Senior Studio Course Catalog

Senior Studio workshops are taught in museums, libraries, and senior communities.  Courses are scheduled upon the mutual agreement of the location and the instructor. Program length, number of participants, and cost varies. Basic course descriptions are below, but most courses can be modified to meet the specific needs of your community. Scholarship funds are available. Contact Mia Henley for more information or to schedule a Senior Studio course!

Abstract Acrylic Painting

Instructor: Judith Weintraub

This 6-week painting course offers students an opportunity for fun, outside-the-box creativity while painting with color, play and movement. Maximum 10.

Acting & Improv

Instructor:  Princeton James Productions 

Activate your improv and acting skills.  This 6 to 8 session class offers students a chance to share their stories through acting and improv, discovering new skills and creating their own short production.  Maximum 20.

Art & Wellness:  Mindfulness and Meditation

Instructor:  Paige Sheinberg, in partnership with Memphis Brooks Museum

The themes of this four part series focuse on well-being, meditation and art; self-compassion and loving kindness; positive emotions and gratitude, and self-care and strengths. In each session, participants view and work with art pieces from the Brooks Museums’ collection or visiting exhibitions from different genres.  The course offers basic skills to develop a mindfulness practice, various meditation techniques, and to identify personal benefits related to a meditation and mindfulness practice.  Students create a series of mandalas that explore a theme, emotion, and/or experience.

Collage & Memories

Instructor:  Cindi Ledger

Students use basic art supplies to create a memory collage from pictures and pieces of paper saved from special events.  Students learn basic skills involving pleasing compositions, collage layering for artistic depth, use of texture and color for interest, and greater creative expression. 4 to 6 weeks, up to 10 participants.  

Creative Journaling: Keeping an Artist’s Sketchbook

Instructor: Jimpsie Ayers

During this 6-week course, students develop an artist’s sketchbook, learning techniques including photo manipulation and alteration, collage, calligraphy, printmaking and image transference. Maximum 10.

Creative Writing & Storytelling

Instructor: Elaine Blanchard

Learn to tell a good story with renowned storyteller Elaine Blanchard. In this 6 week course (meeting 2 hours per week), participants learn various components of storytelling. Maximum 12.

Creative Movement

Instructor:  Kristen Lucas 

Engage your mind, body and spirit in a truly fun experience.  Students will learn a variety of dance styles and dance fundamentals, creating opportunities for skill mastery and creative self-expression.  Up to 20 participants.

Guitar for Beginners 

Instructor:  Randal Toma

In this guitar class for beginners, instructor Randal Toma teaches students the first steps of playing the guitar.  Over 4 to 6 weeks, students explore basic strumming and chord changing, singing while playing simple melodies, bass runs and licks to elevate songs.  Students must bring their own instrument, and a music stand is helpful.  Up to 10 participants.

Music in America

Instructor: Christian Stanfield

Learn about the development of American musical genres and be able to recognize their characteristics by ear. This 4-6 week course explores music from 1900 to 1960, including Ragtime, the Blues, Jazz, Big Band, Swing, Country, Rock & Roll, Soul, and others. Courses in other topics also available, including courses focused on African-American music, Jewish Music, and more.  Up to 20 students.

Dulcimer Instruction

Instructor: Lee Cagle

In this 6-hour course, taught over 4 weeks (1.5 hour sessions), students learn basic dulcimer playing skills from acclaimed dulcimer artist Lee Cagle. Advanced beginner courses also availalbe.  Maximum number of students varies. Instruments provided.

Jewelry Making

Instructor: Debbie Lovett

In this 6-hour course, taught over 4 weeks (1.5 hour sessions), students learn basic jewelry making skills using simple and found materials.  Enjoy the instructor's collection, or bring your own items to work with.  Artist Debbie Lovett leads these creative classes.  Maximum number of students 12.  Basic supplies provided.

Painting for Beginners

Instructor: Sarah Nowlin

Painting courses for beginners are offered in two areas:  landscape painting and abstract painting.  During the landscape course, students explore and develop basic landscape painting skills, including composition/color blocking, basic color mixing and mood, creative depth and perspective, and styles of landscape painting. Students finish the course with their own landscape painting. In the abstract painting course, students explore the different elements of abstract painting by studying the works of world masters and then creating a canvas of their own each week.  Both classes meet for 4 weeks, 1.5 hours per class. Maximum 15 students for both courses; supplies provided.

Mosaics

Instructor:  Kristi Duckworth

Students learn basic skills needed to work with the art of mosaics from local mosaic artist Kristi Duckworth, including drawing and coloring a mosaic piece pattern, cutting the piece out of clay, glaze, adhering mosaic pieces, and grouting. Up to 8 people. 

Pottery Painting

Instructor: Adam Loeffel

In this 6-week course, participants paint ceramic pieces, exploring aspects of the pottery making process including color theory and principles of design; application processes; and how paints and glazes work together to create different effects, patterns and colors. Maximum 30.

Pottery Making

Instructor: Debbie Lovett

In both of the courses offered by Debbie, taught over 6 weeks (1.5 hour sessions), students practice basic clay skills or create a clay wind chime. In the basic clay class, students learn to roll out clay and form it into fun but functional shapes, creating 2 to 4 finished pieces (pieces are fired off-site and returned to the site for glazing). In the wind chime class, students create, glaze, and assemble a wind chime from pottery and wire.  Maximum number of students 8.  Supplies and tools provided.

Rigid Heddle Weaving or Inkle Loom Weaving

Instructor: Felicitas Sloves

In this 6-week course, participants learn to prepare a loom (warp) and materials for weaving, weave a project, and create a finished product either by sewing, mounting, or framing their work. Looms provided. Maximum 8 (up to 10 if some students have a loom).

Songwriting-Blues from the Heart and Soul

Instructor:  Kenneth Jackson

In this 6-week course, award winning R & B musician and acclaimed instructor Kenneth Jackson teaches students the art of writing the blues. Working first as a group and then individually, students learn the history and cultural impact of the blues, common blues song structure, how to write their own blues song, and how to accompany themselves on homemade instruments.  Up to 15. 

Spanish 

Instructor:  Barbara Mansberg

Via commands and short stories, students interact with the course leader and one another.  Students learn appropriate physical and voice responses, incrementally engaging in and responding to humorous mini-stories and situations. Through involvement in sight and sound, question and response, students build confidence in vocabulary, comprehension, and expression. Up to 10.  Classes occur 2 times per week for 8 weeks. 

Voices of the South-Drama & Acting

Instructors:  Alice Berry and Jenny Madden 

Voices of the South creates, produces, and performs theatre from diverse southern perspectives. As reported by The Commercial Appeal, “[Voices of the South] achieves a remarkable vitality and visual vibrancy. Delightful and beautiful…it’s theatre that approximates poetry.” Welcome Voices of the South to your community for a series of 4 virtual theater-making classes focused on monologues.  Each 90 minute class focuses on a different aspect of the monologue, from using pictures to objects to stories, students learn to discover, create, and perform their own monologue.  Limited to 10 students. Classes lead by Voices of the South co-founders Alice Berry and Jenny Madden. 

Writing the Marvelous Real: Stories of the Imagination

Instructor: Sheree Renee Thomas

In this 6-week course (meets twice a week) students explore magical realism—taking ordinary people and places and merging them with the extraordinary—to develop their own marvelous tales. Come prepared to read, discuss and write! Maximum 12.