Upcoming Free Art Workshops at Local Libraries
Join us for free art workshops for a variety of age groups, happening at libraries around Dutchess County!
Clay Character Sculptures at Millbrook Library
Saturday June 4th, 1:00pm – 3:00pm
For grades K-5
Participants will develop and build their own unique fantasy character in soft, malleable oven bake Sculpty clay. Dynamic gesturing, costuming, accessories, facial expressions, movement and more will be utilized to breathe life into our creations.
Registration: Open to the public, call Millbrook Library at 845-677-3611 to register
Aquatic Creature Self-Portraits at Staatsburg Library
Monday July 11th, 7:30pm – 8:30pm
For teens
Ever feel like a mermaid, or maybe a shark? Ever wondered what you would look like underneath the sea? In this workshop, participants will be guided through picturing themselves as ocean creatures, and will learn to use basic shapes, lines, and shading to bring your ocean-creature-self to life!
Registration: Open to the public, call Staatsburg Library at 845-889-4683 to register
Digital Painting at Clinton Community Library
Saturday July 16th, 10:30am – 11:30am
For grades K-5
Students use iPads and Procreate software to imagine concept art, to create original digital visual art pieces, and to strengthen their skills in visual communication. Students also gain practice with identifying light sources, learning how to properly shade, learning how to compose images, and take elements from source texts to re-imagine them and refashion them through a unified personal aesthetic.
Registration: Open to the public, call Clinton Community Library at 845-266-5530 to register
Patchwork Collage at Staatsburg Library
Thursday July 21st, 12:30pm – 2:00pm
For grades K-2
Visual Storytelling! Patchwork quilts have passed down stories and history for hundreds of years. Following a set theme, participants will have their own unique story come to life through their own hand drawn artwork Themes can include: happy memory, a personal goal, a loved one, a life changing event, specific holiday, etc. Gluing materials such as fabric, paper, magazine clippings, yarn, buttons and more to create individualized squares. The art pieces will be assembled together at the end of the class representing how each individual has their own story, but are still connected as humans on the same Earth. The artists can also take the time to discuss the different pieces and what they represent if they wish.
Registration: Open to the public, call Staatsburg Library at 845-889-4683 to register
Clay Character Sculptures at Clinton Community Library
Saturday July 30th, 10:30am – 11:30am
For grades K-5
Participants will develop and build their own unique fantasy character in soft, malleable oven bake Sculpty clay. Dynamic gesturing, costuming, accessories, facial expressions, movement and more will be utilized to breathe life into our creations.
Registration: Open to the public, call Clinton Community Library at 845-266-5530 to register
Zine-Making at Clinton Community Library
Saturday August 6th, 10:30am – 11:30am
For grades 6-12
Students make and publish their own zines (mini-magazine) while gaining an understanding of zine culture and DIY (Do It Yourself) culture. Students generate content (poetry, fiction and/or nonfiction), use Adobe Photoshop or Canva, and analyze the benefits and drawbacks of print media in the digital age.
Registration: Open to the public, call Clinton Community Library at 845-266-5530 to register
Digital Animation at Tappan Library
Monday August 8th, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
For ages 11 and up
Learn the art of stop-motion animation! Using iPads, handmade scenery and characters, and apps like Stop Motion Studio and Koma Koma, in this workshop you’ll craft photo sequences to create the illusion of movement, and add in voice recordings and sound effects to bring your animations to life.
Registration: Open to the public, call Tappan Free Library at 845-359-3877 to register
Abstract Painting, Drawing, and Mixed Media Arts at Clinton Community Library
Saturday August 13th, 10:30am – 11:30am
For adults
Art is full of emotion! In this workshop, participants will be using ink, acrylic paint, and found objects on canvases to create their own abstract mixed media paintings. They will be shown various abstract artists for inspiration and will also experience how art does not have to look life-like. While experimenting with colors, shapes, lines, and textures, participants will choose the emotion they’d like to represent and will be guided through bringing their vision to life.
Registration: Open to the public, call Clinton Community Library at 845-266-5530 to register
Paper Marbling and Mindfulness at Millbrook Library
Wednesday August 24th, 3:00pm – 5:00pm
For teens
Explore a variety of world-wide paper marbling techniques while enjoying the calming and meditative nature of this artform. We will take paper and dip it in water combined with colorful inks and paints, using layering to create swirling and patterned marbled masterpieces to take home with you.
Registration: Open to the public, call Millbrook Library at 845-677-3611 to register
Watercolor Painting of Flowers at Clinton Community Library
Saturday September 10th, 10:30am – 11:30am
For adults
Inspired by nature, and using brush techniques of previous weeks together, we will explore colorful flowers from imagination and from photographs and works of art history.
Registration: Open to the public, call Clinton Community Library at 845-266-5530 to register
Drawing Objects at Clinton Community Library
Saturday October 8th, 10:30am – 11:30am
For adults
Drawing 101! Participants will learn how to draw objects in their homes starting with basic shapes and finishing with details and texture. Explore various shading techniques such as blending, smudging, hatching, stippling and more to capture what you see in your homes every day.
Registration: Open to the public, call Clinton Community Library at 845-266-5530 to register
