By June Mathews
For 65 years, the Birmingham Museum of Art has served as a cultural beacon to the Birmingham community and beyond.
Through its permanent collection, special exhibits, social events and educational programs, the museum reaches out to give even those who consider themselves distinctly unartistic a healthy dose of creative inspiration.
The tradition continues this fall with a new program called Studio School, a selection of classes for children, teens and adults led by experienced artists and limited only by the imaginations of the students themselves.
“Studio School sessions will focus on a process, theme or idea found in our galleries,” said the program’s coordinator, Meredith Knight. “Participants will be inspired by different artists to create their own artwork through a range of approaches, including painting, sculpture and mixed media, as they learn new skills or refresh existing ones.”
The fall session of Studio School consists of monthly classes designated by age group. Options include Grades 1-5 Class on Saturday mornings; Grades 6-8 Class on Monday afternoons; Grades 9-12 Class on Tuesday afternoons; Adult Class on Wednesday evenings; Parent-Child Class (Grades 1-5) on Saturday mornings; Craft Tuesday (ages 21 and up) on Tuesday evenings; and Break for Art (Grades 1-6) during Thanksgiving break.
For exact dates and times, refer to the Studio School schedule at artsbma.org/studio-school/.
“We’re really excited about the whole Studio School concept,” said Knight. “We believe it’s the perfect way to share the enjoyment and benefits of art to a variety of age groups, not to mention a way to share all the wonderful aspects of the Birmingham Museum of Art.
“And thanks to Studio School’s presenting sponsor, the Comer Foundation, we’ve been able to purchase some additional equipment – a new kiln, for instance – that will help us with future programs. So the program is really helping us to expand what we can do in the long run.”
Museum members receive a 20 percent discount on each registration fee. Participants may also receive 20 percent off when signing up for all fall classes in a series, with the exception of Break for Art.
Registration for Studio School is now open, and pre-registration is required for all classes. Materials are included in the fees.
The Birmingham Museum of Art is on 3.9 acres in the heart of the city’s downtown cultural district, at 2000 Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd., formerly Eighth Avenue North. The original museum building was completed in 1959 with additions taking place in 1965, 1967, 1974 and 1980. The entire facility was renovated in 1993. In total, the museum encompasses 180,000 square feet, 30,000 of which is the outdoor sculpture garden.
“We’re very proud of our museum and of all the advantages we’re able to offer through it to the Birmingham community,” said Knight. “Our goal is to make art come alive for people, and conducting educational programs is one of the best ways to do that.”
For more information about Studio School, contact Meredith Knight at 254-2643 or email [email protected].
