the Sanctuary is honored to host a series of workshops taught by local and regional artists. Come spend the day blacksmithing your own garden tools, block print a garland, explore cyanotype photography, create shadow puppets, or dive deep into your creativity with the expressive arts workshop. Collaborate with your preschooler to create a deck of emotions/body sensations/coping cards. We are also excited to offer two ongoing, weekly music classes for Mariachi and violin starting in early July. All workshops will be held at the Sanctuary, 1301 J Street, Arcata. 

There are a limited number of scholarships available for the workshops. If you are interested in applying, please email a short statement of need to Meredith at meredithethel.s@gmail.com. 

Summer Mariachi Workshop directed by Norby Angon and Mary Meza

Tuesdays 6-7:30 pm, July 12 – August 30 $80 (or whatever you can contribute). 

Our goal is to bring in the community and teach them mariachi songs. At the end of the workshop, we will put on a show of the songs we learned this summer. Community members will need to bring their own instruments. Instruments include guitar, violin, vihuela, guitarron, trumpet, and voice. Even saxophone players have joined us in the past. (Some instruments, such as guitarron and vihuela might be provided but will not be able to leave the premises.) Students are required to purchase the Simplemente Mariachi textbook, which can be ordered here. 

REGISTER HERE by July 10th, and order your textbook! (8 people minimum, 15 people maximum) 

Summer Violin 101 Workshop directed by Mary Meza

Thursdays 3-4:30 pm, July 14 – August 25th. $90 (or whatever you can contribute).

All ages, Levels beginner to intermediate. 

Community members will need to bring their own violins. Our class will perform a short program of songs learned during the summer. Students will be required to purchase the Suzuki Violin School textbook, which can be ordered here. We will begin with book 1. You can find these books at the Wildwood Music store in Arcata or online.

REGISTER HERE by July 10th, and order your textbook! (8 people minimum, 12 people maximum)

Beginner’s Block Printing with Casey Barton

Friday, July 22nd, 2022. 1pm-5pm $50

Peace Flags. An introduction to block printing using rubber stamp blocks and western carving tools. Students will learn the basics of carving, inking, and printing a successful print. 2 4×4 in. blocks provided for each student. Prints will be made on paper or fabric and assembled into a flag garland. The theme of “peace” is encouraged. Students will go home with their carved block(s), a finished 4-flag garland, and will have the option to add one of their block prints to a collective “peace flag” garland! Print and block examples will be presented for inspiration.

REGISTER HERE by July 15th (6 people minimum, 12 people maximum)

Blacksmithing Garden Tools with Hannah Hirsekorn

Sunday, July 24th, 2022.  10am-3pm $90

Try your hand at shaping metal and learn the process of simple, effective garden tool making with artist Hannah Hirsekorn. Iron is a crucial component of plants, blood and the cosmos. This workshop will dive into the interconnected world of iron and blacksmithing. Participants will leave with at least one finished gardening tool they forged themselves as well as the experience of several different blacksmithing techniques.

REGISTER HERE by July 17th (6 people minimum, 7 people maximum) 

Shadow Puppets with Sean Powers

Sunday, July 31st, 2022. 1pm-4pm $54

Construction of shadow puppets from individuals’ ideas using mostly recycled materials provided by the instructor. Along with learning how to use the shadow puppets on a screen, each participant will leave with one or more shadow puppets, props, and scenery so they may create their own shadow puppet theater and story-card.

REGISTER HERE by July 24th (6 people minimum, 15 people maximum)

Expressive Arts Experience with Laura Phelan-Shahin, LMFT

Tuesday, August 9th, 2022. 6-9pm $54

Through an expressive arts journey which includes storytelling, journaling, discussion and making a woven wall-hanging- we will explore the role chaos plays in our lives, both personally and on a societal level. Laura Phelan-Shahin is a licensed marriage and family therapist, expressive artist therapist and visual artist.

REGISTER HERE by August 2nd (6 people minimum, 12 people maximum) 

Cyanotype Photography with Brenna Hansen 

Sunday, August 14th, 2022. 10 am-3pm $90

Cyanotype is a photographic printing process that uses the sun to produce a cyan blue print. The process is simple but incredibly diverse, lending itself easily to experimentation. In this one day workshop, learn both the fundamentals of the process and experimental techniques, realizing a variety of printed works: traditional cyanotype photograms and photographs as well as toned and manipulated prints. NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE REQUIRED!

Email brennahansen7@gmail.com no less than three days before August 14th with three images you wish to print in the workshop.

REGISTER HERE by August 7th (6 people minimum, 10 people maximum) 

Collaborative Emotion ArtCards · for Preschoolers + their Grown-up with MaryAnn Clark

 Sunday, August 21 and 28, 2022. 10-11 am $30 (per pair) Session 1 & 2 (1-hour each)

To be resilient in this world, we need to have awareness of our bodies & emotions. We need to be able to cope with uncertainty. These two one-hour workshops will give space for grown-ups & kids to talk about and explore emotions & regulation strategies, while also participating in some fun activities & a collaborative art project.

During our time together, we will read picture books and explore movement activities around feelings & emotions. The preschooler and their grown-up will talk & come up with seven emotions that they both frequently experience. They will collaborate & work on creating a multimedia Emotion ArtCard deck. On one side of the card will be a visual for the emotion & naming it. On the other side of the card, the duo can write or draw ideas around regulation strategies, such as recognizing body sensations & helpful coping mechanisms. The goal of these Emotion ArtCard decks are to aid the child+adult in awareness & communication.

MaryAnn Clark (aka MAC) is studying Early Childhood Education & started the YouTube Kids channel *kids in the hive* which is a DreamMaker Project with the Ink People.

REGISTER HERE by August 14th (6 pairs minimum, 10 pairs maximum)

**NOTE: these workshops are not a drop-off for kids; rather it is a space for creative & meaningful time for grown-ups to collaborate with their kids.

Painting For Children with Gabrielle Luo

Mondays 4-5:30 pm, September 5 – October 31
$20 each or $150 for all classes

The Painting for Children course will be a space for children to come and paint freely. They will each have their own space to paint ideally at a wall or easel on large paper.  Each class they can work on one or several paintings.  This class offers a place where children can freely express emotions, ideas, inspirations. They will have an opportunity to share about their work at the end of each class. My role is to hold the space for their freedom to express whatever they like in the medium of watercolor, gouache or acrylic (whatever is available). This freedom to express artistically is needed in our culture and confidence in their ability to rely on art as a form of expression and working through emotions in life is gained. 

**For the communication around this workshop, it needs to be made very clear that this isn’t a drop-off for kids. Parents will need to stay onsite.

Registration link coming soon (7 minimum, 15 maximum)

Course for Creativity with Gabrielle Luo

Fridays 4-5:30 pm, September 2 – October 28
$20 each or $150 for all classes

The course for Creativity is intended for adults, but anyone over 15 would be appropriate. I have the intention to share various means to find and explore inner creativity. Activities such as automated writing, guided visualization, movement, and free doodling/exploration through mediums will be covered. The desired outcome is that the participants will have a sense of how to jumpstart their creativity and be able to express themselves in a clear and meaningful way.

Registration link coming soon (7 minimum, 15 maximum)