WORKSHOPS.
We are so excited to share with you a great collection of workshops for our 2021 Summer Session!
BASKETRY WITH JUDITH SAUNDERS
Instructor: Judith Saunders
Date: August 12- 14
Time: 9 am – 4 pm each day
Fee: $150
Participants: 8
Location: Pavillion at the Highland Center
Materials Cost: $35 - $50
Explore traditional and non-traditional materials used in basket-making with mixed media artisan Judith Saunders.
Workshop Summary: Whether you are making your first basket or you are an experienced weaver, you will have the opportunity to explore a variety of materials, techniques and designs. You mayt hen choose to spend your three days creating one larger more involved basket or you may choose to create several smaller baskets. The choice will be yours. If you are an experienced weaver and have your own tools you may bring and use them. If you are anew weaver I will provide all tools necessary to complete your baskets for use during the workshop. The most important items for you to bring are enthusiasm and willingness to experiment
About your Instructor: A Norfolk, VA native, Judith retired from the Norfolk Public School System, following thirty years as an art educator. She is currently a member of the National Basketry Organization, the Handweavers Guild of America, as well as several regional associations and guilds. She has participated in annual conferences and conventions, taking classes with nationally known weavers from across the country. She has taught basketry workshops in Virginia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania including most recently at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC.
Judith has had work accepted in the following juried exhibitions: Basket Trends at the Dairy Barn Cultural Arts Center in Athens, OH in 2004; the “New Waves” Exhibition at the Contemporary Art Center of VA in 2005; Basketry International 2006 at the Dairy Barn and the Northeast Basket Guild’s “Waves of Tradition” Exhibition at Pawtucket, RI 2006, receiving their Handweavers Guild of America Award; and the 2010 HGA Convergence Small Expressions Exhibition. Judith received an invitation to have her work included in the National Basketry Organization’s “All Things Considered IV” Exhibition held in conjunction with the 2008 NBO Convention at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts and she was juried into the 2015 NBO “All Things Considered VIII” Exhibition in St. Paul, MN.
Judith’s work is included in the Contemporary Basketry Artists section of the book Plaited Basketry with Birch Bark by Vladimir Yarish, Flo Hoppe and Jim Widess and in the NBO 2016 Winter Quarterly publication where her work is featured on the cover and includes her member profile.
BARN QUILT PAINTING
Instructor: Margie Boesch
Date: August 5th & 7th
Time: 9 am – 12 pm, Thursday and Saturday
Fee: $75
Participants: 6
Location: Highland Barn Quilts Studio
Materials Cost: $25 - $35
For more info on the workshop, contact Margie at highlandbarnquilts@gmail.com or visit https://www.facebook.com/people/Highland-Barn-Quilts.
The beautiful examples of Highland’s Barn Quilts can be seen on the Highland Barn Quilt Trail, https://www.highlandcounty.org/barn-quilt-trail/
ALL THINGS WHISK- BROOM MAKING
Instructor: Emily Bell
Date: June 25
Time: 10 am – 4 pm
Fee: $75
Participants: 10
Location: Pavillion at MPC
Materials Cost: The class fee covers the materials to make one small and large turkey wing whisk as well as one flat stitched whisk. Participants have the option of purchasing more materials to craft more in class or to take home with them.
Workshop Summary: All Things Whisk – Learn to make a few styles of whisk broom. Try your hand at small and large turkey wing whisks as well as flat stitched whisk brooms. Various techniques will be shown and students will be able to create unique brooms to reflect their own style and personality.
About your Instructor: Descended from a long line of grandmothers whose bones now rest in the Appalachian mountains, Emily Bell has chosen to reclaim her ties to her heritage through a craft of hand tied brooms. She views her work as practical art: one that embodies beauty, simplicity, heritage, and functionality. When we truly belong to ourselves and to a place, we find grace and rhythm in the day to day tasks. Emily’s handmade brooms are an invitation to the beauty of presence in the everyday.
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There will be two sessions, each lasting one day. Day 1 will be for the beginning broom weaver. Participants will focus on whisk broom construction. Day 2 will be for the person who has had some experience in broom making and will make a long handled sweeper broom.
SWEEPER BROOM MAKING
Instructor: Emily Bell
Date: June 26
Time: 10 am – 4 pm
Fee: $100
Participants: 5
Location: Pavillion at MPC
Materials Cost: Participants have the option of purchasing more materials to craft more in class or to take home with them.
Workshop Summary: Sweeper Brooms - Learn how to make your very own beautifully handcrafted sweeper broom! The workshop will start with a discussion on the materials used and demonstration of each step as students work on their own project.
Students will have the option of bringing their own handle (finished or unfinished) or choosing from a selection of unfinished handles that will be provided. Participants will need to have taken the Fall 2020 or June 25, 2021 Arts Academy broom workshop.
About your Instructor: Descended from a long line of grandmothers whose bones now rest in the Appalachian mountains, Emily Bell has chosen to reclaim her ties to her heritage through a craft of hand tied brooms. She views her work as practical art: one that embodies beauty, simplicity, heritage, and functionality. When we truly belong to ourselves and to a place, we find grace and rhythm in the day to day tasks. Emily’s handmade brooms are an invitation to the beauty of presence in the everyday.
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There will be two sessions, each lasting one day. Day 1 will be for the beginning broom weaver. Participants will focus on whisk broom construction. Day 2 will be for the person who has had some experience in broom making and will make a long handled sweeper broom.
ECO PRINTING- BEGINNER
Instructor: Theresa Brown
Date: June 11
Time: 9 am – 4 pm
Fee: $75
Participants: 8
Location: Highland Center Pavillion
Materials Cost: $20 for beginner workshop on June 11
Workshop Summary: June 11 – Beginner - Ecoprint Naturally on Silk and Wool - Learn how to ecoprint naturally on silk and wool! Ecoprinting (also known as botanical printing) is a form of wildcrafting. It involves collecting leaves, plants and flowers to imprint their images directly upon protein fibers using a water bath process. Students will learn techniques to create beautiful, natural designs with colors drawn directly from Nature’s plants on silk and wool. At the end of the day, students will take home both a silk and wool ecoprinted scarf and the knowledge to continue Ecoprinting from Nature's resources. Ecoprinting is a natural, sustainable art form.
About your Instructor: Theresa is a long time professional portrait artist, painter and fiber artist whose career embraces many areas of the Arts. She attended East Carolina University, majoring in Commercial Art and Printmaking. Years of painting, printmaking and color work led her to explore the fiber arts. Using many similar skills and accumulated knowledge, she has evolved as a hand painter and ecoprinter on leather and fabric.
Using natural dyes and low impact synthetic dyes, Theresa merges them into unique, beautiful designs on silk, wool and leather and transforms the finished fabric into artisanal clothing, accessories and art. She has taught workshops at many Fiber Shows such as Maryland Sheep and Wool (MDSW), Michigan Fiber Fest (MFF), Southeastern Animal Fiber Fest (SAFF), Kentucky, Wisconsin, Blue Ridge, Carolina Fiber Fest as well as art centers and shows around the country as well as at my own studio. She returns by popular demand to the Highland Arts Academy for these 2021 sessions.
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Students should bring leaves from their area with emphasis on high tannin leaves such as oak, maples, rose, hickory, sumac and interesting weeds. Fun additional plants (usually store bought) are eucalyptus and colorful flowers such as carnations,daisy type flowers. No thick plants.
ECO PRINTING- EXPERIENCED
Instructor: Theresa Brown
Date: June 12
Time: 9 am – 4 pm
Fee: $75
Participants: 8
Location: Highland Center Pavillion
Materials Cost: $20 for beginner workshop on June 11,
Workshop Summary: June 12 – Experienced - Ecoprint with Silk and Wool in Color:
Learn how to ecoprint on silk and wool with beautiful background colors! Students will learn techniques to create beautiful, natural designs with colors drawn directly from Nature as well as the techniques to create colored backgrounds on silk and wool. Part of the technique involves the use of dyed “blankets.”
For the workshop, pre-dyed “blankets” will be used with a demo on how students select colors and dye their own blankets. Students will take home both silk and wool scarf length fabrics which have been ecoprinted in color plus the knowledge to continue Ecoprinting from Nature's resources. For best results, previous experience in ecoprinting is suggested. Ecoprinting is a natural, sustainable art form.
About your Instructor: Theresa is a long time professional portrait artist, painter and fiber artist whose career embraces many areas of the Arts. She attended East Carolina University, majoring in Commercial Art and Printmaking. Years of painting, printmaking and color work led her to explore the fiber arts. Using many similar skills and accumulated knowledge, she has evolved as a hand painter and ecoprinter on leather and fabric.
Using natural dyes and low impact synthetic dyes, Theresa merges them into unique, beautiful designs on silk, wool and leather and transforms the finished fabric into artisanal clothing, accessories and art. She has taught workshops at many Fiber Shows such as Maryland Sheep and Wool (MDSW), Michigan Fiber Fest (MFF), Southeastern Animal Fiber Fest (SAFF), Kentucky, Wisconsin, Blue Ridge, Carolina Fiber Fest as well as art centers and shows around the country as well as at my own studio. She returns by popular demand to the Highland Arts Academy for these 2021 sessions.
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Students should bring leaves from their area with emphasis on high tannin leaves such as oak, maples, rose, hickory, sumac and interesting weeds. Fun additional plants (usually store bought) are eucalyptus and colorful flowers such as carnations, daisy type plants. No thick plants.
THE ART OF PHOTOGRAPHY WITH ELIZABETH LARSON
Date: August 19 - 21
Time: 9 am – 4 pm
Fee: $150
Participants: 8
Location: Highland Center Arts Council Room or Conference Room and Highland landscapes
Materials Cost: n/a
Workshop Summary: EXPLORING HIGHLAND COUNTY, VIRGINIA THROUGH YOUR LENS TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY - Learn how to create inspiring and memorable travel photographs with beautiful Highland County as your backdrop. We will focus on the natural environment, the landscape, local culture, architecture, and the people of the area. Learn more about exposure, lighting, composition, and what makes a photograph better. This class is for the beginning to intermediate photographer, however it will be helpful to know some basics about your camera beforehand, as we have a lot to cover in three days.
About your Instructor: Elizabeth Larson has been a professional photographer for 30 years this year. She specializes in wedding photography, lifestyles,portraiture, travel, editorial, and business branding photography. Elizabeth is a native of Virginia, however she relocated to North Carolina in 2005. Elizabeth has been teaching photography workshops about once a year at the prestigious John C. Campbell Folk School since 2011 and has taught several local workshops as well in NC. In her spare time she enjoys traveling, gardening, cooking, journaling, live music, kayaking, and the great outdoors. She’s a member of Professional Photographers of North Carolina, American Society of Media Photographers, Wedding & Portrait Society, and the Guilford Horticulture Society. To view more of her work, please visit her website her Instagram page
EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS LIST ~ Digital DSLR, Mirrorless, or any camera that has manual capability settings on it ~ YOUR CAMERA’S OWNERS MANUAL (if you don’t have one, please look it up online beforehand and download it as needed. It’s always best to have a hard copy of it to take out in the field with you, in the event you can’t access it without WIFI or cell coverage. ~ 1-3 lenses of your choice (wide, macro, telephoto, etc.) ~ External flash, if you have one. (And batteries that fit it, plus extras – typically 4 AA for most) & an owner’s manual if you have it. ~ Memory cards (SD, CF, etc. depending on what your camera uses). I would bring at least 2. ~ Memory card reader or a way to download your images. ~ VERY IMPORTANT! Please bring a USB thumb/flash drive with plenty of space/memory on it. Also I strongly recommend bringing an external hard drive, especially for long term storage & backing up your work. These are less prone to fail than a USB thumb/flash drive. ~ Batteries for your camera and a battery recharger. I would bring at least two batteries and make sure one is always charged. ~ A tripod or monopod if you have one. ~ A camera bag. I prefer my backpack or a sling bag for hiking. ~ Your own personal laptop,, if you have one. We will spend more time on photography & very little on photo editing, since we only have so much time in and out of the classroom those 3 days. ~ We will be doing a bit of walking/hiking. Please be sure to wear comfortable & if possible weatherproof shoes. Also bring/wear a light jacket, rain gear, and/or a hat as the weather in higher elevations, even in summer, can be unpredictable. Also, bring anything you will need for a full day away… prescriptions, sunscreen, insect repellant (hope we won’t need it!), plenty of water/water bottle, snacks, lunch, etc.
There will be no materials fee.
PRINT MAKING
Instructor: Karen Milnes
Date: July 22 - 24
Time: 9 am – 4 pm
Fee: $150
Participants: 8
Location: Arts Council Room at the Highland Center
Materials Cost: $35 - Each student will have a set of knives, 3 5”x7” blocks, 7 pieces of standard student-grade printmaking paper, and 4 pieces of heavyweight.
Workshop Summary: Participants will go over the basic types and techniques of printmaking. Experienced or beginner printmakers are welcome to join as we create multiple prints in this three part class. Students will learn the balance of composition (negative/positive space) that makes an intriguing print no matter your skill level. The compositions will be transferred to linoleum blocks and carved to create a plate that can be used over and over. Paper handling, inking, and printing techniques will be demonstrated, and each student will create an edition of prints. Depending on the speed at which we commence, some students might move on to reduction prints with multiple colors, or have the choice to carve more than one block.
About your Instructor: Karen Milnes is an artist living in Highland County. She concentrated in printmaking at the University of Virginia, and holds degrees in Studio Art and Biology. She is deeply influenced by the natural world around her and is drawn to the methodical process of printmaking.
POTTERY
Instructor: Heather Scott and Lorraine White
Date: July 19 - 21 and July 29-30
Time: 1pm – 4 pm
Fee: $250
Participants: 8
Location: Highland County Public School Art Lab
Materials Cost: $25
Workshop Summary: This is a perfect opportunity to discover your skill and interest in pottery. The workshop provides experience throwing on a wheel as well as hand built pottery, information about clay characteristics, and glazing options. Participants will produce completed works in both techniques. The materials cost includes up to 10 lb. of clay, use of molds, wheels, tools, and a variety of glazing colors.
Workshop will begin with demonstration and instruction on wheel thrown and hand built pottery.from July 19-21. It will then reconvene July 29 & 30 for glazing techniques and completion of participants’ creations.
About your Instructor:
Heather Scott graduated from Eastern Mennonite University, while there she took many courses at James Madison University with an emphasis on ceramics. She continued with post graduate work at JMU around ceramic arts, studying with the renowned potter Masako Miyata. Heather likes to focus on functional pottery.
She owns and operates Lightning Bug Hollow Studios and continues to work in a variety of media. Heather has been a public and private school art teacher for 17 years and currently teaches at John Handley High School and the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, VA. You can find her art for sale in several shops and galleries around Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Lorraine White will be assisting Heather during the July 19 – 21 session. Lorraine is not only Heather’s mother but her student over the years. She has established herself as an accomplished potter in Highland County. She will oversee the kiln drying of the pieces and then lead the workshop on glazing techniques the following week on July 29 & 30. This time lapse from participants building their pieces until glazing allows for drying and kiln time.