ArtHaus releases summer class schedule

Tate Schissel, son of Todd and Lara Schissel, creates with clay in an ArtHaus class

ArtHaus, Decorah's home for the visual, performing, and literary arts, has released its schedule of classes and events for the summer, offering a variety of public arts events, camps for young people, and classes for adults.

Summer programming at ArtHaus begins with Girl Power!,  a camp  for young women ages 12-15, which runs June 3-7 from 9am to 1pm at the ArtHaus Studio.  Guided by teaching artist Alyssa Ritter, participants will deconstruct images of women in popular culture, challenging stereotypes and exploring female identity.  Students will express their own ideas through painting, collage, clay, and more.

Boys and girls ages 6-8 and 9-12 are invited to register for Comic World Camp which runs June 10-12 from 9am to 3pm at the ArtHaus Studio and the Clay Studio. Under the instruction of Kyra Bellrichard and Katelyn Spindler students will explore painting, printmaking, clay construction, and more, seeing themselves and their world through the eyes of a comic artist.

The Dig Deeper Camp for boys and girls age 6-8 and 9-12 runs June 18-22 from 9am to 3pm at the ArtHaus Studio and the Clay Studio. Sarah Frydenlund and Katelyn Spindler will lead students in discovering the history of the natural world, connecting the past with the present. They'll dig into the ancient art form of clay construction, as well as the art of transfer through gelatin printing, monoprints, paper-mache, bookmaking, and much more!
 
For younger students age 4-5, Puppet Camp for Mini-Masters runs June 24-28.  Students choose between a morning session from 9am-noon or an afternoon session from 1pm to 4pm. Young artists will experience the fun and challenge of puppet design with instructor Jennifer Fisher Jones. The week concludes with a puppet showing and demonstration of everyone's creations!

Early registration is encouraged. Registrations for ArtHaus camps received before May 15th receive a discount. Thanks to a successful fundraiser, partial and full scholarships are available to all youth programs. The ArtHaus Youth Scholarship Fund is supported by Friends of ArtHaus and The Depot Outlet. To apply for tuition assistance, inquire upon registration.  To register for the 11th annual Nordic Fest Theatre Project--a collaboration between ArtHaus, Upstart Crow Theatreworks, and Vesterheim Museum--contact Jennifer Kovarik at Vesterheim.

Classes for adults are offered in the evening and include Painting and Drawing En Plein-Aire, Turning Life into Fiction, Writing Historical Fiction, and Paper Worship, a new book-making class. In addition to classes, ArtHaus offers a variety of summer events, including live music in the ArtHaus Studio Courtyard, an annual home-brew contest, an arts fair, and more.

To register for ArtHaus classes or to view the complete schedule on-line, visit www.arthausdecorah.org or call 563.382.5440. ArtHaus Summer Calendars are available to pick up at one of several downtown locations including Decorah Public Library, Oneota Community Co-op, the Chamber of Commerce, and in the milk box in front of ArtHaus, which is located at 508 W. Water Street.