arts education

Article by Rebecca Cook

This spring The Umbrella is offering a slate of six woodworking workshops that emphasize creativity and provide an opportunity to develop skills for participants of all levels of experience. Class sizes are small – between three to six students maximum – allowing plenty of time for individual instruction and observation.

Kat O’Connor is a full-time artist working in watercolor, acrylic, oil, and drawing media, and a popular art instructor at The Umbrella and elsewhere. Her work has been included in numerous exhibitions nationwide, and is currently featured in a solo show, Twice the Speed of Bliss, on view in The Umbrella's Allie Kussin Gallery January 13 - March 23, 2025.

Article and Photographs by Rebecca Cook  

Imagine a life where the freedom and pleasure you may have felt in art-making as a child stays with you through adulthood. A life where the act of self-expression in putting ink or paint to paper is as familiar as tying your shoes.

Last week, we were able to sit down with Beckett and Myles, two teens helping out with Summer Arts Under The Umbrella 2024. Beckett is a part of our Summer Classroom Volunteer program, in which high school aged students volunteer their time for community service hours. Myles is from our teen program, where teens aged 13 to 14 spend part of their camp day gaining leadership experience and the other part of the day taking art classes. 

Can you tell us a little bit about yourselves?

It's officially summer at The Umbrella and we're excited to introduce the newest additions to our team!

Meet Riley Borst, Sola Stacey, and Rianne Wyckstrom.

Thank you to everyone who attended this weekend's Make/See/Know/Believe ceramics workshop with with Mark Shapiro and Sam Taylor! Over the course of two days, Mark and Sam shared their years of experience in making and decorating ceramics through interactive discussions and demonstrations. Attendees had the opportunity to learn techniques and skills from the two artists in a hands-on session in The Umbrella Ceramic Studio facilities.

A huge thank you also to David Rosen, one of The Umbrella's amazing volunteer photographers, who was on hand to document the event.

Join us for a two-day workshop with Sam Taylor and Mark Shapiro. We are proud to host these two potters for a weekend of demonstrations, lectures, and making, exploring the intersections and diversions of their process in this collaborative event.

Saturday, February 12, 10am-4pm
A Conversation Through Making
Artist lectures and demonstrations

Sunday, February 13, 10am-4pm
The Conversation Expands
Hands-on workshop, interactive studio day

Our Classroom Volunteers are middle and high school aged young adults ages 15-17 who volunteer as a part of our Umbrella February Vacation Week Program. In this role volunteers develop a sense of responsibility through observation, participation, planning and implementation.  Classroom Volunteers have the opportunity to be a great help to the Lead Teachers, Assistant Teachers and the Students. 

For those who prefer to continue classes from home, look no further than The Umbrella's virtual painting classes with popular painting teacher Kat O'Connor! These classes are for intermediate to advanced painting students in watercolor painting and oil and acrylic painting.