‘Unleash Your Creativity’ at Watkins Community Education

More than 40 classes & workshops on tap for youth, teens and adults

Registration is currently open for Watkins College of Art, Design & Film’s Community Education “Unleash Your Creativity” Winter/Spring 2012 session.

More than 40 classes and workshops for youth, teens and adults will be offered February through April, in drawing and painting, casting and molds, sculpture, ceramics, woodworking, color theory, film production, screenwriting, sound mixing, film editing, creative writing, crafting, sewing, hand-dyeing, graphic design, Photoshop, interior design, digital and nighttime photography, photo transfer, printmaking, book arts, social media, and grant writing.

The Watkins Community Education Spring 2012 catalog is available online at www.Watkins.edu/ Community and in print form upon request.  Registrations are accepted by mail, fax, phone or online. Deadline to sign up for adult classes is January 23; deadline for adult workshops and youth and teen programs is two weeks prior to start of class.

New features include several four-week courses (joining the slate of nine-week courses and one-day workshops) covering open studio drawing with a figure model, silk screening, mold making and casting, plus a contemporary crafting class taught by members of Craftville.

Among the new topics of study are sustainability, green practices and creative options in commercial and residential design: registered architect Zach Provonchee and registered interior designer Shonna Sexton will lead the four-part “Sustainability in the Built Environment” seminar series every Wednesday evening in April.  In response to the popularity of the recent Handmade & Bound book arts festival, six classes in the “print, paper and book” category will address artists’ books, journals, sculptural books, paper marbling and printmaking.

Through a grant from the Memorial Foundation, scholarships are available for students ages 11-18 who demonstrate artistic potential and whose financial situation might prohibit them from participating otherwise.  Scholarship application deadline is Tuesday, January 17, and details can be found online or by calling the school at 615-383-4848.

Watkins is also hosting another free Teacher In-Service Training for K-12 art teachers on Friday, January 27, from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Workshops will focus on the narrative in art and will include clay, drawing, printmaking and collage.  To register, email [email protected].

ABOUT THE PROGRAM:
The Watkins Community Education program sets the stage for people of all ages to learn the process of creating art in a variety of fascinating media. Classes are taught by talented practicing artists who help students gain an understanding of their chosen medium. Emphasis is placed on both the finished product and the process of thinking, designing, communicating and creating. Young Artists are introduced to art fundamentals through drawing, painting, working with clay and other techniques. Teens learn about past and present artists while expanding upon their artistic skills. Adults have the opportunity to explore areas of specific interest, allowing their creative voices to be heard.