The Oli arts class had the incredible opportunity to spend their summer intensive week at The AVA (Alliance for the Visual Art) Gallery and Art Center in Lebanon, NH. The AVA Gallery and Art Center promotes the visual arts through exhibitions and educational programs that nurture, support and challenge New England artists, and provides art classes for children, teens, and adults.

Our students’ workshop took place in the newly constructed sculpture studio and was taught by Michael Kraatz, an artist whose work has been exhibited regionally and nationally. Michael taught the class how to create sand cast plaster tiles and the students became experts at mixing plaster. One student even used a power drill for the first time! In addition to making individual tiles, the class designed and created a collaborative piece made up of 12 tiles.

While most of the time was spent in the studio, the students enjoyed their lunch breaks relaxing outside on the Lebanon Green. They also explored the beautiful rooftop sculpture garden and viewed some of the amazing exhibitions currently on show in the gallery spaces. What a great art intensive week!

Bessa Axelrod,
Art Teacher/Dean of Pillars