Figure Drawing Open Studio

Artists of all levels and abilities are invited to experience drawing a live model at Figure Drawing Open Studio on Mondays, May 20, June 3 & 17, July 1 & 15 and Aug. 5 & 19 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Classes will be held in the Mansion Library (May-July) and in the Greenhouse Auditorium (August).

The open studio format will allow students to work independently, with minimal guidance from facilitator (instead of instructor?) Vivian Krishnan. Students should bring their own supplies, including pencils, charcoal and other medium as well as an easel or sawhorse to draw on. Classes will focus on quick gestures, long poses, and both costumed and nude models.

A cash bar will be available.

$35/class*. Register at least two days before each class. All sales are final.

Individual class links:

— May 20

— June 3

— June 17

— July 1

— July 15

— August 5

— August 19

*Use the discount code “Drawing10” to save 10 percent when registering for at least three classes

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.

About the instructor

Vivian Krishnan is a multimedia artist with works that cross the vast stage of storytelling, from designing costumes for theatrical characters to writing and illustrating diverse children’s books. She received her bachelors in Durango, Colorado, focusing on Printmaking and Sculpture as well as earning her MFA at UIUC in Theatrical Design.

Figure Drawing Open Studio

Artists of all levels and abilities are invited to experience drawing a live model at Figure Drawing Open Studio on Mondays, May 20, June 3 & 17, July 1 & 15 and Aug. 5 & 19 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Classes will be held in the Mansion Library (May-July) and in the Greenhouse Auditorium (August).

The open studio format will allow students to work independently, with minimal guidance from facilitator (instead of instructor?) Vivian Krishnan. Students should bring their own supplies, including pencils, charcoal and other medium as well as an easel or sawhorse to draw on. Classes will focus on quick gestures, long poses, and both costumed and nude models.

A cash bar will be available.

$35/class*. Register at least two days before each class. All sales are final.

Individual class links:

— May 20

— June 3

— June 17

— July 1

— July 15

— August 5

— August 19

*Use the discount code “Drawing10” to save 10 percent when registering for at least three classes

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.

About the instructor

Vivian Krishnan is a multimedia artist with works that cross the vast stage of storytelling, from designing costumes for theatrical characters to writing and illustrating diverse children’s books. She received her bachelors in Durango, Colorado, focusing on Printmaking and Sculpture as well as earning her MFA at UIUC in Theatrical Design.

Experience Level: Beginner

Learn to work with 11/0 glass seed beads at Beaded Jewelry from 12 to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 6 in The Studio. In this workshop led by Billie Theide, participants will focus on making a pair of beaded earrings. The same techniques can be applied to jewelry that functions as brooches, bracelets and necklaces. Participants will explore design process and color theory strategies. A variety of techniques and finishes will be presented and students will receive a folder of printed handouts.

$80/person. Register by June 29. All sales are final.

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.

About the instructor

Billie Theide is a former chair of the Crafts Program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she was a 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.

Join us on a bi-monthly basis as we observe how honey bees manage hive activity during the summer at Bee Hive Observation on June 2 & 15, July 7 & 21 and Aug. 4.* Classes will include an overview of seasonal influences, followed by a peek inside the hives to observe honey bees at work. Traditional and Flow Hives will be discussed.

Participants should wear long sleeves and pants, loose-fitting garments and no open shoes. You should also bring a protective bee veil and unscented rubber gloves.

$90/person for the entire series or $20/class. Register here for the entire series by May 31 or two days before each individual class.* All sales are final.

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.

— Sunday, June 2, 1-3 p.m. in The Studio
— Saturday, June 15, 2:30-4:30 p.m. in The Studio
— Sunday, July 7: 1-3 p.m. in the Greenhouse Auditorium
— Sunday, July 21, 1-3 p.m. in The Studio
— Sunday, Aug. 4, 1-3 p.m. in The Studio

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.

About The Farms

The Farms: An Allerton Folk School, offers classes, workshops, and gatherings focusing on art, wellness, outdoor education, storytelling, and 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 here.

Experience Level: Intermediate

Combine a love of nature and needlefelting at River Otter: A Needlefelting Creation from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 7 in The Studio. In this course, instructor Stephanie Block will help students focus on the river otters as seen on Allerton trail cameras. Students will use alpaca and sheep fiber grown in Illinois to create their very own crafted river otter.

This is an intermediate course based on the length of the class but is also suitable for a determined beginner.

$65/person. Register by June 24. All sales are final.

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.

About the instructor

Stephanie Block is the co-owner of Sundrop Alpacas near Bement, where she focuses on creating unique handmade items from alpaca fiber. Through the alpaca farm she collaborates with other local farms to share knowledge, resources and how to enjoy rural life.

Experience the joy of painting outside at Sun Singer Acrylic Painting on Saturday, July 13 from 5 to 8 p.m. on the Bowling Lawn. (In case of rain, class will be in the Mansion Library.)

Melanie Brine Cox of Canvas & Corks will lead this all levels class - no painting experience is necessary! Your canvas will be templated with the design and all painting materials will be provided. Feel free to bring snacks. A cash bar will be available.

$55/person. Register by June 29. All sales are final.

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.

About the instructor

Melanie Brine Cox is the owner of Canvas & Corks in Monticello and has taught painting classes in the area for nine years. She studied Fine Arts at Parkland College and enjoys working with acrylic paint, charcoal and ink. You can see her work on display at local businesses including Edward Jones and The Brown Bag.

Melanie resides in Bement with husband Kyle Cox and four children.

Figure Drawing Open Studio

Artists of all levels and abilities are invited to experience drawing a live model at Figure Drawing Open Studio on Mondays, May 20, June 3 & 17, July 1 & 15 and Aug. 5 & 19 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Classes will be held in the Mansion Library (May-July) and in the Greenhouse Auditorium (August).

The open studio format will allow students to work independently, with minimal guidance from facilitator (instead of instructor?) Vivian Krishnan. Students should bring their own supplies, including pencils, charcoal and other medium as well as an easel or sawhorse to draw on. Classes will focus on quick gestures, long poses, and both costumed and nude models.

A cash bar will be available.

$35/class*. Register at least two days before each class. All sales are final.

Individual class links:

— May 20

— June 3

— June 17

— July 1

— July 15

— August 5

— August 19

*Use the discount code “Drawing10” to save 10 percent when registering for at least three classes

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.

About the instructor

Vivian Krishnan is a multimedia artist with works that cross the vast stage of storytelling, from designing costumes for theatrical characters to writing and illustrating diverse children’s books. She received her bachelors in Durango, Colorado, focusing on Printmaking and Sculpture as well as earning her MFA at UIUC in Theatrical Design.

Experience Level: Beginner

Learn the basics of poetry at Exploring Nature & Life Through Mary Oliver’s Poetry from 12 to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, June 8, July 20 and Aug. 10. Instructor Kate Herald will help students explore allegory and meter using Oliver’s poetry, including “Wild Geese” and “How I Go to the Woods,” as

Participants will then be invited to write and share their own life poem based on their observations at Allerton Park. Register for the entire series at a discount or sign-up for individual classes.

Classes will be held in The Studio with time also being spent outdoors.

$85/person for the entire series or $30/classs. Register by June 5 or three days prior to subsequent classes*. All sales are final.

*Individual class links:

— June 8

— July 20

— Aug. 10

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.

About the instructor

Kate Herald teaches people how to tell stories that change the world for good. She holds a Ph.D. in English and uses her background in storytelling research as a learning designer, gender studies professor and curator for TEDxNormal.