Experience Level: All Levels (All Ages 15+) 

Step away from traditional fall décor and create a pumpkin bursting with personality at Pumpkin Mischief: Mixed Media Workshop on Sunday, Oct. 11 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in The Studio. 

In this fun and beginner-friendly mixed media workshop, students will create an expressive pumpkin on a 12" x 12" canvas while exploring a variety of creative techniques and materials. Using acrylic paints, Gelatos, Posca paint markers, and Mod Podge, you'll learn how to build vibrant color, add playful details, and create whimsical finishing touches. 

The pumpkin design will be pre-drawn on each canvas, making this class approachable for artists of all experience levels. Participants are welcome to follow the sample painting or customize their pumpkin with their own favorite colors and creative flair.

$115/person*. Registration will close Sept 11 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final. 

*All supplies will be provided 

Learn more about the space where your course will take place here. If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia 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 

Emily Tackitt is the artist behind Moonbeam Jellyfish and works in mixed media, blending watercolor, acrylic, gouache, ink, drawing, and collage to create whimsical, fantasy-inspired artwork. With a process that is playful and intuitive, Emily is often guided by curiosity, storytelling, and whatever feels magical in the moment. Her classes are designed to feel supportive and accessible, encouraging students to build confidence through a thoughtful, step-by-step creative practice.

Experience Level: Beginner (ages 16+) 

Take a step towards a healthier relationship with money in Rocks & Feathers: Understanding the Emotional Weight of Money on Thursday, Oct. 22 from 6-8 p.m. in The Studio. 

Financial stress is about more than money. Emotions such as fear, shame, guilt, overwhelm, and scarcity can shape the choices we make and the results we experience.  In this interactive workshop, participants will identify the emotional "rocks" they may be carrying around money and learn how to replace them with empowering "feathers" that support healthier financial habits and decisions. Through guided discussion and reflection, students will gain greater awareness of the beliefs and emotions influencing their financial lives.  

This workshop is ideal for individuals, couples, and families who want to create a healthier relationship with money and develop a shared understanding of the emotional side of financial well-being.  

$75/person. Registration closes Oct. 19 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.  

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. 

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 

Liz started teaching at age 14 and never stopped. She have taught subjects from religion to cooking, and from childbirth education to financial literacy to all age groups. Ackerman has presented Rocks and Feathers to live and virtual groups, including one of Moms for America's national Homeschool Mom2Mom webinars. She is not a therapist or a financial advisor, but someone who has carried heavy money emotion rocks for a long time, and who has spent years using various modalities to learn how to recognize and remove her Rocks and replace them with Feathers. She is in the final stages of completing a workbook for teens to accompany the presentation. Focusing on teens first so that they don't have to carry heavy money emotion rocks for years like she has. This class is for everyone, as the principles are the same for all age groups.

Experience Level: Beginner

Keep your mind active with an easy-to-learn and fun instrument at Beginning Mountain Dulcimer on Saturdays, Oct. 24 through Nov. 21 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in The Studio.

Instructor Lou Ann Koebel will lead students through basic chords and strum patterns that will give them the ability to play rounds, fiddle tunes and much more! Playing the dulcimer requires only a love of music and a desire to create beautiful sound - it is a simple instrument that requires little musical knowledge. 

$225/person* (Ages 12+; 12- to 15-year-olds must be accompanied by a registered adult.) Registration will close Oct. 21 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.

*Students should bring their own dulcimer. Dulcimers are available to rent by emailing the instructor at koebel@illinois.edu.

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

Lou Ann Koebel currently leads a weekly dulcimer jam for the East Central Dulcimer Illinois Dulcimer Club at Lincoln Square. She also plays in a local band that visits and performs at local assisted living facilities.

Koebel has taught beginning dulcimer classes for The Farms, where she has had a wonderful time teaching the group and realized her love of teaching and passing on the tradition of playing a mountain dulcimer. Lou Ann also plays at area music festivals.

Experience Level: All Levels (All Ages 15+) 

Celebrate the beginning of the holiday season by painting a beautiful Christmas ornament in Holiday Radiance: Watercolor Workshop on Friday, Nov. 6 from 6-9 p.m. in The Studio. 

In this relaxed, beginner-friendly workshop, students will explore watercolor techniques while adding touches of metallic watercolor and acrylic marker details to create a painting that sparkles with holiday charm.  The ornament design will be lightly pre-drawn, allowing everyone to focus on enjoying the painting process rather than worrying about drawing. Students are encouraged to make the piece their own by experimenting with different ornament colors, ribbon choices, and creative details. By the end of class, you'll leave with a festive watercolor ready to frame, display, or gift for the holidays. All supplies are provided, and no previous watercolor experience is necessary. 

$115/person*. Registration will close Oct. 31 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final. 

*All supplies will be provided 

Learn more about the space where your course will take place here. If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia 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 

Emily Tackitt is the artist behind Moonbeam Jellyfish and works in mixed media, blending watercolor, acrylic, gouache, ink, drawing, and collage to create whimsical, fantasy-inspired artwork. With a process that is playful and intuitive, Emily is often guided by curiosity, storytelling, and whatever feels magical in the moment. Her classes are designed to feel supportive and accessible, encouraging students to build confidence through a thoughtful, step-by-step creative practice.

Experience Level: Beginner

Learn about the art of stained glass at Intro to Stained Glass: Feather on Thursday, Nov. 12 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in The Studio.

Students will assemble an elegant feather suncatcher design. Participants will also learn how to cut glass, grind, foil, and solder. All skill levels are welcome. All supplies and safety gear will be provided.  

$100/person*. Registration will close Nov. 5 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.

*Students should wear closed-toe shoes. Safety glasses and gloves will be provided.

Learn more about the space where your course will take place here. If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia 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 community 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.

Keller has dabbled in cartoons, acrylic pouring, zentangles, patterns, logo design, pottery painting and other art forms. Her influences include Alphonse Mucha, HR Geiger and the art of Northwest coastal Native Americans. 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, outdoor education, science, storytelling, and wellness. All experiences value hands-on, experiential teaching and learning, and are facilitated by and for the members of the community.