Art Classes Offered at Polk Museum of Art

Polk Museum of Art will be hosting several art classes starting February 3. Classes are available for children, teens, and adults, and in a variety of media. Classes are offered on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and last for eight weeks. The cost of the class includes basic materials, and classes are open to students of all skill levels. Classes to be offered are:

For teens and adults:
Chinese Brush Painting, Tuesdays, 6 - 9pm, $130 Museum Members, $145 Non-Members

Digital Photography II*, Tuesdays, 6 - 9pm, $90 Museum Members, $105 Non-Members (*Students must supply their own digital camera and are encouraged to bring a laptop with Adobe Photoshop installed, if possible.)

Portrait Drawing, Tuesdays, 6 - 9pm, $115 Museum Members, $130 Non-Members

Transformation Through Clay, Tuesdays, 6 - 9pm, $115 Museum Members, $130 Non-Members

Life Drawing*, Thursdays, 6 - 9pm, $115 Museum Members, $130 Non-Members (*Nude models are used. Students under the age of 18 must have written parental consent to participate.)

Acrylic Painting, Thursdays, 6 - 9pm, $130 Museum Members, $145 Non-Members

For children:
Cultural Creations, Tuesdays, 6 - 8pm. Learn about world cultures through creating art. $90 Museum Members, $105 Non-Members

Mud Madness, Thursdays, 6 - 8pm. Learn how to work with clay. $90 Museum Members, $105 Non-Members

Recycle that Paper! Papermaking, Thursdays, 6 - 8pm. Learn to make your own paper and how to use it in your artwork. $90 Museum Members, $105 Non-Members.

For more information or to register for any of these classes, call 863-688-5423

Polk Museum of Art to Host Series of Holiday Events

Polk Museum of Art will host a Holiday Magic Series of Events November 20 - 23. Every day for four days, the Museum will present at least one Holiday event and all of them will have a magical theme. Some events will be for children, including the ever popular Breakfast with Santa, and some, like the Jingle Mingle & Art Auction, will be for adults only.

Check out these great events:

Holiday Luncheon
Thursday, November 20, 2008, Seatings at 11:30am and 1:00pm
Cost: $30 per person
Enjoy the magic of the holidays with your friends! Join us for a scrumptious catered lunch, browse Gems & Jewels, and stroll through the Museum’s galleries. It’s a perfect occasion in elegant holiday surroundings.

Gems & Jewels Wearable Art Event
Thursday, November 20, 2008, 10:00am – 4:00pm
Cost: Free with admission
Your favorite jewelers and artists are back by popular demand to dazzle you with their unique creations. It's a great opportunity to buy a wonderful, hand-crafted present for someone special in your life — or for yourself!

Elves Shelves Gift Shoppe
Saturday, November 22, 2008, 9:00am – 3:00pm
Cost: Free with regular Museum admission. Prices of items vary.
Shhhhhhh! A special Secret Shoppe for children only! Gifts will be reasonably priced for children to purchase holiday items for family and friends. Elves Shelves fun includes creating unique wrapping paper for each selected gift.

Breakfast with Santa & Elf Workshop
Saturday, November 22, 2008, 9:00 – 11:00amCost: $15 per person
Get the kids ready for the Holidays with this magical morning event! Santa Claus will be on hand to visit with everyone while a buffet breakfast is served. After breakfast, the merriment moves upstairs to the Elf Workshop where Santa’s helpers have prepared a fun holiday themed art activity.

Holiday Magic Show
Saturday, November 22, 2008, 11:30am – 12:30pmCost: Free with a ticket to a Santa event or $2 at the door
Sparkle, dazzle, and abracadabra... As if the holidays weren’t magical enough, we’ve decided to add even more with our very own magic show. Bring the kids to be entertained and entranced. You’ll leave wondering what you really saw happen!

Art Auction
November 18 - December 7
Free with Museum admission
Stop by the Museum for your opportunity to buy some fantastic artwork for your collection — or as a gift for someone else’s! 20 pieces are available in a variety of styles and media and at a range of prices. Click here to see images of all of the artwork. If you see something you like, stop by to bid, or call the Museum at 863-688-7743.

“Whet Your Palettes” Cooking Class
Sunday, November 23, 2:30 - 5:30pm
Cost: $50 members and $55 nonmembers
Experience the art of creating fabulous foods with just a few brushstrokes! Join Chef Andy, the owner of TheChefAndy.LLC, for “Home for the Holidays”. Learn to make simple, yet creative appetizers sure to impress family and friends over the holidays. Chef Andy’s passion for food and life will make this a class to remember. Class size is strictly limited to 8 and includes use of apron, recipes, wine pairing, and gallery viewing. Participants must wear closed-toed shoes. Meet Chef Andy to learn about his many achievements, including winning the Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence at www.thechefandy.com. Pre-registration is required. Call 863-688-7743 x238.

The Holiday Magic Series of Events is sponsored by BCI Engineers & Scientists, Inc with additional support from Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing.

For more information about the activities, please call 863-688-7743 or visit www.PolkMuseumofArt.org.

Looking for Something to Do This Weekend?

Once again, Polk Museum of Art has got a fun weekend planned, and we're hoping that you will all come join us!

This afternoon, we're having our Family Halloween Party starting at 4pm. It's only $5 per child, and there are going to be some great, art-related, Halloween-themed activities going, all for $5 per child. Games, prizes, candy, cookies... Mmm, cookies... Someone was baking those in our kitchen yesterday, which is right below my office, so I was smelling fresh baked cookies all afternoon!

A few of our staff are already dressed up and in the spirit, and a few more will be getting dressed up later. I'm a woodland fairy, but I think Best Costume will probably go to Letty, our Curator of Education. She's given us a preview of the shoes, and let's just say that there will be a ballerina with VERY large feet dancing around.

Tomorrow, we're working off a Day of the Dead theme. During the day, we're focusing on the kids again with a series of workshops and activities. Most of them are free, but the afternoon workshop (Day of the Dead Altars) will have a $2 materials fee.

But we haven't forgotten about the adults! Tomorrow night is Death by Chocolate. Charlene, our Special Events Manager, has been working hard to make this a fun event with chocolate stations, chocotinis, and great music and dancing. The party starts at 7pm, and tickets are $30 per person. You can purchase tickets at the door.

So come on by the Museum! It's going to be a great weekend. Check out our website for more details or call 863-688-5423.