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Food for Thought: Are You Willing to Make That Trade?
with Jack Paxton
Experience Level: Beginner
Learn more about the ethics of agriculture at Food for Thought: Are You Willing to Make That Trade? on Wednesday, Nov. 12 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Mansion Library.
Retired professor and lecturer of plant pathology Dr. Jack Paxton will talk about agricultural ethics and correct farming practices, using clips from “The Price of Bounty,”a video produced by the University of Illinois Department of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES).
$15/person. Registration will close Nov. 5 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.
If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.
By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.
About the instructor
Dr. Jack Paxton is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign after serving as a Professor of Plant Pathology from 1964 to 1996. He earned his bachelor’s degree from University of California-Berkeley and his PhD in Plant Pathology from University of California-Davis. He was also a lecturer at University of California-San Diego from 1997 to 2020.
(SOLD OUT) Intro to Stained Glass - Nov. 12
with Kari Keller
Experience Level: Beginner
Learn a unique art form at Introduction to Stained Glass on Wednesday, November 12 from 5 to 8 p.m. in The Studio.
Kari Keller will teach students how to cut, shape, and assemble a stained glass butterfly suncatcher in Introduction to Stained Glass. All students will take home a butterfly refrigerator magnet at the end of the workshop.
$90/person. Register here by November 5. All sales are final.
If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.
By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.
About the instructor
Kari Keller has been a Champaign/Urbana resident since 2008, originally hailing from the tiny town of St. Anne, Illinois. She has had a passion for art since she could hold a crayon and loves to experiment with many different styles, rarely sticking to one theme for long. Kari enjoys teaching acrylic painting, mosaic, and stained glass. She also has a thriving side business as a face painter. Kari is happiest when immersed in a new project and can’t imagine life without art!
About The Farms
The Farms: An Allerton Folk School, offers classes, workshops, and gatherings focusing on art, health & wellness, history, nature & outdoor education, or science. All experiences value hands-on, experiential teaching and learning, and are facilitated by and for the members of the community.
Embroidery 101: Winter Sampler
with Billie Theide
Experience Level: Beginner
Learn a variety of hand embroidery stitches and create a unique craft item at Embroidery 101: Winter Sampler on Thursday, Nov. 13 from 12 to 4 p.m. in The Studio.
Instructor Billie Theide will introduce students to the history of embroidery and samplers. Students will learn how to transfer designs to fabric, choose different threads and yarns, and create a variety of stitches, as well as how to finish and care for embroidered samplers.
$110/person. Registration will close Nov. 6 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.
If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.
By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.
About the instructor
Billie Theide is a former chair of the Crafts Program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she is Professor Emerita. Theide is a metalsmith, jeweler and ceramicist. Her work is in public art collections around the world including the Smithsonian, Museum of Arts & Design in New York City, Nelson Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City and the Racine Art Museum, among others.
She is the recipient of a Visual Arts Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and five Artists Fellowship Grants from the Illinois Arts Council. Theide has been recognized for her excellence in teaching and is a Distinguished Member and Past-President of the Society of North American Goldsmiths.
Barn Quilt Painting (Nov 15)
with Jane Cade
Experience Level: Beginner
Join the barn quilt movement by creating your own painted quilt block to use on the inside or outside of your home at Barn Quilt Painting on Saturday, Nov. 15 or Dec. 6 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in The Studio.
Students will begin with one of two options on a pre-primed board with a design already drafted. Students will tape and paint at their own pace, choosing from a wide variety of colors.
Instructor Jane Cade will share a history of barn quilts, techniques, tips, and discuss how to properly seal your finished piece after the paint has dried for 48 hours. Leave with a 20×20″ wooden ‘quilt block’ to keep for yourself or share your talents and give someone a handmade gift.
$90/person. Registration closes one week before each course begins or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.
— Nov. 15
— Dec. 6
If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.
By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.
About the instructor
Jane Cade is a retired teacher from Clinton Junior High School. She has been painting barn quilts for eight years and sells her work online and at craft festivals. She teaches classes at Parkland Community College and will be teaching classes at her workshop beginning next year.
Herbal Magic: The Power of Aromatherapy (Nov 20)
with Candy Reeder
Experience Level: Beginner
Have you ever had a smell trigger a memory? Learn why that happens at Herbal Magic: The Power of Aromatherapy on Thursday, Nov. 20 or Dec. 11 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Auditorium.
In this hands-on workshop, instructor Candy Reeder will present the science behind how scents use your olfactory system to work with your body chemistry, and how to use this process to enhance physical, mental and emotional wellness.
Students will also have the chance to create their own custom aromatherapy blend of essential oils and herbs to take home.
$65/person. Registration will close 1 week prior to each class or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.
If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.
By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.
About the instructor
In 2018 Candy moved from a busy city to Champaign, where she truly met nature. She began gardening and wild schooling with her six kids, learning about native plants and wildlife, how to both give to and receive from Earth, creating natural remedies from “weeds”, and the power of connecting with nature to balance stress and sadness. Candy’s business is called Joyfully Blooming because she loves helping people find joy in discovering their authentic, natural self, hidden under the facade of social demands.
Needlefelt Snowman
with Stephanie Block
Experience Level: Beginner (all ages; parents/guardians are not required to register with their children, but they are encouraged to be present for those 13 and younger.)
Create a unique piece of art out of locally sourced alpaca fiber at Needlefelt Snowman on Monday, Dec. 1 from 5 to 8 p.m. in The Studio.
Stephanie Block of Sundrop Alpacas will walk students through the needlefelting process to make a snowman, which can be customized to make them look authentic, whimsical or anything in between. The class is perfect for those wanting to learn a new art form.
Take advantage of a fun opportunity to bring a friend or family member for just a $10 add-on fee as you work together on a single project kit!
$65/person* + $10/person for add-on (limit one). Register here. Registration will close Nov. 1 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.
*A $15 discount is available during registration for those who bring their own needlefelting tools.
If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.
By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.
About the instructor
Stephanie Block is the co-owner of Sundrop Alpacas near Bement. She has been producing popular yarn from her own alpacas since 2016. Stephanie’s spinning style is self-taught, and she is continuously learning so that she can share that knowledge with others.
Intro to Stained Glass - Dec.3
with Kari Keller
Experience Level: Beginner
Learn a unique art form at Introduction to Stained Glass on Wednesday, December 3rd from 5 to 8 p.m. in The Studio.
Kari Keller will teach students how to cut, shape, and assemble a stained glass butterfly suncatcher in Introduction to Stained Glass. All students will take home butterfly refrigertor magnet at the end of the workshop.
$90/person. Register here by November 26. All sales are final.
If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.
By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.
About the instructor
Kari Keller has been a Champaign/Urbana resident since 2008, originally hailing from the tiny town of St. Anne, Illinois. She has had a passion for art since she could hold a crayon and loves to experiment with many different styles, rarely sticking to one theme for long. Kari enjoys teaching acrylic painting, mosaic, and stained glass. She also has a thriving side business as a face painter. Kari is happiest when immersed in a new project and can’t imagine life without art!
About The Farms
The Farms: An Allerton Folk School, offers classes, workshops, and gatherings focusing on art, health & wellness, history, nature & outdoor education, or science. All experiences value hands-on, experiential teaching and learning, and are facilitated by and for the members of the community.
Holiday Wreath Making (Dec 3)
with Delight Flower Farm
Experience Level: Beginner
Experience the joys of the season at Wreath Making on Wednesday, Dec. 3 or Thursday, Dec. 4 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Mansion Carriage House. (Each date covers the same material.)
Maggie Taylor of Delight Flower Farm will share basic wreath building and design techniques to help students craft a unique, seasonal decoration. Students will use locally sourced supplies (fresh evergreens, berries, pinecones, tree nuts, ribbons, dried flowers, etc.) to make a beautiful holiday wreath to take home (about 20 inches in diameter).
A cash bar will be available.
$65/person. Registration will close one week before each course begins, or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.
— Dec. 3
— Dec. 4
Learn more about the space where your course will take place here. If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.
About the instructor
Maggie Taylor is a farm owner who has been growing flowers and leading workshops since 2011. Trained as an artist, she loves turning natural materials into objects of joy and empowering others to as well. Depending on the time of year she may be teaching about fresh flowers or winter evergreen wreaths. Maggie’s teaching style is accessible, informative, encouraging and often humorous! Other capable farm crew members assist in teaching large groups.