Students will engage and express themselves in a wide range of art mediums which consist of paper, paint, plastic, wood, and acrylic glass. This expressionism will be introduced with an abstract concept, portrait realism, three dimensions, and bold colors that is inspired by sacred, scientific, and spiritual methods.

This fun visual art workshop transforms any classroom, home, library, or afterschool setting into a classical art studio with easels and other essential supplies. They are introduced to the medium of watercolor pencils and learn basic color theory which includes an introduction to the color wheel and primary and secondary colors, along with complimentary colors. They will also focus on creating compositions using traditional visions (portraits, landscapes, and still life) as their subject matter. Participants will learn and utilize two techniques (graphite transfer technique and grid technique) to first develop their compositions.

This course is designed to facilitate participants to explore why and how some cultures value handwriting and calligraphy and how they can turn daily writing into calligraphy art. Participants will also discuss the significance of handwriting in this digital age.

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Available for after-school programs & weekends only

Mostly 2D Arts are not changeable, but sand art is! Participants explore different ways of manipulating sand as media to create artwork, then transfer it into another, and so on. participants will demonstrate their creative expression, cultural awareness, aesthetic thinking skills, and critical thinking skills by creating and transferring sand art, understanding, and judging artworks from others. Participants original sand artworks will not be saved as sand art is a temporary medium. Additional supply fee pending size of class. Photo pictures and videos will be saved to document participant work.

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Available for after-school programs & weekends only

This is an art project and community campaign by Sarah Gish whose goal is to inspire everyone around the world to light a fire to their own passions and to create connections among people. This is a project that has changed countless lives as Sarah has worked with therapists, teens in recovery, children of all ages, homeless citizens, senior citizens, the City of Houston, and many more groups. She can create a special workshop or series of art classes inspired by that project for your group that will help people (children or adults) connect to themselves through creativity and new ways of thinking.

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​Virtual Option Available 

Labyrinths are an ancient design that kids or adults will get to explore as a tool for meditation, creativity, and calming down. Artist and certified labyrinth facilitator Sarah Gish will lead participants as they either walk a 20’ x 20’ portable labyrinth or use individual finger labyrinths. If desired and there is time, the kids can then create their own finger labyrinth or other art inspired by labyrinths to take home. This program fulfills TEKS fine arts requirements by using creativity to nurture and develop the whole child and by connecting visual art to everyday life and personal stories. Program length: 1 hour (labyrinth walk only) or 2 hours (labyrinth walk + art-making)

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Virtual Option Available 

Join Paige Hudson on an explorative journey of sensory art. Explore the emotion behind colors and meditative movement of a paint brush. Often times it is easy for us to be overstimulated by everything going on around us. Art can be a way to ground and regroup. By focusing on how chalk feels in our hand, to how a pastel contacts the paper differently than a brush, we are able to connect deeper with our senses to create a more interactive piece of art. This workshop engages participants socially and emotionally, as well as learning how to calm themselves in the moment.

This art program inspires participants to think outside their boxes. In this workshop, participants will have the opportunity and resources to explore new art mediums. The artistic flow is a healing and meditative state that young artists tap into, one where we are able to trust our choices in color, line, and texture.  Participants will explore how to use different mediums intuitively and to free our inner artist! Allowing participants freedom to create is beneficial to growth, decision-making, self-confidence, and self awareness. 

David Maldonado is a Mexican - American visual artist and creative based out of Houston, Tx. His inspiration is drawn from the elements and the storytelling of folk art, street culture, and the Mexican muralist movement. The touchstone of his work is based on his experiences growing up and finding an identity in art where a common place could be shared with others. He has developed a well-recognized style tying together patterns, textiles, graphic and organic elements. Collaborative Mural Making involved participants in the process from design concept to execution. David also leads hands-on personal mural sessions where participants learn more about the art of mural making and create their own individual murals to take home. 

“Harlem was in Vogue” (1919 – 1929) wrote Langston Hughes.  Poets, novelists, dramatists and musicians were joined by painters and sculptors in an outpouring that established Harlem as the International capital of Black Culture.  From that movement, Harlem’s writers gained recognition but the visual artists remain virtually unknown. This can be done with any age group and can be offered as a one class retrospective of the three primary artists or a residency that studies the details of each artist full bodies of work as they were developed and influenced by the Harlem era and the period of history.

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Virtual Option Available

Learn about science and geometry through the eyes of artists from bending wire-like Calder’s mobiles to interpreting shapes from drawings in metal and clay, to creating your school’s own rolling Houston Art Car! This process teaches concepts of spatial relationships, balance, patterning, geometric shapes, and kinetic energy though participants’ own, hands-on artistic experiences.

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Virtual Option Available

Let's bring the art studio to your classroom! Art history explored through hands-on painting or sculpting allows participants to become part of the art making tradition and increases their tactile experience. Art history courses provide a certain amount of historical information about art, but the studio process allows one to become part of the universal tradition that has brought forth these works, as well as teaching many skills.

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Virtual Option Available

Transform your bare walls into interactive, arts activated teaching and learning spaces with artist Vickie McMillan-Hayes. Ms. McMillan-Hayes is a nationally acclaimed artist born in Dallas and raised in Austin. Her breathtaking wildlife, landscape, and nature paintings advance global conservation causes and are inspired by the abstract shapes, textures and color combinations seen in nature. Her work and process are TEKS-aligned, great for STEAM units, and focus on large-scale, community-led mural making, adapted for schools, healthcare facilities, in community centers, and more. Programs are presented as scalable, multi-visit residencies, with fees accessed on a per-project basis, considering size, materials, support, and the artists time on site.

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*Subsidies available, call for details

What if birds could fly, participants in buses could move down the road, and fish could jump out of the water all within your classroom? They can with an interactive mural! Artist Judy Malone-Stein guides participants to create a one-of-a-kind project, tailored to incorporate classroom or community content. Preschool age children can learn shape and color through mosaics, more advanced participants can study the colonization of America through depictions of historical timelines, high school participants can create a lasting mural for their community and school to enjoy. Along with creating the mural, participants learn conflict resolution, develop fine motor skills, and utilize creative writing skills.

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Virtual Option Available

Experience the mind-clearing benefits of connecting with the earth. Artistic creation has allowed people to find expression and communication since beginning of human history. Ancient cultures have used pottery to tell a story. This course will be an opportunity to work with clay as an art medium. Each participant will become familiar with the basic methods of construction and sculptural techniques. Our focus will be to learn the history of clay and learn hand building techniques like pinch, coil and slabs and how to use this medium to create a pot that tells a story. Pottery provides a new rich language to give voice to youth’s inner self through sculptural form allowing them to experiment with the physically touch of clay and discover new avenues of communication to connect with their creative spirit.

Color can shift spaces and awaken feelings.Colors have the power to transform. During this workshop or residency, participants will take some time to discuss color. What do colors awaken in ourselves? What feelings do we experience when we see different tones of color? Using this knowledge of the discussion, participants will use color to express how they feel in the moment, creating an abstract painting on a canvas. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about abstract art, color theory. primary colors, how to create secondary colors, and how to apply learned knowledge in artwork. Each session ends with a group discussion to explore what each participant has learned and how to utilize that tool to understand and cope with our feelings and emotions.

This is a series of integrative art workshops about the art of native people from different cultures and how they used weaving for different purposes in their culture. The intention of this workshop is to create a safe space for participants to learn about the origins of art and to honor the native tribes that lived or traveled through this land before us. Participants will explore the origin of Native American Lakota people and Native tribes from Mexico, the Wixarika people and their cosmovision of the world. Participants will create a weaving piece, Ojo de Dios (origin from Mexico) and Dreamcatchers (which originates from The Lakota Nation from United States).  Participants will have the opportunity to learn native songs in the closing circle where we will reflect and share our experience on what was learned and how knowing the historical context of art can help participants gain a deeper understanding of the world around a us.

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This unique program combines visual arts and horticulture to create a living mural for the selected schools and their community. The program is designed to utilize the arts to provide the participants the inspiration, interest, and opportunity to connect to nature through gardening. Supply fees are an additional cost. Projects include a planning session with the artist to determine size, scope, materials, and customize project to fit your campus needs. Your entire campus can be involved in this project through separate classes and learn how to create environmental art.

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Using the work of famed African American artist Dr. John Biggers as inspiration, participants examine two-dimensional pattern as a compositional structure and as an end in itself. Resist techniques will be utilized in water media-based works. Residencies develop collaborative, larger-scale projects.

Join artist Diana Sanchez and explore social emotional learning concepts through art. Participants experience various art forms from origami to paper collage projects with a literacy focus. Through direct, hands-on participation, participants express emotions through self-created projects with the guidance of an art therapist. Classroom projects are customizable and grade level focus may vary. Bilingual option available for virtual or in-person instruction. 

Go back in time to the fateful year 79 A.D., when massive volcanic eruptions from Mount Vesuvius covered Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Excavations by archaeologists have revealed remarkable art, artifacts, and human remains. Through this program, art activities including fresco painting, mosaic, and architectural design/ rendering help participants understand and appreciate this ancient civilization. As Pompeii and Herculaneum were originally settled and greatly influenced by the Greeks and people of the Mediterranean area, Greek and Roman history, mythology and culture are tied in to this series of lessons.

Liz Conces Spencer has been working in broadcast production for over 15 years. Typical residencies or workshops on this topic help participants recognize and apply different types of ads (print, radio, TV) to a topical subject of their choice in a branded campaign. Additionally, participants are taught to evaluate the information given to them in various forms of advertising, so they will emerge with the knowledge to make informed decisions as consumers and be able to create effective advertisements.

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Journey with Soulliaa Rae as she uses visual arts like photography, handmade craftings, personal styling and film to support student’s mental wellness and resiliency. This Socially & Emotionally (SE) focused artistic workshop and residency gives participants and opportunity to explore their internal needs through the world of visual arts. These sessions are designed to promote SE development, critical thinking and analysis skills, advancement towards self-actualization and support the reduction of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).

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Welcome to the wonderful and exciting world of screen printing. Danny Russo introduces participants to a versatile printing process utilized by visual artists worldwide. The printing technique allows participants to quickly and easily make multiple images of original art. Countless ink and paper color choices are possible; participants will be amazed by how quickly and easily they learn to make stunning prints. This workshop can also reveal to participants how math, science, and history are an integral part of the screen printing process – which is actually centuries old! Participants can also print T-Shirt designs with school logos, mascots, or anything else!

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Virtual Option Available

Learn to sketch using gesture drawing and ink wash, a technique employed by artists from Leonardo da Vinci’s time to ours. Discover how to apply both light and shadow to give drawings depth, form, and movement. This basic exercise is one of the foundations for all two-dimensional work.

Plein air sketching is an age-old exercise in capturing the world around us. Using wet and dry media, young artists will participate in learning to depict natural and man-made elements of our environment, creating a visual diary of day-to-day life. 

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