Summer Institute – Beverly Residency

Do you want to learn how to make 3D models to print or for games, create visual effects, or animate your own short films? If so, this workshop is a good opportunity to start getting comfortable using the Blender software. Whether you have previous 3D experience or want to get started in 3D, this Blender jumpstart will help you on your journey. We will go over the user interface, basic modeling tools/principles, add ons, lighting, texturing, animation, and rendering. At the end of the week, you will be able to create a simple scene — maybe with some moving parts — and have a good understanding of how to work with Blender so that you can continue learning on your own. We will also share our step-by-step intro to Blender course materials if you want to modify them for use in your own classroom.

Instructor: Blyth Hazen

A dynamic workshop designed for arts educators looking to expand their interdisciplinary teaching practices. Participants will explore connections between these three art forms through hands-on techniques such as handbuilding with slabs in ceramics, exploring water relief methods in printmaking and experimenting with sgraffito using underglaze. The workshop emphasizes the integration of materials and processes to inspire innovative classroom applications, encouraging educators to foster deeper artistic expression and cross-medium exploration in their students.

Instructor: Kendall Reynolds

In this course, students will be making an evocative image to create a more intriguing illustration. We will begin with learning how to craft an illustration from the early idea stage, to the client-ready sketch, and then on to a full-color finish. To aid in the development of a concept, students will learn problem-solving techniques through the use of thumbnails and word association. Visual communication skills will be strengthened while learning how to use composition and reference for more effective storytelling in their work. Color studies will then be explored as we move into the finished illustration. Class critiques will occur at certain stages during the process in order to help each student make improvements for stronger illustrations.

Instructor: Greg Orfanos

Journey into the art of co-creation with the natural world in this workshop inspired by the principles of deep ecology. Through intuitive experiential practices, you’ll explore a holistic connection with nature using your body as a creative instrument. Discover the beauty of ephemeral art, the sustainability of natural materials, and the vibrant possibilities of plant-based dyeing and photographic methods, all woven together with mindfulness.

Instructor: Ania Gruca

Join artist Loren Doucette to learn how to record the ENERGY & RHYTHM of the day through gestural mark making while directly working on a beautiful location. During this class, you will be introduced to a way to rhythmically “search” the landscape for relationships vertically and horizontally while recording the natural directional forces. The class will focus on the importance of “differences” while creating a play of sizes, shapes, and colors. You will be encouraged to explore expressive mark making to capture the feeling of the landscape, rather than drawing it realistically using the local color or departing from it entirely with non-naturalistic color. You will be supported in seeking the rhythm, flow, and movement of the day with your own poetic sensibility. Bring the medium you are most confident using and Loren will help you develop your confidence in expanding the idea of the landscape. 

Instructor: Loren Doucett

In this class, students will be taught a glazing technique with acrylic paints. You will learn how to slowly build up color by applying acrylic paint in thin layers over an existing full value drawing. We will begin by sketching out several rough value sketches, followed by some color studies. Then the most successful sketch will be transferred to a final surface. Using various pencils, we will bring the sketch to a complete value drawing. Then we will solidify our warms and cools by adding thin washes of color. Finally we slowly build the color until the piece is finished.

Instructor: Greg Orfanos

Exploring the nature of the creative process and our own unique creativity is the focus of this class. Learning by submerging yourself in the materials that speak to you most, you will find what lifts your practice and what may set you back. Through seeing and deep listening, you will gain clarity on ways that work best for you. You will be encouraged to work in any medium that calls to you and to try mixing dry and wet media. This is a time to try the things that you have been putting off. As a group, we will seek that freedom of expression that allows for true discovery. You will be supported by instructor Loren Doucette who will speak to the group each morning with inspiring notes from her workshops with Tim Hawksworth and La La Zeitlyn. Loren will work individually with each artist throughout their process.

Instructor: Loren Doucette

Intaglio printmaking is infamous for being fraught with hazardous chemicals. The most notorious of these are petroleum-based solvents and of course… ACID! In this workshop you’ll learn how to replace acid with a miraculous etchant that produces no fumes, requires no ventilation, and is not a danger to human flesh. The solution is easy to mix yourself, more convenient to purchase, transport, and store. All this safety and sustainability while still retaining the excitement and magic of traditional etching at a fraction of the cost of nitric acid!  You’ll produce an intaglio print from a zinc plate– utilizing hard ground, etchant, ink, and clean-up — with the process being about as toxic as cleaning your bathroom. You’ll leave with all the information necessary to set up your own shop or classroom for Nearly Non-Toxic Etching.  The expressive potential of direct mark making (non-chemically based) intaglio methods will also be demonstrated, including engraving, drypoint and electric tools.

Instructor: Haig Demarjian

Papercutting is a rich art form filled with historical and cultural traditions. In the class, students will learn various paper-cutting techniques and styles using both a X-Acto knife and scissors. Learn how to transform an image or an illustration into your own original work of art.

Instructor: Catie Nasser

In this 4-day hands-on workshop, participants will explore how to bring fiber arts, including weaving, yarn crafting, and textile-based projects, into their classroom environments. Through guided demonstrations and the creation of finished pieces, educators will learn approachable techniques for all ages and skill levels. We’ll cover simple weaving methods, fiber sculpture basics, and creative uses of yarn that promote fine motor skills, self-expression, and cultural exploration. Participants will leave with ready-to-implement projects, adaptable for a range of classroom settings, and having made multiple pieces themselves. 

Instructor: Emma Oliver

Professor Haig Demarjian of Salem State University was trained as a printmaker and has been at it for over 30 years. For a long time he tried to integrate safer methods into his arsenal but was consistently dissatisfied with inferior non-toxic products and overly-complicated methods that yielded frustratingly unsatisfactory results. Through trial and error, he has managed to adopt methods and materials that satisfy his needs as a printmaker and educator while virtually eliminating toxicity in his studio practice. Due in part to Professor Demarjian’s efforts, Salem State’s Art + Design department boasts a printmaking studio that the National Association of Schools of Art and Design called “a model not only for safe practices, but also for sustainable studio practices.” 

Loren Doucette lives in Gloucester, MA working as a full-time painter. Her work has shown in solo and group exhibitions since 2006. She received a BFA in Drawing and Painting in 2013 from Montserrat College of Art where she participated in Montserrat’s study-abroad program in Italy. It was there that landscape painting became a stabilizing force in her work. Using Oil,

Acrylic, Pastel and Gouache, her work includes architectural landscapes unique to Gloucester’s harbor, vibrant floral paintings, emotional figurative work and abstractions that come from the bones of all three subjects. Her paintings are prayers hovering between realism and abstraction and celebrate the sun, flowers, people and color of this world. In addition to painting, she offers art mentoring and classes throughout the year while doing live demonstrations upon request. All of Loren’s original artwork, giclee prints and a large assortment of her greeting cards can also be viewed and purchased on her website and online store. Lorendoucetteart.com & Lorendoucetteshop.com

Ania Gruca is an artist, herbalist, and holistic therapist residing in the seaside town of Beverly, MA. Her deep connection with the natural world informs both her grounded creative practices and her role as an educator about plants. Ania’s creative expression is enriched by her meditation experiences, and as a psychotherapist focusing on expressive arts, she sees art as a powerful tool for healing and fostering deeper connections with self and other species. She received her B.F.A. from Montserrat College of Art and an M.A. in Holistic Counseling from Lesley University.

Blyth Hazen studied philosophy as an undergraduate in Texas, and then pursued an MFA at Massachusetts College of Art. Her creative practice often involves making things that move. Sometimes they appear to do this on their own – on a screen. While other times they need more human engagement to be activated – like a puppet, robot or an automata. Blyth is a Professor at Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, MA where she works with students from their first year to their senior year, teaching tools and concepts as diverse as drawing, 2D animation, 3D modeling, game development, stop motion, kinetics and robotics, and puppets.

Catie Nasser is an art educator, art therapist, and visual artist who lives and teaches in Massachusetts with her husband and two children. She has been working with children in the arts for almost 20 years in a variety of public, private, and therapeutic settings. Catie is committed to using art as a tool to help youth find their voice and fully express their thoughts and ideas.

Emma Oliver, born in Salem, MA, is a full-time sculptor and part-time sculpture professor with extensive experience in both studio practice and academia. With a background in studio management and guiding students at Illinois State University, Emma is passionate about shaping artistic talent and fostering creativity. Known for her skill in combining traditional sculpting techniques with contemporary concepts, she has exhibited their work in various galleries both nationally and internationally and collaborated on numerous art installations.

As an educator, Emma is dedicated to mentoring emerging artists, helping them develop their unique voices and navigate the complexities of the art world. Her academic career includes not only hands-on teaching but also organizing art events, exhibitions, and lectures, all of which contribute to a dynamic and inspiring learning environment.

Emma is driven by the belief that art enriches both individuals and communities. Her approach integrates sculptural practice with broader cultural discussions, creating an atmosphere that encourages critical thinking and personal expression.

Greg is a proud graduate of Montserrat College of Art with a B.F.A. in Illustration. His work has been shown in galleries throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. He has also been commissioned for many paintings by both businesses and private individuals. As an illustrator, he has worked in the fields of editorial and advertising. Making pictures that tell stories has always been a running theme in Greg’s work. Though a narrative is always prominent in his paintings, it is often portrayed in a surreal and allegorical way. His work is often embedded with a fascination of the bizarre, a bit of sarcasm and a tongue-in-cheek sensibility. He believes that the exchange of creative ideas in the classroom creates a symbiosis in which the teaching and the making of art exist in harmony.

Kendall Reynolds is the owner and operator of Klayhouse Ceramics. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Education with a minor in Art History from Montserrat College of Art. Over the past eight years, she has taught across a wide range of educational settings throughout the Greater Boston area, including public schools, private charter schools, and museum education programs. For the past four years, she has served as a full-time educator in Lexington, Massachusetts.

In addition to her extensive teaching experience, Kendall maintains a personal fine arts practice grounded in painting and printmaking. In 2019, she discovered a passion for ceramics, which has since become a central component of both her creative work and artistic identity.

At Klayhouse Ceramics, located on the North Shore of Boston, Kendall creates small-batch pottery collections. While she enjoys designing and crafting her own pieces, her true passion lies in offering engaging workshops and private wheel throwing lessons. These workshops provide a hands-on experience for anyone interested in learning the art of ceramics, whether they’re beginners or looking to refine their skills in both functional wares or sculptural applications.