Monday 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. June 2 - 30

Class Fee: $55 ($50 Members) Age 16 - Adult

Hand building, throwing clay on the wheel, learning about the physical properties of clay, and the glazing and firing process will all be part of this beginners course. The fun twist will be a Raku firing on the final day of class. This technique requires pieces be made with unique Raku clays, and glazed with low fire glazes friendly to the ancient Raku firing process. All materials are provided. Open studio time is also encouraged.

Thursday 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. May 22 - June 19

Class Fee $55 ($50 Members) Age 16 - Adult

Explore ceramic sculpture using plaster to create molds of the head and neck, hands, and feet to create clay sculpture of the human form. Lessons in creating plaster molds, pressing clay, drying and firing and finally glazing will be part of this intriguing class. All materials and model provided.

Thursday 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. May 22 and 29 or June 20 and 27

Class Fee: $45 – Bring 8x10 work to frame Age 16 - Adult

You will learn about material selection, how to properly measure, cut and mount your work, and assemble frames. Bring an 8 x 10 work of art to frame, slightly smaller is fine. On the first day we will discuss materials, equipment and mat selection. Day two we will cut mats and assemble frames. Materials provided.

Saturday 9:00 a.m. - Noon May 17

Class Fee: $75 Age 14 - Adult

Explore the fun of metal clay in this lively, project-based class designed to de-mystify the basic techniques needed to create original, fine silver jewelry and embellishments at home… without a kiln! We’ll start small, turning a lump of malleable, non-toxic metal clay into a beautiful, original pendant that’s 99.9% pure silver. You’ll be amazed at the results when you combine a few hours of your time with some simple tools, a couple of rules, a little imagination and a dash of pure fun! Fee includes use of all tools, textures, etc. for completion of project. Each student is provided a copy of Cristine’s book plus 10 g of silver clay, a silk necklace and the jump ring(s) necessary to complete their project.

Thursday 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. May 15 - June 5

Class Fee: $75 ($65 Members) Age 16 - Adult

Watercolor is an enjoyable, portable, and easily manageable medium to work with and pursue the enjoyment of art. This class will explore the techniques used to work with watercolor paints, and the materials used. Students will begin by working on simple practice pieces to learn washes, masking fluid, and mixing techniques, use of different paper, and then move on to working with still life set-ups. By the last day of class students will take a trip out to Branstrom Park and work "plein air". Bring masking tape, a small spray bottle, natural sponge, pencil, and a plastic water dish. Paints, brushes, paper, palette and a drawing board will be provided for use during the class.

Thursday 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. June 12 - July 17

Class Fee: $65 ($55 Members) Age 16 - Adult

What better season to enjoy the outdoors, and try your hand at capturing Newaygo County’s beauty with dry pastels, an easy, portable, and enjoyable artform. The first day of class all students will meet at NCCA-Artsplace and then move out! Your enthusiastic instructor will begin each session with a different pastel drawing technique such as layering, using build up of color, how to achieve good composition, and finding the view. This is a great class for the outdoor enthusiast and budding artist. All materials provided. In case of inclement weather class meets at NCCA-Artsplace.

Thursday 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. May 15 - June 5

Class Fee: $40 ($35 Members) Age 9 - 14

Wet and wild is a better description for this class! Young artists will learn all about color, mixing, painting with watermedia, and how to capture details in the paintings they create. Use of watercolor pencils, watercolor cakes, and tube watercolors will all be part of this fun and exciting class for youngsters. All materials provided.

Thursday 4:00 - 4:45 p.m. June 12 - July 17 (Skip July 3)

Class Fee: $25 Ages 3 - 5 with parent

Let them get their hands a little messy! In this class we will paint ceramics, make sculptures with Model Magic, draw with pastels, and paint with watercolors. Each lesson helps to develop confidence, hand eye coordination, offer fun social interaction and of course build lifelong enjoyment of the arts. All materials provided. An adult must accompany child.

Thursday 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. June 12, 19, 26

Class Fee: $40 ($35 Members) Limited to 6 adult students

This is a crash course for digital photography newbies. Learn how to use your digital camera to suit your needs. Find all the controls and learn what the different settings are really used for. Learn to save, email, edit and print your photos at home or send them to a professional photo processor via email or in person. Bring your digital camera, any accessories, and books that came with it.

Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. June 21

Class Fee: $65 ($50 Members) Age 16 - Adult

Work with hot head torches, Moretti glass rods, and a wide variety of techniques to make art glass beads. It’s a fun and fascinating way to spend a day. All equipment and materials are provided for beginning students. If you are experienced, bring your torch and tools, and you’ll learn to work with dichroic noodles to create gorgeous glowing beads.

Thursday 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. May 22, 29, June 19, 26, July 17, 24

Class Fee: $10 per day Adult

This class is for the pure enjoyment of the craft of wood carving. Taught by wood and nature enthusiast Bill Rowell. Enjoy different carving projects from simple knife whittling, to detailed wood burning. Each week will be tailored to individual members needs. Start a project, bring a project, spend time with fellow woodworkers.

Monday 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. May 5, 12, 19

Class Fee: $50 ($45 Members) Age 16 - Adult

Try spraying, pouring, dying, and many other unusual techniques to add to your arsenal of painting skills. All techniques use water media. Bring your standard watercolor supplies (list provided) to class, and be prepared to enjoy yourself!

Summer Youth Classes Are Here! Sign Up Fast....

Classes are held in Fremont at NCCA-Artsplace

and in Newaygo at Loomis Community Center

Newaygo July 21-24 10:00 – 12:00 1st – 6th Grade

Fremont June 16 – 19 10:00 – 12:00 1st – 6th Grade

Fremont July 28 – 31 10:00 – 12:00 1st – 6th Grade

This is a popular offering every Summer, and kids get a wide variety of art lessons in this fun-packed week. Learn about and create a different art form every day! Clay Day, Mosaic Frames, Sun Prints, Pastels in the Park, Silk Painting and Tie Dye will all be part of this exciting art experience!

Fremont June 16 – 19 10:00 – 12:00 7th – 12th Grade

Fremont June16 – 19 1:00 – 3:00 1st – 6th Grade

Fremont July 28 – 31 10:00 – 12:00 7th – 12th Grade

Fremont July 28 – 31 1:00 – 3:00 1st – 6th Grade

Wire sculpting an armature, applying papier mache in fine layers to create lifelike forms, using acrylic paints to apply a realistic "skin" to their sculptures, and adding embellishments to top off their sculpture. During drying phases students will also work with balsa wood to create their own totem style carving using a variety of hand carving tools.

Fremont June 23 - 26 10:00 – 12:00 7th – 12th Grade

Fremont July 21 - 24 10:00 – 12:00 7th – 12th Grade

As a starting point students will learn to build a toy car from a metal kit, this will help them understand the mechanics of attaching parts and where they need to go. After students have learned the basics of building they will now invent and build their own vehicle out of scrap wood, dowels, spools and other materials. Students will paint their creations and add other embellishments. They will also make a bendy toy using aluminum wire and magnets then dip their little people or animals into a rubber coating. Their last day will focus on recycled toys. Using old toy pieces and parts students will make their own creations and collage them together to make new toys.

Fremont July 7-10 10:00 – 12:00 1st - 6th Grade

Fremont July 7-10 1:00 – 3:00 7th – 12th Grade

Students will each design a pattern for the edge of a mosaic mirror, then learn how to break and glue a mosaic pattern using glass and tile. Kids will also make their own stepping stone and learn how to grout their mirrors. Finally students will finish the edge of their mirrors and paint details.

Fremont June 23 – 26 10:00 – 12:00 7th – 12th Grade

Fremont June 23 – 26 1:00 – 3:00 1st – 6th Grade

Fremont July 21 - 24 10:00 – 12:00 7th – 12th Grade

Fremont July 21 - 24 1:00 – 3:00 1st – 6th Grade

Look, Listen and Shoot: Students will begin with a photo presentation to hone their picture taking and composition skills. Students will take pictures with both a digital and 35 mm camera; work in the darkroom, making enlargements and hand coloring their B&W prints. Students will work with the digital images they took as a class learning how to correct or digitally manipulate an image. Each student will distort their own self portrait, create a transparent image using the laser printer then cut mats for them and finish to hang in a window. Finally students will then view a slide show of their class work.

Fremont July 7 – 10 10:00 – 12:00 7th – 12th Grade

Fremont July 7 – 10 1:00 – 3:00 1st – 6th Grade

Fremont July 21 – 24 10:00 – 12:00 1st – 6th Grade

Fremont July 21 – 24 1:00 – 3:00 7th – 12th Grade

Culture & Clay: Students will start off by looking at examples of different clay techniques then start with simple coil and pinch pots. Students will continue to learn slab building techniques and create animals, masks and vessels. Next students will focus on craftsmanship in the finishing and glazing of their work, while reviewing the pit firing process. On the last day students will learn about the origin of pit firing, prepare their creations for the flames, and enjoy watching as they are built into a fire pit and set ablaze. After the firing is through, students will clean and adorn their pieces with natural findings such as jute, beads, raffia, feathers, and leaves. Once finished students will present their creations to the class.

Fremont June 16 – 19 1:00 – 3:00 6th – 12th Grade

Fremont July 28 – 31 1:00 – 3:00 6th – 12th Grade

Students will learn all about roughing the blank, fine tuning and whittling down to the details, sanding, burning, staining and finishing their wooden sculpture projects. Each student will complete at least two projects using carving knives, wood burners, sanding supplies and more. All materials and safety equipment provided.

Newaygo July 21-24 1:00 – 3:00 1st – 6th Grade

Students will learn the difference between hard and soft pastels along with different types of papers used to draw with pastels. Practice using materials, and learning about good composition, and use of vibrant color. Next they will work outside focusing on atmospheric and 1 point perspective. Students will also work outdoors to draw from flora and fauna to study design and composition elements. Heightened color, and layering will be strengthened. Students will finish with critique of each others’ work. Working outdoors on the riverbank near the lodge, kids will incorporate all they have been working on to create a pastel drawing of the riverscape. Finish with class critique of work.

Fremont June 23 - 26 1:00 – 3:00 7th – 12th Grade

Fremont July 7 - 10 1:00 – 3:00 7th – 12th Grade

This is the ultimate class for the future jewelry designer! Students will learn the processes and create masterful pieces using kilns to fuse glass pieces, lapidary equipment to cut, shape and polish stones, sculpt and fire silver art clay, and finish up their pieces with findings and wire wrapping techniques.

* indicates experience necessary.

$10 for 3 hours and 5lbs. of clay. Each additional pound $1. Includes firing and glazing. Pottery studio equipment includes three potter’s wheels, one that is handicap equipped, a clay extruder with hollow and solid dies, a Bailey slab roller with three shims, various slab building tools, throwing tools, an electric kiln, raku kiln, and underglaze, low fire and high fire glazes. The pottery studio also includes a wide variety of bisque ceramics ready to paint. A large selection of underglazes, stamps, stencils, underglaze pencils, brushes, and design ideas are available. Staff is on hand to get you started and firing is on a weekly basis, more often if volume requires. Large groups (over 5) should call ahead to reserve room.

$10 for 3 hours. Use of soldering irons, flux, patina, diamond grinders, cutters, pliers, smoke eater, Morton systems and other glass working tools are included. Students purchase their own glass, tape and solder. There is a limited selection of glass, copper foil and solder available for purchase. You must have experience working in Tiffany foil glass method before use. Check monthly listings for available classes.

$5 for 2 hours, enlarging equipment and chemistry. Students bring their own paper or purchase from NCCA. Darkroom equipment includes five B&W/color 35mm enlargers and one medium format B&W enlarger, contrast filters, film developing tanks, tray processing sink, film drying cabinet, paper cutter, easels, loupe, contact print glass, and hand coloring pens and dyes. All chemistry for Tri-X or T-Max film (no C-41) processing and poly contrast B&W paper processing available. Sepia toner and cyanotype capability upon request. Prior experience necessary, check class listings for current B&W darkroom classes if needed.