Art Workshops

Tour Hosts Review
by Sheri Leigh - Tour Hosts are in Bold

Longing to express your creative side? This month our Tour Hosts allow you to do just that. Combine an in-depth cultural exploration with an art workshop to create your own unique, personalized experience. From the rainforests and bio-reserves of Costa Rica, this month’s Heritage Site, to the wild wild northwest of the Canadian Yukon, the making and appreciating of art takes place wherever the inspiration strikes.

Located high (4,500 feet) in the Monteverde cloud forest of Costa Rica, Monteverde Studios of the Arts allows intrepid travelers to enjoy this rural community while studying a wide selection of arts with local people.

Monteverde offers 10 broad workshop topics, from basket weaving to stained glass, all of them specialized, individual classes taught by local inhabitants, frequently in their own homes. Drawing, paining and textiles are the most diverse of Monteverde’s offerings, with more classes in these categories than any others. Classes are very small, and one-on-one sessions are frequent. The diversity, intensity and intimacy of its offerings make Monteverde Studios of the Arts one of two, Picks of the Month.

Whether your goal is to learn traditional art weaving with a Guatemalan in her own home, "Weaving in Guatemala: An Indiginous Way of Life," or you prefer drawing, painting or photography out in Guatemala’s splendid landscape, Art Workshops in Guatemala offers a wide selection of programs. The school’s founder, Liza Fourre, was a commercial photographer for many years. Her culturally conscious photography classes epitomize the “Leave nothing but footprints” philosophy earning her school the second of this month's Picks of the Month.

From tropical forests to windswept islands, The Art Exchange offers one-of-a-kind courses focusing on Greek art. Each year different classes are taught on an island specifically known for the craft being covered. This year one of the programs features the island of Tinos, home to a long tradition of marble sculpture. The roots of this barren island’s artistic heritage are contrasted with that of the lush and fertile Skyros, in Decorative Arts of the Aegean, an informative glimpse into two different islands and the external forces that fashioned their art.

When humanism began flowering during the Renaissance, it had a profound effect on the arts.  Fresco painting, the art of painting on wet plaster (thus turning the wall itself into the masterpiece) became a highly prized decorative art with its themes of daily life and the beauty of creation. Ortolanstudio offers a specialized program in the Veneto which teaches the ancient techniques of fresco painting’s stylized artists and the methods developed over the centuries used to preserve their unique works.

The Tuscan countryside is your inspiration when choosing Art Workshop International. Offering scheduled classes in painting, drawing, mixed media, creative writing and art history, as well as individual instruction, classes are conducted in and around Assisi. Special excursions are available to suit individual need. Scheduled courses run 2-4 weeks and accommodations are included.

Long noted for its beauty and lush landscape, Bermuda has influenced artists for 150 years. Housing a superb variety of works by both Bermudian artists and visitors alike who have captured the sights and spirits of this unique island, The Masterworks Foundation serves not only as a gallery, Origins of the Masterworks Bermudiana Collection, but also offers classes to children and adults alike. Its summer day camp, “Art on the Gogh,” offers local and visiting children courses in a variety of media: oil, etching, photography and drawing. For adults, watercolor classes with noted local artist Chris Marson are available on request throughout the year.

It you need endless space to explore your creativity, head northwest to Canada’s Yukon. Klondike Institute of Art & Culture offers programs that take you deep into the wilderness to pursue painting, drawing, photography and even drum making. The institute’s base in Dawson City offers studio space and is the starting point for all its adventures. KIAC is also the host for the Dawson City Film Festival (see our Calendar listing for more information) and will roll out its First Annual Arts Festival in August.

Traveling the world in the pursuit of art: What could be more fitting for a Cultured Traveler?