cost: $50-100 if buying new.

We will be introduced to significant works of pre- and early modern architecture and urban design dating from the mid-19th through the early 20th centuries in the U.S. and in Europe. Richly illustrated lectures will include Eclecticism, the Industrial Revolution, Art Nouveau, Arts & Crafts and the Bauhaus. Major projects of leading architects will be explored including Louis Sullivan, H.H. Richardson, McKim Mead & White, Antonio Gaudí, Frank Lloyd Wright, Walter Gropius and more.

There are no rules in portraiture! Portraits can look very different depending on the artist, culture, materials, when they were made, the person represented or any number of factors. Through demonstrations, lectures and discussions, we will learn several hand-building skills, explore ways of expressing our ideas through clay and experiment with personal symbolism to tell a story. Prerequisites: This course is open to all artistic levels and will give each participant a new perspective to broaden their creativity. Materials: Pottery tool kit, serrated rib S10 (flexible), mop brushes (small, medium, large), calligraphy brush, apron, plastic bags; approximate cost: $25 if purchased new. Materials fee (payable to instructor): $15 for shared materials.

We will learn simple puppet-making to help us creatively interact with children in our lives without screen time! We will cover four types of simple puppets: paper-bag, sock, glove and stick. For the last class, we will stage a performance using the puppets we have made. Note: No hand- or machine-sewing is required. Materials: Glue, scissors, ruler and pencil. Materials fee (payable to instructor): $5 for shared supplies.

We will learn to create and print our own letterpress, collagraph and monotype prints, spending two weeks on each process and finishing with two separate printed editions and monotypes. We will experiment with matrices and brainstorm ways to incorporate print techniques into our home art-and-craft practices. Prerequisites: Participants should be able to stand for approximately one hour; please contact the instructor for accommodations. Materials: Two pads of Strathmore printmaking paper (5” x 7”); cost: approximately $15 if purchasing new. Materials fee (payable to instructor): $15 for shared materials.

By definition, bargello is a specialized, counted embroidery on canvas using long upright stitches and repeated designs. We will incorporate traditional bargello designs with four-way bargello, or mitered, patterns. Prerequisites: This course is not for beginners; participants must be able to follow a chart and have experience with needlepoint design and patterns. Materials: Canvas, stretcher bars, brass tacks, ruler, pencil, sharp scissors, needles and threads. Individual projects will be discussed with the instructor prior to the first class; approximate cost: $25-40 if buying new.

We will explore a different knitting technique each week including lace, mosaic, cables, mitred squares, brioche and entrelac. We will introduce the technique, practice it by starting a scarf and discuss other ways to use it. Prerequisites: This course is not for beginners; participants should have basic knitting skills including knit, purl, cast on, cast off, read and follow patterns. Materials: Needles and yarn according to individual preference; materials will be discussed at the first class.

We will work a heart design with 49 stitch patterns. We will learn many new linear designs and how to follow and count stitches. Materials list: Threads, needle, canvas, stretcher bars; approximate cost: $30-50 if buying new.

What is your personal experience when looking at art? Do you feel energized, inspired, curious, confused or even frustrated? We each have a different experience with art, and you do not have to be an art historian or have a guide to enjoy what you see. In this highly participatory course, we will learn to slow down, trust our eyes and reactions, use our knowledge and experiences to inform understanding, and work together as a small group to make meaning of one artwork each week. Note: Participants do not need to have taken part 1 of this course to enjoy part 2. Required textbook (read before the first class): Get the Picture: A Mind-Bending Journey Among the Inspired Artists and Obsessive Art Fiends Who Taught Me How to See by Bianca Bosker (2024), ISBN: 978-0525562207.

We will explore composition and camera techniques in and out of the classroom. Depending on weather, half of our time will be devoted to online discussions while the other half will be on parkway visits north to Craggy Gardens and/or Mt. Mitchell; east to Roaring Fork Falls and Little Switzerland; and south to Mt. Pisgah and Graveyard Fields. Prerequisites: Participants must know how to operate their camera. Materials: Digital camera such as digital single lens reflex, mirrorless or smartphone.