All-ages summer art classes to begin

Sitting at his desk with a cup of coffee, Education Director Roger Meridith answered a phone call from a parent wishing to enroll her 6-year-old son Dillon in summer art classes at theJohn Waldron Arts Center. It’s not odd for Meridith to be hearing “Summer camp, line three” from his co-workers all day long.\nEach summer the John Waldron Arts Center offers a variety of programs that cater to the artistic abilities of children and adults. The arts center, in association with the Bloomington Area Arts Council, provides the community and five counties in the surrounding Bloomington area with opportunities to take classes.\n“We have new class offerings every summer,” Meridith said. “And some from surrounding areas such as Spencer and even Columbus come to join us for the summer session.”\nThe council provides classes in Brown, Brown, Lawrence, Monroe and Owen counties in order to promote the “rich cultural resources of our area,” said Ed Vande Sande, the director for development and marketing at the BAAC. \n“Although there is a more limited selection of class offerings in the surrounding areas, (the center employees) do outreach classes at the more rural surrounding areas,” he said.\nThe local arts center teaches students ranging from ages 4 to 72, and the sessions will run from June 4 to August 12, Meridith said. Each year holds new opportunities for students, with offered classes ranging from visual to literary to performing arts.\nThis summer’s new classes at the arts center include: “Naked Clay: Investigations in Slip Resist Raku and Saggar Firings,” taught by new instructor Allison May; “Capture, Create and Reinvent,” a jewelry-making class taught by Jade Council; “Improv Comedy Theater Lessons,” taught by Adam Nahas and Corey Jefferson and “Luring in the Big One! Making Fishing Lures,” taught by Roger Kugler, according to the course catalog.\nInstructor Roger Kugler will be teaching people ages 12 and older how to manually manipulate wire, beads and wood into spinner baits for a new twist on a wood-working class, Kugler said.\nAs usual, classes are also being offered in poetry, ceramics, painting, jewelry, dance and photography.\n“The mainstay, adult-wise, would be the ceramics department along with classes in drawing and painting,” Meridith said. \nSummer classes at the arts center range from $60 to $400 but are offered at a 10 percent discount price for those who become members of the arts council upon purchase. In addition, those interested can receive $5 off enrollment charges if they register Monday of the week before the first class starts, according to the course catalog.\nMeridith encourages college students to apply for need-based scholarships that will pay 40 percent of the tuition costs and fees. \nAlthough a small percentage of IU students do partake in the class offerings at the arts center, Meridith would like to see more IU students involved in arts for the community, whether it be through learning at the arts center or even teaching. \nThe reason the arts center is able to recruit more than 1,700 students annually, Meridith said, is because of its strong support from the arts council.\n“The BAAC was founded in 1974 by a group of concerned citizens who were and are dedicated to promoting the rich cultural resources of our area and to supporting the development and growth of the arts,” Vande Sande said.\nThe arts center offers more than 350 classes a year in four main sessions in fall, winter, spring and summer, according to the course catalog.\n“Currently, the arts represent approximately $45 million a year in our local economy,” Vande Sande said. “Our mission is to elevate this and to help community partners realize the goal of branding Bloomington as a cultural tourism destination, similar to Santa Fe and Aspen.”\nWith summer classes set to begin in less than a week, the arts center has already set dates for its fall session.\nThe fall course catalog will be available Monday, August 6. The session will begin September 10 and run until December 9.\n“I am always hoping that the program will continue to run strong and improve while staying current,” Meridith said.\nOne area Vande Sande wants to focus on is keeping the digital photography lab up-to-date, which will advance the center’s offering of photography involving darkroom techniques. \nFor information on how to register for classes or how to apply for scholarships, e-mail Meridith at meridith@artlives.org.