Experience Level: Beginner 

Understand what your subconscious mind is telling you while you sleep at Understanding Dreams on Tuesdays, Aug. 18 and 25 from 6-8 p.m. in The Studio. 

Licensed Clinical Social Worker Julie Lauper will introduce students to the foundations of dream analysis and encourage students to explore how their dreams can deepen self-understanding, creativity, and emotional insight. 

By the end of this two-day class, students will be able to understand how dreams are formed, why certain symbols repeat, and how personal experiences shape a dream’s meaning. 

$70/person. Registration will close Aug. 16 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 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 

Julie Lauper has taught higher education for over 30 years, even in foreign countries. More recently, Lauper has been a K-8 in-school social worker. As the owner of Serenity Fields Farm, Lauper has run farm camps every summer for 11 years as well as selling herbal products. She also teaches at Richland Community College and Millikin University and loves working with kids and adults. 

Experience Level: All Levels

Learn the basics of weaving and take home a basket at Basket Weaving: April Flowers on Friday, August 21 from 12 to 4 p.m. in The Studio.

Instructor Bonnie Rideout will lead students in weaving a basket for their wall or door with a custom “quick weave” handle. Students will learn weaving techniques including start/stop weaving, triple twining, and how to include overlays. Choose from a variety of florals to make this basket seasonal and unique to you. 

$75/person. Registration will close Aug. 14 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.

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

Bonnie Rideout wove 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.

Experience Level: Beginner 

Step up your baking game and skip the butter at Baking with Olive Oil on Sunday, Aug. 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Allerton Dining Room. 

Chef Leah Bodine will teach students how using olive oil in sweet and savory recipes can take your baking to the next level. 

$45/person. Register here. Registration closes on Aug. 9 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 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 

Leah Bodine calls herself the ‘accidental chef’ with years of experience in the food industry. She started her catering company, Blue Dragonfly Catering, to express her creative mind in food preparation and cultivating recipes. She loves sharing her skills with others and seeing the fascination on students’ faces when they realize how creative they can be and how easy it is to do so. 

Her experiences in the food industry have led her to live in Paris and cater for rock and country legends. 

Experience Level: Beginner 

Get a first-hand look at how honey bees manage hive activity at Beehive Observation on Sundays, April 12 & 26, May 10 & 24, June 7 & 21, July 5 & 19, Aug. 2, 16 & 30 and Sept. 13 & 27 in The Studio and outside at the beehives.  

Instructor Maggie Wachter will provide an overview of seasonal influences, followed by a peek inside the hives to observe honey bees at work. Traditional and Flow Hives will also be discussed. Each two-hour session may be attended as a standalone or combined with any or all other classes. 

$200/person* for the entire series or $30/class at the links below. Registration will close April 9 for the entire series or three days before each subsequent class. All sales are final. 

*Students should wear loose-fitting long sleeves and pants, close-toed shoes and bring a protective bee veil and unscented rubber gloves.  

— April 12 
— April 26 
— May 10 
— May 24 
— June 7 
— June 21 
— July 5 
— July 19 
— Aug. 2 
— Aug. 16 
— Sept. 13 
— Sept. 27 

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 

When Maggie Wachter began her social work degree at the University of Illinois in 2008, she had no idea that she would become a beekeeper. As for honey, she kept a single jar in the back of her kitchen cabinet for recipes. Today she is a master beekeeper who never eats sugar. 

Maggie received her first hive as a gift in 2008. By 2010, she was enrolled in the Master Beekeeper course at the University of Florida. From there, things happened quickly to turn her life around. In 2012, she started teaching beekeeping for Parkland Community Education and today she is a beekeeping teacher, honey judge, mead maker and master beekeeper. 

She has also participated in honeybee research at the University of Illinois and the USDA.

Experience Level: Beginner

Has life just felt hard lately and finding joy seems nearly impossible? Maybe you are feeling stuck, in a rut, wishing for more of that elusive happiness. If this speaks to you, join us for The Art & Science of Getting Happier: Build the Life You Want on Wednesdays, September 2, 9, 16, & 23 from 6-7:30 p.m. in The Studio.  

Instructor Lori Lilly will lead this course, designed to provide direction on the journey toward living with a greater sense of happiness and a deeper sense of wisdom. Understand your own unique happiness profile. Learn about emotions so you can develop the tools of self-management and emotional regulation while building resilience and a positive state of mind. Lori will share practical, research-based practices that meet you where you are as you build a daily practice of happiness. 

$70/person*. Registration will close September 1 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.  

*Students should bring a notebook or journal and writing utensil.  

Learn more about the space where your course will take place here. If you will need disability-related accommodation 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

Lori Lilly is a psychologist, yogi, nature lover and lifelong learner of wellness, happiness and spirituality. Her passion is to bring others along for the adventure and to share what she is learning.

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.

Experience Level: Intermediate 

Get outside and express your creativity at Plein Air Painting on Friday through Sunday, Sept. 4 through 6 from 12 to 4 p.m. in the Studio. 

Plein air painting can feel overwhelming at first — easels, changing light, color mixing, wind, and trying to paint outdoors all at once! This workshop is designed especially for intermediate painters who want a supportive introduction to painting outside. If you have had some drawing and painting instruction, and are ready to continue increasing your skills and understanding, this workshop will be a great fit for you.

Instructor Deb Marett will lead students on the core skills that make plein air painting easier and more enjoyable. Students will learn how to set up their materials efficiently, simplify what they see, mix clean natural color, and recognize strong value relationships in the landscape.

Students will work through short studies and practical exercises to build your confidence in handling paint and observing. You’ll also watch demos to help you understand the approach and decision-making process for creating a successful piece. This workshop is ideal for artists who are new to plein air painting or who want to strengthen their foundational painting skills in a relaxed environment. You’ll come away with all the tools you need to continue to explore the countryside, brush in hand!

All painting mediums are welcome including oils, acrylics, watercolor, and pastel. 

$175/person* (ages 15+). Regististration closes on Aug. 28 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final. 

*Students should plan to bring their favorite painting supplies in the medium of their choice. Please find a full supply list here.

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 

Deb Marrett is a professional artist whose work focuses on equestrian and figurative scenes as well as portraiture. She always travels with her watercolors and a travel journal. 

“It is an amazing way to remember moments of the trip, and spend time soaking up the places I visit,” she said. 

Deb loves sharing her knowledge by teaching and finding ways to make painting and drawing fun and accessible to those wanting to explore their creative side.

Experience Level: Beginner 

Spend your morning among the flowers at Floriography Bouquet Workshop on Saturday, Sept. 5 from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in Evergreen Lodge. 

Florist Ava Porter will teach students the basics of floral design using the Victorian language of flowers to create living masterpieces of fresh flowers with special meanings. Students will go home with a custom vase arrangement. 

$80/person. Registration closes on August 22 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 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. 

Experience Level: Beginner

Learn the basics of watercolor techniques at Beginning Watercolor on Tuesdays, Sept. 8, 15, 22, & 29 from 9-11:30 a.m. in The Studio. 

Former art educator Sally Walsh will teach students foundational skills and techniques. Students will learn new techniques each week to create paintings focusing on landscapes, flowers, fruit, glass, and special effects.   

$85/person*. Registration will close Sept. 1 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.  

*Students should bring: 

 — 140 lb. watercolor paper pad: no smaller than 9″x12″ (spiral bound is best) 

 — 16-color oval pan watercolor paint set, Prang brand preferred. 

 — Minimum of three brushes with pointed bristles: large (No. 9-12), medium (No. 6-8) and small (No. 3-5) 

 — Pencil, clear ruler, kneaded eraser, scissor 

Alternatively, students can choose to borrow these supplies for a $10 fee, which can be applied during registration. 

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

Sally Walsh is a retired art teacher from Richland Community College in Decatur. She has more than 30 years of teaching experience and has led previous art classes at Allerton.