2025 Summer Arts Workshops
Registration opens January 14 at 10:00 a.m. PST. We look forward to creating with you in Tahoe!
The Holman Arts and Media Center invites artists of all skill levels to Lake Tahoe for its annual Summer Arts Workshops. Attendees will spend five days in an intensive creative experience led by internationally recognized sculptors, painters, videographers, photographers and mixed-media artists.
Workshop participants will leave having expanded their creative skillset while in a stunning natural setting. Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada have long been sources of creative inspiration for artists of all mediums. The Holman Arts and Media Center is within walking distance from the shores of Lake Tahoe and situated amidst miles of hiking and walking trails in the Sierra Nevada.
Save the date! Registration opens January 14 at 10:00 a.m. Workshops fill quickly.
June 16–20
Exploring Nature with Watercolor Painting
Workshop participants will work with watercolor and paint outdoors to gain an understanding of color theory, design, and composition. They will also explore the shape, color, and texture of nature and expand their knowledge of watercolor methods and techniques. This course is appropriate for all student levels.
Instructor: Claire Tom
Medium: 2D
The Object Speaks Volumes
Learn from artist, curator, and gallerist Sam Harvey in this ceramics workshop. Explore a variety of hand-building techniques, form, color, and surface through demonstrations and creative exercises. Discover a new creative way to build expressive, functional forms with a focus on glazing and its relation to form.
Instructor: Sam Harvey
Medium: Ceramics
Surface Design for Low Fire Soda
This workshop focuses on integrating surface design with wheel-thrown pottery fired in a low-fire soda kiln. Participants will learn surface-design methods including underglaze decorating, sgraffito, and mark-making techniques while addressing aesthetic issues like proportions and color theory.
Instructor: Ben Carter
Medium: Ceramics
June 23–27
Finding Form: Coil-Built Vessels
This workshop introduces coil and pinch techniques for building vessels. Participants will explore creating transitional edges, cantilevered planes, and full curves, developing a personal vocabulary in clay through demonstrations and one-on-one instruction.
Instructor: Giselle Hicks
Medium: Ceramics
Plein Air Landscape in Oil
Join plein-air painter Phyllis Trowbridge to explore Lake Tahoe’s breathtaking landscapes. Learn outdoor oil painting fundamentals, including composing and simplifying landscapes while adapting to changing light and weather.
Instructor: Phyllis Trowbridge
Medium: Painting
July 7–11
Intentionality: Form and Shape
Dive deep into the meaning and sources that influence your artwork. Create objects like vases, teapots, and platters that reflect personal history and intentional meaning. Demonstrations will include throwing, extruding, and slab construction techniques.
Instructor: Doug Casebeer
Medium: Ceramics
Wall Hanging Sculptures: Abstracted Representations of the Self
Explore hand-building techniques to create ceramic wall pieces, surface decoration techniques, and mixed media to express ideas and creativity. Learn various methods for hanging pieces on walls and creating compelling compositions.
Instructor: Louise Deroualle
Medium: Ceramics
The Art of Handmade Books
Explore the world of print and mixed media, using techniques such as letterpress, composition building, and hands-on crafting. Experiment with materials like decorative papers, fabric, and found objects to create layered, dynamic compositions.
Instructor: Meg Pohlod
Medium: 2D
July 14–18
Fast Fired Pottree
Discover a variety of fast-firing techniques, including raku, copper matte luster, alcohol reduction, fuming with chlorides, horsehair, and low-fire salt saggar firing. Improve throwing skills and explore new decorative processes.
Instructor: Randy and Don
Medium: Ceramics
Painting with Light
Combine plein air and studio painting using acrylics or optional watercolors. Develop sketches into finished compositions with techniques that enhance depth and variety. Explore creative exercises for a fresh perspective.
Instructor: Sharon Virtue
Medium: 2D
Plein Air Creative Writing
Venture outside to explore sensory responses to nature and practice writing what you see. Experiment with ekphrastic writing and the objective correlative to express your internal world through vivid imagery.
Instructor: June Saraceno
Medium: Literary
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