Somali American playwright and performance artist, Ifrah Mansour, revisits her childhood memories during the 1991 Somali civil war to confront violent history with humor and provide a voice for the global refugee stories of children. How to Have Fun in a Civil War, is a one-act multimedia play, that explores war from an idyllic viewpoint of a seven-year-old Somali refugee girl. The play weaves puppetry, poetry, videos, and multiple oral stories taken from community interviews to tell a captivating story about resilience while pushing the audience to engage in a healing process that is still raw for survivors of the war. Toured in multiple states, the play has been instrumental in humanizing the invisible strength of global refugees and vulnerable communities on the resilience it takes to start all over in life in a new country and to build kind caring communities.

Ifrah Mansour is a Somali, refugee, Muslim, multimedia artist, and educator residing in Minnesota. Her artwork explores trauma through the eyes of children to uncover the resiliencies of blacks, Muslims, and refugees. She interweaves poetry, puppetry, films, and installations. She's been featured in BBC, Vice, Okayafrica, Star Tribune, and City Pages. Her critically-acclaimed, “How to Have Fun in a Civil War” premiered at Guthrie Theatre and is touring to greater cities in Minnesota. Her first national museum exhibition; “Can I Touch It” premiered at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Her visual poem, “I am a Refugee” is part of PBS’s online Film festival. "My Aqal, banned and blessed" is on view at Queens Museum. Her latest work is a tiny-house-sized Indigenous hut built, a “healing Hut” hosting conversations on healing and community repair within Minnesota.

 Age Recommendations: Best enjoyed by ages 6 and up

Runtime: 50 minutes, w/ post-show discussion

Watercolor Studio combines structured instruction with guided independent work. Each session features a specific theme, such as color or value, beginning with 45 minutes of instruction, exercises, and demonstrations. Students then work on individual projects with instructor guidance. If you don't have a current project, we'll help you develop one. The class concludes with a 10-minute supportive critique. This class is for those who have taken watercolor classes before—preferably a workshop with the instructor or the beginning watercolor class. *No Class: 5/26.

This 12 week course explores the Narrative Arts - The Art of Media. These are the drawing techniques used to create: Comic Books, Video Game Design, Single Panel Gag Cartoons, Comic Strips, Animation, Storyboards for Movies, Graphic Novels and Special Effects for film and television. Learn the illustration skills needed to build your own Characters to populate the Stories you would like to tell - in any Media. This Class is open to students who have already taken Narrative Art foundations with Vance. All you will need is a drawing pad, pencils and erasers - or a Tablet / iPad, if you prefer. Taught by Vance Bessey, a graduate of The Joe Kubert School of Comic Book Illustration and local Illustrator, Cartoonist, Novelist and Art Teacher.

Unleash your creativity in the great outdoors with our "All Media Plein Air: Beginners Workshop," a four-week journey designed for aspiring artists of all skill levels! Whether you're just starting out or looking to explore a new artistic medium, this hands-on workshop offers a supportive environment to develop your skills while immersing yourself in nature. Topics will include, simplification and composition, capturing light, developing methods and techniques for painting outside. Easels and set up’s will be discussed in the first session, Students are encouraged to make due with the easel option they have until they know more about painting outside. This is a four-week class, all media welcome. Each three-hour session takes place at different locations around the Topsham and Brunswick area. First class meets at Merrymeeting. *Rain Dates: 6/3 & 6/10.

*NOTICE OF DATE CHANGE: Session 1 will now start on Thursday 3/20, not 3/13.

Join a fun and flexible open studio session and enjoy a supportive environment to bring your art projects to life! Each week, you'll have the opportunity to work on your own art pieces, and take a little bit of time to explore fun and easy art techniques that are designed to help you break free from creative ruts and try something new. It’s the perfect space to collaborate, experiment, and unleash your artistic potential! *There is a $30 materials fee due to the instructor at the start of class.

Join artist and educator, Chris Toy, to build your own balanced mobile sculpture. He will share the tips and tricks of using natural materials such as wood, shells, wire, and even feathers to build your own take-home kinetic art sculpture. All materials and supplies are included. If you have your own hand pliers, please feel free to bring them!

Learn basic decorating techniques for your pottery! In this one-day workshop, Janna will teach you how to accent your clay surfaces with textures, stamps, slip, underglaze, monoprinting, and more. Some experience working with clay will be helpful but not necessary. Students may bring leather hard pottery to play with, but not expected. All tools and materials will be provided. Bring lunch/snacks. Class size is limited to 6 people, so plenty of one-on-one instruction will be available. $20 materials fee payable to the instructor.

Join us for an evening of painting, where we will focus on the Piping Plover, a highly protected bird species known for nesting near the shoreline here in New England. In this class we will learn to paint the bird’s distinctive black neck band and soft grayish underbelly, set against a soft muted seascape with beach sand. No painting experience needed, Shirley Anderson will guide you step by step. Canvas and paints are supplied.