Jump to these classes listed below:
Silk Painting/Wearable Art
Rug Hooking
Beginning Weaving
Intermediate Weaving
Wednesday Weaving
Knitting for Beginners
Anatomy of a Sweater
Patterned Fabric: Experimenting with Silkscreen

Jump to faculty bios

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Silk Painting/Wearable Art
Instructor: Karen Rognsvoog
Skill Level: All

Painting on silk is a ancient art form originating in Asia, where silk was first produced for art and clothing. Learn to use natural plant dyes to create background or base colors on silk fabric and silk scarves, and then create beautiful paintings using Japanese Sumi-e brush to apply colors and designs. Silk painting techniques taught include: color mixing, composition, painting on wet and dry silk, use of salt for texture effects, water based guttas, heat-fix outliners, hot wax batik methods, and more. Iron-fix paints will allow paintings to quickly dry. All materials included (silk fabric, finished silk scarves, paints, mordants, dyes, guttas, salts and wax for batik designs). Enrollment limited to 8; ages 18 and up

Spring I
D740
Wednesdays, February 29 - April 18
(8 sessions) 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
$265 Members / $294 Non-members

Spring II
E740
Wednesdays, April 25 - June 13
(8 sessions) 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
$265 Members / $294 Non-members

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Rug Hooking
Instructor: Annie Kennedy
Skill Level: All

Learn the art of primitive rug hooking. This course will teach you to transfer a pattern, prepare the wool, and hook your design. Each week will have a different theme: designing considerations, color planning, dying wool, how to use proddy and waldoboro techniques, finishing techniques, antigodlin hooking, and seed stitch. You may choose a project or bring your own design. No prior experience is required, everyone can learn to hook. At the end of the course, you will have a beautiful, one of a kind, hooked piece. Enrollment limited to 12; ages 16 and up

Spring I
D745
Mondays, February 27 - April 16
(8 sessions) 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
$205 Members / $228 Non-members
$101 New Student Materials Fee - Includes Sales Tax

Spring II
E745
Mondays, April 30 - June 11
No Class May 28
(6 sessions) 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
$154 Members / $171 Non-members
$101 New Student Materials Fee - Includes Sales Tax

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Beginning Weaving
Instructor: Traudi Bestler
Skill Level: B

This class introduces the pleasures of hand weaving. Using Art Center looms, students will learn all about setting up and weaving a small project. Things that new weavers can make include scarves, table linens, bags and other interesting objects. Brand new beginners and people who want to refresh their weaving skills are welcome in this group. Enrollment limited to 6; ages 16 and up

Spring I
D730
Mondays, February 27 - April 16
(8 sessions) 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
$205 Members / $228 Non-members
$11 New Student Materials Fee - Includes Sales Tax

Spring II
E730
Mondays, April 23 - June 11
No Class May 28
(7 sessions) 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
$180 Members / $200 Non-members
$11 New Student Materials Fee - Includes Sales Tax

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Intermediate Weaving
Instructor: Traudi Bestler
Skill Level: I

In this class students continue their exploration of weave structures. The projects and lessons are more challenging, and will lead the weaver down a pleasurable path of learning. Students become more confident in setting up their looms and making the ideas in their imaginations become real. They receive help with their projects and can experience weaving on a variety of looms. Enrollment limited to 10; ages 16 and up

Spring I
D700
Tuesdays, February 28 - April 17
(8 sessions) 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
$205 Members / $228 Non-members

Spring II
E700
Tuesdays, April 24 - June 12
(8 sessions) 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
$205 Members / $228 Non-members

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Wednesday Weaving
Instructor: Traudi Bestler
Skill Level: AD

For people who can warp looms and read drafts independently. This class studies more complex weave structures and often spends one quarter studying a new weave structure, followed by a quarter of individual exploration into a project of their choice. Design using a computer program is also taught. Enrollment limited to 8; ages 16 and up

Spring I
D704
Wednesdays, February 29 - April 18
(8 sessions) 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
$205 Members / $228 Non-members

Spring II
E704
Wednesdays, April 25 - June 13
(8 sessions) 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
$205 Members / $228 Non-members

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Knitting for Beginners
Instructor: Kim Christensen
Skill Level: B

Learn to orchestrate the hand-eye-brain connection that is knitting. These are easy skills to learn, and they get better with repetition. Come and enjoy learning along side others, even if you have never tried to knit before. Instructor will provide step by step guidance each week to guide development of your knitting skills. Bring along a friend, family member or mentor and they may sit in on the class with you for no fee. Request a supply list when you register.
Enrollment limited to 10; ages 16 and up

Spring I
D702
Thursdays, March 1 - April 19
(8 sessions) 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
$205 Members / $228 Non-members

Spring II
E702
Thursdays, April 26 - June 14
(8 sessions) 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
$205 Members / $228 Non-members

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Anatomy of a Sweater
Instructor: Kim Christensen
Skill Level: AB, I

Learn to knit sweater from start to finish, and as you do we will study how a garment is made to fit a specific body, how to use the properties of wool to best advantage, and how to adapt your garment to fit your needs. We will work together from the same pattern while instructor provides step by step instructions. Students should be comfortable with knitting and purling, and have basic knitting skills. Request a supply list when you register. Enrollment limited to 10; ages 16 and up

Spring I
D709
Thursdays, March 1 - April 19
(8 sessions) 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
$205 Members / $228 Non-members

Spring II
E709
Thursdays, April 26 - June 14
(8 sessions) 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
$205 Members / $228 Non-members

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Patterned Fabric: Experimenting with Silkscreen
Instructor: Gail Katz-James
Skill Level: All

Come learn and play with a variety of techniques to create patterns on fabric with a silkscreen. Methods we will try include stencils, masking, monoprinting and others. We will work with a variety of natural fabrics and the best lightfast and washfast dyes for colorful results. You will be encouraged to plan and make a final project of your choice in the last two sessions. Some materials included. Request a materials list when you register.
Enrollment limited to 10; ages 16 and up

Spring I
D722
Fridays, March 2 - April 20
(8 sessions) 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
$218 Members / $242 Non-members

Spring II
E722
Fridays, April 27 - June 15
(8 sessions) 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
$218 Members / $242 Non-members

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Faculty:

Traudi Bestler
Traudi trained at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota, the Weaving School and Sievers School of Fiber Arts. She has been a teacher of weaving, dyeing and fiber arts for 20 years In addition, she has been a workshop presenter at the annual Minnesota Weaving Federation and travels to schools around the country.

Kim Christensen
Is a knitter and a spinner. She has taught classes at various yarn stores in Minneapolis, and she's looking forward to teaching plant dyeing at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and spinning and knitting at the Art Center.

Gail Katz-James
M.F.A., Textile Arts at the University of California-Davis. Gail is an artist who works primarily with found objects and hardware to construct wall sculptures. She has experience as an art juror, and is a representative for Minnesota to the Surface Design Association. Most recently her quilt-inspired wall piece was selected for permanent display at the Minneapolis Children’s Hospital.

Annie Kennedy
B.A., Bethel College, in Business. After exploring drawing, painting, and other art forms, Annie found her passion in rug hooking. She has been “hooking” since 2000, and frequently exhibits her rugs at Sauder Village. In addition to teaching, Annie has an online rug hooking business, AJ Creatives.

Karen Rognsvoog
B.A., University of Minnesota, in Studio Arts and Child Development. Karen was a student of Malcom Myers, and has studied Sumi-e for the past ten years with Reiko Ito Shellum. She has been dyeing natural fibers and growing plants for dye since the mid-1970s, and has taught extensively in schools and community centers around the Twin Cities, as well as at the North House Folk School in Grand Marais. Always on the lookout for new and interesting dye stuffs, don’t follow her closely on the road, since Karen “brakes for roadside weeds!”