Hey, nice classes.
This summer, creatives of all ages can connect at the Newport Visual Arts Center, where the Oregon Coast Council for the Arts is offering four art classes and a new Creative Arts Camp.
On Monday, June 24, from 6 to 8 pm, artist Khara Ledonne will lead Playing with Gold, an introduction to gilding for adults and kids aged six and older with an accompanying adult. Students can enjoy a playful introduction to the traditional art of gilding and learn techniques to apply gold to objects using gold foil, gold transfer foil paper and multi-colored metal leaf. At the end of the class, students will have their own gold-foiled card and a gilded wooden ornament to take home.
Jill Marks will lead the Get to Kraken! class in the Japanese art of Gyotaku, or fish printing, for adults and kids aged 12 and older. Marks, who studied the art form under the late Heather Fortner, will guide students step-by-step on making prints using an octopus specimen. There are two class dates to choose from: Monday, June 24, or Thursday, June 27, from 1 to 4 pm. The class is suitable for beginners and experienced students.
From 1 to 4 pm on Wednesday, June 26, NBC channel’s “Making It” alum Gary Herd will guide adults and kids aged 12 and older in making their own Valhalla Ladder, sometimes called a wind sculpture or driftwood garland. Participants will begin with a stroll along the beach, weather permitting, to collect materials, then return to the workroom to work on their creations.
On Friday, June 28, adults and kids aged 10 and older can learn beginning Gelli Printing with Marks. Students will make unique prints using a gel plate, acrylic paint, natural botanicals and man-made objects.
In July, students from kindergarten through 4th grade can participate in a new Creative Arts Camp led by Crystal Meneses, Monday to Friday, July 15 to 19. In this half-day camp, students will experiment, explore, imagine and create in a variety of mediums and art forms, including movement, music and visual arts. Camp for kids up to second grade will be from 10 am to 1 pm, and for those in third and fourth grades in the afternoon from 2 to 5 pm.
Tuition for these opportunities ranges from $65 to $175. Some scholarships are available. The Newport Visual Arts Center is located at 777 NW Beach Drive. For more information, go to coastarts.org/education.