art centers

Bad Art Nights

in
Author
Jon Spayde
Excerpted from: Utne Reader
Every Tuesday night is Bad Art Night at our house. My wife, Laurie, and I haul up the old metal folding table, set it up alongside our dining room table, and pull four or five chairs around. She gets the art supplies out of our crammed coat closet, makes some tea, and puts some energizing music on the CD player. When the doorbell rings, it could be any of a half-dozen regulars, or maybe a newbie drawn by the allure of Bad Art.

Resources

Art Centers in the Twin Cities:

Center for Independent Artists
4137 Bloomington Ave. S.

Minneapolis, MN 55407

612-724-8392 Email: cia@c4ia.org

www.c4ia.org

Center for Independent Artists nurtures independent artistic vision and fosters diverse cultural perspectives by providing resources and services to independent artists.

Intermedia Arts

2822 Lyndale Avenue South

Minneapolis, MN 55408

Phone: 612-871-4444 Email: info@intermediaarts.org

www.intermediaarts.org

Intermedia Arts is a community arts organization that aims to create cultural change through arts, and that works with communities who do not traditionally have access to the arts. They have $2 workshops, youth programs such as school art camps for children in the Whittier neighborhood, and teen programs that include arts activism.

Juxtaposition Arts

280 2nd Avenue North #201

Minneapolis, MN 55401

Phone: 612-374-1418 Email: cdivine@earthlink.net

www.juxtaposition.org

Juxtaposition Arts, a youth visual arts organization, works primarily with kids ages 8-18 in North Minneapolis, fostering creative development by providing a community place to do and share art. They teach free drawing, sculpting, painting and more. The levels range from basic skills to professional, and after each class they hold an art show for the community.

Media Artists Resource Center (The MARC)

2388 University Avenue

St Paul, MN 55114

Phone: 651-644-1912 Email: marc@mtn.org

The MARC aims to "promote the production of media works by independent artists from all communities, and to provide low-cost access to media equipment and facilities for these artists in a supportive and educational environment." They offer film and photography classes. Volunteers receive a 50% discount on classes and equipment and members have access to film, video, editing facilities and a photography darkroom.

Metal Heart Jewelry

4775 Banning Avenue

White Bear Lake, MN 55110

www.metalheartjewelry.com

Metal Heart Jewelry is a classroom studio dedicated to providing a friendly atmosphere for learning to make jewelry in metal. Students will gain skills and knowledge that will enable them to create rings, earrings, pendants, bracelets, chains and other items.

Minnesota Center for Book Arts

B1011 Washington Avenue South, Suite 100

Minneapolis,MN 55415

Phone: 612-215-2520 Email: mcba@mnbookarts.org

www.mnbookarts.org

Minnesota Center for Book Arts offers classes for professionals, youth and families in bookbinding/bookmaking, papermaking/decoration, typography/design, printing/printmaking and calligraphy. Their goal is to "advance the book as a vital contemporary art form, preserving the traditional crafts of bookmaking and engaging people in learning, production, interpretive and collaborative experiences."

Minneapolis Community Education

Lehmann Center

1006 West Lake Street

Minneapolis, MN 55408

Phone: 612-668-1100 Email: community.education@mpls.k12.mn.us

http://commed.mpls.k12.mn.us

Two goals of community education are to promote lifelong learning, and to build community and make connections. There are many art classes among the wide variety of class offerings, including drawing, jewelry, knitting, pottery, candle making, origami and photography. Prices are reasonable, and adults over 62 qualify for a fee reduction.

Minneapolis Parks and Recreation

400 South 4th Street Suite 200

Minneapolis, MN 55415

Phone: 612-661-4800

www.minneapolisparks.org

Minneapolis Parks and Recreation offers various classes, held at recreation centers throughout the metro area, such as children's classes in Art and Park Adventures, "Environ-Art" and Creative Art; teen classes in Arts and Crafts; and Family Craft nights. Most classes are free.

Open U Inc.

706 North 1st Street

Minneapolis, MN 55401

Phone: 612-349-9273 Email: openu241@cs.com

www.openuinc.com

Open U Inc. is "committed to empowering adults to realize their potential and to share that potential with others through teaching, learning and community action." Art classes such as studio painting, pottery, calligraphy, greeting card design and photography are among the multitude of classes offered. Prices are slightly higher than community education classes, but "Frequent Learners" receive discounts.

pARTs Photographic Arts

711 West Lake Street

Minneapolis, MN 55408

Phone: 612-824-5500 Email: parts@bitstream.net

www.partsphoto.org

pARTs Photographic Arts is a photography gallery and resource center. They offer photography workshops for adults, a teen mentor program, and youth programs, where they work with local elementary schools, recreation programs and social service agencies.

Science Museum of Minnesota

120 West Kellogg Boulevard

St Paul, MN 55102

Phone: 651-221-9444 Email: info@smm.org

www.sci.mus.mn.us

The Science Museum of Minnesota offers adult classes on science and the arts, as well as classes for kids and families. Many of the classes for children combine learning about science with making art, and there's even a class on how to make your own art supplies. There is a cost for classes, but scholarships for 85% of the fee are available for families who receive public assistance, and for 50% of the fee for other families who need assistance.

Walker Art Center

725 Vineland Place

Minneapolis, MN 55403

Phone: 612-375-7622 Email: information@walkerart.org

www.walkerart.org

The Walker Art Center has a strong emphasis on community involvement and outreach. They often partner with community-based organizations to create workshops and other programs; there are too many to list here. Many of their programs have an emphasis on youth, teens and family.

Compiled by Rob O'Brien, Object Magazine

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