Embrace your creative side in this Watercolor Free Spirit Workshop, a fun, afternoon designed for every skill level—from those who have never touched a brush to experienced painters seeking a relaxing refresh—this course begins with an interactive demonstration of techniques. You’ll learn how the brush handles, how pigment reacts with water, and the joy of choosing your own color palette. By focusing on essentials rather than complex, time-consuming advanced methods like painting wet on wet, or layering paint, you will enjoy immediate success and creative satisfaction.

Everyone will be able to create a finished project to take home that very day, choosing personalized note cards or a standalone painting. Using a seasonal themed subject or your own reference photo, you’ll dive straight into the painting process.

Beyond the brushwork, you’ll gain professional insight into the critical differences between student and professional-grade paints, papers, and brushes, as well as essential care tips. You’ll leave not only with a finished piece of art but also with the knowledge to continue painting note cards and more at home.

Click HERE for a materials list for this workshop!

• We believe art should be accessible to all. Scholarships are available for those who qualify.
• Membership is one of the easiest and most effective ways to support our mission! Learn more about it's benefits and discounts!

Join William Peck for a presentation on the Pennsylvania Soldiers’ Orphan Schools program, which operated from 1864 to 2009, with a focus on the Soldiers’ Orphan School at Chester Springs. Peck will share the history of the program and his family’s connections to the schools. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A.

Doors open at 1:30 PM - lecture begins 2:00 PM

A Mother for America: How Betsy Ross Became the Most Famous Woman in American History 

Join us for an engaging talk with historian Charles Hardy as he explores the fascinating story of Betsy Ross and how she became one of the most recognizable figures in American history.

In A Mother for America, Hardy examines how the Betsy Ross story evolved from family memory into a powerful national symbol, revealing how history, myth, patriotism, and cultural identity shape the stories Americans remember.

About the Speaker: Charles Hardy III is Professor of History Emeritus at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. His work focuses on public history, Pennsylvania history, oral history, and digital storytelling.

Advanced registration prefered

Join master potter, teacher, and writer Jack Troy for this immersive two-day hands-on workshop exploring the transformation of wheel-thrown forms through alteration and intuitive process. Using the potter’s wheel as a starting point, participants will create a range of bottle forms that evolve beyond their original shapes through paddling, shaping, and manipulation at both soft and leather-hard stages.

Through guided demonstrations and studio exploration, participants will develop sensitivity to clay’s changing responsiveness while learning how enclosed forms can be altered around trapped air pockets into dynamic organic and geometric shapes that are both sculptural and functional.

The workshop will also introduce Troy’s ongoing exploration of ishi no sasayaki—Japanese for “stone with secret voice.” These enclosed ceramic forms contain hidden rattles that create subtle, shifting sounds unique to each finished piece, bringing an unexpected sense of life and mystery to the work.

This lively workshop encourages curiosity, experimentation, and the expansion of personal form vocabulary beyond familiar approaches.

Participants should be comfortable throwing bottles 6" tall or larger.

Please bring a ceramic object you have lived with for several years that holds personal meaning and that you would be willing to share with the group.

Join Historic Yellow Springs for a guided visit to the Wharton Esherick Museum, home and studio of pioneering artist and designer Wharton Esherick. Often considered the father of the Studio Furniture movement, Esherick transformed wood into sculptural furniture, interiors, and architectural elements that blurred the line between art and everyday life.

Participants will experience the museum’s signature guided tour, exploring Esherick’s remarkable studio-home, grounds, and creative legacy. Along the way, you'll discover his deep connection to nature, innovative approach to design, and lasting influence on contemporary craft, furniture, and sculpture.

Participants will drive independently to the museum. Plan to meet at the visitors center 9:45. This unique field trip offers inspiration for artists, makers, designers, and anyone interested in the intersection of art, craft, and daily life.

Join Historic Yellow Springs for a guided visit to the Moravian Pottery & Tile Works Museum, the historic workshop founded by historian and artist Henry Chapman Mercer. Participants will tour the site, learn about Mercer's tile-making legacy, and take part in a hands-on sgraffito tile-making workshop.

Finished tiles will be fired and glazed by the studio and available for pickup approximately 3–4 weeks after the visit.

Participants will drive independently to the museum and should plan to arrive by 10:50 AM for an 11:00 AM tour.