Since its founding in 1966, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, located in Snowmass Village, Colorado,  has championed art as a living, breathing practice. For decades, our foundation has rested on a simple but profound belief: the magic happens in the mistakes. This enduring spirit of creative exploration—what we call “radical play”—has always stood at the heart of our mission, honoring our history while nurturing artists eager to experiment and discover new modes of expression.

Radical play means letting go of rigid expectations to embrace the unexpected, the messy, and the wildly imaginative. It is a philosophy that respects the long history of artistic experimentation while opening doors to contemporary techniques. From traditional crafts to new media art workshops, our core emphasis remains firmly on discovery.

We welcome creators of all skill levels to take risks, learn directly from acclaimed Guest Faculty, and grow through shared experiences. When you step into our studios, you enter a thriving ecosystem of knowledge sharing where expert guidance naturally pairs with the freedom to explore happy accidents.

The following workshops represent our ongoing commitment to fostering that artistic growth. This week’s curated guide invites you to make bold moves, challenge your process, and let the act of making surprise you. Dive into these upcoming classes and experience how radical play can transform your approach to art.

Included in this guide:

• • • Observation, Color and Vision
    • Sculptural Paper Casting and Forming
    • Alternative Processes Unleashed: Platinum/Palladium Printing
    • Woodcarving Animals
    • Printmaking: Screen Print X Collage
    • Printing with Colored Clay: Building Ink Prints on Unfired Ceramic Slabs

Painting & Drawing

Observation, Color and Vision

Dates: June 1 – 5
Faculty: Paul Collins

In this acrylic painting workshop for beginners, students use observation to develop skills in color mixing, composition, and brushwork by embarking on a new painting each day, culminating in a significant independent work. Beginning with studies in black and white, this course utilizes individual instruction, group discussion, and extensive demonstrations to give students confidence in color mixing to create chromatic strength, tackle complex color relationships, and reveal individual voice. Students work from still life and landscape with an emphasis on tonal structure and color theory, and progress quickly to create fully realized independent works.

Why you’ll love it: There’s something magical about watching colors come to life under your brush, and Paul Collins makes sure every step feels approachable and rewarding. From mixing your first shades to creating a finished piece, you’ll explore the fundamentals of painting in a way that’s both structured and playful. By the end, you’ll leave with a collection of paintings that reflect your journey and the confidence to keep exploring on your own.

Paul Collins, Not Asleep

Sculpture

Sculptural Paper Casting and Forming

Dates: June 15 – 19
Faculty: Leah Aegerter

In this foundational paper-making workshop, students transform pulp into one-of-a-kind cast-paper sculptures. Beginning with dry abaca pulp, participants learn to reconstitute, beat, dye, and cast sheets using a traditional mold and deckle. Abaca paper, with its long fibers and impressive wet strength, is ideal for sculptural manipulation. Students mold wet sheets onto objects brought from home, found in the studio, or discovered in the environment. Sewing and gluing techniques are used to combine dried paper forms into cohesive sculptural creations. By the end of the week, students gain a versatile set of paper-making and sculptural skills that can be adapted to any studio environment.

Why you’ll love it: Your hands will be immersed in wet pulp, forming it over shapes, and watching as it dries into something entirely new. Leah Aegerter guides you through the alchemy of turning paper into sculpture, where every fold, seam, and layer becomes a playful experiment in form and texture. It’s messy, tactile, and endlessly surprising. You will feel like you are rediscovering the joy of making for the first time.

Leah Aegerter, After Staring at the Sun, 2024, Abaca paper, natural pigment, basswood, graphite paper

Photography & New Media

Alternative Processes Unleashed: Platinum/Palladium Printing

Dates: Jun 22 – 26
Faculty: Diana Bloomfield

Discover the exquisite beauty and timeless allure of hand-crafted platinum/palladium printing in this immersive workshop. The combination of platinum and palladium yields prints with remarkable tonal depth, subtlety, and unmatched permanence. Participants will learn to create digital negatives from their own images, brush-coat light-sensitive emulsions onto watercolor paper, and expose their prints to UV light. No prior experience is necessary, making this a highly accessible entry point for anyone interested in fine art photography workshops.

Why you’ll love it: Imagine brushing light-sensitive emulsions onto paper, exposing your image to UV light, and watching as it transforms into a velvety, luminous print is an unforgettable experience. Under Diana Bloomfield’s expert guidance, you’ll turn your photographs into one-of-a-kind treasures. If you have been looking to explore contemporary photography workshops or digital and new media workshops, this hands-on approach offers a beautiful bridge between historical techniques and modern vision. It highlights exactly why studying photography and new media at Anderson Ranch is so highly regarded.

Diana Bloomfield, Up in the Attic, 2025

Furniture Design & Woodworking

Woodcarving Animals

Dates: July 27 – 31
Faculty: Sachiko Akiyama

This inventive and exciting workshop, open to woodworking students of all levels, introduces participants to hand tool carving, power carving, and machine use. Through creating a wood sculpture of an animal form, students explore an array of carving techniques while considering surface detail, form, gesture, and balance.

Why you’ll love it: Acclaimed sculptor Sachiko Akiyama brings her mastery and love of storytelling to this hands-on workshop, where you’ll carve your own animal sculpture full of character and life. From the satisfying rhythm of carving to the joy of shaping something uniquely yours, it’s an invitation to play, experiment, and connect with the timeless art of woodwork.

Sachiko Akiyama, Night Visit, Wood, Resin, Paint, 2024

Printmaking

Printmaking: Screen Print X Collage

Dates: Aug 10 – 14
Faculty: John Alleyne

Explore the dynamic intersection of screen printing and collage through unhinged silkscreens, layered imagery, and texture. Participants begin by creating bold screen printed works using hand-drawn or photo-based methods. Prints are then transformed through cutting, tearing, and pasting onto new substrates such as paper, vinyl, or found materials. This hands-on workshop welcomes all skill levels and emphasizes intuitive play, composition, and storytelling through composition and negative space. Demonstrations, open studio time, group critique, and one-on-one guidance support students in developing unique works that merge screen print and collage into vibrant hybrid artworks.

Why you’ll love it: John Alleyne’s workshop is a deep dive into storytelling through print and collage. Inspired by his Barbadian roots and the energy of hip-hop and street art, Alleyne’s process transforms materials into layered narratives. You’ll cut, tear, and layer prints, creating works that challenge conventions and celebrate individuality. This is where culture, identity, and creativity collide, offering a space to experiment and make art that feels personal and alive.

John Alleyne, I Am My Brother’s Keeper

Ceramics

Printing with Colored Clay: Building Ink Prints on Unfired Ceramic Slabs

Dates: August 31 – September 4
Faculty: Pam Porter

Clay printing, also known as clay monoprinting or printing with colored clay, offers a unique way to use clay—not by firing slabs, but by transforming them into richly detailed printing plates. Using pigments made from clay slips and universal tints, participants layer colors, textures, and patterns onto a slab of leather-hard clay to create one-of-a-kind imagery. Once the design is ready, special canvas is placed on top and hand-rolled, capturing the clay’s intricate surface in a vibrant monoprint. The workshop combines clear instruction with playful experimentation, making it ideal for artists and enthusiasts eager to explore a new approach. Students leave with a collection of unique two-dimensional works on canvas.

Why you’ll love it: Clay becomes your printing plate in this workshop, where layers of colored slips and textures are transformed into vibrant monoprints. Guided by Pam Porter, a pioneer in clay printing, you’ll explore a process that’s tactile, experimental, and endlessly creative. Perfect for ceramicists and printmakers alike, it’s a chance to push boundaries and create art that’s as dynamic as the medium itself.

Pam Porter, Crystal River

Join Our Creative Community

Radical play requires a supportive environment, and that is exactly what our founders set out to build. When you step onto the Ranch, you are doing more than just taking a class. You are joining a historic lineage of makers who believe in the power of creative exploration. Whether your interests lie in painting, sculpture, or photography workshops, we invite you to experience art together with us.

Ready to discover your artistic potential? Review the links above to register for your favorite workshops before they fill up. We look forward to welcoming you to campus in Snowmass Village, CO and seeing what incredible ideas you bring to life.

Explore all summer workshops.

The post Radical Play at Anderson Ranch: Embracing Artistic Discovery appeared first on Anderson Ranch Arts Center.

Welcome to the 60th anniversary of workshops at Anderson Ranch Arts Center. Over the past six decades, we have grown from a small gathering of visionary artists into a thriving hub for creative exploration. While honoring the rich traditions of art-making, we continue to embrace cutting-edge tools and innovation. As we celebrate this incredible milestone in 2026, we are thrilled to help you discover our extensive catalog of over 150 workshops designed to inspire and transform your artistic practice.

This guide focuses on the Hybrid Studio: an exciting collection of workshops that mix traditional studio methods with innovative digital tools. Think laser cutters, UV printers, and mechanical motors paired seamlessly with hands-on techniques like screen printing, painting, and sculpture. It is all about experimenting with tools you might not normally use to see exactly where they can take your work. Many of these workshops include dedicated time in Anderson Ranch’s state-of-the-art Digital Fabrication studio, giving you direct access to technology that can help bring your most ambitious ideas to life.

Here is a closer look at our 2026 Hybrid Studio offerings:

• Hybrid Horizons: Collage Across Digital and Traditional Forms
• Between the Mesh: The Hybrid Screen Print
• Sculpture in Motion: Basic Motors and Kinetics
• Experimental Monoprint with Laser Cutters
• Light, Playful Prototyping
• Beyond the Canvas: Digital Fabrication and Sculptural Painting

PHOTOGRAPHY & NEW MEDIA

Hybrid Horizons: Collage Across Digital and Traditional Forms
July 6 – 10

Faculty: K Rhynus Cesark

Through material exploration of water-based media, this workshop moves students from initial narrative concept to execution with the help of in-class discussion and the implementation of techniques pre-existing and newly formed. Participants learn the processes and methods for effective use of water-based media to create vibrant imagery in the studio, and to work swiftly and spontaneously on-site wherever our painting journeys may take us. The workshop is guided through demonstrations, lectures, and in-class painting time, as we work with feedback from the instructor and classmates to develop a rich and dynamic painting practice.

Why you’ll love it: If you are passionate about collage and eager to push its boundaries, this is your workshop. You will merge the tactile joy of painting and drawing with advanced technology like laser cutters and UV printers. This environment empowers you to create deeply layered, experimental pieces, offering you the ultimate freedom to test new techniques and watch your ideas materialize in unexpected ways.

Learn more and register for Hybrid Horizons: Collage Across Digital and Traditional Forms

K Rhynus Cesark, Ascend, digitally altered monoprint, transfers, and encaustic on panel

PRINTMAKING

Between the Mesh: The Hybrid Screen Print
July 6 -10

Faculty: Tyanna J. Buie

Students explore a wide range of traditional and experimental screen printing techniques, examining the expressive potential of digital and mechanical mark-making, richly layered color, and dynamic variable editions. Processes covered include drawing fluid and screen-filler stencils, photo-chemical stencils created from both hand-drawn and digital imagery, monoprints/monotypes, and the integration of found collage materials — all paired with hybrid approaches that merge analog and digitally produced images.

Why you’ll love it: Learn directly from Tyanna J. Buie, an acclaimed artist chosen by the Obamas for her incredible screen-printed installations. She will guide you through combining hand-drawn elements with digital imagery in completely fresh ways. Her approach focuses heavily on layering and experimentation, resulting in prints that feel alive and full of possibility. If you want to elevate your screen printing practice, you belong in this studio.

Learn more and register for Between the Mesh: The Hybrid Screen Print

Tyanna J. Buie, Guinan

SCULPTURE

Sculpture in Motion: Basic Motors and Kinetics
July 20 – 24

Faculty: Ivana Dama

This hands-on workshop invites students to explore kinetic sculpture by experimenting with motion while learning the techniques needed to make sculptures move. The workshop simplifies and demystifies the process, breaking down different types of motors and their potential applications. Participants engage in guided experiments and creative problem solving, working with timers and controllers that require no coding experience. Students gain foundational knowledge of motor types, control systems, and kinetic mechanisms, and have time to apply these skills to develop their own projects.

Why you’ll love it:  Ivana Dama possesses a unique talent for making intimidating mechanical components feel approachable and fun. She breaks down the complexities of motors so you can focus entirely on your creative vision. You will leave the studio not only knowing how to animate your sculptures but also feeling incredibly confident in your ability to harness kinetic energy in future projects.

Learn more and register for Sculpture in Motion: Basic Motors and Kinetics

Ivana Dama, Audible Silence, 2023, Installation

PRINTMAKING

Experimental Monoprint with Laser Cutters
August 24 – 28

Faculty: Lari Gibbons

Explore a playful approach to making layered, hand-pulled monoprints through this fun, experimental workshop. We learn various ways to bring technology into our art-making practice, using the laser cutter as a flexible tool throughout the process. We discover how to turn drawings into laser-cut paper stencils, which we then use both in the printing process and as collage elements. We conclude by cutting our plexi plates into jigsaw-style pieces for more printing options. Our goals are to increase skills, exchange ideas, and expand our creative practices.

Why you’ll love it: Experience the perfect collision of the messy, hands-on joy of monoprinting with the exact precision of modern laser cutting. You will transform your sketches into complex stencils, layer striking textures, and cut plexi plates into puzzle-like pieces that offer endless creative configurations. It provides a playful, low-pressure space to stretch your printmaking capabilities.

Learn more and register for Experimental Monoprint with Laser Cutters

Lari Gibbons, AFM variation 3

FURNITURE DESIGN & WOODWORKING

Light, Playful Prototyping
August 31 – September 4

Faculty: Elish Warlop and Lane Preston

Light, playful prototyping is a key element for developing new ideas in the studio. This exploratory workshop delves into rapid, fast-paced prototyping to help generate ideas focused on light, form, and material. Students begin by iterating with paper to achieve form, explore luminosity, translucence, and shadow. Through the organic lens of bent wood, we tie it all together with contemporary lighting design. Students design and prototype their own light fixture, blending basic wiring and digital fabrication tools like laser cutting with wood bending methods such as hot pipe bending and bent lamination.

Why you’ll love it: This class completely reimagines what light can achieve as an artistic medium. You will experiment rapidly with paper, wood, laser cutting, and CNC tools to build forms that do more than illuminate a room—they transform its atmosphere. The fast-paced, iterative process will permanently change how you think about light, mood, and material interaction.

Learn more and register for Light, Playful Prototyping

Elish Warlop, Shades, Cerrused Ash and Steel.

PAINTING & DRAWING

Beyond the Canvas: Digital Fabrication and Sculptural Painting
September 7 – 11

Faculty: Damien Davis

In this hands-on workshop, students use the Fab Lab’s laser cutter and CNC router to translate personal imagery and visual ideas into hybrid works that combine digital precision with analog expression. Pushing two-dimensional painting onto three-3 dimensional surfaces creates a dynamic sense of wall power, and lets us explore painting as an object through individual experimentation. Incorporating physical elements, and painting on a variety of substrates and collage develops a sense of physicality, space, and texture. Painters and sculptors alike are invited to step outside of the rectangular picture plane, developing a deeper understanding of material relationships and the sculptural potential of the painted surface.

Why you’ll love it: If you ever feel confined by the standard rectangular canvas, this is your opportunity to break out. You will leverage the power of the Fab Lab alongside traditional painting techniques to craft bold, dimensional works that leap off the wall. It is the perfect environment for painters and sculptors alike to rethink color, shape, and texture.

Learn more and register for Beyond the Canvas: Digital Fabrication and Sculptural Painting

Damien Davis, Force of Will

A Place Built for Transformation

Ready to start your creative journey? Explore these workshops and the rest of our 60th-anniversary catalog to secure your spot in the studio this summer!

Explore all summer workshops.

The post The Hybrid Studio: 2026 Workshops at Anderson Ranch appeared first on Anderson Ranch Arts Center.

There’s a particular kind of artist who has been through the fire so many times they’ve stopped flinching. Marilyn Minter, whose lush, unapologetically carnal paintings, photographs, and videos have spent decades offending and seducing the art world in equal measure, is one of them.

In the late 1980s and into the 90s, works like Porn Grid (a series of enamel-on-metal paintings based on X-rated images lifted from pornographic magazines) earned her the condemnation of critics who accused her of complicity in the very imagery she was trying to subvert. Minter has since spoken openly about how deeply that period damaged her standing in the art world, and how she kept working anyway.

Later came Plush (2014), a series of archival inkjet prints in which Minter isolates female pubic areas in extreme close-up, turning them into lush fields of texture. Commissioned by Playboy and ultimately rejected, the images were too feral, too insistently frank for a magazine that had spent decades selling a highly controlled male fantasy of the female form (Richard Prince’s press published it in a limited edition of 500 in 2014. It sold out in a week).

Her Elder Sex series (2022) extended Minter’s long-standing interest in work that falls outside approved fantasies. Originally commissioned by New York Times Magazine and later expanded into a full body of work exhibited at LGDR gallery in 2023, it depicts couples over the age of 70, stripped to lingerie or briefs, hugging, kissing, caressing, one woman in pearls and red nail polish, wielding a sex toy, shot through textured or frozen glass.

The wrinkles are there. The flesh is there. The desire is unmistakably there. As always, the point is not novelty but visibility: Minter turns her gaze toward intimacy, pleasure, and glamour where polite society would prefer not to look. And her work, now held in the collections of MoMA, the Guggenheim, and the Whitney, among many others, has not softened over more than 50 years.

Below, we speak with the acclaimed artist, taking a look at her life and work through her own words.

Read the full article on Dazed

The post A guide to Marilyn Minter’s subversive art, in her own words appeared first on Anderson Ranch Arts Center.

What does it mean to truly transform something? Not just change its shape, but reimagine its very nature – turning wax into bronze, fabric into painting, or a single photographic image into a three-dimensional ceramic narrative? At Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass, Colorado, that kind of creative metamorphosis happens every summer. And for 2026, the workshops centered on material alchemy are some of the most compelling the Ranch has offered in years.

This guide is for artists and art lovers who are drawn to process, who find as much meaning in how something is made as in the final result. If experimentation, material exploration, and pushing the limits of your practice excite you, these workshops were built with you in mind. Whether you work in clay, metal, wood, or paint, there’s something here to challenge and inspire.

Included in this guide:

• Water-Based Painting: An Exploration of Technique & Form
• Image + Clay: Exploring Mixed Media Ceramics
• Handcarved: Making a Two-Board Chair
• Find Your Fire: An Introduction to Saggar Firing
• Investigations in Lithography: Honing the Essentials
• Introduction to Hot Metal Casting

What Is Material Alchemy?

The term “alchemy” has always carried a sense of transformation beyond the ordinary—turning one thing into something fundamentally different. Applied to art-making, material alchemy describes the process of working with raw materials in experimental, often unexpected ways to create something entirely new.

It’s the guiding theme behind a curated selection of Anderson Ranch workshops that emphasize process, experimentation, and craftsmanship. These aren’t courses where you follow a step-by-step formula. They’re immersive experiences that ask you to stay curious, stay flexible, and trust the process, even when the results surprise you.

Painting: Harnessing Spontaneity

Water-Based Painting: An Exploration of Technique & Form
July 20 – 24 

Faculty: Azikiwe Mohammad

Spontaneity sounds like something that just happens. Azikiwe Mohammad would argue otherwise. This workshop is built on the idea that spontaneity can be cultivated—that working quickly, experimenting boldly, and embracing the unpredictable isn’t reckless, it’s a skill.

Through demonstrations, lectures, and guided in-class painting time, participants move from concept to execution using water-based media. The focus is on building a vocabulary of techniques that help you create vibrant, narrative-driven work with confidence. You’ll leave with a richer toolbox and a more dynamic approach to your painting practice.

Learn more about Water-Based Painting: An Exploration of Technique & Form

Azikiwe Mohammed, Leroy’s Coffee Break #3

Photography & Ceramics: Where 2D Meets 3D

Image + Clay: Exploring Mixed Media Ceramics
July 20 – 31

Faculty: Yana Payusova

This two-week intensive sits at a fascinating crossroads: photography, digital processes, and ceramics, all in conversation with one another. Instructor Yana Payusova brings a rare depth of training to this workshop—classically trained in painting in Russia, then photography, then graduate-level photographic processes, and now primarily working in ceramics where she marries all three disciplines.

For photographers, this is an opportunity to move images into three-dimensional form while deepening narrative development. For ceramic artists, it opens up new ways of thinking about decoration and surface storytelling. Participants work with personal, found, or generated images to design photographic decals for transfer onto handbuilt ceramic forms. By the end of the two weeks, you’ll have both the technical skills and the conceptual strategies to integrate 2D and 3D elements in your work.

This workshop is a standout example of the photography and new media workshops that Anderson Ranch has become known for—courses that go well beyond technique to explore what images can do.

Learn more about Image + Clay: Exploring Mixed Media Ceramics

Yana Payusova

Woodworking: Personal Touch, Timeless Craft

Handcarved: Making a Two-Board Chair
August 24 – 28 

Faculty: Charles Thompson

Charles Thompson takes something deceptively simple—two boards—and shows you how to turn them into a beautifully crafted, fully functional chair. It’s a workshop about accessible craftsmanship and personal expression working together.

Students learn foundational joinery techniques including mortise and tenon joints, dovetails, and tapered sliding dovetails, while also developing their own pattern-carving vocabulary. The chair itself follows an Alpine vernacular style, but the flourishes are entirely yours. You’re not just learning to build; you’re learning to make something unmistakably your own.

Learn more about Handcarved: Making a Two-Board Chair

Charles Thompson, Brettstuhls, Cherry and Elm, 2023.

Ceramics: The Chemistry of Atmosphere

Find Your Fire: An Introduction to Saggar Firing
August 24 – September 4

Faculty: Suzanne Hill

Saggar firing has deep historical roots. Saggar boxes were originally used to shield delicate porcelain from ash in wood firings. Today, the process has evolved into something far more experimental: a way to create miniature atmospheric environments inside a gas kiln, each producing distinct and often stunning surface effects on clay.

Instructor Suzanne Hill guides students through every stage—making the saggar boxes, preparing combustible materials, and firing the finished pieces. Because each saggar creates its own sealed environment, no two outcomes are exactly alike. That element of discovery is exactly what makes this workshop so compelling for artists who love process and are excited by the unexpected. You’ll leave with a new firing vocabulary and the confidence to keep experimenting long after the workshop ends.

Learn more about Find Your Fire: An Introduction to Saggar Firing

Suzanne Hill, Cloud of Change

Printmaking: Chemistry, Craft, and Community

Investigations in Lithography: Honing the Essentials
September 7 – 18

Faculty: Valpuri Remling

Lithography is a process that once revolutionized printmaking—and it remains one of the most technically fascinating and communally practiced disciplines in the print world. Valpuri Remling, a master printer and one of the top lithographers working today, leads this two-week deep dive.

The process itself is rooted in a simple chemical principle: oil and water don’t mix. A grease-based mark on an acidic surface becomes a resist, and from there, an image. It sounds straightforward. In practice, it’s endlessly nuanced.

Because lithography requires specialized equipment that most artists can’t access in a home studio, the chance to work at Anderson Ranch’s Patton Print Shop—with world-class tools and a world-class instructor—is genuinely rare. This is a masterclass in the truest sense: a cohort of serious printmakers working at a high level, building community through a shared discipline.

Learn more about Investigations in Lithography: Honing the Essentials

Lucy Fradkin, Dear Esther. Printed by Valpuri Remling at Tamarind Institute. Copyright Lucy Fradkin 2023. Image courtesy of Tamarind Institute.

Sculpture: Transforming Metal, Transforming Practice

Introduction to Hot Metal Casting
September 7 – 18

Faculty: Betsy Alwin and William Lanzillo

There’s something profound about watching a familiar object become liquid, then solidify again in an entirely new form. That’s the core experience of this two-week metal casting intensive—and for many participants, it’s genuinely transformative.

Students begin by creating wax forms, then move through the full casting process: ceramic shell mold construction, burnout, hot metal pouring, and finishing. The workshop also covers green sand casting for quicker results. By the end, you’ll have a working knowledge of cast metal sculpture and a new relationship with materials, permanence, and process.

As instructors Betsy Alwin and William Lanzillo often note, what makes this workshop special is what students discover about longevity—about making something in bronze or aluminum that has an entirely different relationship with time than most studio work.

Learn more about Introduction to Hot Metal Casting

A Place Built for Transformation

Since Paul Soldner first envisioned Anderson Ranch as a “Center of the Hand” in 1966, the institution has been a place where making and seeing—craft and concept—work together. These material alchemy workshops embody that founding spirit. They ask participants to slow down, engage deeply with their materials, and trust that the process itself will teach them something.

Spaces in these workshops fill quickly. If any of these experiences resonate with your practice, explore the full 2026 workshop catalog and secure your place in the studio.

Explore all summer workshops.

The post Material Alchemy: Workshops That Transform at Anderson Ranch appeared first on Anderson Ranch Arts Center.

Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado, U.S., has named Marilyn Minter as its 2026 International Artist Honoree, recognising a career that has profoundly shaped contemporary conversations around beauty, politics, and representation through a provocative practice that spans painting, photography, video, and installation.

The award will be celebrated during the centre’s ‘Ranch Week’ in Aspen/Snowmass from 13 to 18 July, where Minter’s impact on contemporary art will be honoured at the annual Ranch Gala on 15 July alongside a public screening of Pretty Dirty (2025), the documentary tracing her influential and fearless practice.

Read the full article on Ocula

The post Marilyn Minter Honoured by Anderson Ranch Arts Center with International Artist Award appeared first on Anderson Ranch Arts Center.

Hot off the heels of last year’s biopic, feminist painter and photographer Marilyn Minter is back in the spotlight as the recipient of the 2026 International Artist Award from the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass, Colorado. She’s the 28th winner of the award, joining the likes of Theaster Gates, Simone Leigh, and Christian Marclay. She’ll be honored at the annual Ranch Gala in July, where that documentary — aptly entitled Pretty Dirty — will be screened.

Read the article on Hyperallergic

The post Art Movements: Marilyn Minter Wins Again appeared first on Anderson Ranch Arts Center.

Artistic Directors Andrea Jenkins Wallace, Liz Ferrill, and Betsy Alwin have each identified specific workshops that exemplify the spirit of the Ranch. These selections highlight the depth of instruction available, from tactile sculpture workshops to cutting-edge photography and new media workshops. Their choices reflect a commitment to both traditional craftsmanship and contemporary innovation.

Explore the following guide to discover the workshops that the directors believe will be essential additions to any artistic journey this summer.

Included in this guide:

• Betsy Alwin’s Selections
  • Bent Laminations in Vessels
  • Introduction to Clay Body Chemistry
  • Sculpting The Figure
• Andrea Jenkins Wallace’s Selections
  • The Gift of Intimate Portraiture
  • We Make Pictures in Order to Live
• Liz Ferrill’s Selections
  • Storyboard Intaglio: Shaped Plates
  • New Avenues and Investigations

Betsy Alwin’s Selections

Betsy Alwin selects three distinct workshops that emphasize material mastery and professional development. Her choices span the tactile worlds of wood, ceramics, and sculpture.

Bent Laminations in Vessels with Laura Kishimoto

June 22 to June 26

Why You’ll Love It: Participants will explore innovative bending techniques under the guidance of a master of meticulous design, diving deeper into the creative and technical process of shaping wood. The course utilizes CNC technology to create molds, allowing for the creation of small prototypes that blend traditional and modern methods while giving you the freedom to experiment and personalize your pieces. It serves as an ideal environment for those eager to infuse new energy into their woodworking practice through movement and form, encouraging you to push your boundaries and discover new approaches.

Laura Kishimoto, Heptagonal Vase, 2025

Introduction to Clay Body Chemistry with Matt Katz

June 22 to July 3

Why You’ll Love It: This workshop moves beyond theory to offer a truly hands-on experience where students analyze commercial clays while developing their own unique formulas, making the exploration both practical and insightful. Unlike standard glaze courses, makers will actively throw or sculpt to see their custom clay bodies in action immediately, observing firsthand how materials behave and adapt. It offers critical understanding for anyone wanting to tailor materials specifically to their artistic vision without wasting time on trial and error, while also empowering artists to make informed, confident choices in their own studios.

Matt Katz,Clay Course

Sculpting The Figure with Basil Watson

August 10 to August 14

Why You’ll Love It: Basil Watson brings incredible craftsmanship to the studio, teaching students how to sculpt the figure in the round with precision and attention to detail. A unique component of this workshop involves professional development, specifically learning how to document work for proposals and create presentations that are foundry-ready. This class bridges the gap between anatomical study and the practicalities of a professional sculpting career, equipping participants with vital skills for both artistic growth and advancing their presence in the field.

Basil Watson, The harmonious expression of one’s vision of life

Andrea Jenkins Wallace’s Selections

Andrea Jenkins Wallace highlights two exceptional opportunities within the realm of photography and new media workshops. Her picks focus on the power of the image to convey intimacy and narrative.

The Gift of Intimate Portraiture with Erik Carter

June 22 to June 26

Why You’ll Love It: Erik Carter brings a unique tenderness to the world of celebrity photography that participants will learn to emulate in their own work, with guidance that encourages openness and creativity. The workshop focuses on the courage required to capture intimacy and offers a rare chance to learn from a master of the genre while exploring the emotional depths behind each image. Students will discover how to translate personal connection into compelling visual narratives, gaining real tools to enhance their own practice and tell more meaningful stories through portraiture.

Erik Carter, Calvin

We Make Pictures in Order to Live with Michael Famighetti

July 27 to July 31

Why You’ll Love It: This is a premier opportunity to present work directly to the editor-in-chief of Aperture’s editorial program and receive invaluable feedback rooted in contemporary practice. Michael Famighetti guides photographers through the crucial process of editing and sequencing images to present projects in their strongest light, fostering an environment that prioritizes thoughtful curation and growth. It is an essential experience for those looking to refine their portfolios within the landscape of contemporary photography and new media workshops while gaining perspectives that can elevate artistic direction and open new possibilities for creative presentation.

Michael Famighetti, Aperture Magazine

Liz Ferrill’s Selections

Liz Ferrill chooses two workshops that push the boundaries of traditional mediums. Her selections for printmaking and painting emphasize narrative and cultural relevance.

Storyboard Intaglio: Shaped Plates with Juana Estrada Hernández

August 3 to August 7

Why You’ll Love It: Juana Estrada Hernández introduces a unique approach to printmaking by teaching students to shape copper plates using a jeweler’s saw, bringing new dimensions to traditional techniques. The course emphasizes narrative and storytelling through small-scale works, allowing printmakers to explore their background and heritage and make meaningful connections with their creative process. It combines innovative techniques with traditional skill-building for a distinct studio experience, encouraging each artist to develop a personal narrative voice while mastering exciting new skills.

Juana Estrada Hernández, Ah Chambiar Para Nuestra Casita

New Avenues and Investigations with Chitra Ganesh

August 24 to August 28

Why You’ll Love It: Chitra Ganesh is celebrated for her socially and culturally engaged multimedia work, making this an exciting opportunity for artists seeking relevance and inspiration in the contemporary art world. The class functions as a high-level investigation into how an artist’s practice fits into the broader cultural conversation and helps participants find their unique voice within it. Participants will enjoy working with a teacher known for her dynamic and supportive approach to painting and investigation, fostering personal growth while connecting creative work to larger social and artistic movements.

Chitra Ganesh, In Media Res

Join the Community at Anderson Ranch

The 2026 season at Anderson Ranch offers a gateway to personal growth and artistic expansion. These workshops selected by the artistic directors represent just a fraction of the opportunities available to connect with a vibrant community of creators. Whether the goal is to master a new technique in a sculpture workshop or refine a portfolio in photography and new media workshops, the Ranch provides the space and expertise needed to succeed.

Spaces in workshops are limited and can often fill quickly due to the caliber and popularity of the Guest Faculty. Secure a spot today to ensure a place in these transformative experiences.

Explore all summer workshops.

The post 2026 Directors’ Picks: Top Art Workshops at Anderson Ranch appeared first on Anderson Ranch Arts Center.

Ranch President and CEO Peter Waanders told ARTnews in an interview that the choice of Minter came down to her meticulous technique, her studio practice, and her longtime dedication to teaching (Minter is a faculty member of the School of Visual Arts in New York). “She’s really a maker, and focused on that. We were also excited that she is a decades-long educator.”

The post Marilyn Minter Wins Anderson Ranch’s International Artist Award appeared first on Anderson Ranch Arts Center.

This guide highlights workshops taught by the leaders who have defined our creative spirit for six decades. Whether you are learning from a returning master or a new faculty member, these workshops offer rare, immersive opportunities to study with the visionaries shaping the future of art. Join us to be part of a storied tradition and a bold new chapter.

Included in this guide:

• Hand Turned Ceramics
• Sculptural Paper Casting and Forming
• Print Demo City! Alternative Screen Printing Methods
• Advanced Topics in Painting
• Bandsaw Box Forms: Designing with Shape, Color, and Texture
• Home, Reimagining Interiority

Ceramics: The Foundations of Form

Ceramics is where our story began, and it remains the heartbeat of the Ranch. Our 2026 offerings continue the legacy of Paul Soldner, emphasizing both the vessel and the sculptural possibility of clay.

Hand-Turned Ceramics

Dates: June 1 – 12
Faculty: Paul Briggs

Experience the rare privilege of learning from Paul Briggs, a renowned ceramicist and gentle, insightful teacher whose command of pinch-forming techniques is both innovative and accessible.

In this two-week session, you’ll move beyond the basics, working hands-on with up to five pounds of clay, developing your understanding of form, wall thickness, and structural integrity. Paul fosters an environment where beginners and intermediate artists can truly connect with clay, explore new building and decorating methods, and discover joy in the process. Time spent with Paul is not just about skill-building—it’s a chance to be inspired by his passion and generosity.

Paul Briggs, Willow

Sculpture: Innovation Through Sustainable Practice

Our sculpture workshops act as a hub for figurative, abstract, and experimental approaches. With access to extensive facilities for wood, metal, and mixed media, the Sculpture Barn is where everyday materials find profound new life.

Sculptural Paper Casting and Forming

Dates: June 15 – 19
Faculty: Leah Aegerter

Step into the world of sustainable art with Leah Aegerter, whose deep knowledge of papermaking transforms everyday materials into meaningful sculpture.

Leah’s workshop offers more than technique; it’s about engaging with an eco-conscious process that encourages experimentation without fear. You’ll learn critical skills in papermaking, mold-making, and casting—foundational tools for any sculptor—but also explore new ways to form and recycle materials. Leah’s supportive guidance makes complex concepts accessible while inspiring confidence and creative risk-taking.

Leah Aegerter, After Staring at the Sun, 2024, Abaca paper, natural pigment, basswood, graphite paper

Printmaking: Experimentation and Expression

Printmaking is inherently communal, a quality we celebrate in our Patton Print Shop. This year, we spotlight instructors who create dynamic environments where personal expression and risk-taking thrive.

Print Demo City! Alternative Screen Printing Methods

Dates: July 20 – 24
Faculty: John Hitchcock

Enter a creative playground with John Hitchcock, whose dynamic, energetic approach to printmaking fosters true experimentation.

As head of print at the University of Wisconsin and a mainstay at the Ranch for over 15 years, John excels at delivering killer demos and guiding students to break out of their comfort zones. In this workshop, you’ll gain fresh screen printing skills and learn how to infuse your own vision into every print. John’s classes value personal expression, risk-taking, and building a toolbox of techniques you won’t find in textbooks, all within a fun, supportive environment.

John Hitchcock, Sonic Echo

Painting & Drawing: Deepening Your Practice

Painting at the Ranch encourages artists to push beyond familiar territory. This year’s master instructor creates a collaborative environment where advanced painters can take their next creative leap.

Advanced Topics in Painting

Dates: June 29 – July 3
Faculty: Craig Drennen

Join Craig Drennen, a celebrated artist and motivating presence in the studio, as he helps advanced painters dig deeper into their practice.

Craig is known for creating a collaborative, bonded cohort where challenging conversations and self-discovery are encouraged. He’s especially skilled at helping artists articulate their intentions and organize their ideas, pushing work from concept to finished piece. This workshop promises not just technical guidance, but the intangible encouragement to move beyond your comfort zone—ideal for painters ready for the next leap in their creative journey.

Craig Drennen, Darlin’ Super Freak 1

Furniture Design & Woodworking: Mastery of Craft

The furniture studio at Anderson Ranch has always been a place where craftsmanship meets creativity. For 2026, we are celebrating the mastery of our most experienced instructors who blend fundamental techniques with innovative approaches.

Bandsaw Box Forms

Dates: June 29 – July 3
Faculty: Jason Schneider

Rediscover woodworking in a workshop led by Jason Schneider, former head of the Ranch’s wood shop and known for his kind patience and technical mastery.

Jason will introduce you to the art of bandsaw box making, blending fundamental skills with unexpected flourishes—from shaping and texturing to advanced finishing techniques you won’t find anywhere else. This is a hands-on, skill-building week designed for woodworkers eager to push boundaries and create boxes that are as individual as they are functional. With Jason’s knack for teaching both basics and flashy details, you’re sure to leave with new skills and newfound inspiration.

Jason Schneider, Switchback (nesting vessels), Mahogany and Milk Paint

Photography & New Media: Personal Narrative and Vision

Our photography and new media workshops have evolved significantly since the days of “Center of the Eye.” Today, they represent a cutting-edge intersection of lens-based practices, digital media, and conceptual exploration.

Home, Reimagining Interiority

Dates: July 20 – 24
Faculty: Deb Willis

Seize a rare opportunity to work alongside Deb Willis, MacArthur Fellow and a visionary in contemporary photography, curation, and scholarship.

Deb’s workshop goes far beyond technical instruction, inviting you to explore personal narrative and the notion of “home” through focused projects. Students benefit from Deb’s decades of expertise, receiving thoughtful, in-depth feedback on work created during the week, as well as on ongoing projects. Deb brings an unmatched ability to help you refine your artistic voice; each participant emerges with a stronger edit, a clearer vision, and a deeper connection to the power of images.

Deborah Willis, Nola House Detail

Find Your Workshop

The workshops listed above are just a glimpse of what 2026 has to offer. Spaces in these courses fill up quickly, so we encourage you to explore the full catalog and secure your spot in the studio.  Explore all summer workshops.

The post 2026 Summer Workshop Guide: Masters of the Ranch appeared first on Anderson Ranch Arts Center.

At 60 years strong, we are only growing wiser, and our 2026 lineup is the proof. This year’s program offers a curated blend of tradition and radical innovation. From high-tech fabrication in our furniture studios to experimental, lens-based practices in photography, this season’s workshops are designed to challenge your process and expand your community.

Whether you are a professional artist looking to refine a specific technique or an art lover ready to get your hands dirty, this guide highlights our “Buzz List”—the workshops everyone is talking about.

Included in this guide:

• CNC as a Designer’s Tool
• Exploring Image-Making Through Lived Experience
• Painterly Quilts
• Prototyping in Clay: A Hand Building Design Intensive
• Woodblock: Carving and Printing at a Large Scale
• Creative Reuse

Furniture Design & Woodworking: Merging Technology and Tradition

The furniture studio at Anderson Ranch has always been a place where craftsmanship meets creativity. For 2026, we are pushing the envelope by integrating advanced digital tools with traditional woodworking sensibilities.

Making a Traditional Japanese Puzzle Box

Dates: June 8 – 12
Faculty: Kagen Sound

Unlock the secrets of a centuries-old craft with master puzzle box maker Kagen Sound. This unique workshop explores the Japanese art of making secret opening boxes, where logic and artistry intersect.

Participants will learn to create a box infrastructure, cut sliding wooden plates that move in a precise sequence, and assemble the final piece. The course focuses on hand-tool use, assisted by miniature router table set-ups for detailed joinery. It’s a fantastic opportunity for woodworkers of all levels to dive into the world of handcrafted mechanisms and create their own custom puzzle box.

Kagen Sound, Cafe Wall Box, Wood, 2019

Photography & New Media: Beyond the Image

Our photography and new media workshops have evolved significantly since the days of “Center of the Eye.” Today, they represent a cutting-edge intersection of lens-based practices, digital media, and conceptual exploration.

Exploring Image-Making Through Lived Experience + Power Dynamics

Dates: June 15 – 19
Faculty: Carmen Winant

This workshop challenges the very nature of photography. Led by Carmen Winant, this course moves beyond technical aperture settings to explore the ethics and politics of the image.

Through collaborative exercises, play, experimentation, and critical reflection, participants will ask not just what an image looks like, but what it can do. This is an essential workshop for contemporary photographers and new media artists who want to deepen the conceptual framework of their practice and understand the power dynamics inherent in the act of looking.

Painting: Texture and Transformation

Painting at the Ranch often spills over the edges of the canvas. This year’s buzzworthy painting workshop blurs the lines between textile art and traditional painting, offering a fresh approach to surface design.

Painterly Quilts

Dates: June 29 – July 3
Faculty: Chloe Wilwerding

Forget everything you know about traditional quilting. This workshop invites you to treat fabric as your paint and the needle as your brush.

Instructor Chloe Wilwerding will guide you through techniques like cyanotype, embroidery, and stamping—essentially “painting” with fabric. By using personal and found materials, you will transform everyday objects into bold, textured art that is uniquely yours. It is an ideal class for painters wanting to add dimension to their work or fiber artists looking to incorporate painterly concepts.

Chloe Wilwerding, Straight Ahead

Printmaking: Collaboration and Scale

Printmaking is inherently communal, a quality we celebrate in our Patton Print Shop. This year, we are scaling up, offering artists the physical space and technical support to go big.

Woodblock: Carving and Printing at a Large Scale

Dates: July 27 – 31
Faculty: Yashua Klos

This isn’t just a workshop; it’s a full-body experience. Led by the inspiring Yashua Klos, this popular offering combines the fundamentals of woodblock printmaking with innovative collage techniques.

Students consistently rave about the collaborative vibe and Klos’s unique ability to unite people through this dynamic process. Working at a large scale requires physical engagement and often, a helping hand, fostering a studio environment where creativity thrives. It’s a rare chance to grow your skills, connect with fellow printmakers, and create art that is as layered and compelling as the stories you want to tell.

Yashua Klos, There’s Never Enough City to Hold You

Sculpture: Innovation through Sustainability

Our sculpture workshops act as a hub for figurative, abstract, and experimental approaches. With access to extensive facilities for wood, metal, and mixed media, the Sculpture Barn is where discarded objects find a second, profound life.

Creative Reuse

Dates: August 3 – 7
Faculty: Jean Shin

In an era of excess, how do we make art responsibly? Led by the renowned Jean Shin, this workshop transforms discarded materials into powerful art.

You will explore how salvaging and repurposing objects can infuse your work with cultural depth and ecological awareness. Shin is celebrated for her innovative approach to sustainability, and she will guide you through the conceptual and physical process of turning “trash” into treasure. This workshop is perfect for artists interested in installation, mixed media, and the environmental impact of their practice.

Jean Shin, Museum Body, Cut fabric (donated clothes from Amon Carter), 2024
Museum of American Art and Museum of Modern Art employees),
thread, adhesive, and Tyvek, 2024, 2023, Installation

Ceramics: The Center of the Hand

Ceramics is where our story began, and it remains the heartbeat of the Ranch. Our 2026 offerings continue the legacy of Peter Voulkos and Paul Soldner, emphasizing both the vessel and the sculptural possibility of clay.

Intensive Coil Building: Moon Jar

Dates: September 7 – 11
Faculty: Joanne Seongweon Lee

Experience the meditative process of coiling delicate vessels in porcelain. In this one-week workshop, instructor Joanne Seongweon Lee teaches how to effectively roll thin coils and build them into complex forms, including the elegant Moon Jar.

Participants will gain confidence and refine their skills through dedicated practice. While the focus is on process, you will leave with new, refined techniques to continue exploring in your home studio, along with both finished and bisqued work. This course is ideal for anyone with some previous experience with clay who is looking to elevate their hand-building practice.

Joanne Seongweon Lee, Moon Jar

Find Your Workshop

The workshops listed above are just a glimpse of what 2026 has to offer. Spaces in these “Buzz List” courses fill up quickly, so we encourage you to explore the full catalog and secure your spot in the studio.  Explore all summer workshops.

The post Summer Workshop Guide: The Buzz List appeared first on Anderson Ranch Arts Center.