BRATTLEBORO — River Gallery School of Art is enrolling fall studio classes for students of all ages. The school focuses on nurturing the creative spirit, while providing techniques and skills to students of all levels, from real beginners to working artists. Most classes start the week of Sept. 20.
Fall offerings include two printmaking classes, both beginning the week of the 20th. Helen Schmidt's Richly Layered Printmaking class on Monday evenings, will include traditional printmaking techniques as well as photo transfer and scrap metal printing. Kim Hartman Colligan will teach a Non-Toxic Printmaking class on Thursday mornings, exploring mixed-media techniques based on monotypes, plexi-drypoints and relief prints.
Schmidt is also offering a Sculpture class on Friday mornings, exploring three dimensional work in wood, soapstone, clay, metal, plaster and rice paper. In Art and Meditation, with Barbara Merfeld Campman, the meeting of art making and meditation opens new ways for creative energy to manifest.
Jason Alden is teaching a new course in Landscape and Visual Memory on Tuesdays, as well as Life Drawing on Mondays and Observational Drawing on Wednesdays. Matthew Peake will be teaching a Thursday evening course in Life Drawing and Painting this semester as well. Also on the fall roster is a relaxing and non-judgmental drawing class, Wicked Basic Drawing with Ross Smart.
Studio Art class, in which student/artists develop their projects individually with the teachers, has numerous weekly sessions for children, teens, and adults. Materials provided include oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastels, & charcoal, and the Sequencing approach to oil painting, developed by Ric Campman at the school, is often used as instruction is given through dialogue based on each student's interests and needs. Instructors in the children's studios include Merfeld Campman, Schmidt and Ezra Stafford.
Adult Studio teachers are Lydia Thomson, Schmidt, and Peake. Thomson will also hold Independent Study sessions, a small group lending critical eyes in a supportive setting for artists working on their own. Teen Portfolio and Teen Studio on Fridays with Schmidt and Campman, will help young artists focus on working from observation as well abstract work. For the youngest artist, scientist and explorer, Collin Leech will provide lots of fun and different ways of painting, sculpture, printmaking, and collage in the class, Exploration in Art for Pre-Schoolers. This seven-week class will be held on Tuesdays.
River Gallery School is a nonprofit educational organization that offers an in-depth visual arts program for young people and adults. Visit the downtown studios at 32 Main St., second floor, check out www.rivergalleryschool.org, or call 802- 257-1577, for more details.