Upcoming Classes
Summer Camps!
Join our exciting theatre and visual art camps perfect for all ages! Kids can dive into musical theatre, acting, dancing, drawing, painting, mixed-media, and more in our vibrant theatre and art camps. New mix and match options! Combine a half-day of theatre with a half-day of art for a full day of creativity and fun. Ages 5-18
La Foret – Art and Acting in the Forest
Enjoy an outstanding arts education with instructors from the Fine Art Center’s Bemis School of Art set in the lush forest at the 400-acre La Foret Conference and Retreat Center. Stretch your imagination! Experience a variety of artistic styles and techniques, including painting, printmaking, and mixed-media art while exploring elements of composition and design. Cultivate your acting skills, voice, movement, and characterization with theatre games, mime, and improvisation. Art and acting will come together on Fridays with a special showcase performance and art exhibit for friends and family. Ages 6-11
Monday-Friday @ 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
June 9-June 13 ($390/$410)
Instructor: Jodi Papproth, Bemis Instructors
Monday-Friday @ 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
June 16-June 20 ($390/$410)
Instructor: Jodi Papproth, Bemis Instructors
Monday-Friday @ 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
June 23-June 27 ($390/$410)
Instructor: Jodi Papproth, Bemis Instructors
Monday-Friday @ 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
July 7-July 11 ($390/$410)
Instructor: Jodi Papproth, Bemis Instructors
Monday-Friday @ 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
July 14-July 18 ($390/$410)
Instructor: Jodi Papproth, Bemis Instructors
Monday-Friday @ 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
July 21-July 25 ($390/$410)
Instructor: Jodi Papproth, Bemis Instructors
Kids Clay Camp
Get ready to shape your imagination at Clay Camp! This hands-on camp is perfect for young artists eager to explore the world of clay and ceramics. Over the week, you will learn techniques to create unique sculptures, functional pieces, and imaginative artworks. At Clay Camp, you will build confidence, develop new skills, and have fun while making lasting friendships. Join us for a week of creativity, exploration, and the joy of working with clay! Ages 9-12
Clay Camp
Dive into the art of ceramics! This immersive camp is designed for teens eager to explore the world of clay and unleash their creativity. You will learn a variety of techniques to create unique sculptures, functional pieces, and artistic expressions. Enhance your skills, build confidence, and connect with fellow young artists in a supportive environment. Join us for a week of creativity, exploration, and the transformative power of working with clay! Ages 12-16
Partner Wheel Throwing
Join a friend or loved one for a unique night of creative excitement. You and your partner will learn the basics of wheel throwing on a pottery wheel through this hands-on and guided experience that covers the steps of preparing, centering, and throwing your very own clay vessel to cherish for years to come. Your handmade creations will be clear-glazed and fired for you to pick up 2-3 weeks after your workshop. Adults
Painting Forest Friends
We will learn how to draw and paint different animals that you might find hiding away in the forest! We will look at various elements and principles of design to bring our paintings to life. You will be introduced to three-dimensional form and shadowing using acrylic medium, how different brushes and mark making can create the illusion of different textures, how to blend color, and much more! Ages 9-12
Create a Holiday Film
We will learn how to shoot a compelling video on your phone, exploring various angles and techniques giving your video a cinematic feel. You will also learn how to seamlessly edit your clips together with the editing app, InShot. Finally, we will discuss when it is time to put the phone down to enjoy the moment. Learn how to capture the joy of the holidays and edit a cinematic film to treasure for years to come. Adults
Monday @ 12-3 p.m.
December 2 ($62/$77)
Instructor: Lauren Ferrara
Line and Watercolor
Bring the line work of drawing and the luminosity of watercolor together in an inspiring and addictive way. Layer sections of color, draw first and drop in paint, or experiment by throwing paint randomly and allowing it to speak to you. Matched or mismatched the results will add interest and movement to your painting. The choice is always yours. There will be a 30-minute lunch break, so please bring food and drink. Ages 16-Adult
Pins, Pendants, Ornaments
Explore the medium of powdered glass fused to metal at high heat to make enameled pins, pendants, or simple ornaments. You will choose from several pre-cut copper shapes and learn basic enameling techniques: cleaning the metal; applying powdered glass (enamels) using several techniques; firing at 1,450 degrees and building up layers of colors and designs. You will leave with several pieces and an understanding of enameling. There will be a short break, so please bring food and drink. Ages 16-Adult
Member Moments: Wheel Throwing Basics
Learn the basics of wheel throwing on a pottery wheel through this hands-on and guided experience that covers the steps of preparing, centering, and throwing clay. This BRAND-NEW series of workshops designed exclusively for our members to experience all the Fine Arts Center has to offer! Member Moments art classes allow our members to get a taste of various art media before diving into a full art class at Bemis School of Art. Whether you’re a beginner or have some experience, we invite you to discover new skills, express your creativity, and connect with fellow art enthusiasts. Ages 16-Adult
Thursday @ 5:30-7 p.m.
January 9 ($10)
Instructor: Jeremiah Houck
Food + Function: Farm to Fork
Experience a one-of-a-kind evening where local flavors and artisan craftsmanship come together in perfect harmony. Delight in a four-course meal prepared by the chefs of Bon Appétit, featuring ingredients from local partners, bringing fresh, sustainable ingredients straight from these beloved businesses to your table. Dinner will be served with wine. The meal will be served on handmade pottery, beautifully crafted by the artists at the Bemis School of Art. Best of all, you'll take home your own custom entree and dessert plates as a keepsake of this experience. Ages 21+
Member Moments: Acrylic Animal Portraits
Join us for an introduction to learning how to paint your favorite animals or pets, and/or imaginary creatures using acrylic paints. This BRAND-NEW series of workshops designed exclusively for our members to experience all the Fine Arts Center has to offer! Member Moments art classes allow our members to get a taste of various art media before diving into a full art class at Bemis School of Art. Whether you’re a beginner or have some experience, we invite you to discover new skills, express your creativity, and connect with fellow art enthusiasts. Ages 9-Adult
Mindful Mondays: Creative Practice
Join us as we create purposeful time to share space and build creative practice into our lives. If you have been looking to incorporate more play, art, and community into your life, come join us! We will experiment with mixed media sketchbook techniques and focus on creating a space for self-expression and developing the habit of creating art as a regular and prioritized activity. Explore collage, color, texture, word art, and more, all while making friends and building community. Adults
Teen Wheel Throwing
Join us to experience the ancient art of throwing on the potter’s wheel. We will learn the basics and make bowls, mugs, and more. Various glazing techniques will enhance your projects. Ages 12-16
Beginning Pottery
Have you always wanted to learn to throw on the potter’s wheel? We will learn basic wheel throwing and hand building skills to create functional and sculptural works of art. Your projects will be enhanced with various glazing techniques. Ages 16-Adult
Intermediate Teen Wheel Throwing
If you are looking to continue to develop your wheel throwing skills, look no further! We will offer more practice and skill demonstrations for those wanting to continue with pottery wheel throwing. You will have the chance to practice advanced forms that include handles, lids, closed forms, and bottles. Glazing techniques will be offered that will continue your learning and knowledge of ceramic creation. Ages 12-16
Make It Happen
Do you want to learn how to work better with clay or develop more advanced techniques? Then, this is the class for you! This course is open to intermediate and advanced level students. You will learn new techniques to create more advanced forms and have the opportunity to pursue handbuilding, sculptural work, and/or a combination of any of these methods. Ages 16-Adult
In-person: Military Artistic Healing
Let's honor Sense of Place together. There are many benefits to using art to express emotions — art can offer a healthy outlet and an alternate way to communicate something that one cannot always put into words and provides a safe containment for emotions that are expressed. Reflecting on art supplies healing and connection. Increase personal management of life stressors by practicing artistic exercises outside of class to help with trauma. Together, we will practice for progress, healing, connection, retreat, creativity, confidence, clarity, and calm. We will take bi-weekly visits to the Fine Arts Center Museum. Adults
Sense of Place: Enameling
Delve into the colors, textures, landscape, history, and/or community, and your own memories and feelings about sense of place through the medium of enameling. We will consider selected pieces in the Fine Arts Center's collections and how or whether they reflect this theme in ways that inspire or contrast with our ideas. We will explore not only techniques but also such aspects as multiples vs. single pieces, methods of display, and others, in creating our own evocations of "place" in glass on metal. Ages 16-Adult
ArtTrax: Drawing
In this course, you will be provided with an overview of techniques to learn how to draw from life. Using graphite pencil, subjects covered will include line control, drawing from observation, and shading. Bemis ArtTrax is a curriculum created to provide equitable and accessible pathways to the arts. ArtTrax courses introduce the fundamental concepts of painting and drawing through a series of engaging exercises. Emphasis is not on producing finished works of art but rather on developing a basic skill set through practice and repetition. No prior knowledge or experience in the medium is needed or expected. Ages 16-Adult
Thrown Stamped Mugs
Take your thrown mugs to the next level with stamped textures! Make your own clay bisque stamps and apply textures to your thrown mug forms. Experiment with several types of handles, pulled from the mug body, pulled upside down, or formed separately and attached. Ages 16-Adult
Pottery Pets
Reimagine your favorite pets in clay and create functional and sculptural projects. Along the way we will learn pottery handling skills and complete our pieces with various glazing techniques. Ages 9-12
Hand-Lettered Holiday
Try a few hand lettering and calligraphy techniques to create holiday gifts, ornaments, or cards. We will explore simple illuminated-manuscript decorative lettering, writing with a chisel-edge pen, and experimenting with design via letterforms. You will take with you a toolkit of ideas, inspiration, and techniques for hand-lettered celebrations. Ages 16-Adult
Introduction to Mosaic Art
Learn the basics of mosaic art while making a wall hanging or trivet from a selection of Mexican ceramic tiles. You will learn how to layout the design; cutting, fitting, and gluing tiles; and how to grout. Repeat students will be able to complete a more complex design. Ages 16-Adult
Pint Size Picasso
Learn through creative play and exploration. Explore a variety of art materials and techniques while learning about famous artists. Gain new skills and confidence through independent decision-making, self expression, and exploration. Ages 6-9
Still Life Drawing
Let us practice our drawing skills and techniques by observing three-dimensional forms in a compelling still life environment! We will make choices to compose a drawing using individual viewpoints. Working on one drawing for the entirety of the course will give everyone a chance to complete a beautiful piece of work. Using charcoal pastels, we will focus on shadows and highlights given a light source, composition, proportions, and other rendering techniques. Ages 16-Adult
Art Adventures
Embark on a journey filled with creative adventures. The adventure consists of developing painting, drawing and mixed-media creations through problem solving, critical thinking and collaboration. Ages 9-12
Mountain Landscapes and Watercolor Techniques
We will examine and practice the style of contemporary artist Jen Aranyi, known for drawing simple, abstract mountain ranges, and painting skies with watercolors using special techniques. We will also explore the diverse ways to finish the foreground. This will require some drawing skills with pen and ink but do not let that intimidate you, this space is for everyone! Ages 16-Adult
Painting Forest Friends
Together we will learn how to draw and paint different animals that you might find hiding away in the forest! We will look at various elements and principles of design to bring our paintings to life. You will be introduced to three-dimensional form and shadowing using acrylic medium, how different brushes and mark making can create the illusion of different textures, how to blend color, and much more! Ages 6-9