ArtPlay, the Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center’s home for arts education, has announced new classes for the winter/spring session, and registration is open now.
With a bounty of classes for every age group, plus educational events for the whole family to enjoy, ArtPlay’s mission is to connect the community to the arts with classes, workshops and performances.
Most classes meet once a week from January to mid-April and are led by ArtPlay teaching artists. ArtPlay offers one-day workshops, including Awaken Your Light Dream for all ages and The Fine Art of VJing for ages 7-12, both on April 12; and 3-D Animation Creation for ages 13-17 on April 26. Fees range from $5-$250, plus supplies. ArtPlay also offers private instruction in a variety of instruments and artistic disciplines through partnerships with local instructors and music organizations. UAB students, faculty, staff and alumni receive discounts. Explore the new classes for January 2014, and register online at www.ArtPlayASC.org or call 205-975-4769.
New classes of note for the 2014 winter/spring session include Together Making Music, for ages 1-3 years with guardian. In this 45-minute Saturday morning class, families will learn fun, easy songs paired with simple movements to increase a child’s motor skills and physical development. The songs can be incorporated into the child’s daily routine. Other pre-K classes include Me & You & Paint & Glue, Brushless!, Creative Movement, Wiggle, Giggle Dance & Sing and Primary Ballet.
For children ages 5-7, Improvisational Movement with ArtPlay Teaching Artist Amanda Miller-Fasshauer is designed to develop the students’ ability and knowledge to engage in an interactive world.
For children ages 7-12, ArtPlay presents “3-D: Dream It, Design It, Do It!” In this one-hour class on Saturdays, students will explore mixed media, engage in sculpting activity centers that use everyday objects, enjoy creative process exercises and experiment with design techniques. A final group project will be given as an expression of community service to benefit a local charity. Other elementary-age classes include Acting Out Theatre Workshops, Intro to Musical Theatre, Adventures in Visual Art, ArtPlay Elementary Choir, Hip Hop Dance, Improvisational Movement and Creative Ballet.
For children ages 10-14, “My Journal: The Musical” will have students work together to construct a story and compose lyrics and music for a musical, based on “An Exceptional Day in the Life of a Typical (Pre) Teen.” Original songs will be recorded in ArtPlay’s leading-edge digital media lab. Students will premiere their work in the last class. The class will meet from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays with ArtPlay Teaching Artist Mary Elizabeth Neal. Children in that age group may also enjoy “Comic, Character, Creation,” led by ArtPlay Teaching Artist Bo Hughins. Students will learn the basics of cartooning and rendering characters of a wide variety, from caricatures to comic books. Students also will learn to recreate existing characters. The class will meet from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays.
Junior high and high school students can choose from The Acting Studio for Young Adults, Ballet, Contemporary Movement and Adventures in Visual Arts C.
Adults can get their hands dirty with Beginning Sculpture, meeting 6-8 p.m. Mondays with ArtPlay Teaching Artist Sarah Heath. This class will focus on mold-making and casting processes through a variety of techniques. A portion of the class will take place at Sloss Furnaces to create bonded-sand molds for iron castings. Other classes include Acting for Adults Take One and Two, The Acting Studio, Improvisational Comedy, Playwriting, Ballet, Contemporary Movement, Mixed Media for the 21st Century, Intro to Drawing and Visual Art Appreciation.