Join the class of 2023 in Newport

From kelp to clay to collage — registration is open now for a variety of new adult art classes and workshops at the Newport Visual Arts Center.

Carol Shenk will lead a new, two-part workshop, “Storytelling with Images: Bringing Narrative into Art” on two Saturdays, May 6 and 13. Using collage and various media, participants will explore building a visual language based on personal memories, dreams or written works such as novels and poems. No previous experience with drawing or painting is required.

Local artist Cheri Aldrich will teach a one-day Kelp Pouch making workshop on Friday, May 12. Participants will create pouches using kelp, seaweed, shell bits and other treasures of their choosing that have washed ashore on Oregon’s beaches.

An exciting two-day workshop with Russ Ford is on Saturdays, June 3 and 10, Raku Spirit Animal Mask making. This sculptural workshop is designed to get participants working in clay, no matter their experience level, following their inner spirit guide or personal animal totem, and Ford’s guidance. When their creation is ready, they will join Ford for a unique and unforgettable evening clay-firing experience.

Award-winning symbolic painter and conceptual artist Margaret Godfrey, whose show “Educate the Girls of the World” opens at the Olive Street Gallery on Friday, May 5, will guide a three-day class, “Playing with Patterns” Tuesday through Thursday, June 6, 7 and 8. Students will discover new and interesting ways to paint in water-based media using patterns, as well as create a personally-designed stamp, explore symbols and shapes and create papers for collage.

Classes are open to people aged 18 and older. Tuition ranges from $125 to $250. Scholarships are available. Those interested are encouraged to register early, as class sizes are limited. The Newport Visual Arts Center is located at 777 NW Beach Drive. For more information, go to coastarts.org or call 541-265-6540.