Let Your Talents Bloom This Spring With Community Art Classes at UK

See previous students of the UK Fine Arts Institute talk about their experiences.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 20, 2017) — Are you interested in further developing your artistic skills and exploring your creativity? University of Kentucky Fine Arts Institute is offering classes and workshops this spring through the School of Arts and Visual Studies that may fit the bill. These noncredit community education courses offer a wide selection of class options to suit your creative side. The courses are designed to fit into the working schedules of most adults with sessions taking place during the evenings and on weekends.

Classes are offered three times a year at the institute and vary from the more traditional drawing and painting to printmaking and book arts. The institute's programs range from beginner to advanced levels. This spring, the institute is offering 20 courses including: 18 classes and two workshops. Classes meet once a week for typically eight-10 weeks, and workshops may meet from one to five times. Locations for the courses include the School of Art and Visual Studies Building, Dancin' Dogs Designs Studio and the Metal Arts Building.

The majority of classes begin in February, except ones in woodworking and the open drawing sessions offered by the institute, which begin in January. The institute's spring 2017 classes are:

• "The Art of Bookmaking for Beginners" with Renee Oschwald, 6-9 p.m. Tuesdays, Feb. 14-April 25, or 1-4 p.m. Saturdays, Feb. 18-April 29;
• "Beginning Ceramics" with Jill Coldiron, 6-9 p.m. Thursdays, Feb. 16-April 20;
• "Taking Ceramics to the Next Level" with Coldiron, 6-9 p.m. Tuesdays, Feb. 14-April 20;
• "Explorations in Drawing" with Christine Kuhn, 6-9 p.m. Mondays, Feb. 13-April 24;
• "Figure Drawing for Advanced Students" with Thomas Baker, 6:30-9 p.m. Mondays, Feb. 13-April 24;
• "Foundational Portrait Drawing" with Baker, 6:30-9 p.m. Wednesdays, Feb. 15-April 26;
• Open Drawing Sessions with Brandon Smith, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursdays, beginning Jan. 12, and/or with Anthony Roccanova, 9 a.m.-noon Saturdays, beginning Jan. 14;
• "Jewelry-Making for Beginners" with Dwayne Cobb, 6-9 p.m. Tuesdays, Feb. 14-April 25;
• "Metalworking" with Jeremy Colbert, 6-9 p.m. Thursdays, Feb. 16-April 27;
• "Layering it On: Mixed Media Painting Techniques" with Kuhn, 6-9 p.m. Wednesdays, Feb. 15-April 26;
• "Small Scale Sculpture from Simple Materials" with Kuhn, 1-4 p.m. Saturdays, Feb. 18-April 29;
• "Learn to Paint. Yes, You Can!" with Kuhn, 6-9 p.m. Tuesdays, Feb. 14-April 25;
• "A Fresh Approach to Improving Your Painting Skills" with Kuhn, 6-9 p.m. Thursdays, Feb. 16-April 27;
• "Black & White Darkroom Printing" with Josh Raftery, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Thursdays, Feb. 16-April 27;
• "Photoshop for Beginners" with Lennon Michalski, 6-9 p.m. Tuesdays, Feb. 14-April 25;
• "Introduction to the Art of Letterpress Printing" with Sarah Brown, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays, Feb. 18-April 25;
• "Woodworking for Beginners" with Lynn Sweet, 6-9 p.m. Tuesdays, Jan. 24-April 18; and
• "Woodworking for Veterans" with Sweet, 6-9 p.m. Tuesdays, Jan. 24-April 18.

Individuals looking for more abbreviated experiences like one-day workshops have a few options to select from as well. The institute's workshops include:

• "One Day Digital Photography Workshop for Beginners" with Michalski, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Mar. 25 or April 22;
• "Felting on the FeltLOOM Felting Machine" with Laverne Zabielski, 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, Feb. 25, March 11, March 25 or April 8.

For more information on any of the Fine Arts Institute courses and/or workshops or to read more about specific instructors, class costs and other details, visit the institute online at http://finearts.uky.edu/art/FAI.

Registration for UK Fine Arts Institute courses is available by visiting http://finearts.uky.edu/art/FAI/registration, by calling the institute at 859-218-5984, or by emailing Donna Farmer at donna.farmer1@g.uky.edu.

The Fine Arts Institute is an outreach program at the UK School of Art and Visual Studies in the UK College of Fine Arts. It demonstrates all the resources and classrooms that the school has to offer through its noncredit art offerings. All courses and workshops are open to the public and are not restricted to students of the university.