Summer Workshop Guide: The Buzz List

January 22, 2026

Posted In: Workshops

As we prepare to kick off our 60th summer of art-making at Anderson Ranch, the energy on campus is already palpable. Since 1966, when ceramicist Paul Soldner envisioned a “Center of the Hand” and Cherie Hiser brought forth the “Center of the Eye,” our Rocky Mountain campus has celebrated the act of making. Together, these founding visions created a destination where creativity knows no bounds.

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.

 

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.

CNC as a Designer’s Tool with Jomo Tariku

Dates: June 1 – 5
Faculty: Jomo Tariku

Back by popular demand, Jomo Tariku returns with his innovative CNC furniture-making workshop. This isn’t just about learning software; it is about merging the tactile soul of design with the precision of cutting-edge technology.

In this intensive, you will move from sketching concepts to mastering Rhinoceros 3D and CNC techniques. The focus is on creating precise, double-sided 3D furniture parts that would be nearly impossible to achieve by hand alone. It’s the perfect opportunity for designers looking to upgrade their skillset and bring complex visions to life with speed and accuracy.

Jomo Tariku, Duka I, Table, Ebonized Cherry

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

Ceramics: Hand Building at Scale

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.

Prototyping in Clay: A Hand Building Design Intensive and Professional Practices

Dates: July 6 – 10
Faculty: Bari Ziperstein

Learn to craft stunning, tabletop-sized vessels with Bari Ziperstein, a renowned Los Angeles-based ceramicist known for her innovative designs and conceptual depth.

This workshop blends hands-on techniques with professional development. You won’t just be making pots; you will be mastering form, shape, and problem-solving while creating two unique prototypes. Ziperstein provides personalized feedback that bridges the gap between fine art sculpture and commercial design, making this a must-attend for ceramicists looking to professionalize their practice.

Bari Ziperstein,BZIPPY works in situ, Ruffle and Clover Series

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

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.