Workshops 2011

Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Download a pdf copy of the registration form.  (You will need Adobe Reader® to read the form. This may be downloaded at no charge from Adobe.)

For more information call the Becket Arts Center at (413)623-6635 (after June 21) or e-mail us at office@becketartscenter.org.

Most workshops require no previous experience and are limited to ten students. Teens 14 and older may register as adults.

An * indicates a series of workshops which provides a reduced fee per workshop

All workshops are held at the Becket Arts Center unless otherwise indicated.

We encourage all levels of experience. Some of our workshops are intergenerational and younger people are welcome for a reduced fee when an adult is taking the class - call the office for information.

Pre-registration is required for all workshops to assure the workshop is not cancelled, sufficient materials are available, and to hold your place. Drop-ins are welcome if the class and materials are available.

Open Workshops: Members are welcome to come in and use the work room to make art individually or in small groups. Please see Calendar listing for days and times.

Cost of Workshops unless otherwise noted:
Half-day workshops (10am - 1pm ) or (1:15pm - 4:15pm ) $30; non-members $35.
Full-day workshops (10am - 4pm ) $40; non-members $45.
Series and material fees are found with workshop descriptions.

Tuition assistance is available primarily for full-time Hilltown residents.


Refunds/Cancellations:
Students who cancel registration two weeks in advance of the first class will receive a full refund.  Students who cancel 7 to 13 days before the first class will receive a 50% tuition credit.  There are no refunds or credits for cancellations made 6 days or less before a course begins.  If you are unable to attend, you may contact the office for a letter enabling you to claim your tuition as a tax-deductible gift.

Confirmation of Registration: Please send a self addressed stamped envelope to the Becket Arts Center when you are registering and paying by mail.

Workshops can be cancelled when minimum registration is not reached.

Please register no later than 5 days before the workshop/event.

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Visual Arts



*Clay Work Basics
Thursdays, July 14, 28 and August 11, 25 • 1:15 pm - 4:15 pm

Fee (includes clay) $30 Adult Member, + $10 for one child/$90 series of 4;
$35 Non-member + $15 for one child/$115 series of 4.

Hand working in clay is one of the most rewarding creative experiences. In this workshop we will explore three basic techniques for making decorative pottery: slab, coil and pinch. You will follow your own bliss choosing what you create and how you make it. Build and decorate objects such as memory tiles, candleholders, cornucopias, slab pots/vases and or bowls. Each participant will have a completed project at the end of each class. This is a multi-generational class, children 8 and older welcome with parent (reduced child fee - ask when registering.) Bring burlap, screening, random small objects for texturing, any carving tools you may want to experiment with.

Michele Klemaszewski, BFA from SUNY Purchase, School of Visual Art, and MEd from Westfield State University. Michele has been and artist and art educator for over 25 years, working in and teaching a variety of media to both children and adults. She is currently the owner of Functional Art, manufacturing custom made  Thermal Insulated Window Treatments in Chester, MA (www.ArtwithanRvalue.com).

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*Drawing from the Subconscious
Sundays, July 10, 17, 24 and August 14, 21, 28 • 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Fee: $25 Member per session, $60 any 3;
$30 Non-member per session, $75 any 3.
Materials: ask for list upon registering.

Many great artworks spring from the depths of the subconscious, revealing more than the artists thought they knew. This class is for anyone who wants to make a mark on paper and focuses on ways of accessing and expressing the limitless well of your own subconscious material using a variety of drawing techniques. The workshop will also help students strengthen all of their artwork by learning and incorporating principles of design. And most importantly, the class provides an opportunity for students to learn to trust their intuition and open themselves to inspiration. The only prerequisite for joining this energizing and stimulating class is a desire to be inspired.

Wednesday Nelena Sorokin is a professional painter and teacher of more than 30 years. With a MFA from James Madison University, she is one of the artists who initiated and completed the mural “The History of Women in Northampton, MA from 1680-1980.” She lives in Becket.

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*Drawing from Life
Mondays, July 11, 18, 25 and August 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 • 1:15 pm to 4:15pm.

This is a drop in studio workshop.
Fee: $25 Member/$60 any 3;
$30 Non-member/$75 any 3.
Materials: $10 one-time fee or bring your own - ask for list when registering.

“I can’t draw a straight line” No problem. Nature doesn’t have too many straight lines. This class will give you the basics you need to create work you can be happy with. Topics explored will be composition, movement, and the “Art of seeing”. Subject matter will vary, but will include still-life and landscapes, weather permitting. Artists of all abilities welcome. We will be using vine charcoal and erasers on newsprint paper.

Michele Klemaszewski, BFA from SUNY Purchase, School of Visual Art, and MEd from Westfield State University. Michele has been and artist and art educator for over 25 years, working in and teaching a variety of media to both children and adults. She is currently the owner of Functional Art, manufacturing custom made  Thermal Insulated Window Treatments in Chester, MA (www.ArtwithanRvalue.com).

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Finish That Project - Textiles and Fiber Creations
Thursdays, July 14 and August 4 • 10 am to 4 pm.

Fee per session: $40 Member; $45 Non-member;
Bring your project with you!
4 participants minimum.
Bring a bag lunch. Refreshments provided.

Join fiber artist Barbara Barron in her studio in East Otis. There, she will guide you through the completion of any type of textile or fiber project you may have started and cannot quite get finished - or if you want to start something new but need some guidance, Barbara will get you there from wherever you are.

Barbara Barron studied fiber and ecclesiastical embroidery at Oxford University and the Royal School of Needlework in London, England, is a certified teacher of the Embroiders Guild of America, and operated a fiber arts gallery in Huntington, NY for over 25 years. She currently operates a quilting studio. www.barronjudaicart.com

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The Joy of Watercolor
Thursdays August 11 and 25 • 10 am to 1 pm

Fee per session: $25 Member; $30 Non-member;
Materials $5 each session for paper, paints and brushes. Please bring spray bottles and water holders as well as any of your favorite watercolor paints, inks, brushes and/or papers to use in addition to those provided.

An exploration of the wonderful intersection of conscious intention and happy accident. After a demonstration of a host of wet-in-wet techniques (spraying, tilting, spattering, pouring, blotting) neophytes and experienced painters alike can experience the delight of creating evocative and beautiful watercolors that virtually paint themselves.

Nina Evans has been painting in watercolors since the late 1990’s, with multiple solo shows in Westchester and Berkshire counties including the Becket Arts Center in 2010/2011. Her fascination with transparency and light led her to explore the virtually unknown medium of painted glass collage.

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*Making Color Sing
Tuesdays, July 12, 19, 26 and August 16, 23, 30 • 1:15 pm to 4:15 pm

Fee: $25 Member/$60 series; $30 Non-member/$75 series;
Materials: ask for list when registering.

How do artists use color to create atmosphere, mood, and depth? How can one start with three colors and end up with an infinite number? How can a color look one way over here and another way over there? This class will include examinations of color relationships and how colors affect the viewer and the viewer’s perception of the colors themselves. During the class, students will learn how to choose colors, mix colors, and use color to represent light, shadow, and space, and to convey emotions in any medium. This class will help students use color effectively to enhance the visual impact of their work.

Wednesday Nelena Sorokin is a professional painter and teacher of more than 30 years. With a MFA from James Madison University, she is one of the artists who initiated and completed the mural “The History of Women in Northampton, MA from 1680-1980.” She lives in Becket.

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Paint, Light and Transparency
at Nina Evans Studio, Great Barrington, Mass.
Thursday, July 21 • 10 am - 1 pm

Fee: $25 Member; $30 Non-member;
Materials $5 for glass and glass paint.

Following last years successful gallery exhibit and in-studio workshops, Nina is opening her studio again for you to explore the fascinating technique of glass painting. Combining a studio visit with a demonstration of the art of glass painting and glass-on-glass collage, participants will have the opportunity to create their own light and color-filled transparent single or multi-layered painting. Bring your curiosity and love of color.

Nina Evans has been painting in watercolors since the late 1990’s, with multiple solo shows in Westchester and Berkshire counties including the Becket Arts Center in 2010/2011. Her fascination with transparency and light led her to explore the virtually unknown medium of painted glass collage.

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Watercolor Rapid Figure Drawing
Saturday, July 9 • 1:15 pm - 4:15 pm

Fee: $25 Member; $30 Non-member;
Materials: ask for list when registering or if needed $14 to be paid to instructor at the class.

Please be ready to pose fully dressed for 5 minutes.

Participants will make live figure sketches with a #4 (fine point) watercolor brush and color washes. All levels. Beginners most welcome.

Albert Bukszpan, Watercolorist for the last 20 years. Has exhibited in New York City for the last 5 years. See his website: www.awb10.com

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Weave Your Own Handbasket
Tuesday August 23 • 10 am - 4 pm

Fee: $40 Member; $55 Non-member;
Materials: $40

Carry home this lovely, useful and generously sized hand-basket with leather handles. Students will learn the basics of basketmaking including plaiting, rimming, scarfing and lashing. This basket is appropriate for all levels of ability. Approximate dimensions are 13” long 10” high 6” wide. All materials supplied.

Wendy Jensen is an expert and award winning basket maker living in Monterey, Mass. Her baskets are sold nationwide and her popular workshops are offered throughout the country. www.WendyGJensenBaskets.com

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Theater Arts


Play Reading Group
Thursdays, July 7, 14, 21, 28 and  August 4 (offsite), 11, 18 • 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Fee: free for Members;
Non-member $5 per session.
Materials fee $5

Plays are meant to be shared - to be spoken and to be heard. Participants will read the lines of the characters in this popular, informal group. Scripts, decided on by the group, will be purchased by participants, photocopied, or ordered from local libraries, then brought to meetings for a ‘read-through.’ Participants take turns facilitating discussions. No experience or preparation is necessary.

Ann Krawet has appeared in community theater productions and cabaret shows, as a high school teacher she directed and produced full-stage Broadway musicals.

Dorothy Napp Schindel is a theater director, scenic designer and taught acting at NYU, is a past Director of Education at Berkshire Theater Festival and Director of DramaMUSE Associates, a ‘museum theater’ company in New York.

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Scene Study
Thursdays, August 11, 18, 25 • 1pm - 3 pm

Staged Reading Monday evening August 29th, 7pm.
Open to Play Reading Group only.
Fee: $25 for participants

A scene study workshop to further explore multiple scenes excerpted from a chosen play, will focus on in-depth character and text analysis with participants performing in a staged reading for the public. Audience feedback and discussion will follow.

Dorothy Napp Schindel is a theater director, scenic designer and taught acting at NYU, is a past Director of Education at Berkshire Theater Festival and Director of DramaMUSE Associates, a ‘museum theater’ company in New York.

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Outdoor Arts


Star Finding
Tuesday, August 9 (weather dependent - Wednesday, August 10) • 7:30 pm

Adults only.
Fee: $25 Member; $30 Non-member.
Materials: Bring a flashlight with red plastic wrap.

The night sky during the first-quarter Moon is an exciting thing to explore. This evening workshop is an opportunity to understand the universe we live in with a guided presentation prior to the construction of star finders and spending an hour stargazing through several telescopes.

Michael Hamburg is an Earth and Space Explainer at the Rose Center for Earth and Space at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. He is on the faculty of New York University supervising graduate students in science education and taught in the NYC schools for more than 30 years. Michael maintains his own observatory in Middlefield, Mass.

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Physical Arts



*Dynatonics
Mondays, 18, 25 and August 15, 22, 29 • 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Note change of dates

Fee: $10 single/$50 series Member;
$12 single/$60 series Non-member.
Materials are available to use and to purchase.
Wear clothes that allow movement, but are not baggy.
Bring a mat.

Explore ways to find and release trigger points and muscle spasms using foam rollers and balls. These techniques give you ways to undo the aches and pains of daily life. Great for gardeners, writers, artists, dancers and everyone else.

Sean Gallagher was a modern dancer for ten years and has been a physical therapist working with performing artists for over twenty years. He is a Feldenkrais practitioner and teaches in New York and at Jacob’s Pillow. www.papt.biz

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Yoga
Saturdays, July 9, 16, 23, 30 and August 13, 20, 27 • 8:30 am - 10 am

Fee: $8 single Members;
$10 single Non-members.
Wear comfortable clothing; bring a mat, blanket & a strap.

Yoga practice in the Vinyasa style in which we consciously place the body -breath-mind in a constant and synchronized flow.  Opening poses lead to a flow practice using warming Sun Salutatio

ns in a continuous sequence, with transitions to traditional poses, thus generating heat, increased energy flow and mindfulness. This is a moderate level class.

Rima Sala is a certified yoga teacher with Moksha Yoga Chicago in the tradition of Ashtanga and Vinyasa Flow yoga. She teaches at the Dalton CRA, Zaanti Yoga Studio in Lenox, and in Hinsdale, where she resides.

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Social Arts

*Bridge: Intermediate Observed Play with Instruction

Tuesdays, in the Upper Gallery,  July 5, 12, 19, 26 and August 2, 9, 16 • 10:00 am - 12:30 pm

Fee: Series of 7 - $107 Member;
$137 Non-member;
includes materials.
Single session available with prior permission of instructors.

A brief discussion of a technique of bidding or play will be followed by a session of supervised play. Participants are encouraged to ask for help or clarification; min. 12 and max. 24 players.

Elaine & Shelly Berger are both Gold Life Masters with extensive experience in tournament play and in teaching

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2011-12 Fall/Spring Programs

 

Freeing Your Art
Drawing - Saturdays, October 1, 8, 15; 1:30 to 4:30pm.

Color - Saturdays, October 22, 29 & Nov. 5; 1:30 to 4:30pm.


Fee: $90 either series. $30 individual session. Material list available upon registration.

The desire to be inspired is the only prerequisite for this class. You will use a variety of techniques designed not only to provide you with access to your own limitless well of creativity, but also the means of expressing it. It’s a great way into abstraction, or a great way to develop your abstract vocabulary. The workshop will also help you strengthen all of your artwork by learning and incorporating principles of design. And most importantly, the class provides an opportunity for you to free yourself from your inner critic, learn to trust your intuition, and open yourself to inspiration. Great for the novice as well as the accomplished.

FIND THE PLACE INSIDE YOURSELF THAT KNOWS

Instructor Wednesday Nelena Sorokin is a professional painter and teacher of more
than 30 years. With a BA from Smith College and an MFA from James Madison University, she is one of the artists who initiated and completed the mural “The History of Women in Northampton, MA from 1680-1980.” She takes great pleasure in sharing her knowledge of and love for art, and incorporates student feedback in an ongoing process.


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The Joy of Watercolor
Wednesdays, October 12 & 26, 10am to 1pm.
Saturday, March 24, 10am to 1pm.

Fee: $35 for one session, $65 for two sessions; includes materials.
Please bring spray bottles and water holders as well as any of your favorite watercolor paints, inks, brushes and/or papers to use in addition to those provided.

An exploration of the wonderful intersection of conscious intention and happy accident. After a demonstration of a host of wet-in-wet techniques (spraying, tilting, spattering, pouring, blotting) neophytes and experienced painters alike can experience the delight of creating evocative and beautiful watercolors that virtually paint themselves.

Instructor Nina Evans has been painting in watercolors since the late 1990’s, with multiple solo shows in Westchester and Berkshire counties including the Becket Arts Center in 2010/2011. Her fascination with transparency and light led her to explore the virtually unknown medium of painted glass collage.


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Paint, Light and Transparency

Saturday, November 12, 10am to 1 pm.

Fee: $35 includes materials.

Explore the fascinating technique of glass painting and glass-on-glass collage. Participants will create their own light and color-filled transparent single or multi-layered painting. Bring your curiosity and love of color.

Limited to 8.
Instructor: Nina Evans


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Painting – Color and Composition
Tuesdays, March 6, 13, 20 from 1:30 to 4:30pm.
Fee: 3 sessions $90
Material list available upon registration.

Delight in unlocking the keys to color and composition. How do artists use color to
create atmosphere, mood, and depth? How can one start with three colors and end up with an infinite number? How can a color look one way over here and another way over there? This class will include examinations of color relationships and how colors affect the viewer and the viewer’s perception of the colors themselves. Using any medium, students will learn how to choose colors, mix colors, and use color to represent light, shadow and space, and to convey emotions. Looking at works by master as well as their own works, students will learn how to organize the surface of their own picture plane. This class will help students use color and composition effectively to enhance the visual impact of their work.

Instructor: Wednesday Nelena Sorokin


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Rug Hooking for Beginners – Paint with Wool
2 Sessions – Saturdays, March 10 and 17, 10am-2pm.
Fee: $60 for both sessions. $35 Materials.

Create a small hand-hooked rug that can be made into a pillow top while learning
everything you need to know to make larger rugs using patterns or your own design. Starting with hand-dyed wools, wool fabrics and recycled wools cut into strips, you will begin to master the techniques of rug hooking on rug warp while beginning to understand color and texture. Bring your enthusiasm to learn this great heritage artisan craft.

Instructor Gail Garland is a veteran rug-hooking enthusiast and loves painting with
wool. She has studied with Liz Marino, a Certified McGown teacher, for over ten years.


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To register for a Becket Art Center Workshop
Please call 413.623.6635 or email your request to office@becketartscenter.org.

Payment accepted by check, visa and mastercard.

All levels of experience are encouraged and pre-registration is required no later than 5 days before the workshop date. Workshops may be cancelled when minimum registration is not reached.

Refunds/Cancellations

Students who cancel registration two weeks in advance of first workshop will receive a full refund. Students who cancel 7 to 13 days before first workshop will receive 50% tuition credit.

There are no refunds or credits for cancellations made 6 days or less before a course begins. If you are unable to attend, you may contact the office for a letter enabling you to claim your tuition as a tax-deductible gift. If the Becket Arts Center must cancel your full tuition will be reimbursed.

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