beyond

Not all of our classes fit into a well defined box - here you’ll find the interdisciplinary, cross-studio, and more experimental workshops. These classes aren’t consistently on the calendar, but rotate through the year. Check out our enrollment page for the current offerings.

Stained glass with Blue Dragon Glass

Instructor: Rhandie Weaver, Blue Dragon Glass
Duration: 5 sessions over 5 weeks, ~2 hour session
Price: $250
Supply fee: $50
Pre-requisite: none
Ages: 18+

In this five-week glass, Rhandie Weaver, of Blue Dragon Glass, will teach you the basics of stained glass. You'll how to cut glass, grind, foil, solder, frame, and clean a stained glass panel. By the end of these five weeks, you'll have a beautiful piece of art and some new skills to take home.

This class is great for both beginner & intermediate student. Beginners will have the option of multiple designs while more experienced will be able to use more advanced skills. We will have all the tools & materials on hand for you.

Rhandie Weaver, the owner and artist at Blue Dragon Glass, has been working with glass for 20 years. She started by taking a stained glass class and fell in love. She taught herself glass carving and etching as well as kiln-formed glass and mosaics. She has a statue from the “Vulcans on Parade” series that resides at the Birmingham Zoo. She also has a panel at the J. Clyde on Cobb Lane in 5 Points. She loves to teach and has offered classes in stained glass, etched glass, fused glass, and mosaics.

Hand Sewing: Embroidery Sampler

instructor: Lillis Taylor
Duration: 4 sessions over 4 weeks, ~2 hour sessions
Price: $160
Supply fee: $40
Pre-requisite: none
Ages: 16+

Hand embroidery can be a form of active meditation. Though sewing skills are utilitarian in nature, this class will introduce you to stitches and techniques that will deepen your artistic craft within fiber art. Instructor Lillis Taylor will also curate a selection of her favorite tools, supplies, contemporary textile artists, and resources so that you can start to build your own reservoir of knowledge and inspiration. 

You will be guided in the steps needed to create a finished wall-hanging from your explorations. While the class will yield one wall hanging per participant, the primary goal of the instructor is that each individual hone embellishment skills within the community of the class. Though sewing is a personal endeavor, it can be a social one, weaving participants into a tight-knit community.

Textile design for print on demand

instructor: Lillis Taylor
Duration: 2 session over 2 weeks, ~2 hour sessions
Price: $80
Supply fee: $5
Pre-requisite: none
Ages: 16+

Have you ever wanted to see your artwork on fabric or clothing? This two part class will help you navigate the print-on-demand (POD) world with textiles in mind. You will create a simple watercolor image and then we will look at the ways it can be manipulated and uploaded to a few different POD sites. Class will be taught in a way that can be replicated on a desk-top computer and a free Canva account is all that is required to achieve class results. If you have a laptop or tablet, you can follow along during class. Please let us know if you will not be bringing a personal device.

Instructor Lillis Taylor has 15 years of experience in digital textile design and will teach you some of her insider tips and best practices. This course is ideal for a creative who doesn’t have a lot of experience in digital design but would love to see their artwork transformed into surface pattern design.

INTRODUCTION TO BOOKMAKING

instructor: David West
Duration: 4 sessions over 4 weeks, 2.5 hour sessions
Price: $200
Supply fee: $30
Pre-requisite: none
Ages: 16+ (12 and up are welcome if signed up with an adult)

This four-week series will introduce some of the basic processes of bookmaking and provide an entry into the techniques used in making hand-sewn books. We will learn about the different tools and terminologies used, work through several types of pamphlets and single signature book forms, create paste paper covers, and complete several books. All materials will be provided.

David West is an artist living in Birmingham with over 20 years of art teaching experience. He has an MFA in printmaking, has been a bookmaker for about a dozen years and is a drawing specialist. His work is a mixture of observation and contemplation exploring the world around him. There are very few things he would rather do than sit with a good friend, a good sketchbook, and see what there is to draw.

Past Classes

Hand Sewing: Appliqué Basics

instructor: Lillis Taylor
Duration: one session, ~2 hour sessions
Price: $50
Supply fee: $25
Pre-requisite: none
Ages: 16+

Appliqué is a process by which pieces of fabric are sewn or affixed onto a larger piece of fabric to form pictures or patterns. The techniqué is extremely versatile and requires few supplies, making it a great way to approach sewing from the artistic perspective more than the utilitarian one. In this class we will look at different ways to appliqué by hand, depending on the desired effect. 

Like many craft techniques, appliqué was originally used to reinforce fabric, making it stronger or more durable where it was layered. Yet our crafting forebears started using appliqué like collage, forming pictures and pictorial illustrations with scraps of cloth sewn onto larger fabrics or garments. Join instructor Lillis Taylor for a beginning demonstration of the process and weigh in on such controversies as “turned edges versus raw edges” and “to bond or not to bond”! 

TIE DYE TEES WITH AFTER YOU DYE

Instructor: Zach Seals, After You Dye
Duration: one session, ~2 hours
Price: $55
Supply fee: $15
Pre-requisite: none
Ages: 16+ (12 and up are welcome if signed up with an adult)

Get ready to unleash your creativity with our Tie Dye class hosted by After You Dye! In this dynamic session, you'll dive into the colorful world of tie-dyeing under the expert guidance of Zach. Discover the art of folding, tying, and dyeing fabric as you explore different techniques and create stunning patterns on t-shirts, bandanas, and more.

During the class, you'll learn essential prepping methods, including laundering and soda ash soaking, to ensure vibrant and long-lasting colors. Zach will walk you through various folding and tying techniques, allowing you to experiment and create unique designs. You'll also delve into different dyeing methods, from ice and hot water to liquid dye, as you bring your vision to life.

With all materials provided, including high-quality white t-shirts and Dharma Dye, you'll have everything you need to unleash your inner artist and create wearable works of art. Don't miss this opportunity to learn a timeless craft and leave with your very own hand-dyed creations!

Kinetic Mobile Design

Instructor: Courtney & Jerrod Windham, Counter Balance
Duration: One session, ~2.5 hours
Price: $110
Supply fee: $20
Pre-requisite: none
Ages: 16+

Discover the art behind kinetic mobile design as Courtney and Jerrod of Counter Balance guide you through the fundamental principles. You will dive into crafting your very own distinctive mobile, using a range of tools, materials, and techniques giving you the chance to tap into your creativity while embracing the joy of experimenting with balance, color, promotion, and rhythm in the design.

Counter Balance is a collection of kinetic mobiles designed by Courtney and Jerrod Windham, both designers and educators at Auburn University in the School of Industrial + Graphic Design. Wire, wood, paint, and other custom materials come together to create kinetic art that, in the words of Alexander Calder, are “a piece of poetry that dances with the joy of life surprises.”

glass Fusing with Blue Dragon Glass

Instructor: Rhandie Weaver, Blue Dragon Glass
Duration: one session, 2 hour session
Price: $80
Supply fee: $25
Pre-requisite: none
Ages: 18+

Dive into glass art with Rhandie of Blue Dragon Glass in this one-night glass fusing workshop. You'll start with a 7” x 7” clear glass canvas and learn to shape colored glass with mosaic nippers to create your custom piece. It will undergo firing in Rhandie's studio, emerging as a solid glass tile of your design, ready for pickup after 2 weeks.

Rhandie Weaver, the owner and artist at Blue Dragon Glass, has been working with glass for 20 years. She started by taking a stained glass class and fell in love. She taught herself glass carving and etching as well as kiln-formed glass and mosaics. She has a statue from the “Vulcans on Parade” series that resides at the Birmingham Zoo. She also has a panel at the J. Clyde on Cobb Lane in 5 Points. She loves to teach and has offered classes in stained glass, etched glass, fused glass, and mosaics.