Try Something New with Winter Art and Craft Classes
New England during the winter is renowned for being quaint and picturesque. Its beauty can also ignite inspiration and creativity. While everyone else is sleeping in and the earth is hibernating, make your winter as active as you want it to be. Craft to your heart’s content by learning how to throw pottery or fuse glass. Solace-seekers can try a new craft, learn to dance, or “om” the winter days away using holistic therapy. The choice is yours!
Kimball-Jenkins Center, Concord
This is a multi-use community center that focuses on dance, the arts, and crafts. This historic, 3-acre estate includes a dance studio, photography darkroom, craft rooms and more. Art and photo exhibits are sometimes displayed within its walls. Kimball-
Jenkins Center offers adult courses, workshops, talks and demos. Previous classes included watercolor for beginners, contemporary dance, ballet, beginner wheel-throwing, painting from photographs and pottery night. Channel your inner winter artist by creating a snowy, pastoral scene with watercolors, or if you’re dreaming about the summer, which is closer than you think, envision a warm sunset on the beach or a flowery meadow. You can also purchase supplies, like a bag of clay, a beginner watercolor kit or a pottery toolkit. Search recent events at creativeartsnh.com.
League of NH Craftsmen, Concord
The artists in the League of NH Craftsmen are experts at telling stories through craft, and they want to help inspire you to find and create your own stories through hands-on activities. The group, now based in Concord, offers classes and workshops on a variety of interests like basket-making, needle-felting, wet-felting, jewelry-making, pottery and metal sculpture. Even more classes cover clay, sewing, paper, woodwork, multimedia and “Japanese-influenced craft.” Classes are offered in North Conway, Meredith and Nashua. If crafting isn’t your thing, donate to the organization or give someone a gift certificate to warm your own heart. nhcrafts.org
Firefly Pottery, Portsmouth
This lovely lived-in studio in Portsmouth welcomes people of all ages in a relaxed yet energetic atmosphere, with comforting ‘80s tunes in tow. They offer seasonal and nonseasonal premade pottery items that change constantly — everything from skulls to suns. Pick a chunky sweater mug or a tiny pumpkin to paint, and choose from stencils or stamps for additional details. Select from a wall of numbered, colored tiles, including some textured paint options. Though it will look bland after you’ve done the requisite three coats of paint, once it’s fired, it will look vibrant, saturated and glossy — the perfect winter pick-me-up. fireflypotterynh.com
The Currier Museum of Art offers weekly classes and workshops during our fall, winter and spring terms for children and adults. All classes are inspired by the Currier’s permanent collection and special exhibitions. The one-, two- or three-day workshops are for students and families looking for a creative and immersive experience in painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, printmaking and more. currier.org
Sea Love, Portsmouth
If you’ve been searching for your perfect cozy candle, but can’t seem to find your perfect winter scent, Sea Love Candle Bar and Boutique is guaranteed to have something you’ll love. Why? Because you can make and pour your own candle! You can choose from over 100 fragrances to create a candle that’s perfect for making your home as cozy as possible. Their qualified staff will lead you in a candle-making class, where you’ll mix and pour your candle and design the label. sealoveportsmouth.com
