Writing Class: Braided Essay and Flash Fiction
2021-09-29 18:00 - 19:00, 2021-10-06 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | TX
This writing workshop is a 7-week virtual class for Veterans and current and prior military members. Wednesdays from 6 to 7 pm August 25 through October 6, 2021.
The first 4 weeks will focus on the nonfiction technique of Braided Essay. Respond to nonfiction prompts. Then piece three of the previous prompts together to create a braided essay/memoir.
The last 3 weeks will focus on the technique of Flash Fiction. Generate flash stories (under 1000 words) using prompts developed in class. Flash fiction is a fun genre that allows for more experimentation in storytelling.
Attend one or both segments. Taught by Veteran Clayton Bradshaw.

Art Workshop: People, Places, and Things
2021-09-30 18:00 - 19:00 | TX
This Fall, Art Spark Texas is inviting you to share your stories through visual art! Our “People, Places and Things” workshop will explore how to watercolor paint and draw the people, places, and things that are near and dear to you. We will use our personal stories and experiences as the inspiration for these pictures, as well as look to artists like Mary Cassatt, Alex Katz, David Hockney and others for ideas and techniques.

Week 1 – Understanding the Human face
Week 2 – Understanding the Landscape
Week 3 – Understanding the Still-life
Week 4–Someone we Know
Week 5–A Place we Know
Week 6–Objects we Know

Registration required click here to register. All registrants will receive zoom link information via email.
Questions? Contact Jerry at classroom@artsparktx.org

Meet the Masters
2021-10-03 14:00 - 15:00 | TX
An art appreciation class for Veterans and current and prior military members. Learn about the masters and be inspired to create your own art!
Meet the Masters is a 6-week virtual class. Each week spend 30 minutes learning about a new artist and 30 minutes discussing and sharing art you created based on the artist from the previous week. Led by Veteran artist and curator Judith Estrada Garcia.

Stained Glass Mosaics - Virtual
2021-10-04 14:00 - 15:00 | TX
A weekly hands-on virtual art class for Veterans creating your own framed abstract stained glass mosaic art. A non-leaded glass class. Learn how to cut and tumble your glass and assemble and grout your design. Leave with 1-2 finished pieces. They make great gifts! All supplies provided, but must be picked up in Austin. Class held virtually via Zoom. Taught by Veteran artist Rudy Anderson. Register at Eventbrite.

Percussion Styles From Across the Globe
2021-10-04 18:00 - 19:00, 2021-10-11 18:00 - 19:00, 2021-10-18 18:00 - 19:00, 2021-10-25 18:00 - 19:00, 2021-11-01 18:00 - 19:00 | TX
A virtual drumming class for Veterans and current and prior military members. Learn about percussion styles and practice your rhythmic skills! Percussion Styles from Across the Globe is an 8-week virtual class, Mondays from 6 to 7 pm CST September 13 through November 1, 2021. Each week learn about a new percussion style from around the world, listen to music, learn a technique, and try it yourself with drums or found percussion instruments from around your house.

Earth Tones: Veterans Exploring the Creative in Nature
2021-10-23 08:00 - 16:30 | Estero Llano Grande State Park, 3301 S. International Blvd. (FM 1015), Weslaco, Texas, 78596, United States
Earth Tones: Exploring the Creative in Nature, presented by Art Spark Texas and El Zarape Press with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Creative Forces. It is a free art and nature retreat for Veterans and current and prior military and their family members.

This creative workshop will be held on October 23, 2021 at the Estero Llano Grande State Park in Weslaco, TX from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm and includes entry fee and lunch for the day.
We start as a group, then break into three focused workshops for the day with a break for a catered lunch, and a group wrap-up at the end.
Participants will choose one track to follow for the entire day. All workshops will include time indoors and outdoors. Register at Eventbrite.

Photography – Bring your camera and join Nature Photographer Ruth Hoyt, a Certified Interpretive Guide and Certified Texas Master Naturalist, in a workshop to gain skills in taking photos of nature. This indoor/outdoor workshop will include guided hikes around the park.
Open Art Studio – Bring your drawing or painting materials and join Art Professor Rachael F. Brown as you create in nature. Be inspired by the plants and animals at the park and connect with others as you gather indoors and outdoors.
Creative Writing – Bring paper and writing instruments and join poet, author and professor Katherine Grace Hoerth for creative writing inspired by your natural surroundings. This indoor/outdoor activity will include guided hikes.

**Notes: You must bring your own supplies. Plan for October weather conditions and what you can carry while walking. ADA accessible trails are available and there will be options for hikes based on your personal activity level. Service animals allowed on leash. Children age 14 + with supervision allowed in workshop with a parent or plan to bring your family to enjoy the park for the day as you participate in the workshop.
A Friday pre-event is being planned as well as a Friday evening gathering at Veteran owned and operated 5 x 5 Brewery. Details available upon registration.
If you have questions, or if the topic you are interested in is sold out, please contact April Sullivan at april@artsparktx.org or 512-454-9912 ext 103.

Finding Each Other in the Virtual World Through Dance
2021-11-06 11:00 - 14:00 | TX
Mettler-based dance improvisation explores the roots of movement expression, which makes dance available to everyone. Improvisation is used to awaken creativity and engage the whole person. This workshop is open for all levels of experience.
Lead by Karenne Koo, a dance artist committed to developing and practicing multi-disciplinary approaches to encourage and stimulate the art of inclusive dance as an instrument for building community. In 2017, she co-founded Dancesequences Inc., a Tucson-based nonprofit dance organization with the mission to advance societal inclusion through dance.
This workshop will take place virtually on zoom on the 6th and 7th of November from 11 am until 2 pm CT.
Register Here: https://tinyurl.com/karennekoo

Makers Meet-up
2022-02-27 13:00 - 16:00, 2022-03-27 13:00 - 16:00 | Art Spark Texas, 1152 San Bernard St., Austin, TX, 78702, United States
Join Art Spark staffers and artists, April and Susan, for our monthly Makers Meet-up, a creative in-person gathering, taking place the last Sunday the month 1-4:00 PM CT. All types of Makers are welcome! We’ll hang out, try a new art method and/or do a creative prompt or two, and share our work. You are always welcome to bring your choice of media, or your latest creative project to share. Participants have the option to join either virtually or in-person. Use this link to participate virtually.

Makers Meet-up
2022-04-24 13:00 - 16:00 | Art Spark Texas, 1152 San Bernard St., Austin, TX, 78702, United States
Spend a fun afternoon creating together in our new space, 1152 San Bernard Street! Our April Makers Meet-Up will be card making! Make cards for Mother’s Day and learn a tip or two from Cardmaker Jourdan Huerta of Greetings By J. It’s free to participate, plus we’ll have lots of materials available, but you are welcome to bring items to share. If you don’t feel comfortable joining us in- person, join us virtually! For details, contact Susan at susan@artsparktx.org. Use this link to participate virtually.

Reconstructing Memories: A Memoir Writing Workshop for Veterans with Brian Turner
2022-05-21 10:00 - 13:00 | TX
Join us for a half day virtual writing workshop with hands-on writing exercises. Brian Turner is a poet and memoirist who served seven years in the US Army. He is the author of two poetry collections, Phantom Noise and Here, Bullet. His memoir, My Life as a Foreign Country, has been called, “achingly, disturbingly, shockingly beautiful.” Open to current and prior military and Veterans.
Registration is limited. Zoom link will be sent upon registration. Register via Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/290721896017

Monthly Drum Circle
2022-05-28 11:00 - 12:30, 2022-06-25 11:00 - 12:30, 2022-07-16 11:00 - 12:30, 2022-08-27 11:00 - 12:30 | Art Spark Texas, 1152 San Bernard St., Austin, TX, 78702, United States
Join our Monthly Drum Circle, led by Mary Oliver of Spirit Rhythms on the last Saturday of each month from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM. Mary focuses on her passion for drumming as a tool for nurturing others toward self-expression, spirituality, and wellness. The drum circle will take place outdoors in chairs but will move indoors in the case of inclement weather.
To sign up, or if you have any questions, please email mary.spiritrhythms@gmail.com
There is no cost to participate, though donations are welcome.

Women Veterans Moving Forward Through Creative Arts - Art and Songwriting Workshop
2022-06-11 10:00 - 14:00 | TX
Join us for a half day virtual event focusing on self-care through the arts for female-identifying current and prior military members. We will start with a warm up art activity with Art Therapist Leah Danze, then focus on a Songwriting workshop with musician Kelley McRae of Song Rise Arts. You will learn song structure and the basic elements of songwriting, with time for individual and group writing exercises, with sharing at the end. All supplies will be mailed to you. Zoom link sent upon registration

Register now to reserve your spot: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/290839337287

The Story Behind the Recipe
2022-06-22 10:00 - 15:00, 2022-06-29 10:00 - 15:00, 2022-07-06 10:00 - 15:00, 2022-07-13 10:00 - 15:00, 2022-07-20 10:00 - 15:00, 2022-07-27 10:00 - 15:00 | Art Spark Texas offices, 1152 San Bernard Street, Austin, TX, 78702, United States
Here in Austin, we love food! And this summer, Art Spark Texas needs your help to share the story behind your home recipes! During June and July we are offering Austin Seniors and Young Adults a series of multimedia art workshops that focus on building connection through food. We will learn the tools of visual art and video to share these recipes and stories. The focus of the videos will be “The Story Behind the Recipe”. Seniors will participate in a 4 week series of writing, illustration, and video interview activities. Classes for Seniors will take place 10-11:30 AM on Wednesdays. Young Adults will participate in a 6 week series of new media training workshops on audio/video recording, animation, and editing. Classes for young adults will take place 1:30-3 PM on Wednesdays. Each workshop covers a new tool and thus creates a new piece of content for our final videos. Our goal is to use the power of art to share Austin culture and bring together two diverse groups of people around the central focus of food. Artists of all experience levels welcome!
Register Here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeRoE7vaGk2o7kTgC-cD7IKPuXPWXIhUBxVUqM126fa4YFnrA/viewform?usp=sf_link

June Makers Meet-up
2022-06-26 13:00 - 16:00 | Art Spark Texas, 1152 San Bernard St., Austin, TX, 78702, United States
Join us for our monthly art-making gathering! For June, we are creating pieces to enter in the upcoming Art Spark Texas ART • BBQ • PIE Art exhibit! All supplies provided. If you’re already working on your entry, feel free to bring any works-in-progress to share with the group for constructive feedback. Deadline for submitting your work into the exhibit is Monday, July 18th. It’s free to participate in Makers, and free to submit your artwork. If you don’t feel comfortable joining us in- person, join us virtually here https://bit.ly/3tmR4JF

July Makers Meet-up
2022-07-24 13:00 - 16:00 | Art Spark Texas, 1152 San Bernard St., Austin, TX, 78702, United States
Join us for our monthly art-making gathering in our new space! For July, we will be diving into Gyotaku, the traditional Japanese method of Fish Printing. Originally a method for fishermen to record and catalog their catch, Gyotaku has evolved into an art form. All supplies provided. As an alternative to printing on paper, we will have fabric paint. (We will be using rubber replica fish for this activity)

If you don’t feel comfortable joining us in-person, join us virtually here https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87338919414?pwd=[REDACTED]

Makers Meet-up
2022-08-28 13:00 - 16:00 | Art Spark Texas, 1152 San Bernard St., Austin, TX, 78702, United States
In celebration of the Dog Days of August, please join us for our monthly art-making gathering which will feature Pet Portraits! Expert pet portrait artist Ty Hamilton will be on-hand to offer some instruction and pointers on creating a special portrait of your beloved pet! We will have all the acrylic painting supplies on hand you will need, you just have to supply your own photograph(s) to work from – sorry, no live models except service animals. It’s free to participate and there will be snacks! If you don’t feel comfortable joining us in-person, join us virtually here: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87338919414?pwd=[REDACTED]
