May is the perfect time for a get-away to Mountain View; while the weather is still pleasant and before the summer crowds hit. And what better reason for a get-away, than to take a craft class! The Arkansas Craft School has some special workshops scheduled for the month of May.
Have you always wanted to learn to turn wood on a lathe? Kip Powers will start out the month with Introduction to Woodturning May 3- 5. Students can be rank beginners – the Craft School will even provide your tools. Starting right with bowls and plates, this class will be ‘hands on’, and students will come away with the firm foundation needed to begin turning wood safely; as well as small projects created while learning these new skills.
If you are gearing up for some spring and summer fly fishing, you may want to learn to tie your own flies. Donny Hyslip will teach Basic Fly Tying in one intensive day – May 4, from 9 am – 5:00 pm. Sudents will tie a variety of flies, and keep all the flies they tie for their personal use.
In another single-day workshop, Dana Shaeffer will be teaching Birdhouse Baskets on May 11. Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of weaving with reed, and return home with one or two new homes for your favorite porch wren or larger spring and summer bird visitors.
Later in the month, Felicitas Sloves will be introducing students to Inkle Loom Weaving on May 18 & 19. Inkle Looms are space efficient and can be used to make handy belts, guitar straps, or sashes. All looms will be provided by the instructor.
During the same weekend, local knifemaker Jim Crowell will be offering Basic Blade Forging. Learn to forge the knife of your dreams in the professional shop of a master bladesmith. Jim will be teaching May 17 – 19, and classes will be held in his shop in rural Stone County, near Timbo, Arkansas.
May 23 – 25, Roberta Katz-Messenger will be teaching Introduction to Stained Glass at her professional glass studio in Clinton, Arkansas. Students can expect to come away with a sun catcher and a small stained glass window, and the skills needed to continue to create stained glass.
May 24 – 26, Phil Wiles will be teaching woodturners about the importance of applied finishes for turned wood projects in the class, Finishing Techniques for Woodturners. Possibilities include a CA (Cyanoacrylate) glue finish, lacquer gloss finish, matt finish, and a rub-on finish, and students will leave with several projects, and a better understanding of the value of applying the proper finish.
Beginning Saturday afternoon, Saturday May 25, and concluding Sunday at noon, May 26, Becky Holden will be teaching Tatting Basics. Students will work with tatting shuttles and create a small caterpillar bracelet, and techniques for creating tatted medallions.
Visit the Arkansas Craft School’s website, www.arkansascraftschool.org for tuition fees, and more information on these and other upcoming classes; as well as registration forms and scholarship applications. Scholarship grants are available, based on financial need and merit.
The Arkansas Craft School, located on Main Street in Mountain View is dedicated to the education of aspiring and practicing craft artisans for success in the Creative Economy. The Craft School partners with Ozarka College which offers Continuing Education credits for all of its courses. Support for the Arkansas Craft School is provided, in part, by the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, and the National Endowment of the Arts.
