You don’t have to think of yourself as an artist to take art classes. Art can be therapeutic, the act of creating something can be fulfilling and there just may be an inner artist in you waiting to come out. Art stimulates the brain. Setting time aside for yourself in a class can make really make a difference in slowing the daily grind, giving you the chance to explore something on your own time.
I’ve discovered an appreciation and love of art classes in and of themselves by attending classes at the Hui No`eau Visual Arts Center. Not everything I create I love, but the ohana that comes together to create and the supporting environment at the classes is the perfect place to learn and find your niche. I jumped into a wide variety of classes and found that I enjoyed them all. In the printmaking studio I carved wood into colorful prints utilizing an ancient Japanese woodblock technique taught by Tania Arens. I also experienced an incredibly modern layering technique using resin in a workshop with visiting artist Sally French. In each class there were beginners and more experienced artists, but everyone had their own perspective so you don’t feel like you have to be a professional to be comfortable here.
The center offers a wide variety of courses and workshops. Classes can really help you hone skills, they are offered in sessions over a period of weeks to get the basics down. Once you have that under your belt you can sign up for studio time. Then there are the workshops, the Hui offers so many it’ll blow your mind. There are visiting artist workshops, and ones given by the local teachers, too. Workshops last generally one to three days. They’re a great entry point to a particular style or type of art. The Hui has a ceramics studio, jewelry-making studio, printmaking studio and glass blowing studio, and offers instruction in painting, photography, drawing, kapa making, ikebana, children’s courses as well as family Friday workshops and the keiki art camps for summer.
There are tons of ways to immerse yourself in art on their property. Every Wednesday artist Stephen Fellerman demos glassblowing from 10am to 1pm. I took a workshop with him and built a beautiful blown glass ornament, and the Hui offers this workshop to visiting couples and wedding parties, too. Family Fridays features a once-a-month workshop that you can take and work alongside your keiki (it’s a pizza party, too). In the young adult section, the teens and tweens art academy offers so many ways for the young creative to get their hands dirty, like metalsmithing, jewelry making, ceramics, and printmaking.
What to do with all the art you create? Turn to the list of upcoming shows on Maui and create something of course. So many artists feature the things they learn at the Hui, and you’re no exception. For inspiration, I visit the gallery and gift shop when I’m on property taking classes. The Gypsy Maui Food Truck has coffee, smoothies and food at the Hui to indulge in as well.
To check upcoming classes and workshops, go to Huinoeau.com and click on Classes or go by the Hui and pick up the summer course schedule.
HUI NO`EAU
2841 Baldwin Ave., Paia
808-572-6560
Huinoeau.com
Link to course schedule
For more of Maui’s top activities in our annual Summer Guide visit https://mauitime.com/tag/mauitime-summer-guide-2017/
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