of art taste

Sawtooth’s two-hour art classes make for a creative night out.

By: Lauren Eberle

Whether you haven’t held a paintbrush since childhood or you’re itching to try a new medium, the Sawtooth School for Visual Art invites you (and your kids!) to enroll in Taste of Art.

Taste of Art sessions typically take place on the second and fourth Fridays of the month and last around two hours. In that short time, students work in small-group settings with some of Sawtooth’s most beloved instructors to become familiar with new tools, have a little fun, and ultimately complete a take-home masterpiece.

From pastels and pottery to forged bracelets, glass mosaics, watercolor, and wood, courses are designed to be creative, social, and unintimidating. Take, for instance, a summertime class that produces a custom ping-pong paddle. Taking place in the Sawtooth’s wood studio, this session will teach the intricacies of band saws and routers, finishing with hand tools to customize the handle’s shape. There are options for youth, too, with classes like collage, watercolor, and figure-drawing. Some sessions, such as wooden whistles, encourage parent and child co-participation.

Founded in 1945 as a creative community hub, Sawtooth has always aimed to make art approachable. It offers hundreds of annual classes in multiple disciplines, with sessions lasting from a couple of hours to a couple of months. But with Taste of Art, this something-for-everyone mission becomes even more of a reality.

“These workshops bring the community more access to our studios and classes,” says Jon Millner, director of marketing for Sawtooth. “These introductory experiences create an exciting and intimate space where students of all skill levels can explore new techniques and artistic mediums.”

A slightly longer — but certainly worthwhile — commitment, Taste of Art XL courses are two-part workshops that begin on Friday evening and wrap up on Saturday. In one such class participants make a pair of mugs on the pottery wheel, beginning with shaping wet clay into mug forms on Friday, followed by trimming and decorating on Saturday. (Ceramics can be picked up just a few weeks later.)

Class prices range from $40 to $120, which includes all materials and instruction. In addition to the art you get to take home, you can add to your souvenir collection with a stop by the Marta Blades Gallery Shop, where you can browse fine art and crafts by Sawtooth’s faculty and students.

Learn more and sign up for courses at sawtooth.org/tasteofart