Shadow Puppet Storytelling (recommended for Ages 8 - 12)
Instructor: Chantal VanWierts:
Fall is the perfect time to notice and celebrate the dynamic interplay of light and shadow. In this workshop, students will learn techniques of shadow theater, creating their own puppets, and exploring the special effects that can be created with shadow theaters. Their light and shadow explorations will culminate with a performance at the end of the last session.
Chantal Van-Wierts studied puppetry in Canada and France and has performed with a number of professional troupes. She brings more than 25 years of experience to her workshops and puppet performances. She has been teaching crafts and art classes both in private and public schools and has received many awards and grants. She also taught French at Hawthorne Valley school for 10 years and art , French and crafts at the Mountain Road school for over 25 years.
The Magic of Clay
Instructor: Asia Sosnowski (recommended for Ages 4 - 8)
The weekend arts workshop with clay at Catskill Wheelhouse this fall incorporates a mixture of native and studio clay and an offer to learn small pinch pot cup forms over the course of six sessions. Fun and curious exploration with the sensory experience, limits and potential of clay may yield to both whimsical forms and the ever hopeful pinch pot cup! There is no pressure to make a final form, rather an opportunity to make and re-make with clay at hand is warmly encouraged. Ample clay will be provided, may be glazed with non-toxic paint, and fired at a date before or just after the end of the session to enjoy for times ahead.
Asia Sosnowski lives in Cornwallville, NY and has worked with a variety of contexts, clays and people since 2010. After having spent time with teachers and independently in a seasonal studio in a barn of questionable shape, Asia set up a studio with native clays in 2014 at the former Catskill Mill in Catskill, NY and later formed a cozy community clay workshop in Freehold Art Exchange’s barn in Freehold, NY. Really enjoying spontaneity and ceramic process, while supporting others in learning to work and blend with clay, Asia invested in a studio at home which can offer a peaceful and fun place to explore ceramics for all ages.
Community Care through Mindfulness, Movement, Stillness, and Poetry: Supporting Ourselves, Our Families and Each Other (Practices for Grown-up Caregivers)
Instructor: Elisabeth Kent (RYT200, RCYT)
Does “self-care” ever feel like another item on your already daunting list of responsibilities? This series of workshops seeks to move beyond the notion of individual “self-care,” focussing instead on how we might consider co-creating a community of care to support us all. Over six interactive and collaborative sessions, you will explore how the various tools of mindfulness, movement, and responding to the written word may assist in this. In addition to your own experiences, you might find some ideas and activities you can bring home to share with your children and other loved ones. We live in challenging times. Let’s do this together.
Elisabeth is an educator, mother, and enraptured resident of this beautiful earth. With an eclectic academic background in art history, foreign languages, psychology and education, Elisabeth teaches school-based yoga and mindfulness in NYC public schools, and do consulting on these topics as well as Social/Emotional Learning. She has been thrilled to teach at Catskill Wheelhouse as a Community School substitute as well as co-leading a Summer Forest School Group. Fall is her favorite season and she is excited to explore its lessons and themes in this workshop series!
Date: Saturdays, October 22 - December 3 (no session November 26)
Time: 12:30 - 3:25pm
Fees: Pay-what-you-can, $5 - $250 for the six-week series
The Community Arts Grants are made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by CREATE Council on the Arts.