Experience Level: All Levels (All Ages 15+) 

Learn how to paint a loose, expressive Peony with shimmering gold accents at Peony Watercolor Workshop on Saturday, May 16 from 2 to 5 p.m. in The Studio. 

Instructor Emily Tackitt will guide students through this workshop for all levels focusing on expressive color. Students will be able to explore their creativity and build confidence with the watercolor medium in a calm, stress free, and fun class. 

$110/person*. Register here. Registration will close May 9 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 (16+)

Learn about various stitching methods at Intro to Hand Sewing on Sunday, May 17 from 9 to 12 p.m. in The Studio.

Instructor Jennie Ingram will help students learn the basics of practical hand sewing including the basting stitch, running stitch, back stitch, whip stitch, hem stitch, slip/ladder stitch, and how to attach a button and hook & eye.

Closed-toe shoes are recommended.

$55/person. Registration will close May 15 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 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

Jennie Ingram is a lifelong crafter who has been sewing, costuming, quilting, crocheting, and making jewelry since childhood. She received her MFA in Costume Design from UIUC in 2007 and has worked in costume shops across the country including Idaho Shakespeare Festival and Williamstown Theatre Festival.

She spent six years as the Costume Shop Manager at Western Kentucky University, where she enjoyed expanding her student’s skill sets by offering workshops in quilting, corsetry and jewelry making. Since leaving academia she has run an Etsy shop selling handmade charm bracelets, and other gifts.

Jennie is also a moderator and active member of LettuceCraft.com, a forum where members share their handmade creations. Her Halloween sampler quilt, titled Stitch ‘n Witch, was shown at the 20th Annual Festival of Quilts in Urbana.

Experience Level: Beginner 

Learn the skills of improvisation, including scene creation and team dynamics at Improve Your Improv on Thursdays, April 23 through June 4 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Music Barn. 

 Instructor Kyle Tasch returns to The Farms to teach this popular course, which will be jam-packed with improvisational fun that uses both short-form games and long-form scenes. 

This will not be a class to sit down, hear lectures, and take notes.  Students will be performing as much as possible to emphasize the mechanics needed to act out an entertaining and meaningful scene on the spot with no lines. There are many elements of improv that are not only useful on stage, but also in everyday life – wherever you might be put on the spot! 

Students who have already completed this class are welcome to join again. Beginners and those experienced in improv are all encouraged to join! 

$100/person for the entire series  or $25/class at the links below. Registration will close on April 20 for the entire series or two days before each subsequent class. 

— April 23
— April 30 
— May 7 
— May 14 
— May 21 
— May 28 
— June 4 

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 

Kyle Tasch is an improvisor, improv teacher, filmmaker, writer, actor, comedian and musician from the Chicago suburbs. He started performing improv in 2004 and has been improvising in front of audiences regularly since 2015. 

Experience Level: All Levels

Learn the basics of weaving and take home a basket at Basket Weaving: Bagel Basket on Friday, May 22 from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. in The Studio.

 Instructor Bonnie Rideout will lead students as they start by creating a woven, filled base for the basket. Students will then learn about twining, triple twining using an arrow weave, and adding leather handles with an overlay. Finally, students will add beads and copper wire to finish off their baskets choosing from a variety of beads available during the class.

$100/person. Registration will close May 15 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.

Experience Level: All Levels 

Get outside and express your creativity at Plein Air Painting on Friday through Sunday, May 22 to 24 from 12 to 4 p.m. in Evergreen Lodge 7 (May 22) and the Studio (May 23-24). 

Students will start with a brief discussion each day at the designated meeting location then head outdoors to paint with their preferred medium. Instructor Deb Marett will guide students in this unique opportunity to capture the true colors, light, and atmosphere of the park as it changes in real time. Working directly in nature will challenge artists to respond quickly to shifting light and weather leading to dynamic and expressive brushwork. Not only will students grow in their technique, but plein air painting often lends itself to a restorative and calming practice. 

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

$175/person* (ages 15+). Regististration will close May 15 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final. 

*Students should bring: 

— Medium of their choice (i.e. oils, acrylics, watercolor, pastel) in a portable palette 
— Plein Air easel suitable for the medium of choice (the easel needs to be flat for watercolors) 
— Brushes in various sizes suitable for the medium of choice 
— Canvas panels, Watercolor paper, or other paper suitable for medium of choice in a block or on a board taped down. Please have enough for several paintings 
— Small Sketch pad and pencil 
— Rags/paper towels as you use in your practice and trash bags for disposal 
— Water bottle and container for rinsing brushes  
— Tote bag for easy carrying  

Other suggested items: 

— Sunscreen & bug spray 
— Brimmed Hat 
— Folding chair or stool 
— Refillable water bottle & snacks 
— Gloves if you use them in your practice  

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. 

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 (have taken BW1 and 2 or similar experience) 

Expand your weaving skills to learn a new weaving technique at Weaving Twill on Saturdays, May 23 & 30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Greenhouse Auditorium. 

This two-day class led by Sharon Bowles will lead students in a discussion of various 4 shaft Twill types and design rules. Students will then write their draft pattern, wind and thread a warp to weave a twill gamp. Students using their own looms will wind a longer warp to continue to explore different treadling for the twills on their own. 

Students are encouraged to bring a sack lunch or plan to grab lunch at the Greenhouse Cafe. 

$200/person*. Registration will close May 16 or when capacity is reached.  All sales are final. 

*Students should bring a 4-shaft loom if they have one. All other supplies will be provided, including a loom if needed. 

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 

Sharon Bowles began weaving in 1990 and started teaching shortly after. She was taught to weave in a one-on-one class and wove two table runners in 12 (approximately) 2-hour lessons, and she teaches the same method when she teaches. Sharon has experience in weaving with silk, lace weaving, 8-shaft pattern weaving, parallel weaving, block weaves, and Shaker reproduction towels. 

She has taught many workshops and classes to weavers’ guilds in Florida, Ohio, and Champaign-Urbana. She earned her Journeyman certification from the Weavers Guild of Boston in 2021 and a master’s certification in April of 2022. Most recently, Sharon taught Beginning Weaving I at The Farms, and a 2-day workshop in four shaft patterns for the Champaign-Urbana Spinners and Weavers Guild.

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

Learn about how to improve your health by letting go of highly processed foods at Basics of Plant-Based eating on Wednesday, May 27 from 5 to 7 p.m. in The Studio.

Instructor Karla Freeze will share the story of how she regained her health by adding more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds to her diet. She will also provide resources and tips for a healthy journey, including the six pillars of health as outlined by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.

$25/person. Registration will close May 20 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

Karla Freeze credits the plant-based lifestyle she switched to about 12 years ago for greatly improving her health, helping her to reverse ailments including type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, psoriasis, sleep apnea, while also helping her lose weight.

“Plant-based education is my passion,” she said.

Karla has done many educational sessions throughout central Illinois and worked with an international dining services company in presenting health sessions in Dallas and Houston.