ISSUED: 27 January 2022
MEDIA CONTACT: Dana Costa
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — Thanks to a $4,494 grant from the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture, and History, Shepherd University’s Lifelong Learning program can offer four free art classes to community members aged 55 and up.
Karen Rice, director of Lifelong Learning, says the grant will allow her program to host a series of courses in Baltimore-style Traditional Window Screen Painting, Ancient Egyptian Gouache Painting, Ukrainian-Eastern European Egg Painting, and Pen and Ink Drawing. Students in the classes will learn and create the form of art and show it in a public exhibit at the conclusion of the series of classes.
Rice said she’s excited to receive the grant to help promote the Lifelong Learning program.
“We have a good relationship with the 55+ community and a record of offering courses for 10 years,” Rice said. “These art classes will add to the diversity of the other courses that are being offered in the program. We hope that new participants will be interested in our other classes, lectures, and tours and continue to participate in the program in the future.”
The classes will be offered at no charge and will take place in the Center for Contemporary Arts II. Classes are first-come, first-served and there is a limit of 20 students per class. Information is available on the Lifelong Learning webpage or by emailing Rice.
Classes scheduled include:
- Baltimore-style Traditional Window Screen Painting with instructor Clare Chesavage. Learn to paint a picture on a screen. The colorful image stops the gaze of people on the sidewalk from seeing inside a darkened room. The view to the street from the house is unobstructed. The screen still functions perfectly for ventilation and as a barrier to flying insects. Saturdays, March 19, 26, April 2, 9, 16, 23, from 10-11:30 a.m.
- Ancient Egyptian Gouache Painting with instructor Janet Deal. During the 18th century, gouache was often used in a mixed technique for adding fine details in pastel paintings. Gouache was typically made by mixing watercolors based on gum Arabic with an opaque white pigment. It is known for its quick-drying quality. Fridays March 18, 25, April 1, 8, 15, 22, from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- Ukrainian-Eastern European Egg Painting with instructor Cynthia Huesman. Learn to paint a pysanka, a Ukrainian egg, decorated with traditional Ukrainian folk designs using a beeswax resist method that preserves the color of the dye beneath the wax. Once varnished, the decorated egg is quite sturdy although still breakable. Tuesdays, March 15, 22, 29, April 5, 12, 19, from 10:30 a.m.-noon.
- Pen and Ink Drawing with instructor Guy Brescia. This workshop will focus on learning or reinforcing the basics of the pen and ink technique, with an emphasis on fun and beauty of producing art. In this instruction-led, student-focused workshop with pen and ink medium, we will discuss choice of materials, types of lines, shading, smudging, washes, and how to market your art. Fridays, March 18, 25, April 1, 8, 15, 22, from 1-2:30 p.m.
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