Free workshops offered at Wayne Center for the Arts

The Wayne Center for the Arts will offer a free monthly workshop, thanks to the support from various foundations.

“We are so grateful for the community support that allows us to offer these free workshops,” said Sara Brink, executive director of Wayne Center for the Arts. “At WCA it is our goal to ensure that everyone in our community has access to the arts, and these classes help remove barriers to participation. Engaging with the arts is wonderfully beneficial for our mental health and well-being.”

Creatives Sparks is a free, open, studio-styled program for youth and families. Each month a WCA instructor provides materials and directs participants in a different art project. Families with children of all ages are invited to participate, but children under 9 must be accompanied by an adult. Creatives Sparks is offered for free, thanks to support from the United Way of Wayne and Holmes Counties and the Akron Community Foundation’s Millennium Fund for Children. Registration is required as seats are limited. Creatives Sparks will take place Jan. 20, Feb. 17 and March 16 at 10:30 a.m.

For teens WCA will offer Art Hangout, a free space for teens to hang out and make art. Each studio session will be a different project with WCA visual arts instructors. This program will be Jan. 25, Feb. 22 and March 21 at 6 p.m., and registration is required. The program is supported by the Carlton and Harlene Steiner Fund of the Wayne County Community Foundation.

For adults there will be two events. Art Connections is a free space for adults to express themselves through the arts and build community by working alongside WCA visual arts instructors. Each session will explore a different art medium including painting, drawing, printmaking and mixed media. Each new student will receive a basic art supply kit to encourage ongoing artistic expression. Art Connections will take place Jan. 31, Feb. 28 and March 20 at 6 p.m.

The Discover Your Inner Artist series includes free, guided sessions that will give participants a chance to discover their own artistic voice and creative spirit through journaling, exploration of different mediums, and time to share thoughts and projects. Themes will change weekly. Come to all sessions or pick and choose dates that work for you. Registration is encouraged, but drop-ins also are welcome. Discover Your Inner Artist will be Thursdays, Jan. 18 through Feb. 22 at 7 p.m.

Art Connections and Discover Your Inner Artist are supported by the Kathryn G. Freed Fund of the Wayne County Community Foundation.

“It is so encouraging watching families and individuals engaging in art and building community, teens forging new friendships, families creating together, and adults rediscovering themselves through art making,” said Darcy Haynes, visual arts and outreach coordinator.

For more information and to register for classes, visit www.WayneArtsCenter.org or call 330-264-2787.