The Student News Site of Gannon University since 1947

THE GANNON KNIGHT

The Student News Site of Gannon University since 1947

THE GANNON KNIGHT

The Student News Site of Gannon University since 1947

THE GANNON KNIGHT

Fall workshop opens up in museum

The Erie Art Museum is starting its fall art class term with a variety of courses ranging from Absolute Beginner: How to Draw to a Hula Hoop Making Workshop.

If you’re looking to broaden your horizon in terms of the arts, then you may be interested in the classes that the Erie Art Museum offers. Some of these classes include painting, ceramics, textile, photography, jewelry- making and blacksmithing.

Ally Thomas, the education coordinator at the Erie Art Museum, said there are classes for beginner and intermediate skill levels and also classes where people from both skill levels work together. There are more beginners than you would think taking classes, Thomas said.

The Erie Art Museum is offering 20 classes this term, said Thomas, and about six to eight people usually enroll in a class. Classes usually last about six to eight weeks.

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Thomas has taken a Beginning Painting class, and she would also like to take Exploring Animal Forms and Hula Hoop Making Workshop. Thomas said that she would recommend anyone who wants to take a class to take it.

“The classes offered by the museum offer an engaging and comfortable environment,” Thomas said.  “The professors are artists, and they let you work at your own pace, but they also are around to help you with anything you need. There’s not as much pressure as some people would expect.”

Aside from pressure of getting things done, other factors that might sway people away from enrolling in a class include price ($40-$250) and having enough time. Thomas said that doesn’t have to be a concern.

“There are scholarships available for people who want to take a class, but can’t afford it,” Thomas said. “Also, classes are only once a week, so they’re not too time consuming, and the terms go by fast. The instructors are generally flexible if you want to take a class and can’t make it on the assigned day.”

Thomas said the Erie Art Museum’s classes also offer a cultural experience. The Oriental Painting Class is taught by a Korean artist who offers Asian art training and orders materials directly from Korea.

The museum also offers an Indian Embroidery class and a Textile Dying class that exhibits the Indonesian process of textile dying. In the spring, Thomas said, the museum will be offering a Pysanky (Russian orthodox) Egg Dying class.

Rebecah Ford, a biology/pre-med student, said she took art classes in high school and really enjoyed working with clay. Ford said she wishes that Gannon would partner with the Erie Art Museum.

She thinks that if this were to happen, students would have the ability to get credit for whichever class they take, and if students took enough art classes, they could potentially earn a minor.

“It’d be nice for the students,” Ford said.

Ford believes that this class has helped her refine her talents.

If she could take any other classes, she said she would take either a watercolor painting class or some sort of drawing class.

“I would take every single class if I could,” Ford said.

Ford, along with Thomas, also thought that the environment of the class was very free and relaxing.

“I really liked this class,” said Ford, “because the instructor let you make what you want, but he also gave you a lot of guidance.

“I would like to take the class again because I feel that the instructor has so many more things to teach me.”

KHADIJA DJELLOULI

[email protected]

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