A wide variety of materials and creative tools are available at The Studio for the artists. The teacher/facilitators assist in locating and setting up the materials needed for projects initiated by the artists. They help artists solve creative problems that may arise during the course of a project.
Teacher/facilitators at The Studio routinely
demonstrate new mediums and techniques. They introduce and coordinate group projects periodically. There are several different spaces, each geared towards different art forms that happen at The Studio.
The 2D Studio
This studio space is where artists work on two dimensional work. Watercolor and acrylic paints, watercolor marker, colored pencil and oil pastels are all available for artist's use. Studio artists may also learn how to stretch their own canvases for painting.
The 3D Studio
This is where three dimensional art work is created. A variety of mediums are available to artists including: mosaics, clay, wood, fabric, and paper mache. The Studio provides firing of ceramic work in two on site kilns.
Performing Arts/Digital Media Room
Drama class holds class and often performs in this space. It is also serves as a meeting place, set, and editing space for Video Workshop's projects. Various collaborative projects take place here such as The Food For People mural, pictured above.
Classes at The Studio
Music Workshop
The Music Workshop is a class that teaches Studio artists various elements of song writing and musical performance skills. Rhythm and harmony exercises are augmented with hands on practice using digital and acoustic instruments.
Drama Class
Studio artists who are interested in developing and increasing their performance skills participate in a loosely structured process that accommodates their strengths and weaknesses.
Since writing a script or memorizing lines may be difficult for many of the Studio artists, the actors instead spend a period developing their own characters through guided play. Utilizing costumes, props, masks and that most important creative tool, their imaginations, the actors improvise an evolving story line over several months. They may also produce artwork responding to the chosen theme of the piece they are working on. This artwork may or may not be used in the actual performance.
Everyone who wants to be in the performance is guaranteed a place in the final production
Pottery Workshop
Pottery workshop is one of the newest additions to The Studio's class schedule. In this class Studio artists learn how to use a pottery wheel. This class is adapted to individual student's needs and experience. As students progress new skills and techniques will be introduced. Functional and sculptural forms can be made using the potters wheel. All levels welcome.
Video Workshop
The Video Workshop is a video production class/media access program at The Studio which allows the artists to join with the program in whatever manner best suits their interests and abilities. This ranges from being a producer who comes up with the idea and finds others to do the rest, to those who try their hand at all aspects of video production. Artists who just wish to observe are welcome, as this is also a form of participation, and sometimes leads to further involvement.
This workshop leads to projects which embrace almost all the arts, from set building, to painting, to acting and more.
Everyone starts by doing exercises that give them practice using a camera, developing sequential narratives and using editing processes.
The video workshop has also been utilized by The Studio's parent company HCAR to make public service announcements and short documentaries.
In some cases Video Workshop and the Drama class collaborate on projects. "The Wedding Disaster Album," a short video improvised by the drama class, is an example of this.
VIDEO: The Devil's Love and Meaningless Death
by the Drama Class