Learning Is For Life

Ode & Elegies

Where would poetry be without these two foundational forms? The Western literary canon is full of examples by Homer, Yeats, Whitman, and Auden, but contemporary poets still find much to play with in the storied traditions of the ode and the elegy. Both forms seek to elevate and pay homage to something or someone worthy of praise, but how that tribute takes shape is up to the poet. Nowadays, odes don’t have to be about Grecian urns, and elegies are not always dreary (or even about death). In this class, we’ll read some classic and modern takes and then try to write our own. All levels welcome.

Katie Vagnino
2 - 4 pm
Wednesday, June 16
Virtual $30

Scratch Printmaking: Beyond the Basics

Take your drypoint prints to a whole new level with Scratch Printmaking. In this class, we’ll create drypoint prints, but also learn how to watercolor them and use the chine-collè process – a fancy term for collaging with your prints! You’ll be amazed at the things you can do with your car (yes, your car!) as your press – or a die cut machine, if you have one. Previous and new class participants are welcome. We’ll have a blast!

Mel Kolstad
1 - 4 pm
Wednesday, June 23
Virtual $40 (includes a $10 supply fee; kits will be mailed to participants)
Register by June 9

Botanical Contact Printing

Explore printing on paper and cloth with plants. Artist and instructor Debra Jircik will share the basics of exploring the natural world through the creative process. Each participant will be sent instructions on leaves to gather for printing, a kit with paper/silk , and a resource guide. Participants will need to furnish rubber gloves, water, a pan with a lid (note: pans will not be suitable for kitchen use after using them for this process), and a hot plate or stove to steam their prints. Optional supplies from your own kitchen waste and foraging will be listed in your kit.

Debra Jircik
10 am - 1 pm
Wednesday, June 30
Virtual $50 (includes a $15 supply fee; kits will be mailed to participants)
Max 12 students
Register by June 16

Beginning Spinning

So you’ve wanted to get going with spinning but weren’t sure where to start? Has it been a struggle to coordinate? Take this class to discover the fun of working and learning as a group. The instructor is an experienced spinner and fiber arts artist/teacher. The class will discuss types of wheels, fibers, steps to getting started, and goals for your spinning. Please bring your spinning wheel and your own wool if you have questions about it.

Tess Imobersteg
9 am - Noon
Sunday, August 8
Nicolet – Fieldside Center 108
$70 (include $10 supply fee)
Register by July 30
Max 12 students

Virtual $50 (includes a $15 supply fee; kits will be mailed to participants)
Max 12 students
Register by June 16

Practical Approaches to Revising Poetry

Most of the work in writing poetry happens in revision, yet it’s a skill that is rarely explicitly taught. We workshop our drafts, we get lots of feedback, and then are expected to magically know how to “fix” the poem. In this hands-on class, you’ll learn some concrete techniques for revision, from identifying what needs another look and what suggestions from workshop to ignore, to what to do when you get stuck and can’t remember what you were trying to express in the first place. Please bring one or two poems to class that you are actively in the process of revising (i.e. pieces that you do not think are “done”). This class is intended for intermediate level poets – those who are not new to writing poetry and are interested in honing their craft.

Katie Vagnino
2 - 4 pm
Wednesday, July 21
Virtual $30

Cyanotype: Garden Edition

Have you ever wondered about the original blueprint process, cyanotype? Students in this class will use plants from the Nicolet Community Garden to create images in white on Prussian blue backgrounds. Artist Norma Dycus Pennycuff will provide hand-coated papers made in her darkoom, and nature will provide the sunlight and plants. All students need to bring is a creative spirit and an eye for composition.

Norma Dycus Pennycuff
1 - 4 pm
Wednesday, July 28
Nicolet – Fieldside Center 102
$70 (includes a $10 supply fee)
Register by July 21
Max 12 students

The Silk Fusion Collusion

What is silk fusion? Let’s dispel confusion – it is a process of binding layers of tussah silk and embellishment fibers with an acrylic medium infusion to create a thin but very sturdy fabric that can be cut and adhered as decoration to a surface or used in sewing objects. The shimmery effect is no illusion. Fused silk, or silk paper, shimmers, is flexible, and is water resistant. Instructor Tess Imobersteg will demonstrate the silk fusion process and how to use the end product. Students will make themselves a piece of silk fusion to take home, and also use fused silk to create a small art piece. Please bring the following to class: drawing paper to create or trace a design for an art piece, pencil/eraser for drawing, scissors, apron or old shirt to protect clothes, basin or plastic box at least 10" x 12" to transport wet silk fusion, and a profusion of enthusiasm!

Tess Imobersteg
2 - 5 pm
Friday, August 6
Nicolet – Fieldside Center 108
$75 (include $15 supply fee)
Register by July 30
Max 12 students

Fiber Mixing/Yarn Design for Spinning

Have you wanted to mix fibers but were unsure where to start? Have you thought “my handspun llama yarn is so soft, but why doesn’t it hold its shape when knit?” The instructor will walk you through some theory of yarn design, considerations of what you want to create, what you have for raw materials, and how to blend and prep the fiber for spinning. The instructor will have scales, a drum carder, two blending boards, a set of hand cards, flick carders, and a variety of natural and colored wools and fibers available. If you have them, please bring hand carders, flick carders, blending boards, spinning wheels if you want to try your yarn mixtures on the spot, and any of your own CLEAN fibers that you’d like to try to mix or want to discuss.

Tess Imobersteg
10 am - Noon
Saturday, August 7
Nicolet – Fieldside Center 108
$50 (include $10 supply fee)
Register by July 30
Max 12 students

Mindfulness Drawing Outdoors

No matter your skill level, this class will teach you to approach your drawing practice mindfully. Highlighting similarities between the practices of mindfulness meditation and observational drawing, artist and instructor Jaron Childs will work with students to develop a patient, open approach to drawing their subjects. The class will focus on doing away with self-criticism while still maintaining artistic rigor as a way of developing a satisfying, lifelong relationship with drawing. This class will be held outdoors at the Northwoods Community Garden; please bring a chair and clipboard.

Jaron Childs
2 - 5 pm
Monday, August 9
Northwoods Community Garden & Nicolet – Fieldside Center 108 (alternate indoor location)
$30 (includes a $15 supply fee)
Register by July 29
Max 12 students

Cigar Box Assemblage

Join assemblage artist Sarah Thompson for an assemblage class designed to spark creativity. You will learn the art of arranging objects in an aesthetically pleasing way, along with collage. You’ll be guided when you need it, but each piece will be unique, as you will add your own personal items. You’ll need a few tools and your own special found objects. Here’s what you’ll need to bring to class: • Small hammer, small pliers, handheld drill (if you have one), small screwdrivers – both Phillips and straight, and an apron • Objects that fit in the cigar box: found feathers, toadstools, or other nature finds, special vintage photos (copies), jewelry or endearing objects, even old watercolors to personalize your art piece, old books that can be destroyed for the paper, etc. • Water vessels for cleaning brushes Each student will also be provided with a cigar box and supply kit to complete this unique project.

Sarah Thompson
2 - 5 pm
Thursday, August 26
Nicolet – Fieldside Center 102
$85 (includes a $25 supply fee)
Register by August 12
Max 12 students

Indigo Harvest and Fresh Leaf Indigo Dyeing at Northwoods Community Garden

Learn about Japanese indigo harvest and dyeing with fresh leaves on silk. Each participant will dye a small silk scarf, experience a fresh leaf cellulose vat, and take home a sample swatch of reclaimed cloth. Bring a pair of rubber gloves or disposable gloves (unless you revel in blue fingers, nails, and hands) and also a mask as some of the time we will be working in close contact with one another.

Debra Jircik
9 am – Noon
Thursday, July 22
Nicolet – Fieldside Center 102
$75 (includes a $15 supply fee)
Max 6 students

Plant Potions – Culinary Herbalism*

The best way to use plants thought to improve health is to incorporate them into our daily lives and kitchens. In this workshop, we will explore the potential healing properties and flavors of wild harvested and homegrown herbs. We will use both fresh and dried materials to infuse into culinary bases of water, vinegars, botanical oils, salts, fats, and honey. This will include hands-on creation of wild tea blends, herb salts, compound butters, herbal oils, and herbal/floral-infused honeys. Participants will leave with stimulated minds and taste buds, small jars of created plant potions, and a handout with base recipes and instructions for future infusions.

Samantha Martinez
2 - 5 pm
Saturday, July 24
Nicolet – Fieldside Center 102 $85 (includes a $25 supply fee) Register by July 17 Max 12 students

Weaving the Wild – Basketry Fiber Exploration

This course will begin with an overview of different plants that have been used in basketry for thousands of years by cultures from all around the world. We will cover responsible harvesting and processing methods for a range of species that can be found in the Northwoods of Wisconsin including cattail, fireweed, nettle, cedar, willow, milkweed, birch, and more. Students will create cordage from an array of plant fibers. We will use these materials along with simple plaiting and twining techniques to create our own unique baskets – small enough to fit into the palm of your hand! No basket weaving experience required, although sufficient manual dexterity is necessary. (Examples of manual dexterity include threading a needle, opening a lidded jar, crocheting or knitting, or playing an instrument.

Samantha Martinez
2 - 5 pm
Saturday, July 31
Nicolet – Fieldside Center 102
$85 (includes a $25 supply fee)
Register by July 24
Max 12 students

Wild Apothecary: First Aid Kit*

In this workshop, we will work to create compact and lightweight herbal first aid kits using a variety of wild plants. We will cover the guidelines to responsibly harvest, when and where to find the plants used, potential healing properties of the ingredients, and situations for best use of each formula. Participants will take home their own kit, including small jars and tins of wound powder, trauma balm, nourishing vitamineral tea, antimicrobial tinctures, soothing liniments, and skin healing salves.

Samantha Martinez
2 - 5 pm
Saturday, August 7
Nicolet – Fieldside Center 102
$85 (includes a $25 supply fee)
Register by August 1
Max 12 students

From the Garden: Herbal Remedy Making*

Join herbalist Linda Conroy for this fun and engaging workshop. We will spend time learning about the potential healing qualities of plants and how to best prepare them. There will be three components to this program: presentation, harvest time, and hands-on remedy making. Everyone will take home recipes as well as the herbal remedies that we make in class. Participants will leave feeling confident in making their preparations at home.

Linda Conroy
2 - 6 pm
Monday, August 16
Nicolet – Fieldside Center 102
$85 (includes a $15 supply fee)
Register by August 9
Max 12 students