Welcome to Ann Arbor Michigan, USA

ArtVentures

Rose, who is nearly six, cuts one last flower from her construction paper and carefully glues it to her lamp. "That's wonderful," her mother says. Sunlight streams through the wall of windows as children and adults pour creativity and imagination onto the low, long tables.

Today is First Sundays Free at ArtVentures, the art studio/activity center on the top floor of the Ann Arbor Art Center - 117 W. Liberty Street - in downtown Ann Arbor. On the first Sunday of every month, children and adults are invited to make art for free. Rose, her mother and about twenty other folks are chatting, humming and concentrating over their Japanese Lanterns; recent projects have also included an Indian flower floor mural, felt-making and creating a mosaic plate. You don't need any particular artistic talent to join these weekly workshops; just a desire to explore art and have fun.

Since 1991, ArtVentures has been bringing southeastern Michigan educational art projects from around the world. Made possible by funding from local and national corporations, individuals and arts councils, ArtVentures is both a lovely studio space and a community outreach service, bringing art history, social studies and fine art skills into local classrooms. The Ann Arbor Art Center itself is over 90 years old and houses an artist's gallery gift shop, a monthly rotating gallery exhibition and a life drawing studio, in addition to jewelry and ceramics studios at its 220 Felch Street location, Art Factory.

An added bonus within the ArtVentures space is Feat of Clay—a pottery glazing studio where folks can decorate a variety of ceramics and have them glazed to perfection. ArtVentures and Feat of Clay offer party packages for birthdays, anniversaries, employee recognition and team building and corporate gatherings. Turning forty? Why not launch your resistance by using the resist technique (that’s a pottery term!) to glaze a beautiful ceramic sushi plate? Want to recognize your top sales employee? Throw a party and make Egyptian beaded collars, of course.

The paper lanterns are drying and the assistants are sweeping the floor. Another First Sunday Free has ended and the last handful of people carefully carry out their drying paper lanterns. As the old saying goes, the family that paints, cuts, glues, dyes and glazes together, stays together!

For more information about ArtVentures at the Ann Arbor Art Center, visit their web site at www.annarborartcenter.org or call (734) 994-8004.