The Arts Center of the Capital Region in partnership with Questar III presented “A Day at the Arts Center” on Monday, April 27 for high school students from Cohoes, Green Island, Lansingburgh and Rensselaer. Some 67 students participated in one of five day long artist led workshops ranging from recycled paper sculptures to game design. This year’s event was sponsored by a grant to The Arts Center from TD Bank, through its TD Charitable Foundation.
This event is one of several projects presented by The Riverfront Arts Education Collaborative which brings together arts and cultural institutions in the Troy area such as The Arts Center, the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Sage Theatre Institute, and the Ellen Sinopoli Modern Dance Company, with their neighboring school districts to provide arts and cultural resources. Questar III BOCES provided initial funding for this project, and continues to work closely with all participants to develop and facilitate arts and cultural programming for regional schools.
The following workshops were available for students, and exclusively for teachers.
Painting, Digital to Wet with Ben Karis-Nix and Monica Bill-Hughes
There are so many ways to use technology these days. How are painters using digital software and computers to help them create? Discover how to use the computer to help you become a better painter, and then translate that knowledge onto your own canvas, using a new school method to clarify the old school tradition.
Recycled Paper Sculptures with Claire Sherwood
Reduce, reuse and recycle though your artwork! In this workshop you will tear, cut and manipulate recycled paper into sculptural form, and learn how to structure that form into meaning through understanding of light and shadow, empty space, color and pattern. You’ll create a stunning work of art, unexpected in its simplicity and design.
Playing in the Sonic Soundbox with Julia Alsaraff
Have you ever noticed the steady rhythm of rain tapping on your roof or the low drone of your neighbor’s lawnmower? This workshop will invite you to consider and analyze the musical qualities (rhythm, pitch, dynamics, etc.) of sounds in your everyday environment, combining them together to create your very own musical compositions. You will learn the basic concepts of sound waves, musical structures, and recording techniques, then venture out with field recorders to collect sounds, and combine, edit, and manipulate these sounds in a meaningful, musical way in your own unique composition.
Game Design with Tech Valley Game Space
In this intensive workshop, taught by Indy game makers at Tech Valley Game Space, you will be guided through lab activities that are designed to introduce you to the basic skills required to create games using Construct 2, a free and intuitive creation tool that utilizes a visual editor. You will work towards creating an original game in Construct 2 and be able to take the skills and game in progress home to complete.
Dancing in Colored Light with Theresa Faul
The best stained glass pulls the viewer into a beautiful, colored world! Learn the basics of this art form during this workshop, including stained glass design and construction, glass cutting, copper foiling, soldering, and cleaning. You will create your own unique stained glass piece to take home. Our studio is lead-free.
TEACHER ONLY WORKSHOP
Something from Something: with Madison LaVallee
Hey you overworked art teacher! Bring your kids to the workshops, and enjoy one of your own. All of you talented teachers who attend will be able to take creative time for yourselves. You’ll join one of our Artist Instructors in a studio and create a collaborative multi-dimensional work using pretty much anything you can find here at the Arts Center. It’s all about you and your creative process in this workshop.
