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Block Printing with a Steam Roller: Making a Neighborhood Image for a Steamroller Print Event

In this 90-minute workshop, artist and educator Brian Counihan will guide a collaborative woodblock design project that can be printed as a giant banner-sized image using a steamroller as a press. In this workshop we’ll collectively develop the visual content, consider how the banner can have a positive effect on the neighborhood, and think about […]
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The Neighborhood Scroll: A Crankie Portrait Project for All Ages

In this 90-minute workshop, artist and educator Brian Counihan will introduce a storytelling art form rooted in Appalachian tradition. Crankies, or moving panoramas, are drawings or paintings that can be manually scrolled within a boxed “stage.” Participants will develop basic scripts, create imagery, and use their crafting skills to create a portrait of an important […]
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Y(our) Mental Health: An Educational Dance Production

Mental Health in Motion works with you to create a unique dance production for your neighborhood to celebrate local voices, uplift the community, and learn together. Through movement, storytelling, and reflection, audience members not only learn about important mental and social health themes but also witness their complexities played out in a dynamic, immersive performance. […]
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Rhythms for Roanoke: A Latin-Infused Ballet Show and Dance Class

Nothing brings people together like a good beat! In this 90-minute dance experience, Roanoke Ballet Theatre (RBT) will inspire your neighborhood with a petite performance by the professional dancers of RBT. This show will feature dances from Latin countries including Ecuador, Colombia, Cuba and more. After the show, a Salsa expert and RBT dancers will […]
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Explore Freedom Together: Ready, Release, Restore

In this 90-minute somatic movement workshop, we will explore various types of movements with the emphasis on the awareness of our bodies. Participants will begin with a warmup and then move into three healing movements that can be done in combination or separately for grounding, calming and finding respite from within. The session will finish […]
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We CAN DRAW! An Introduction to Sketching from Life to Observe the Neighborhood

Local artist and community friend Polly Branch guides this participatory drawing workshop to help your neighborhood see itself. The workshop focuses on making our mark on paper and contemplating how we see from our own points of view. Participants will interpret and record a moment, practicing new drawing skills. The workshop requires no previous experience […]
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Sing Out! An Interactive Circlesinging and Body Music Experience

Get the neighborhood singing! Through activities that involve movement, voice, body percussion, play, and improvisation, experienced song leaders Joy Truskowski and Katie Trozzo will create space for you to open your voice, spirit, heart, and body. Together, we’lll strengthen neighborhood bonds, build confidence, and express your creativity. You don’t have to be a “singer” to […]
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Rhythm Connects and Heals: A Drum Workshop for Everyone!

In this 90-minute workshop, percussionist Linda Macchia will teach the basics of drumming to get your neighborhood working in rhythm together. Community drumming is fun, it’s inclusive, and it breaks down barriers. In a drum group, everyone is a winner, and everyone contributes to the complete sound.
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Painting 101 for EVERYONE: Creative Bliss Behind the Canvas

Tap into group creativity when hosting this painting workshop with Roanoke’s original paint party instructor, Kaydee Pickle of The Heartworks Company. Participants will explore foundational painting techniques and color theory, each on their own canvas, during the 90- to 120-minute session. Attendees are guaranteed to gain a painting tip or two in this pARTy! After […]
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Neighborhood Footsteps: Create Your Neighborhood Path

Is there a spot in your neighborhood that could use a footpath? Is there an elder who could use a path installed on a hill? Is there a garden space that calls for a pathway? In this 2-hour workshop, artist Jane Gabrielle will walk through the process of making stepping stones decorated with handprints and […]
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Mobile Paint Night: Painting Fun for Everyone!

Want to have some fun while learning new painting skills and connecting with your neighbors? In this 90-minute class, you will learn the steps in making a successful painting that you can hang in your home. Artist Leah Thompson will guide you through demonstration and step-by-step instructions. No prior art experience is needed, and it’s […]
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Mandala Making: Moving Through Emotions One Flowerpiece at a Time

In this 60- to 90-minute session, longtime social worker and artist Misty Dawn will teach a small lesson and engage neighbors in a collaborative activity. Participants will learn about the symbolism of shapes, mandalas, and how we process emotions. Together, the group will discuss the variety of seasonal materials used to make individual mandalas. We’ll […]
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Kindness Stones: Show Kindness, Share Happiness

Studies show that kindness from your neighbor is the best predictor of happiness and satisfaction with your neighborhood. Exercise your neighborhood’s kindness muscles with this 2-hour workshop with artist Jane Gabrielle. Participants will be guided in painting small stones with encouraging words. Each session starts with a mindfulness practice that focuses on holding or carrying […]
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Ignite Your Light: The Candle Pouring Workshop You Never Knew You Needed!

In this 90-minute workshop, Roanoke creative, licensed mental-health professional, and candle maker Danielle Austin-Johnson will teach the basics of natural soy candle making. Through this interactive course, participants will connect with neighbors, applying the symbolism of mindfulness techniques, cognitive reframing and the importance of positive self-talk. The focus will be on pouring into yourself, affirming […]
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Hair Art Masterclass

Gather neighbors for a fun, three-hour event with hair artist Marlee Coles. Explore hair as a creative medium and celebrate the rich hair history of our community. Using hair extensions, braiding hair, and weave bundles in various textures and colors, participants will collaboratively create works of art. Whether experienced in braiding and styling or not, […]
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Free Little Art Gallery: Make Art, Leave Art, Take Art!

The Free Little Art Gallery (FLAG) is a free miniature art gallery modeled after the Free Little Library. Visitors can bring artwork to leave on display, take artwork that inspires them, or just come enjoy what’s on display in the gallery. The FLAG is not only for the display of work, but also for the […]
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Enabling Creativity: A Poetry Workshop for Disabled Writers of All Experience Levels

In this 2-hour writing workshop, Roanoke poet Michelle Acker will guide participants through writing poetry based on their lived experiences of disability and chronic illness. Through a series of mini-lessons and writing exercises, participants will produce an original work of poetry to express how they relate to themselves and the people and spaces around them.
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Poe Mack’s Hip Hoponomics
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Music and the Mind

In this 60-minute workshop, Roanoke Symphony Orchestra musicians will demonstrate ways to engage the mind through music. Studies have shown that music can have a profound impact on brain development at all ages and help create unity within our homes, families, and neighborhoods. Participants will learn simple techniques that can be replicated at home, including […]
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Meditate and Create: Energize the Vision

Would you like to feel more connected to your neighbors and community? What would you like to create in your neighborhood? The Meditate and Create workshop is about the art of slowing down, sitting and breathing, and creating the space to liberate that creative vision from a broader perspective. Learning the simple steps in the […]
Learn Together
with Radiance Wellbeing at A Touch of Comfort
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From Snoopy to Spider-Man: Draw your own Cartoon Character or Superhero

Comics and graphic novels connect us all through our shared visual history and culture. This two-hour workshop is a chance to connect families in your neighborhood as they bring to life superheroes or fun characters of their own. Artist Katherine Devine will lead the workshop in basic drawing tips and techniques to discover your own […]
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Chalkways to Hope: Magnifying Love of Place

Join award-winning neighborhood artist Jane Gabrielle in “chalking up” your neighborhood. This two-hour sidewalk chalk art activity engages all ages using storytelling and neighborhood pride. Participants are encouraged to envision “what gives you hope” and to amplify what is loved about their neighborhood.
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A Puppet Playing Goatsinger Workshop: A Family-Based Puppetry Workshop

Grab the neighborhood kids, a handful of plushy toys or puppets, or whatever is in easy reach, and meet and work with resident goatsinger Mike Moran. In this 90-minute workshop play session, the neighborhood group will create a series of small, unique, toy-based performances that will incorporate puppetry and music. Small theatre pieces are an […]
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Tiny Magic Doors: A Collaboration of Witty Wizards and Cheeky Goblins

In this creative community project, join Skye Hartwell in the installation of five tiny doors in your neighborhood! Help set up these cute magical portals of fantasy. Create a miniature setting on 5 separate sites with a tiny door at each using tools and paints. Neighbors will pick and choose miniature outdoor accents and modify […]
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Star City VoiceBox: A Magical Mobile Storytelling Space

Star City VoiceBox will provide an innovative and interactive way to share and preserve stories from your neighborhood. Using thought-provoking prompts, two people (friends, neighbors, family, total strangers, etc.) will sit together in conversation. The VoiceBox will be a safe space designed to foster connection, empathy, and deep listening. The stories will then be recorded […]
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Roanoke Neighborhood Tours

In partnership with the Roanoke Valley Preservation Foundation, the Roanoke History Museum invites your neighbors on an architectural history tour of your neighborhood! In this 30- to 60-minute walking or driving tour of Roanoke’s earliest neighborhoods, you can take a step back in time and learn the stories behind some of the neighborhood’s iconic buildings […]
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Poets in the Park: An Introduction to Nature Writing

Beginner and seasoned writers alike will gather in a neighborhood park for an hour of poetry inspired by the natural world of your neighborhood! In this hands-on workshop, local artist and writer R.A. Morris will provide instruction on how to use nature as inspiration for poetry. After a free-writing period, participants will regroup to share […]
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Our Green Spaces, Our Stories: Celebrating Our Neighborhood Parks, Trees & Trails Through Poetry & Art

Does your neighborhood have a treasured tree? A park or playground that makes you proud? Let’s celebrate it through poetry and art! In this collaborative project, a writer, an artist, and an educational specialist will join your community to craft a professionally designed book commemorating your celebrated green space, with submissions open to neighbors of […]
Explore Together
with Ana Morales, Ashley Wilson Fellers and Rolando Holmes
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Mini Murals: Find Them All and Win a Prize!

Get your neighborhood together for a scavenger hunt to remember. Artist Megan Scott Scripps paints realistically on a small scale, hiding paintings on any flat paintable surface. Those who find all the paintings can win a prize, and Megan will donate a piece of art for the contest. This is a wonderful way to get […]
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Mapping the Neighborhood with Compasses, Maps and Fun Activities

Bring neighbors together to explore the neighborhood from a new point of view in this two-hour workshop. Roanoke-born artist Polly Branch loves working with neighborhood groups. She’ll share different kinds of maps to explore, engage participants in fun conversation prompts about creating maps, and host some activities using a compass that participants can decorate to […]
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Fairy Fest: Build a Magical Community!

Make connections with neighbors and tap into your creativity by building fairy houses. Artist Molly Kernan will guide participants in building unique fairy houses with foraged and recycled materials over the course of a four-hour workshop.
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Embroidered Memories

In this workshop with the Roanoke History Museum, bring neighbors together to embroider and embellish a photograph. It can be a cherished family photograph or a found photograph—one with no names, locations, or personal meanings. Learn the importance of preserving and labeling photographs while reminiscing and creating new memories in the process. Bring your own […]
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Picture This: An All-Level Photography Workshop & Neighborhood Photo Walk

In this 90-minute workshop and photo walk, a Roanoke-based group of photographers will lead a 45-minute, all-level photography skill-building session in collaboration with the neighborhood. This informational session will focus on composition, light, and subject. That will be followed by a 45-minute group photo walk around the neighborhood with photographers and neighbors. The photographers will […]
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You Belong in This Circle: Collective African Dance

This interactive 90-minute workshop will reflect the communal nature of ancestral West African dance traditions. The event is people-inclusive. We hope to welcome all generations in your neighborhood, diverse states of wellness and mobility, the entire gender spectrum, LGBQTIA+ friends, and every ancestry. Guests will be introduced to the legacy of ‘circle’ practice, and journey […]
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UKESTRA: Join the Musical Fun of the Adult Ukulele Orchestra – All Skill Levels Welcome!

UKESTRA fosters a vibrant community of like-minded individuals who come together to celebrate life, sing with gusto, and enjoy the camaraderie of music-making while exercising their minds and fingers. It’s a unique opportunity to build neighborhood connections and grow community through music. A five-week music course held in your neighborhood, the hour-long classes are designed […]
Learn Together
with UKESTRA
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Daisy Art Parade Preparation Workshops

Work with a local artist to prepare a lively group of neighbors in representing your neighborhood in the second annual Daisy Art Parade. In a series of work sessions, an artist will help you conceptualize and implement a fun, arts-based entry for the Saturday, April 13 World Art Day celebration and parade in Downtown Roanoke.
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Be Part of the Daisy Art Parade

A viewer at 2023’s inaugural Daisy Art Parade called it “a day of joy and love, and exactly what we needed.” We couldn’t have said it better. This non-motorized parade enlivened Downtown Roanoke with hand-crafted puppets, costumes, and spectacles. And the fun didn’t just happen on parade day! The real joy and connections were created […]
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The Sounds of Elegance and Grace: Music from the Courts of 18th-Century Europe

Host an hour-long, narrated musical performance with the artists of the Roanoque Baroque Chamber Orchestra. This engaging encounter will include a string trio or quartet sharing the graceful, lively and soulful music of composers such as J.S.Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, and others, along with stories behind the music, the instruments and the world of the composers. […]
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Aerial POPS! (Power of Public Spectacle)

Harness the power of public spectacle with Cirqulation Aerial & Acrobatics! Draw curious gazes and activate public spaces in your neighborhood. Cirqulation will bring a portable aerial rig and create interactive performances featuring internationally renowned talent. Each performance is unique, and concepts are developed collaboratively with community partners. In the spirit of placemaking, Cirqulation aims […]
Enjoy a Performance Together
with Cirqulation Aerial Arts & Acrobatics
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A Music Performance by CommUnity ArtsReach

Are you planning a block party, fundraiser or holiday event? CommUnity ArtsReach stage performers can meet your needs with exciting music by youth and adult members. Delight your neighborhood audiences with a performance by CommUnity ArtsReach singers and musicians directed by Bernadette (BJ) Lark. CommUnity ArtsReach is a nonprofit organization providing instruction and opportunities to […]
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5-Minute Portrait Booth: Can YOU Sit Still for Five Minutes?

Welcome artist Laura Vahlberg for a two-hour session of five-minute portraits of your neighbors. The portraits can serve as a time to pose with, and connect to, a dear neighbor – or a new acquaintance. Together they can form the basis of a neighborhood gallery show or celebrate a neighborhood event or milestone. The possibilities […]
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Pop-Up Puppet Show and Make-Your-Own Puppet Workshop

Connect your neighbors with the timeless magic of puppets in this two-hour interactive puppet show with puppets designed and created by artist Katherine Devine. Enjoy a puppet performance, a short sing-along, and then head over to the workshop table and create your own simple puppet (or two!) with materials provided. The neighbors will be sure […]
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Face Painting: An Interactive Addition to Any Event!

Face-painting is the perfect addition to any event, from school festivals to birthday parties to church events! Book April Rose Art to come for a two-hour session and paint faces at your next event! The focus will always be on the children, but adults are more than welcome to have their faces painted, always! April […]
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Afro-Cuban Performance & Mini Dance Workshop: Bring the Beat to Your Backyard!

Experience the infectious energy of Afro-Cuban music in an engaging and intimate format. Jstop Latin Soul, performing as a five- or six-piece ensemble, delivers a lively 90-minute set that blends traditional Cuban rhythms with a modern soul-jazz twist. The event begins with a short interactive dance demo—covering salsa and basic rumba, followed by a performance […]
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Neighborhood Open Mic: Connect your Neighbors with Joy!

In this 90- to 150- minute event, singer/songwriter and songleader Joy Tru brings a fun and friendly open mic night to your neighborhood, where you and your neighbors can listen, watch, and perform (if you want to!) for your community. Anything goes: sing a song, recite a poem, tell a joke, perform a skit, do […]
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Creative Community Story Time: Interactive, Engaging Story Time for All Ages

Community storyteller Misty Dawn captures your imagination, engages your funny bone, and revives your spirit through a 90-minute story time engagement. Get to know your neighbors and learn important skills in communicating and community building.
Enjoy a Performance Together
with Misty Dawn’s Entergagement
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Dr. Burrell and His AmazingHorse, Pillbox: Experience the First in a Series of Old-Style Neighborhood Chronicles Crankies

In this 60-minute engagement, witness the interactive story of Dr. Isaac Burrell, his namesake hospital and the African-American Hospital Movement. Be dazzled by Mike Moran, The Puppet Playing Goatsinger, as he interacts with “Pillbox,” Dr. Burrell’s amazing horse, who narrates. Learn local history and be invited to tell a story from YOUR neighborhood.
Enjoy a Performance Together
with One World Arts
One World Arts/Artists-in-Residence Collaboration
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Classic Strings Duo: A Concert and Violin Petting Zoo

In this 90-minute program, members of the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra will perform music from around the world as they discuss what makes folk and classical music different and how sounds are produced on stringed instruments. An instrument “petting zoo” with violins of all sizes allows every member of the audience to hold and play the […]
Enjoy a Performance Together
with Roanoke Symphony Orchestra
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The Neighborhood that Plays Together: Laugh a Lot with Kyle Edgell

In the process of watching amazing caricatures being created, participants will learn how to build positive emotions through improvisation, art and laughter. The focus will be on engagement, trust, creativity and laughter. Listening is a must for both the model and the spectators, as is the willingness to support, encourage and cheer each other.
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The Magnificent Lefty: Magician and Professional Freakshow

Let Roanoke’s first full-time street performer, Jefferson Rose, a.k.a. The Magnificent Lefty, help you turn a gathering into an event with amazing amusements. Work with the Magnificent Lefty to provide a complete show or mix entertaining elements to keep your neighbors on their toes or in their seats. Bring the block together in a circle […]
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Elevate Your Teamwork: Cirqulation Teambuilding Workshop

Provide your neighborhood team with a dynamic and engaging 60-minute workshop designed to build trust, communication, and collaboration through the art of acrobatics! In this interactive session, participants of all abilities will explore the basics of partner and group acrobatics in a supportive, fun, and inclusive environment.
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A Little Sewing Workshop: Pillow Making with Neighbors
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Repairing Is Caring: A Sewing Alterations and Mending Workshop

In this 90-minute workshop, you will learn hand stitching and machine techniques to mend or alter your own clothing. Participants will repair holes, lengthen or shorten a sleeve, and change a neckline on a garment. Techniques learned can be applied to other garments. And, who knows, you might even decide to set up regular neighborhood […]
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Power Through Drumming: Reclaiming Women’s History

In this 90-minute workshop, percussionist Linda Macchia will share her knowledge of the frame drum. As a drum student of the late Layne Redmond, author of the book When the Drummers Were Women, Linda will teach the techniques and history of the pre-Christian era women of the Mediterranean and Western Asia. Frame drum circles, rituals […]
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Star City Circus Society: Introduction to Juggling

Explore new skills alongside neighbors in this 90-minute workshop with nationally touring magician and circus artist Jefferson Rose. Together, participants will learn the basics of juggling, object manipulation, and other circus skills in a low-pressure, high-energy environment to impress your family, neighbors, and yourself! You may not be quite ready to juggle three objects by […]
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Blue Bird Notes: Papier-Mâché Bird Ornaments for Your Neighborhood

In this 90-minute workshop, we’ll create small papier-mâché bird ornaments to paint and place around your neighborhood, like eggs in an Easter egg hunt. Each long-lasting bird will be inscribed with a word of positivity or a community-focused message. Your neighborhood can receive regional attention for years by promoting this art-based treasure hunt!
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Colorful Quotables: Inspire and Connect with Artful Words

What are your favorite words to live by? What phrases inspire? Writer Christina Nifong will provide a wide range of famous quotes accessible to all ages, from Dr. Seuss to Maya Angelou, Mark Twain, and Glennon Doyle. Or participants can pen their own favorite quotes. After neighbors choose quotes, they can decorate them with markers […]
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Neighborhood Paint Class: Create Neighborhood Energy Through Art

Artist Megan Scott Scripps will guide you through a creative paint class that just might be the spark for a larger neghborhood project. Perhaps you’ll want to create a chalk mural of one of the final paintings, or hold an auction of work to raise money for the neighborhood goals. Start by getting neighbors together […]
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Piecing Together the Neighborhood: Mosaic House Sign Workshop

Connect neighbors along your street or in your building by creating unique art that can display unity and a sense of neighborhood pride. In this workshop by Lynn Donihe of Willow Pine Studio, up to 40 households can gather to create their own mosaic wall hangings. These could be house numbers, neighborhood logos, something the […]
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Finding the Magic: Introduction to Magic with Household Objects

In this 90-minute, hands-on crafting session, internationally touring magician Jefferson Rose will teach basics of magic, sleight of hand, misdirection, and more with simple, common household items! No expensive magic kit needed! Paper bags, coins, playing cards, rubber bands, etc., can be used to amaze and amuse you and yours for hours! Learn how to […]
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Off the Cuff: An All-Ages Improv Adventure

Get ready to laugh, think fast, and say “yes, and…” in this highenergy improv class designed for kids or adults (maybe even both)! Whether you’re 8 or 80+, this class is all about creativity, connection, and comedy. No scripts, no pressure — just games, scenes, and spontaneous fun that builds confidence, sharpens minds, and brings […]
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Raise Your Vibes: Create a Chakra Energy Mobile

In just 90 minutes, connect to your creative self and neighbors, crafting a high-vibe chakra mobile. Take a fun, meditative journey through the chakras, exploring their unique energies through color, texture, and meaningful materials. As you assemble your mobile, you’ll set intentions and weave in positive energy, making it a personal symbol of balance and […]
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Smash & Craft: Mini Piñata-Making Bash!

Get ready to cut, glue, and decorate your way to party perfection! In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn the traditional (and not-so-traditional) art of mini piñata-making. From shaping your piñata base to adding colorful tissue paper and creative designs, we’ll guide you step by step. Whether you’re crafting a classic donkey, a funky unicorn, or […]
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Sharing Our Pride: Strengthen Neighborhood Identity with a Branding Workshop
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Textile Tales: Crafting with Upcycled Fabric

Discover the art of storytelling through texture and color in this hands-on upcycled fabric collage workshop. Using reclaimed textiles, you’ll learn creative collage techniques to transform scraps into stunning, one-of-a-kind artwork. No sewing skills needed—just a love for creativity and sustainability! All materials provided, but feel free to bring your own fabric treasures to personalize […]
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Unleash Your Inner Artist: Create, Share, Inspire!

Join local artist Caroline Booth for a 90-minute community workshop where creativity knows no bounds! Dive into the world of art, and craft unique pieces to be showcased in local Free Little Art Galleries. This workshop is open to all ages, making it the perfect opportunity for families, friends, and individuals to connect with fellow […]
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Weaving in Unity: Bringing Neighbors Together

Transform a chain link fence into a work of art while connecting neighbors! Plan a series of days to weave and chat at a neighborhood fence. Polly will help you with the design, placement and weaving. Three hours is the minimum amount of time to get started. You will need to schedule additional time blocks […]
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Step Into the Rhythm: Experience the Magic of Mexican Folklore Dance

Step together into the vibrant world of Mexican folklore dance in this 90-minute workshop! You’ll explore the rich traditions, colorful artistry, and lively rhythms of Mexico’s diverse regions. Whether you’re a beginner or experienced, this class offers a welcoming space to connect with culture, build confidence, and embrace creativity while fostering teamwork and community. Don’t […]
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