Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus will have art workshops for adults over the next three months. These workshops are a part of the Tuesdays at the Museum series.
The five classes, starting with watercolor and ending with bookmaking, will take place from September to December, with different classes taking place over two weeks.[a] Kelly Hughes, one of the teachers and a local artist, said that the classes will make an exception and allow "older teens" to attend if they show a drive to participate and have excelled in their previous work. Hughes said that many women in the community have taken advantage of the workshops, which has really surprised her.
The class topics include watercolor, glass in pastel chalk, pencil portraits, portrait oil painting and bookmaking. Watercolor and portrait oil painting will be the longest classes, taking place in September and November, respectively.
Curator of Education at Southeast Ellen Hahs is teaching three of the five workshops that are a part of the series, which are bookmaking, glass in pastel chalk and pencil portraits. She said that she picked the classes based on whether or not she knew how to teach the class or if she knew others to teach.
Luckily, Hahs had local artists Hughes and Cleda Curtis-Neal in her arsenal of teachers. She knew Curtis-Neal through a class she took through Curtis-Neal's art school.
Hahs and Hughes knew each other through volunteering at the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center. Hughes and Curtis-Neal also were a part of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri, which was another way that Hahs had worked with the two artists.
Hughes said that she actually contacted Hahs with the idea for her class and, after working the schedule out, they decided to add it to the lineup of workshops that were planned for this semester.
The classes build upon each previous class, so Hahs recommends taking every class that is scheduled in the workshop to get the full experience. Some of the classes, such as watercolors, are designed to be for artists at any level, while others are described as advanced classes for certain artistic skills. Hughes said that there had been some scheduling issues with her watercolor class, so she essentially had to re-teach her class the second time around.
Hughes said her watercolor class combines different techniques. She has her students do different individual techniques, which they will build on by using a "group demo." She encourages her students to bring in their own images that are fresh in their minds to work with. Hughes also said that the class has a focus on composition, which is difficult for beginning students, so she thinks this is important to work on.
"I have to sometimes tell my students to let go and let the watercolor do it's thing," Hughes said.
Hahs feels that even for those artists who are more advanced, just being around other creative people will help.
"When you're around other artists, you're always learning," Hahs said.
Different classes will call for different supplies, and some supplies will be provided in the class but some will require that students bring their own. Any student participating should contact the Rosemary Berkel and Harry L. Crisp II Museum to find out what they would need to bring to the classes.
The workshops are free and open to the public, but spaces are limited. The classes are held from 9 a.m. to noon every Tuesday until Dec. 17 at the Crisp Museum. Registration for one of the upcoming classes can be done over the phone at 573-651-2260 or by e-mail at museum@semo.edu.
