Go Green: Creativity in Nature

In this full-week spring break workshop, students create artwork inspired by famous artists in a variety of mediums like clay, painting, collage and paper mache sculptures. We study various art forms, moments in history and influential artists as we make our own art, inspired by their techniques, beliefs and lives. Art Breaks are an exciting new program at Anderson Ranch Arts Center for kids ages 7-10. They are scheduled to complement breaks in the elementary school calendar throughout the year. Each Art Break has its own theme as it relates to the changing of the seasons and the world around us. Various artistic mediums will be incorporated including ceramics, painting, sculpture and printmaking. Kids will have a safe and inspiring environment to participate in hands-on creative problem-solving activities. They will be encouraged to recognize the arts as a lifelong learning experience as well as an integral part of the past and the future. Art Breaks will also feature special tours of the Anderson Ranch artistic studios for a peek inside the work of Visiting Artists and Studio Coordinators. Drop off and pick up will take place at the Evelyn and Martin Siegel Children’s Building, just inside the main Anderson Ranch entrance. Children should come prepared with a snack, lunch and water bottle, as well as appropriate apparel for a full day of art-making. Before the start of each Art Break, families and students will be updated with the appropriate COVID protocols as defined by Pitkin County and the CDC.

Celebrate the beginning of summer right by rooting in nature and art making. We bring inspiration and materials from the outdoors into the art studio, and bring artistic creativity outside by exploring the flora and fauna found on Anderson Ranch’s campus and along adjacent trails. As a celebratory finale, we feature our variety of multimedia artworks from our week spent painting, printmaking, bookmaking, handbuilding with clay, and experimenting in an exhibition! Projects include a handmade nature journal, a collaborative painting made with recycled materials, a pressed flower crown, and more!

This fun and technically challenging course for teens expands digital fabrication skills using the computer-numerically-controlled router (CNC). Students learn basic 3-D modeling techniques to design functional furniture objects. Projects are cut out of plywood on the CNC and laser cutters. Workflows cover toolpathing and g-code generation, material setup, machine operation, and wood finishing. Everyone walks away with a finished piece of furniture and some new fabrication skills.