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Allerton Programs
Beginning Mushroom Foraging (July 13)
with Lee Schuler
Experience Level: Beginner
Learn all about the magical world of mushrooms at Mushroom Identification for Beginners from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Sundays, July 6, 13, and 20 in The Studio and outdoors. Participants will learn about mushroom anatomy, toxicity, edibility, and common uses. Instructor Lee Schuler will also share information on safety and sustainability.
Classes will begin with a short lecture and slide presentation, then move into the woods for identification practice outside. Question and answer periods will also be included.
$100 for the entire series or $45/class. Register by July 4 or one day prior to subsequent classes*. All sales are final.
*Individual class links:
— July 6
— July 13
— July 20
— Full Series
If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.
About the instructor
Lee Schuler recently moved from Illinois from Pennsylvania, where she taught fungal identification and edibility at environmental education centers for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and for private land owners. She is certified as a wild edible mushroom expert and licensed to harvest and sell to restaurants and markets in the State of Pennsylvania. Schuler is also a contributing culinary author for a wild mushroom trade journal.
A graduate of East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, Lee has worked as a field biologist and environmental educator, and currently works in public health. She is an artist and cook and enjoys acquiring new and useful skills as much as she loves sharing them.
Mountain Dulcimer: Jam Session (July 19)
with Lou Ann Koebel
Experience Level: Beginner
Gather with your fellow dulcimer musicians and create some music at Mountain Dulcimer Jam Sessions on Saturday, July 19 from 10:30 to 12:00 p.m. in the Studio. This gathering is perfect for those who have taken Beginner Mountain Dulcimer at The Farms and want a space to practice with fellow players.
$5/person. Register a day prior to each jam session. All sales are final.
If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.
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.
Last fall, she taught a beginning dulcimer class for The Farms, where she 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.
Beginning Mushroom Foraging (July 20)
with Lee Schuler
Experience Level: Beginner
Learn all about the magical world of mushrooms at Mushroom Identification for Beginners from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Sundays, July 6, 13, and 20 in The Studio and outdoors. Participants will learn about mushroom anatomy, toxicity, edibility, and common uses. Instructor Lee Schuler will also share information on safety and sustainability.
Classes will begin with a short lecture and slide presentation, then move into the woods for identification practice outside. Question and answer periods will also be included.
$100 for the entire series or $45/class. Register by July 4 or one day prior to subsequent classes*. All sales are final.
*Individual class links:
— July 6
— July 13
— July 20
— Full Series
If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.
About the instructor
Lee Schuler recently moved from Illinois from Pennsylvania, where she taught fungal identification and edibility at environmental education centers for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and for private land owners. She is certified as a wild edible mushroom expert and licensed to harvest and sell to restaurants and markets in the State of Pennsylvania. Schuler is also a contributing culinary author for a wild mushroom trade journal.
A graduate of East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, Lee has worked as a field biologist and environmental educator, and currently works in public health. She is an artist and cook and enjoys acquiring new and useful skills as much as she loves sharing them.
(SOLD OUT) Intro to Pastel Painting
with Mandy Roeing
Experience Level: Beginner (ages 12+)
Learn about soft pastels and ways to use them through basic mark-making techniques at Introduction to Pastel Painting on Sunday, July 27th from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Mansion Library.
Serious artists ages 10 and older can sign up for this course, where award-winning artist Mandy Roeing will help students learn about pastels and paint to create a simple still life to take home. More than just a one-time painting project, this class is intended to give you basic pastel painting skills and knowledge that you can build on to continue creating.
$85/person (Ages 12+. Ages 12-15 need to be accompanied by a registered adult). Register by July 24th. 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
Award-winning artist Mandy Roeing resides in Downs with her husband and their two daughters. Inspired by the beauty and tranquility of nature, Roeing creates color-filled landscapes and beachscapes that go beyond representation to capture the emotion of a place.
All of Roeing’s paintings are done in soft pastels, a beautiful and versatile medium that she is passionate about sharing with others through both her work and classes. She is an instructor at the McLean County Arts Center and the Peninsula School of Art and holds regular classes in painting and drawing at her own studio and gallery space in downtown Bloomington.
Mandy earned her BFA in Studio Art from the University of North Carolina in 2004. She is the Vice President of the Illinois Prairie Pastel Society and an active member of the Peoria Art Guild. Her work has been published in The Pastel Journal magazine and the IAPS Globe and is in numberous private collections throughout the country and abroad.
Intermediate Mushroom Foraging (Full Series)
with Lee Schuler
Experience Level: Intermediate
Those who completed beginner mushroom foraging classes at The Farms or have experience in identification can continue their journey at Intermediate Mushroom Foraging on Saturdays, Aug. 9, 16 & 23 from 9 to 11 a.m. outdoors (rain or shine). Meet at the Greenhouse Cafè Patio (in case of rain meet inside the Visitor Center).
Instructor Lee Schuler will lead two-hour hikes to find, collect and come together to identify mushrooms from the property. Classes will also cover environmental and growth habit, morphology, and edibility for each species that is found. The class will also log every species found to begin a wild fungi survey for Allerton.
$120 for the entire series or $50/class. Register here by Aug. 6 or one day prior to subsequent classes*. All sales are final.
*Students should bring a knife or scissors for collecting samples and wear clothing appropriate for walking up to two miles in various weather conditions.
PLEASE NOTE: Foraging at Allerton is not allowed except as part of this Farms class.
If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.
About the instructor
Lee Schuler recently moved from Illinois from Pennsylvania, where she taught fungal identification and edibility at environmental education centers for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and for private land owners. She is certified as a wild edible mushroom expert and licensed to harvest and sell to restaurants and markets in the State of Pennsylvania. Schuler is also a contributing culinary author for a wild mushroom trade journal.
A graduate of East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, Lee has worked as a field biologist and environmental educator, and currently works in public health. She is an artist and cook and enjoys acquiring new and useful skills as much as she loves sharing them.
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.
Find the complete Summer Session schedule here.
Intermediate Mushroom Foraging--Aug. 9
with Lee Schuler
Experience Level: Intermediate
Those who completed beginner mushroom foraging classes at The Farms or have experience in identification can continue their journey at Intermediate Mushroom Foraging on Saturdays, Aug. 9, 16 & 23 from 9 to 11 a.m. outdoors (rain or shine). Meet at the Greenhouse Cafè Patio (in case of rain meet inside the Visitor Center).
Instructor Lee Schuler will lead two-hour hikes to find, collect and come together to identify mushrooms from the property. Classes will also cover environmental and growth habit, morphology, and edibility for each species that is found. The class will also log every species found to begin a wild fungi survey for Allerton.
$120 for the entire series or $50/class*. Register here by Aug. 6 or three days prior to subsequent classes. All sales are final.
*Students should bring a knife or scissors for collecting samples and wear clothing appropriate for walking up to two miles in various weather conditions.
PLEASE NOTE: Foraging at Allerton is not allowed except as part of this Farms class.
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
Lee Schuler recently moved from Illinois from Pennsylvania, where she taught fungal identification and edibility at environmental education centers for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and for private land owners. She is certified as a wild edible mushroom expert and licensed to harvest and sell to restaurants and markets in the State of Pennsylvania. Schuler is also a contributing culinary author for a wild mushroom trade journal.
A graduate of East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, Lee has worked as a field biologist and environmental educator and currently works in public health. She is an artist and cook and enjoys acquiring new and useful skills as much as she loves sharing them.
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.
Find the complete Summer Session schedule here.
Acrylic Pour Workshop
with Alexis Walter
Experience Level: Beginner
Make your own acrylic pour creation and enjoy time with other artists at Acrylic Pour Painting on Sunday, Aug. 10 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Greenhouse Auditorium.
Instructor Alexis Henson of Alexis Walter Creations will introduce students to the artistic and spontaneous experience of abstract fluid art as they learn how to pour their own creations. Methods taught may include ring pour, string pull, and pouring on surfaces such as canvas and wood.
Students are welcome to purchase a drink in the Greenhouse Café to sip while they create!
$80/person (Ages 18+). Registration will close July 30 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.
NOTE: Created artwork must remain undisturbed for 48 to 72 hours and will be ready for pickup within a week.
If you will need disability-related accommodations 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.
Focaccia Art
with Leah Bodine
Experience Level: Any
Learn how to make Focaccia bread from scratch at Focaccia Art on Tuesday, August 12th from 5:30-7:30pm in the Mansion Carriage House.
Students will learn how to make Focaccia bread and then "paint" it with vegetables and herbs to make stunning yet edible designs.
$50/person*, Register here by July 29th. All sales are final.
Learn more about the space where your course will take place here.
If you will need disability-related accommodations in order 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
Bonnie Rideout wover her first basket in 1994 and quickly caught the "basket bug." She created a business--Bonnie's Baskets in Decatur--in 2006 to teach others to weave. She is also a traveling instructor and has taught weaving in 18 states. Find out more about Bonnie on her website, Facebook, Instagram and Etsy pages.
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.
See the complete Summer Session schedule here.