Northern Kentucky University Art Preparatory believes that the arts are the bridge to imaginative and real worlds that can expand thinking across cultures, help students learn how to solve problems and further develop talent in our region. Art Prep provides community and continuing education programs of the highest quality to students of all ages and abilities and strives to enrich the culture of the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky regions through engaging artistic experiences and outreach initiatives.
Fall & Spring Semesters
14 weeks on Fridays from
4:00-5:00pm
Fine Arts Center FA 309
Semi-private art lessons are available to children (ages 8-17) by NKU Art Education and Art students. Lessons are based on the semester which includes 14, 1-hour sessions. Each semi-private lesson is offered once a week for the entire semester for a total of 14 classes in small groups up to 4 students per instructor.
The total cost for the semester is $300.
Collage is the art of recycling. It takes the old and makes it new again through fragmenting, recontextualizing and combining imagery in new and interesting ways. This four-week online workshop explores the many possibilities that collage can offer.
Several techniques will be explored in this hands-on workshop including creating visually compelling imagery through the use of layering, using color effectively, how to create a strong composition and more.
This workshop is open to both beginner and advanced artists.
A material list will be provided before the course starts.
Instructor: Randel Plowman
Schedule:
July 8-29, Workshop meets online using Zoom, every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. EST. Zoom meetings and demos are recorded, so you can watch later if you choose. All content can be downloaded and viewed anytime throughout the course using a virtual online classroom. Space is limited, so sign up early.
This workshop is for adults ages 16 and up. Space is limited to 15 participants.
Teachers can earn 10 Professional Development hours!
Course fee:
Gigi Modaffari
In this four-day workshop, you will create characters and settings for your characters with the options of using analogue, digital, and hybrid approaches of making. Figure drawing, color theory basics, visual research, and group feedback will guide students as they develop their unique style of making.
Characters can be found in illustrated books, comics, animation, design, and countless other places. This workshop will expose participants to a variety of character styles, hone their ideas for developing character concept, and expand their approaches to visually communicating figure and settings.
If you are a student interested in developing skills in character design and experimenting with a variety of materials and techniques, this workshop if for you! Students of all levels of experience are invited to participate!
Instructor: Julia Sebastian
Location: Founders Hall FH 297
Schedule:
Character Design I – July 10-13, 2023 from 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Character Design II – July 17-20, 2023 from 12:00-2:00 p.m.
*Students are invited to sign up for one or both classes.
Each workshop is for teens aged 13-18 years old. Space is limited to 12.
Course fee:
What is a Risograph?
Risograph printing is a technique best described as a ‘digital screen printing’. The process is much like screen printing, but with the convenience of an office copier. It’s known for its vivid colors and its specific textures. These machines deliver ‘perfect imperfections’ and provide a cheap and easy method for reproducing work at large quantities, like posters, prints and zines.
This four-day, in person, workshop focuses on the basic techniques for risograph printing. Emphasis is placed on printing multiple color layers and registration. Participants can use digital or hand drawn elements or a combination of both, to create a large edition one-page artist zine, where personal content will be explored. This workshop is open to both beginner and advanced artists.
Instructor: Randel Plowman
Assistant Student Instructor: Ariana Profitt
Location: Founders Hall FH 297
Schedule: July 17-20, 2023
Workshop meets live on NKU’s campus Monday through Thursday from 6-8 p.m. EST. This workshop is for adults ages 16 and up. Space is limited to 10 participants.
Teachers can earn 10 Professional Development hours!
Course fee:
The art of bookmaking is a creative mixture of traditional and non-traditional techniques, materials, and exploration. This introductory two-day workshop explores a variety of creative book structures – hard cover accordion book, single-section pamphlet stitch, Japanese stab binding, and more. Participants will leave with a variety of hand-made books and the templates for each as a jumping off point for future projects.
This workshop is designed for beginners and those interested in refreshing their basic skills of hand-crafting books. A list of material will be provided before the class starts.
Instructor: Paige Wideman
Location: Ceramics & Sculpture Building
Schedule: Saturday, July 15 & Saturday, July 22 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
This workshop is for adults ages 16 and up. Space is limited to 10 participants.
Teachers can earn 8 Professional Development hours!
Course fee:
Assemblage art refers to installation or sculptural art comprised of found objects – whether organic or man-made – collected by the artist. Day one of this workshop will introduce participants to the site-specific installation art of Andy Goldsworthy, Robert Smithson, and Richard Long before creating small-scale installations of their own using elements of nature. Day two will introduce participants to the assemblage art of artists like Betye Saar, Jasper Johns, and Louise Nevelson before creating found object sculptures of their own. Participants will be introduced to different techniques and materials used in assemblage art.
This workshop is designed for beginners.
A list of material will be provided before the class starts.
Instructor: Paige Wideman
Location: Ceramics & Sculpture Building
Schedule: Friday, July 28 & Saturday, July 29 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
This workshop is for adults ages 16 and up. Space is limited to 10 participants.
Teachers can earn 8 Professional Development hours!
Course fee:
What is a collaborative workshop with clay? Students will bring a partner to work together to create 3-5 hand-built sculptures using clay. This one-day, in person, collaborative workshop allows partners to problem solve ideas together and explore possibilities while focusing on the basic characteristics/techniques in ceramic sculpture. During the workshop, students will learn and practice the aesthetic elements of art, methods and skills using the three clay hand-building techniques; coil, pinch and slab techniques. Students will apply underglazes to clay sculptures and leave to dry. Then, we will fire every piece in a kiln and your work will be ready for pick-up.
Instructor: Lisa Merida-Paytes
Location: Ceramics & Sculpture Building
Schedule: Saturday, July 29, 2023 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Course fee:
Sometimes the old way is the best way!
Primitive Firing is a practice of using clay’s natural raw beauty with the magic of an open flame and reactive combustibles to create beautiful, one-of-a-kind surfaces not often seen today.
This four-day workshop will focus on creating small, sculptural objects from earthenware to be finished using primitive and ancient methods to achieve these unique works via Pitt & Barrel Firing. Artistic expression will be explored on the surface finish using materials like copper wire, steel wool, salts, and common household chemicals that are reactive with bare clay, certain combustibles, and the simplicity of a controlled open flame.
This workshop will be 3 days of making our objects, followed by a recess (for drying the work and a single kiln firing). For our fourth day, we will rejoin to experience the process of the Primitive techniques for surface finishing.
This workshop is suitable to novice, intermediate, and advanced creatives, though some experience with clay will be beneficial.
Instructor: Joshua Maier
Assistant Student Instructor: Alexis Armes
Location: Ceramics & Sculpture Building
Schedule: 4-DAY WORKSHOP, 2 hours per day
Monday - Wednesday, July 10, 11, 12 & Monday 17 from 5-7 p.m.
This workshop is for adults ages 16 and up. Space is limited to 10 participants.
Teachers can earn 8 Professional Development hours!
Course fee:
The material of clay has an amazing memory. Our touch on its surface remains across time. Artists can use this trait to impart visual intrigue and interest in their creative works. This 4-day workshop will focus on the technique of embossing, or the impression of firmer materials into the soft material of clay, using texture to decorate the surface of functional wares that we will make using slab building techniques.
The first 3 days of class will be exploring this process and its possibilities through making, followed by a recess (for drying of the work, and firing). The 4th day we will rejoin to finish the works with glaze.
This workshop is suitable to beginners, intermediate, and advanced creatives.
Instructor: Joshua Maier
Assistant Student Instructor: Alexis Armes
Location: Ceramics & Sculpture Building
Schedule: 4-DAY WORKSHOP, 2 hours per day
July 17-19 (Monday - Wednesday) & Monday, July 24 from 2-4 p.m.
This workshop is for adults ages 16 and up. Space is limited to 10 participants.
Teachers can earn 8 Professional Development hours!
Course fee:
If you have questions about any of the workshops please contact Randel Plowman at plowmane@nku.edu.
