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This class is about painting the portrait alla prima (wet into wet) and the techniques used to create a fresh, direct response to our subjects.  After a demonstration, the class will work from a live model.   Emphasis will be on simplifying and interpreting the face and head as a series of basic shapes/planes described by light and shadow.  In addition to discussing value, color and paint application, we’ll also talk about basic proportions of the head and facial features. By learning to simplify what we see, we become better able to paint our subjects with greater clarity and directness.  This class will be particularly helpful to students who wish to paint more loosely and to use their brushstrokes with economy.

Celebrate the summer exhibition season with a reception highlighting the Photography Resident Exhibition, I Sing Behind the Plow: A Century of Teaching Craft and Traditional Culture at the John C. Campbell Folk School, and Connecting to Place: Blue Ridge Craft Trails Invitational 2026. Meet the featured artists and curators, explore new perspectives on regional craft and tradition, and enjoy conversation with fellow art enthusiasts. Light refreshments will be served.

 Search along The Bascom’s Horst Winkler Sculpture Trail for a clay mushroom during  Game of Schrooms, a worldwide art scavenger hunt.

Create a magical clay fairy door for indoor or outdoor display. Student work will be available for pickup or shipping two to three weeks after class.

Suitable for ages 6 and up. 

Clay Camp for our youngest potters! Try out different methods of handbuilding pottery. In this three-day workshop we will explore using clay to create functional and decorative ceramics. Student work will be fired after the class and available for pickup or shipping two to three weeks after the last class.

Ages:

4-7

In this 5 day wheel throwing class, we will cover the basics of working on the potter’s wheel.  If you have never tried this before, please expect some difficulty in the initial stages.  The focus will be to learn centering and then to pull shapes such as bowls (ex. berry bowls, soup bowls, colander, cereal bowls, etc) and cylinders (ex. Mugs, tumblers, sippers – based on the learning curve). This class includes Open Studio access only on the day of class.  There will not be a glazing component to this class.  Please see Glazing Class in the Resident Artist Series Schedule.

Try out different methods of handbuilding pottery. In this three-day workshop we will explore using clay to create functional and decorative ceramics. Student work will be finished in a variety of ways, including underglaze and glaze, and will be fired after the class and available for pickup or shipping two to three weeks after the last class.

Ages:

6-18

The Bascom invites young artists to get creative with instructor Caryn Raming as they make art inspired by the beauty of nature and the excitement of the Fourth of July. From sea to shining sea, students will play with color and texture while creating imaginative artworks celebrating America’s landscapes. 

Bring a lunch or snack, and get ready to CREATE!

Ages 7–12

Try out making pottery on the wheel. Students will practice the basics of learning to center and throwing small bowls, cups and plates. Work will be fired and glazed after the class and be available for pickup or shipping three weeks after class ends.

Suitable for ages 10-18

Your iPhone camera is your window to the world. Learn how to unlock its full potential, including the addition of various photography apps. We will focus on Photography skills such as impact, composition, lighting, storytelling, artistry and more that will take your images to the next level. The course includes both classroom time and taking photographs on-location in Highlands, NC.

Your instructor, Professional Fine Art Nature and Portrait Photographer Gwen Greenglass, will guide you in applying these skills to your favorite style of photography.