Flowering: Art History & Arrangement

with Maddie Reyna

June 7, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Tuition: $100

Materials Fee: $30

Create a living sculpture with florals while considering foundational historical floral styles including Dutch Baroque, Ikebana, and contemporary movements. Participants will experiment with vessel armature techniques such as wire mesh, pin frog, and tape grid. Local flowers from White Barn Flower Farm in Holland, Michigan, will be provided to each participant, and after demonstration, arranging, and group discussion, they will take their ephemeral arrangement home. For a full-day making experience, during which you will make a painting of your floral arrangement, sign up for the second part of this workshop, Still Life Painting led by James Brandess!

Plan to bring: A vessel, garden shears, garden gloves, a box to transport your arrangement.

Maddie Reyna is an American painter who began arranging flowers as a way to have live subjects for her work. That practice has come to stand alone as she applies considerations of color, form, and composition to three-dimensional organic matter. She has a Masters in Painting and Drawing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, studied at The Flower School of New York, designs flower arrangements for brides and other party throwers in Chicago, and is the Academic Program Director for Ox-Bow School of Art.

Here’s What Matters: Starting a Memoir

with Jack Ridl

June 7, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Tuition: $200

Materials Fee: N/A

Participants will spend the day exploring, through their preferred form of writing, the things that have profoundly impacted their own lives—whether they are funny, traumatic, serious, sorrowful, or joyous– and turn these stories into the beginnings of a memoir. Using Jack’s suggestions, writers will first talk with one another about what subject they have chosen then, they will have time to explore that choice in writing, after which the group will engage in a delightful debriefing about what showed up as they wrote, culminating in a deeply memorable day.

Plan to bring: Writing utensils and paper or notebook and memorable tokens from your life that may inspire writing.

Jack Ridl, Poet Laureate of Douglas, Michigan, is the author of All At Once (CavanKerry Press), Saint Peter and the Goldfinch (Wayne State University Press), and several other books. His Practicing to Walk Like a Heron was co-recipient of the National Gold Medal for Best Collection of Poetry by ForeWord Reviews. His collection Broken Symmetry was co-recipient of The Society of Midland Authors best book of poetry award for 2006. Then Poet Laureate Billy Collins selected his Against Elegies for The Center for Book Arts Chapbook Award. Individual poems have been published in The Georgia Review, Poetry, Colorado Review, Rattle, North American Review, Prairie Schooner, Field, Poetry East, and elsewhere. The students at Hope College named him both their Outstanding Professor and their Favorite Professor, and in 1996 The Carnegie Foundation named him Michigan Professor of the Year. More than 85 of Jack’s students have earned their MFA degree and over 100 are published. Every Thursday Jack hosts and posts on YouTube “The Sentimentalist.” Poetry and Song: A Concert with Carrie Newcomer and Jack Ridl is also available on YouTube. For further information about Jack, his website is www.ridl.com.

Floral Still Life Painting

with James Brandess

June 7, 3:00–6:00 p.m.

Tuition: $100

Materials Fee: N/A

Learn to paint a floral still life in oils from a local master. Turn your focus to painting from observation, using a demo floral arrangement made that morning as the subject. Luxuriate in the colorful playness and compositional inspiration that only flowers can provide. Students will be required to bring their own materials. For a full-day making experience, during which you will make your own floral arrangement, sign up for the first part of this workshop, Flowering: History and Arrangement led by Maddie Reyna.

Plan to bring: Gessoed canvases, flat bristle brushes, oil paints, 1 pint of odorless paint thinner, drawing supplies (vine charcoal, pencil, white eraser, sketchbook), 3 empty tin cans, empty glass jar with lid, blue shop towels, 18 x 24 inch plexi glass palette, vinyl gloves, sunscreen, bug spray.

James Brandess, (he/him), is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He teaches landscape and still-life painting workshops at Ox-Bow. His painting travels have taken him to Vermont, Hawaii, Colorado, and Texas. He maintains his studio and gallery in downtown Saugatuck in the historic Old Post Office Building.

Watercolor Painting for Families

with Kim Meyers Baas & Baxter Baas

June 14, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Tuition: $125 per family (up to 4, an additional $20 per student for 5 or more)

Materials Fee: $10 per family

Ox-Bow’s campus provides hundreds of beautiful views for painting the landscape. Families will explore views of the lagoon, meadow, and woods while painting en plein air with watercolor. Experiment with techniques such as washes, color mixing, mark making, and creating textures inspired by the natural environment.

Plan to bring: All paint and surfaces will be provided but students are encouraged to bring pencils, sketchbooks, and an apron.

Kim Meyers Baas (she/her), is an arts educator with a rich history of fostering youth artists and community workers in Michigan, Chicago, and along the Mexican/Texas border since 1992. She has served as an artist educator with Ox-Bow School of Art & Artists’ Residency, Calvin University, Kendall College of Art & Design, Chicago Public Schools, Valley AIDS Council, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and ART21. Currently, Kim is the Fine Arts Director for Kentwood Public Schools. Her teaching practice delves into family identity, migration, culturally responsive practices, and the intersection of art + technology in marginalized communities. Kim holds a BA from Loyola University Chicago and an MAAE from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Baxter Baas (he/him), born in Chicago raised in West Michigan. Currently an undergrad student at the University of Michigan in the Stamps College studying Art and Design. He has been a part of Ox-Bow since his mother brought him as a little kid. Now he is still engaged in the Ox-Bow community through working on the culinary team.

Sketching in Steel

with Nick Fagan

June 14, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Tuition: $200

Materials Fee: $30

Learn the basics of welding, bending, and cutting metal in Ox-Bow’s metals studio. We will translate a simple drawing of your own design into steel. Technical demonstrations will include hot and cold bending, modular construction, welding, and surface- finishing strategies. You will quickly gain the know-how to safely use equipment in the Metals Studio! This course is suitable for all levels of experience. Leave with a great sculpture and heightened confidence after one day in the shop. 

Plan to bring: Wear cotton long sleeves and pants, closed toed shoes or boots, and tie back long hair. Safety gear, steel, and other metals will be provided.

Nick Fagan is a multimedia artist based in Cape Cod. He is the Manager of the Metals Studio at Ox-Bow School of Art. His studios have been based in Virginia and Michigan for the past four years. He has exhibited work in a number of galleries and shows across the United States, most recently the Egg Collective in New York, Massey Klein Gallery in New York, Tops Gallery in Memphis, Tennessee, as well as the Seattle Art Fair with FFT, and Future Art Fair with ADA Gallery. He has been awarded fellowships and residencies from the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, the MASS MoCA Studio Program and the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown. His work has been featured or reviewed in a number of publications, including Burnaway, NPR, Divergents Magazine, New American Paintings, and The Rib. Awards include a Kennedy VSA Artists with Disabilities Award, and Foundation of Contemporary Art Grant. He received his MFA in sculpture from Ohio State University in 2017.

Turkish Marbling on Paper & Cloth

with Martha Alexander

June 14, 3:00–6:00 p.m.

Tuition: $100

Materials Fee: $20

Turkish marbling, also known as Ebru (cloud painting) is a traditional Turkish art form that involves creating colorful patterns on water then transferring them to paper and cloth. The workshop introduces the craft; familiarizes the student with the necessary chemistry, specialized tools, paper and paint, and includes basic hands-on marbling. Demonstrations in this workshop will focus on Turkish marbling techniques (floating paint on thickened water) to create a variety of beautiful patterns that can be transferred to a variety of surfaces, such as paper, cloth, wood and clay. The workshop will start with a brief history of marbling, a demonstration of tools, materials and techniques and plenty of time for students to create and experiment with making their own beautiful marbled papers and cloths. 

Plan to bring: Plenty of treated paper and cloth will be provided, but you are welcome to bring a few of your own quality papers that can be treated and used later. Students should bring an apron and a cake pan or tray, 9.5 x 13.5 inches not exceeding 12 x 18 inches, for their individual workstation.

Martha Alexander is a retired art educator from Grand Haven who taught K-12 art for 30 years. She taught in Lawton, North Muskegon and for 26 years in the Grand Haven Area Public Schools. In 2013, she was the first art teacher in Grand Haven to ever receive the school district's Excellence in Service Award. She earned her BFA from Western Michigan University and has taken graduate level art courses at Western Michigan University and Central Michigan University. Her areas of interest include watercolors, acrylic, marbling, book-making, ceramics, and pencil drawing. Her artwork has been displayed and sold at multiple venues in Grand Haven. 

New Beginnings in Writing

with Jack Ridl

June 21, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Tuition: $200

Materials Fee: N/A

Jack believes that making art and writing brings about realizations and valuable experiences that can happen no other way. With decades of experience in “de-threatening” the art-making process this workshop offers that for participants. He hopes that you will leave at home any notions of departing Ox-Bow with something completed; instead, he will encourage you to start many things—written pieces, creative notions, seeds of ideas. He strives to create an instant community where conversation throughout the day is stimulating, a joy, and worthwhile.

Plan to bring: Writing utensils and paper or notebook and memorable tokens from your life that may inspire writing and collaboration.

Jack Ridl, Poet Laureate of Douglas, Michigan, is the author of All At Once (CavanKerry Press), Saint Peter and the Goldfinch (Wayne State University Press), and several other books. His Practicing to Walk Like a Heron was co-recipient of the National Gold Medal for Best Collection of Poetry by ForeWord Reviews. His collection Broken Symmetry was co-recipient of The Society of Midland Authors best book of poetry award for 2006. Then Poet Laureate Billy Collins selected his Against Elegies for The Center for Book Arts Chapbook Award. Individual poems have been published in The Georgia Review, Poetry, Colorado Review, Rattle, North American Review, Prairie Schooner, Field, Poetry East, and elsewhere. The students at Hope College named him both their Outstanding Professor and their Favorite Professor, and in 1996 The Carnegie Foundation named him Michigan Professor of the Year. More than 85 of Jack’s students have earned their MFA degree and over 100 are published. Every Thursday Jack hosts and posts on YouTube “The Sentimentalist.” Poetry and Song: A Concert with Carrie Newcomer and Jack Ridl is also available on YouTube. For further information about Jack, his website is www.ridl.com.

Landscape Painting

with James Brandess

June 21, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. or July 26, 10:00 a.m.–1;00p.m.

Tuition: $100

Materials Fee: N/A

In these multi-level oil painting workshops, students will paint outdoors in the historic Ox-Bow landscape in the painting medium of their choice. Instruction will focus on recognizing and then painting what we actually see. Through this process of learning to see, we will create paintings that have veracity and strength. The workshop will include discussion of the tools and materials needed to set-up and paint in any landscape you choose. Sign up for one or both of these three-hour morning painting workshops on the meadow alongside the lagoon. 

Plan to bring: Small gessoed canvases, flat bristle brushes, oil paints, 1 pint of odorless paint thinner, travel easel, drawing supplies (vine charcoal, pencil, white eraser, sketchbook), at least 3 empty tin cans, empty glass jar with lid, blue shop towels, 18 x 24 inch plexi glass palette, vinyl gloves, sunscreen, bug spray, hat with a visor.

James Brandess, (he/him), is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He teaches landscape and still-life painting workshops at Ox-Bow. His painting travels have taken him to Vermont, Hawaii, Colorado, and Texas. He maintains his studio and gallery in downtown Saugatuck in the historic Old Post Office Building.

Wild Grapevine Baskets

with Laurie Zientek

June 28, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Tuition: $100

Materials Fee: $20

Using freshly gathered wild grapevines and a variety of hand dyed reed and seagrass, students will learn how to form hoops and make the framework of a ribbed style basket. All materials and tools will be available for this class. Students can expect to complete one medium sized basket in class.

Plan to bring: An old towel and an apron to protect your clothing.

Laurie Zientek has been weaving baskets and teaching basket weaving for 40 years. Zientek exhibits baskets at juried art fairs throughout Michigan. Zientek loves gathering wild grapevine and making up the framework for the ribbed style baskets. No two are ever alike.

Nature Abstracted in Oil on Canvas

with Maggie Bandstra

June 28, 3:00–6:00 p.m.

Tuition: $100

Materials Fee: N/A

Working in oils outside, students will use shapes found in nature as a jumping-off point for a color study. Drawing, color mixing, and painting demonstrations will be conducted throughout the workshop. The workshop will include introductions, a demonstration of finding inspiration in the landscape at Ox-Bow, a discussion/demonstration of color mixing, and time to complete your painting in the studio.

Plan to bring: 1-2 canvas substrates (16 x 20 inch or larger), a variety of oil paint colors and Gamsol, a variety of brush sizes, at least one smaller brush for drawing shapes, and a palette to mix paints on.

Maggie Clifford-Bandstra (she/her) Manager of Ox-Bow House at Ox-Bow School of Art and Artist Residencies. She maintains an active studio practice and was an Adjunct Professor at Hope College from 2022 to 2023. Bandstra earned her M.F.A. in Painting from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2021. From 1997-2020, Bandstra taught pre-K through 6th grade art classes. In 2014, she began curating pop-up art shows, which led to the establishment of the Lakeshore Visual Arts Collective. She is currently the president of this non-profit and serves as secretary on the executive board of the Douglas DDA.
Maggie's paintings are nature abstracted, using exaggerated scales, movement, and patterns to explore the themes of nature, healing, and human connection. Her passion is not just about creating art but also about sharing her love of art, living a creative life with others, and inspiring them to do the same.

MIG Welding for Artists

with Mark Schentzel

June 28, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Tuition: $200

Materials Fee: $20

Learn the basics of MIG welding in Ox-Bow's metals studio to use in creative projects including sculptural and wall based work of small or large scale. We will start with a safety and metals shop orientation and review MIG welding equipment and other tools and materials necessary for processing weldments. No previous experience in welding or metal working is needed. Demonstrations will emphasize making structurally sound welds and understanding different weldment positions and joints. This course is designed to provide you with a valuable new skillset to take to the studio or job force.

Plan to bring: Wear cotton long sleeves and pants, closed toed shoes or boots, and tie back long hair. Safety gear will be provided.

Mark Schentzel (he/ him) holds a BFA in Sculpture and Functional Art from Kendall College of Art and Design. He received the program’s Sculpture Excellence Award. Mark appreciates the craft school experience and has attended workshops at Ox Bow School for the Arts, Penland School of Craft, and Peters Valley Craft Education Center. He has over 25 years of welding and custom metal fabrication experience and is co-founder of EA-Craftworks in Grand Rapids, Michigan; a custom metal shop providing unique metal works in Michigan and surrounding areas. Mark has taught welding workshops for the past 10 years and is currently diversifying to explore additional instructional opportunities in the areas of sculpture, welding, and metal fabrication. Mark's large-scale public sculptures in Michigan and the Midwest carry notions of surrealism through process, material identity, sustainability considerations, and infrastructure issues.

Nature Writing and Somatic Practices

with Shanley Poole

July 5, 3:00–6:00 p.m.

Tuition: $100

Materials Fee: N/A

Students will learn to create nature-inspired poems by tuning into their bodies and the natural world under the instruction of poet and certified master naturalist, Shanley Poole. Techniques demonstrated will include poem scaffolding, "stealing like an artist," and somatic journaling. The class will flow through guided meditations, writing exercises, and opportunities for participants to share work if desired. We’ll take inspiration from writers such as Ada Limón, George Ella Lyon, Mary Oliver, and Annie Woodford. 

Plan to bring: Weather-appropriate clothing and writing materials.

Shanley Poole, born and raised in West Michigan, is an MFA candidate at UNC-Greensboro. She has taught both writing and nature-based workshops along Lake Michigan’s shorelines. Her work can be found in Burnaway, the Underground Journal, and the Mangrove Journal. She was a 2017 fellow at the Beargrass Writing Retreat, a 2024 writer-in-residence at Azule Residency, and is the current Engagement Liaison & Storyteller at Ox-Bow School of Art & Artists’ Residency.

Japanese Woodblock Printing

with Charles Woodruff Coates

July 5, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Tuition: $100

Materials Fee: $20

In this workshop you will learn the essentials of Japanese Woodblock printing and design and carve a 4 x 6 inch woodblock to make original 6-9 prints using Sumi ink and Japanese Paper. Demonstrations on successful image design, safe carving techniques, and printing on a variety of papers will be presented. Woodblock printing is non-toxic and requires no special equipment, so you can continue using this process in your home. Perfect for beginners, experienced printmakers, and anyone looking to delve into the world of Japanese Woodblock printing.

Plan to bring: All materials are provided but students are encouraged to bring a sketchbook and basic drawing materials.

Charles Coates (he/him) is a printmaking artist and educator who specializes in relief printing. As the founder of Block Paper Print, he teaches both in-person and online courses that make printmaking accessible to all skill levels. His large-format woodcut prints depict gothic cathedrals and relate them to contemporary notions of the self as works-in-process; they are featured in collections across Boston, Tokyo, and Palo Alto. Charles holds an MFA and Gallup StrengthsCoaching certification. He currently teaches at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts and conducts workshops for individuals and teams.

Glass Paperweights and Terrariums

with Rachel Brace

July 5, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Tuition: $200

Materials Fee: $30

During this one day class, you'll learn how to navigate the hot shop and manipulate hot molten glass. The morning will focus on creating a glass paperweight, using different traditional techniques, and exploring color applications. In the afternoon we will build on our new skills and glass adventures by learning to blow bubbles in glass to create terrariums. We will finish out our terrariums with found materials such as driftwood. 

Plan to bring: a piece of driftwood and/or other organic materials for your terrarium, close toed shoes, natural material clothes.

Sashiko Embroidery with Mary Baggerman

July 12, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Tuition: $100

Materials Fee: $10

Sashiko is a type of hand stitching that originated in Japan. Used for mending and embellishment, it has a rich history of tradition and design. Today many people are discovering it as part of the visible mending movement. Come and learn the basics of stitching, pattern transfer, tools and techniques. We will be making several small pieces suitable to be made into coasters, pin cushions or used as a patch on clothing.

Plan to bring: While all materials are provided, sketchbooks and bits of fabric or thread from home are welcome.

Mary Baggerman has lived in West Michigan all of her adult life. She loves living in this beautiful Great Lakes region, drawing inspiration from the natural world around her. She exhibits and teaches in Kalamazoo, Michigan, focusing primarily on fiber arts which includes embroidery and quilting. She is currently in the faculty of the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts where she teaches creative embroidery.

Papermaking Play for Families

with Rowan Leek

July 12, 3:00–6:00 p.m.

Tuition: $125 per family (up to 4, an additional $20 per student for 5 or more)

Materials fee: $20 per family

Join us for papermaking fun for the whole family. Learn to make your very own gorgeous paper, using different types of fiber, and leave with multiple sheets that can be air dried at home. We will explore various materials for papermaking including recycled paper, cotton, rag, and natural fibers. Family members will also paint together with brightly colored pulps to collaboratively form expressive and lively sheets of paper. After your paper is dry you can use it to craft, draw on it, or simply admire it as an artwork in its own right.

Plan to bring: A notebook or sketchbook, waterproof shoes like rainboots, and any botanical or collage materials you want to play with.

Rowan Leek is a paper and fiber artist originally from Memphis, Tennessee. He graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 2020 with a BFA in Sculpture + Expanded Media. While in college, he interned at the Morgan Conservatory for two summers and learned paper and printmaking. He went on to receive a studio management internship at Penland School of Art’s Books + Paper Studios and returned the following winter as a studio assistant. Leek is currently residing in West Michigan and working as Campus Manager at Ox-Bow. Leek’s work has been shown at The Reinberger, the Betsy Gallery, Bostwick Design Initiative, and as part of the Queer Hanky Exhibition at Women’s Studio Workshop, Zygote, and The Future.

Natural Ink Making

with Elizabeth Schmuhl

July 12, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Tuition: $200

Materials Fee: $10

Create original paintings, book marks, and cards with freshly foraged, handmade inks—and gain some inspiration for future inky experiments! We'll begin the day outside foraging for plants and other natural materials. You are also encouraged to bring plants or other materials from home; anything can be used to create ink! Next, we will learn the ink-making process using your new found materials. Wrap up the day by experimenting with your fresh inks on different substrates.

Plan to bring: Ink making materials are provided but students should bring a notebook and anything natural from their home/garden they'd like to try to make ink with. It is recommended that students dress for the weather and foraging including wearing tall socks, long sleeves, and a hat.

Elizabeth Schmuhl is a multidisciplinary artist who creates work that explores nature, movement, and memory. Schmuhl deeply investigates the natural world, its cycles, and entropy, all of which inform her work. Schmuhl is a multidisciplinary artist and the author of Premonitions (Wayne State University Press). Her book of paintings created with natural ink from her centennial fruit farm in Benton Harbor, The Four Seasons, is out from Greying Ghost Press. Fishes of the Great Lakes, a book containing paintings with natural inks made entirely from the Great Lake watershed and materials that surround it, is her newest art book. She has shared her work globally and holds an MFA and a BA (University of Michigan). Schmuhl has taught at University of Michigan, Wayne State University, and elsewhere.

The Felted Bowl

with Kelly D. Brandt 

July 26, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Tuition: $200

Materials Fee: $30

Use traditional wet felting techniques to transform loose fibers into a durable fabric. You will learn how to size the internal resist to achieve the size bowl you wish. In this class you will build two bowls, one small and one larger. We will integrate fabric and yarns to make your piece unique!

Plan to bring:  Two or three old towels for soaking up soapy water, a large cellulose sponge, water to drink. Optional: dishwashing gloves if you do not like having your hands in soapy water; any fibers or yarns of your own that you might want to incorporate in your project.

Kelly Dubois Brandt (she/her) started on her wool craft odyssey in 1975 with four heritage horned Dorset sheep who came to her five acre homestead in Lake Odessa "just to keep the pasture down." As an accomplished seamstress, she first used her wool harvest in wool-filled comforters, but soon taught herself to locker hook, spin, and felt. She first got involved in FiberFest in Hastings, Michigan in the early 1980s and has been teaching since 1985 in Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. She is a published author and has won artistic awards for her work using wool and llama fiber from her flocks. Through her fiber based cottage business, Team Effort Artisans, Kelly has shown and sold fine wool craft at shows, galleries, and festivals.  She offers private classes at her new studio/barn outside Lake Odessa as well as through select locations. 

Landscape Painting

with James Brandess

July 26, 10:00 a.m.–1;00p.m.

Tuition: $100

Materials Fee: N/A

In these multi-level oil painting workshops, students will paint outdoors in the historic Ox-Bow landscape in the painting medium of their choice. Instruction will focus on recognizing and then painting what we actually see. Through this process of learning to see, we will create paintings that have veracity and strength. The workshop will include discussion of the tools and materials needed to set-up and paint in any landscape you choose. Sign up for one or both of these three-hour morning painting workshops on the meadow alongside the lagoon. 

Plan to bring: Small gessoed canvases, flat bristle brushes, oil paints, 1 pint of odorless paint thinner, travel easel, drawing supplies (vine charcoal, pencil, white eraser, sketchbook), at least 3 empty tin cans, empty glass jar with lid, blue shop towels, 18 x 24 inch plexi glass palette, vinyl gloves, sunscreen, bug spray, hat with a visor.

James Brandess, (he/him), is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He teaches landscape and still-life painting workshops at Ox-Bow. His painting travels have taken him to Vermont, Hawaii, Colorado, and Texas. He maintains his studio and gallery in downtown Saugatuck in the historic Old Post Office Building.

Stretching & Preparing Canvas for Painting

with Maggie Bandstra

July 26, 3:00–6:00p.m.

Tuition: $100

Materials Fee: $80

Students will learn to create and take home one small and one medium canvas for oil or acrylic paintings. We will briefly discuss the history of substrates and understand how to choose the right surface for the media of your choice. Demonstrations in stretching various-sized canvases using different methods will be the focus of this class. Students will discuss a variety of substrates and the pros and cons of different materials used in creating them. Then, the students will each make two stretched canvases of their own. 

Plan to bring: A sharp pair of scissors, a staple gun with ¼ inch staples, and canvas pliers.

Maggie Clifford-Bandstra (she/her)  is the Manager of Ox-Bow House at Ox-Bow School of Art and Artist Residencies. She maintains an active studio practice and was an Adjunct Professor at Hope College from 2022 to 2023. Bandstra earned her MFA. in Painting from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2021. From 1997-2020, Bandstra taught pre-K through 6th grade art classes. In 2014, she began curating pop-up art shows, which led to the establishment of the Lakeshore Visual Arts Collective. She is currently the president of this non-profit and serves as secretary on the executive board of the Douglas DDA.  Maggie's paintings are nature abstracted, using exaggerated scales, movement, and patterns to explore the themes of nature, healing, and human connection. Her passion is not just about creating art but also about sharing her love of art, living a creative life with others, and inspiring them to do the same.

The Communal Art of Thai Salads

with Daniel Pravit Fethke

August 2, 4:00–7:00 p.m.

Tuition: $100

Materials Fee: $20

In this culinary workshop, students explore the communal process of making Thai salads, from fresh and fiery "som tum" to delicious grilled meat "larb." Students will learn to balance fresh Thai produce with key ingredients and techniques, creating a colorful dinner spread that harmonizes sweet, salty, sour, and spicy. We will prep, cook, and dine en plein air next to the lagoon, emphasizing the traditionally collaborative process of crafting Thai meals together. All ingredients and equipment will be provided.

Plan to bring: An apron, your favorite all-purpose kitchen knife, and a notebook for recipe notes.

Daniel Pravit Fethke (he/him), is a Thai-American interdisciplinary artist born and raised in New York's Hudson Valley. Teaching is a central part of his practice, and he regularly facilitates workshops, cooking classes, and creative gatherings that center food and recipes as ways to explore identity, narrative, and culture. He co-founded the mutual aid food pop-up Angry Papaya, and has hosted workshops at Dia:Beacon, Socrates Sculpture Park, and the Performing Garage. He has exhibited work internationally in Bangkok, Berlin, Barcelona, and domestically at the Yale School of Art, Recess Art Space, and the Knockdown Center. He recently published an autobiographical Thai-American cookbook through Pratt Institute, where he also received his MFA in Fine Arts in 2023. He currently lives and works in Brooklyn.

Centrifugal Glass Casting

with Eli Zilke

August 2, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Tuition: $200

Materials Fee: $30

In this exciting one-day workshop in Ox-Bow's glass studio, students will use a series of sand molds assisted by a potter's wheel and embellished by found objects to make bowl shaped sculptural collages out of glass. As a team, we will ladle molten glass into the molds and use the potter’s wheel to pull the glass up the molds using centrifugal force. Students can expect to make 3-4 glass bowls throughout the day. 

Plan to bring: Students are encouraged to bring their own small textural found objects for the impressions but there will also be plenty provided for class use.

Eli Zilke started blowing glass in 2005 at the age of 12 after being accepted into the “Fired Up” afterschool program at Water Street Glassworks. From 2005 until 2013, Zilke studied closely under glass artist/educator Jerry Catania. In 2013, Zilke co-founded “Hot Shop Valpo” a production design studio in Northwest Indiana. From 2013-2018, Zilke worked for HSV as the head glassblower/designer, during this tenure the studio installed several large scale public installations in hospitals, banks, universities, and public spaces as well as had production lines in several galleries throughout the Midwest. In 2018, Zilke returned to Water Street Glassworks as the core instructor and studio manager and currently holds the “studio lead” position.

Nature's Impression: Linocut Printing

with Lee Ann Frame

August 2, 10:00 a.m–1 p.m.

Tuition: $100

Materials Fee: $20

In Ox-Bow's print studio, students will learn how to transfer a drawing to a block, carve a linocut, create effective positive and negative space, ink, add color through various processes, and register their hand pulled print. Demonstrations will guide students through these basics and include adding color with handmade papers and inking and embossing with natural shapes and textures inspired by the Ox-Bow landscape.

Plan to bring: Sketchbook, drawings or photos to transfer, pencil, and apron. 

Lee Ann Frame was born and raised near the shores of Lake Michigan. She earned an MFA in printmaking and taught for 17 years. Currently she leads workshops for local and international groups. She has exhibited in juried exhibitions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art Mezzanine Store Gallery, Boston Printmakers Biennial, Artists Archives of the Western Reserve, Cleveland Museum of Art, and ISEA International, receiving several awards. Frame is a member of the Boston Printmakers; Society of American Graphic Artists (a board member); South West Michigan Printmakers; and California Society of Etchers. Her residencies include Ireland, Spain, and the East Coast. She is published in the Boston Printmakers Members News. Collected by: Newark Public Library Newark; Alma College, Michigan; Muskegon Museum of Art, Michigan; Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Michigan; Henry Ford Medical Center, Bloomfield, Michigan; Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids, Michigan; and in many private and corporate institutions.

Botanical Illustration

with Olivia Mendoza

August 9, 3:00–6:00 p.m.

Tuition: $100

Materials Fee: N/A

Led by a natural science illustrator, this botanical drawing workshop will teach students to use colored pencil to render lively and vibrant plant life. There will be a demonstration on how to free hand the composition, establish texture, and layer blended colors of a subject, followed by time to practice these shown methods with personal guidance. This will be a space for nature lovers and illustration enthusiasts alike!

Plan to bring: Smooth Strathmore Bristol paper (9 x 12 inch), Prismacolor Premier pencils, graphite or mechanical pencil for sketching, and erasers (kneaded, block, and narrow, etc.)

Olivia Mendoza (she/they) is a natural science illustrator and drawing teacher. She has been working as an illustrator for over a decade and teaching for five years at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. Her work has led to collaborations with natural science publications of newly discovered plant species, an illustrated avian exhibit for Kalamazoo Nature Center, and native species drawing workshops with the Kalamazoo Public Library—as well as creating botanical work for Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Fernwood Botanical Gardens, Kalamazoo Area Wild Ones, and more. Her enthusiasm for creating new work is equal to the joy of being able to share the process and methods with others.

Watercolor Painting for Tweens and Teens

with Kim Meyers Baas

August 9, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Tuition: $100

Materials Fee: $10

This workshop offers students ages 8-16 the opportunity to explore views of the lagoon, meadow, and woods while painting en plein air with watercolor. Experiment with techniques such as washes, color mixing, mark making, and creating textures inspired by the natural environment. This is a drop-off workshop for youth ages 8-16 only! Parents are welcome to drop off their young artists or to stay on campus during the course of the workshop.

Plan to bring: All paint and surfaces will be provided but students are encouraged to bring pencils, sketchbooks, and an apron.

Kim Meyers Baas (she/her), is an arts educator with a rich history of fostering youth artists and community workers in Michigan, Chicago, and along the Mexican/Texas border since 1992. She has served as an artist educator with Ox-Bow School of Art & Artists’ Residency, Calvin University, Kendall College of Art & Design, Chicago Public Schools, Valley AIDS Council, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and ART21. Currently, Kim is the Fine Arts Director for Kentwood Public Schools. Her teaching practice delves into family identity, migration, culturally responsive practices, and the intersection of art + technology in marginalized communities. Kim holds a BA from Loyola University Chicago and an MAAE from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Garden & Landscape Art

with Mark Schentzel

August 9, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Tuition: $200

Materials Fee: $30

Learn the basics of steel welding and other metal fabrication processes in Ox-Bow's metals studio in order to design and create a stunning outdoor sculpture. We will talk aesthetics, structure, and consider the function and longevity of your designs. Fabricate your sculpture using the studio's scrap bin, or bring your own steel.  No previous metals experience is required.

Plan to bring: Wear cotton long sleeves and pants, closed toed shoes or boots, and tie back long hair. Safety gear will be provided.

Mark Schentzel (he/ him) holds a BFA in Sculpture and Functional Art from Kendall College of Art and Design. He received the program’s Sculpture Excellence Award. Mark appreciates the craft school experience and has attended workshops at Ox Bow School for the Arts, Penland School of Craft, and Peters Valley Craft Education Center. He has over 25 years of welding and custom metal fabrication experience and is co-founder of EA-Craftworks in Grand Rapids, Michigan; a custom metal shop providing unique metal works in Michigan and surrounding areas. Mark has taught welding workshops for the past 10 years and is currently diversifying to explore additional instructional opportunities in the areas of sculpture, welding, and metal fabrication. Mark's large-scale public sculptures in Michigan and the Midwest carry notions of surrealism through process, material identity, sustainability considerations, and infrastructure issues.

Eco Printing on Silk & Wool

with Theresa Filarsky

August 16, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Tuition: $200

Materials Fee: $30

In this beginner friendly workshop participants will learn how to imprint beautiful natural plants on provided silk and wool scarves. Eco printing (also known as botanical printing) is a sustainable printing process which involves collecting leaves, plants, and flowers to imprint their images directly upon protein fibers. Students will learn techniques to transfer beautiful natural designs from Ox-Bow and their surroundings onto silk and wool.  At the end of the day, students will take home their silk and wool eco-printed samples and the knowledge to continue eco printing from nature's resources.

Plan to bring: An empty 1 gallon water jug, leaves, flowers, and clippings from your yard. Suggested species are maple, sumac, rose, blackberry, eucalyptus, daisies (no thick plants).

M Theresa Brown is a professional artist whose long art career embraces many areas of the Arts. In the fiber arts, she uses natural dyes and low impact synthetic dyes and merges them into unique, beautiful designs on silk, wool, paper, and leather. She turns her transformed work into artisanal clothing, accessories, and art. Her articles and designs in the fiber arts have appeared in international publications and the national art chain, Jerryartarama. She has a line of instructional PDF’s on ecoprinting techniques and is the first instructor to teach Ecoprinting on Leather in the US. She teaches in her studio and online and is a sought after instructor at many events and fiber art shows across the country. 

Nature Abstracted in Oil on Canvas

with Maggie Bandstra

August 16, 3:00–6:00 p.m.

Tuition: $100

Materials Fee: N/A

Working in oils outside, students will use shapes found in nature as a jumping-off point for a color study. Drawing, color mixing, and painting demonstrations will be conducted throughout the workshop. The workshop will include introductions, a demonstration of finding inspiration in the landscape at Ox-Bow, a discussion/demonstration of color mixing, and time to complete your painting in the studio.

Plan to bring: 1-2 canvas substrates (16 x 20 inch or larger), a variety of oil paint colors and Gamsol, a variety of brush sizes, at least one smaller brush for drawing shapes, and a palette to mix paints on.

Maggie Clifford-Bandstra (she/her) Manager of Ox-Bow House at Ox-Bow School of Art and Artist Residencies. She maintains an active studio practice and was an Adjunct Professor at Hope College from 2022 to 2023. Bandstra earned her M.F.A. in Painting from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2021. From 1997-2020, Bandstra taught pre-K through 6th grade art classes. In 2014, she began curating pop-up art shows, which led to the establishment of the Lakeshore Visual Arts Collective. She is currently the president of this non-profit and serves as secretary on the executive board of the Douglas DDA.
Maggie's paintings are nature abstracted, using exaggerated scales, movement, and patterns to explore the themes of nature, healing, and human connection. Her passion is not just about creating art but also about sharing her love of art, living a creative life with others, and inspiring them to do the same.

Telling Tales Through Collage

with Miriam Vukich

August 16, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Tuition: $100

Materials Fee: $10

In this workshop students will learn to tell a story through a cut paper collage on a painted canvas support. Demonstrations will guide students through organizing clippings, hand cutting images, and unique methods for assembling and affixing images to create an evocative work of art. Canvases, adhesive, and an archive of magazine clippings will be provided.

Plan to bring: Your cutting tool of choice (scissors, X-acto knife, or rotary cutter) and any clippings or ephemera you would like to collage.

Indigo & Shibori

with Sue Cortese

August 23, 10:00 a.m. – 5: 00 p.m.

Tuition: $200

Materials Fee: $20

Learn to use indigo dye and shibori, or Japanese manual tie-dyeing, techniques to create stunning textiles. We will learn several tying methods and then use an indigo vat to dye the bound cloth. In Arashi, we will use a pole to help manipulate the fabric. In Itajime, we will fold and bind the fabric between boards or sticks. In Kumo, we will use string to bind the fabric. We will also touch on stitched techniques or nui shibori. Try out all styles or concentrate on one or two! Open to learners of all levels.

Plan to bring: You will be given a yard of cloth on which to practice techniques, but you may also bring your own pre-washed clothing or fabric to use.

Sue Cortese is a quilter, fabric dyer, teacher, vendor, and NACQJ Certified Quilt Judge. Her current work falls into the art-quilt realm, combining her love of dyeing and surface design into her quilted compositions. Her goal in the beginning was to make a quilt in every style and/or pattern.  This quest led Sue to taking a lot of classes and learning many different techniques.  She enjoys hand quilting as well as machine quilting, and hand applique as well as machine piecing.  Judging is a means for encouraging quilters, as well as promoting excellence in quilting.  Judging has helped Sue improve her work, and she hopes to help others through judging.  Sue has been fortunate to have her work displayed in places like Muskegon Museum of Art, The View Gallery, and The Diary Barn to the International Quilt Show in Houston and American Quilt Show in Paducah.

Flowering: Art History & Arrangement

with Maddie Reyna

August 23, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Tuition: $100

Materials Fee: $30

Create a living sculpture with florals while considering foundational historical floral styles including Dutch Baroque, Ikebana, and contemporary movements. Participants will experiment with vessel armature techniques such as wire mesh, pin frog, and tape grid. Local flowers from White Barn Flower Farm in Holland, Michigan, will be provided to each participant, and after demonstration, arranging, and group discussion, they will take their ephemeral arrangement home. For a full-day making experience, during which you will make a painting of your floral arrangement, sign up for the second part of this workshop, Still Life Painting led by James Brandess!

Plan to bring: A vessel, garden shears, garden gloves, a box to transport your arrangement.

Maddie Reyna is an American painter who began arranging flowers as a way to have live subjects for her work. That practice has come to stand alone as she applies considerations of color, form, and composition to three-dimensional organic matter. She has a Masters in Painting and Drawing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, studied at The Flower School of New York, designs flower arrangements for brides and other party throwers in Chicago, and is the Academic Program Director for Ox-Bow School of Art.

Floral Still Life Painting

with James Brandess

August 23, 3:00–6:00 p.m.

Tuition: $100

Materials Fee: N/A

Learn to paint a floral still life in oils from a local master. Turn your focus to painting from observation, using a demo floral arrangement made that morning as the subject. Luxuriate in the colorful playness and compositional inspiration that only flowers can provide. Students will be required to bring their own materials. For a full-day making experience, during which you will make your own floral arrangement, sign up for the first part of this workshop, Flowering: History and Arrangement led by Maddie Reyna.

Plan to bring: Gessoed canvases, flat bristle brushes, oil paints, 1 pint of odorless paint thinner, drawing supplies (vine charcoal, pencil, white eraser, sketchbook), 3 empty tin cans, empty glass jar with lid, blue shop towels, 18 x 24 inch plexi glass palette, vinyl gloves, sunscreen, bug spray.

James Brandess, (he/him), is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He teaches landscape and still-life painting workshops at Ox-Bow. His painting travels have taken him to Vermont, Hawaii, Colorado, and Texas. He maintains his studio and gallery in downtown Saugatuck in the historic Old Post Office Building.