Online registration is unavailable for the Acadian Arts Retreats. To register, please contact our office at 207-729-7323. Thank you!

Your instructor, Mary Laury is an accomplished watercolorist and highly esteemed teacher. She encourages all her students to believe they can be successful. Painting is an exciting medium; it flows and moves and does beautiful things. If you have never painted in watercolors, we will start at the beginning. If you have painted before, you will pick up some new tips and tricks as well. We all learn together! *More about the retreat location: Step back to a time when President Franklin Roosevelt, Eleanor, and their family escaped to their “beautiful little island” in the Canadian Maritimes, Campobello Island. We will be exclusive guests of the international park, staying in historic Victorian cottages. Workshop participants will explore and paint the same coastal scenery enjoyed by the summer residents at the turn of the 20th century. All meals are included in the workshop fee as well as specially planned optional evening activities designed to extend your learning from the day’s workshops. Register for the retreat then call Sherry Mitchell at 506-752-2922 to make room reservations. Acadian Arts Retreats participants will have exclusive overnight access to accommodations in the park. **Lodgings not included in price.

Sketching outdoors is one of the best things artists can do for themselves. This year, plein air sketching will be more about the act of sketching than the medium. Use whatever sketching media you prefer. Anything from pencil, to watercolor and ink, Conté crayons and pencils, colored pencils, ink or watercolor alone, watercolor and gouache, or watercolor pencils or sticks. Choose a hardbound sketch book, watercolor or mixed media journal, a collection of brushes (including water brushes) and pencils, erasers, and a watercolor field kit. You will want to wear old clothes, a hat, carry sunscreen and insect repellent; bring lunch and hydration. Recreational seating optional. Ed will email you prior to each class with a location where each class will meet. *No Class: 7/4. **Special note about art materials: Please do not call our office about materials. Come to the first class with your favorite sketchbook and drawing pencils & pens. Suggested materials will be discussed by the instructor on the first day of classes. Thank you.

Explore the fundamentals of pottery in this beginner class! Dive into the basics of building with clay and glazing under the guidance of Janna, a professional potter and ceramics teacher of 10+ years. There will be an opportunity to explore wheel throwing, but the focus of this class will be handbuilding. No prior experience is necessary – just bring your enthusiasm and willingness to get your hands dirty! Class size is limited to 6 people, so plenty of one-on-one instruction will be available. $65 materials fee payable to the instructor.

This is a whimsical class blending tumbled glass and pottery. We will have lots of glass and pottery to choose from, so come join us for a fun night out and create a keepsake and simply indulge in this therapeutic artistic process. Materials provided.

Are you comfortable with your clay abilities and just looking for a place to work and improve your skills? Join us in the Morse High School Ceramics Studio and start making all those things you have been dreaming up! This is not an instructor lead class, but the instructor will be on site working in case you need something. $65 for materials and studio fee, payable to instructor, must be paid on the first night of class. *Purchasing additional clay: The fee is an additional $65 to cover the firing, glazes and other consumables used during class. Please note: If you miss a class, you cannot make-up the class at another time. The ceramics schedule is very tight and these classes are usually full. Thank you for your understanding! *No Class: 3/27.

This fun 4-week workshop is designed to take the stress out of card-making and show you a fun and creative way to incorporate traditional cardmaking techniques with easy-to-use digital tools. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced crafter, you'll learn how to blend handmade elements with digital designs to create personalized, professional-looking cards. Each week you will create several creative cards. *There is a $25 materials fee due to the instructor at the start of class.

Bring a sketchbook and pencil and join us for an afternoon of drawing in one of Maine's fabulous art museums. Forge an intimate connection with museum collections, while improving your own work by studying the techniques of the masters. Guidance and critical feedback are provided as needed. At the end of our visit, we will meet up to share our results with the group. Museum admission is included in fee. Location: Colby College Museum of Art in Waterville. Participants will meet at the museum.

Humans have been weaving baskets for hundreds of thousands of years. Many plant materials may be used to weave with: vines, leaves, bark, wood, and more. Basket weaving requires various skills, all involving twisting and pulling and wrapping the materials around each other. Weaving a small project, like a fish (pictured), or a heart or five-pointed star, along with other shapes, can provide a comprehensive, beginner-friendly introduction to most of the skills required for full-scale basketry. Learn to make a beautiful woven window feeder for birds! We'll cover identification, responsible collection, materials processing and storage, and creation, including the basics of stake-and-strand waling and randing weaves.