Downeast Community Dance ~
Select Sundays 10:00am - 11:30am, Dance Studio
Join us for the Downcast Community Dance, a recurring gathering designed to bring movement, music, and connection to Bar Harbor. Hosted at ArtWaves, this inclusive event welcomes dancers of all levels to come together and share in the joy of creative expression.
The dance takes place on Sundays from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays of the month, offering a rhythm to your week and a space for both beginners and seasoned dancers to feel at home.
$10 suggested donation.
For questions or more information, please contact susan.sassaman@pronton.me
Which Stitch?
Mondays from 9 AM - 12 PM in the Kaleidoscope studio.
Which Stitch? is a community group where participants bring their current fiber and needle projects to work and converse with each other. Participants are welcome to use ArtWaves' supply of materials to knit, crochet, sew, mend, embroider, weave, felt, cross stitch, and so much more! Beginning instruction can be provided and the occasional special guest will introduce new techniques and demo their work.
This ongoing group maintains an email list for people interested in receiving regular updates and information. If you would like to be included, please email office@artwavesmdi.org.
Which Stitch? is a drop-in group, no registration is required. It is free for ArtWaves Members and a $5 suggested donation for non-members
Join us each week for an exciting journey through art, creativity, and culture! In this engaging multi-media class, students will create original works inspired by artists from around the world, diverse cultural traditions, and influential art movements throughout history.
Using a wide variety of materials—including clay, fabric, paint, paper, and mixed media—students will explore new techniques while building creativity, confidence, and artistic skills in a fun and supportive studio environment.
Designed to inspire imagination and hands-on discovery, this class exceeds national standards for art education while encouraging self-expression and creative thinking.
Students are welcome to join anytime while the class is in session. If the session has already begun, please contact the office for prorated tuition information.
Think of this as an art supply store/studio where the equipment and materials on the shelves are yours to use. Our monitored open studio time is a functional space to spread out, connect, and create. We offer the tools for mosaic, blockprinting, geliprinting, felting, weaving, woodburning, mixed media, batik, painting, drawing, fiber art, and fairy house construction.
The open layout creates a collaborative environment where members work side-by-side, sharing practical techniques and encouragement. Help yourself to complimentary tea while you work. There is no instruction, the studio monitor can assist in locating what you need.
"If you have the smarts, we have the parts."
Our inventory of tools and materials has been built through years of workshops, volunteer labor, and generous community donations.
This program is a core member benefit, ensuring that the practice of art-making remains accessible beyond a class or workshop.
As a community-funded center, we continue to accept donations of quality art supplies, tools, and materials. We exist because of your support.
Join us once a week as we create some amazing art, all while learning about artists from around the world, different cultures, and art movements. This is a multi-media art class. We will use clay, fabric, paint, paper, and all types of art mediums to create fabulous art!
(This class exceeds the national standards for art education!) Join anytime that class is in session. If class has already started, please contact the office for the pro-rated rate.
Acadia Senior College Presents:
Creating with Scraps, Fragments, Snippets, and Tatter
with Bonnie Chase
Register here: https://www.acadiaseniorcollege.org/courses
April 16 - May 21, 2026
Thursdays, 10am-12pm (6 weeks)
ArtWaves, Town Hill
Creating with Scraps, Fragments, Snippets and Tatter In this mindfully, playful course we will explore various methods embracing ordinary materials ( threads, papers, fiber scraps, cardboard, found objects,etc.) to make unique visual narratives. We will also explore the art of several artists from past to present such as Braque, Picasso, Matisse, Mary Delaney and Hannelore Baron who revolutionized art by incorporating everyday materials into their masterpieces. Inspired by the creative techniques of these artists and your teacher, we will have fun assembling our scraps, fragments, snippets and tatters while challenging the definitions of art through experimentation, breaking art boundaries and rules to create our own forms of expression. No experience needed!
Bonnie Chase holds an undergraduate degree in Biology and Botany and a MS in Environmental Science from Montclair State University, NJ. Throughout her careers in teaching, as Executive Director of the Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and Nature Center, as Master Naturalist, and leading Natural History Tours in Central and South America, she has always encouraged her students to explore the natural world through a creative lens. Bonnie has previously taught three other nature based art courses for ASC.
Registration opens February 18, 2026 at 8:00 am
Zumba!
In collaboration with the MDI YMCA, we are excited to offer a new Zumba class!
Mondays from 4:20 - 5:20 PM beginning on April 20th.
Register through the MDI YMCA: 207-288-3511
This upbeat dance cardio class combines athletic conditioning with accessible choreography, set to a high-energy soundtrack of millennial- era favorites and current pop hits. Participants will move through cardio intervals, rhythmic combinations, and full-body sequences designed to build stamina, improve coordination, and leave you feeling empowered. Suitable for all levels.
Your Instructor~ Mandy has 20+ years of dance experience and is passionate about sharing the power of movement in physical and mental health. She has classical training in ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary/lyrical, and hip hop.
This class is perfect for intermediate painters who have yet to break into the wonderful world of oil paints.
Oils can seem intimidating when you don't know them yet, but in this class we will come to learn that they can be quite simple and incredibly rewarding to work with once you get to know them better. Their smooth and buttery consistency, their highly pigmented vibrant colors, and their long-lasting workability, will make you glad you gave them a chance. Open to teens and adults, Some painting experience required, but none in oils
I'll start at the very beginning, and over the span of four two-hour long classes, walk you through all the tools and techniques that you need to complete your own still life painting that you can take home with you. All materials will be provided by Artwaves, so all you need to bring is a passion for art and willingness to try new things! Along with your finished painting, you'll leave this class with valuable knowledge you can apply to countless more oil paintings in the future. In these four classes we will explore:
Class 1:
Class 2:
Class 3:
Class 4:
Your Instructor
Malina Voter, at 25, has been painting for the vast majority of their life. Based in Ellsworth, they have found inspiration in both nature and humanity, painting everything from majestic landscapes to the beautiful mundanities of everyday life.
Mommy & Me Ballet (for Pre-K to K children & their caregivers)
Saturdays at 10 am in ArtWaves' Dance Studio!
(No class Saturday, May 16th!)
An introduction to the foundations of classical ballet for young children alongside their caregivers. This class includes simple barre and center exercises, as well as creative movement activities. Students will explore dance in a supportive environment that fosters connection, family, and community.
Recommended dress code: Students should wear ballet slippers and form fitting clothing to best see body alignment. Hair should be tied back and out of face.
About your instructor:
Cate Pope is a dancer, choreographer, and performer from Mount Desert Island, Maine. She graduated from Bates College in 2025 with a B.A. in Dance Choreography and a concentration in Music and Culture. Cate began dancing at the age of three and has studied extensively in ballet, contemporary, and modern dance. She has trained with Robinson Ballet (2012 – 2021), as well as with Bossov Ballet, Broadway Dance Center, Joffrey Ballet, Nimbus Dance, and others.
During her undergraduate studies, she attended semester-long performing arts programs at Trinity La MaMa in New York City and Accademia dell’Arte in Italy. Since graduating, she has choreographed for MDI High School’s fall musical and currently choreographs for Connors Emerson’s show choir. She has also taught at the Summer Festival of the Arts and currently teaches at Two Shoes Dance. Cate continues to share her love for dance through teaching and creating work at the intersection of movement, music, and community.
Photos courtesy of Cate and Jason Pope.
Open Level Ballet for Adults
Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 pm in the ArtWaves Dance Studio!
An introduction to classical ballet techniques for dancers of all levels. This class begins with barre exercises and moves to center work including across the floor combinations. Students will develop a strong understanding of ballet positions and terminology, while building strength, coordination, and musicality.
Open Level Ballet for Grades 5-12
Thursdays at 3:30 pm in the ArtWaves Dance Studio!
Contemporary / Modern Dance for grades 5-12
Thursdays at 4:45 pm and Saturdays at 11 am in the ArtWaves Dance Studio!
(No class Saturday, May 16th)
An exploration of contemporary and modern techniques with a focus on choreography. The class begins with a warmup that includes stretching, light cardio and across the floor sequences. Students will then learn and create choreography, emphasizing collaboration, creativity and community.
Modern / Contemporary: Students should wear athletic clothing that’s comfortable for full range of movement. We will dance barefoot and occasionally in socks. Hair should be tied back and out of face.
Long Pose Figure Drawing
Saturday, May 16th from 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm
We are reviving our long pose figure drawing sessions. Like our Thursday sessions, the long pose sessions will feature a live, nude model and there will be no drawing instruction provided. The session will start with a series of gestural warm ups and then will feature a pose that spans the majority of the time, with the model taking a break about every 20 minutes.
If you don't have supplies, feel free to use our easels, charcoal, and basic supplies. 18 and over, under 18 allowed with parental attendance!
Drop-ins welcome.
$20 per session.
Saturday, May 23rd from 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm
We are reviving our long pose figure drawing sessions. Like our Thursday sessions, the long pose sessions will feature a live, clothed model and there will be no drawing instruction provided - just friendly fellow artists. The session will start with a series of gestural warm ups and then will feature a pose that spans the majority of the time, with the model taking a break about every 20 minutes.
If you don't have supplies, feel free to use our easels, erasers, pencils, pastels charcoal, paper, complimentary tea, and basic supplies. Teens Welcome.
SATURDAYS: Open Level Ballet for Adults
Saturdays at 12:30 pm in the ArtWaves Dance Studio!
In this still life drawing workshop, participants will explore the foundations of using colored pencils to build rich, dimensional color through thoughtful layering. Working from a Maine themed still life set up, class members will learn how to gradually develop hue, value, and texture using colored pencils. Artist instructor Suzy Kopf will cover a variety of techniques including burnishing, blending, and color mixing directly on the paper to create depth and luminosity. Special attention will be given to observing subtle shifts in shadow, highlight, and reflected color.
This class is ideal for beginners as well as artists looking to strengthen their drawing practice with colored pencil. By the end of the session, you’ll leave with a finished study and a clear understanding of how to create depth through layered color in this exciting, and extremely approachable medium.
Instructor Info - Suzy Kopf is a multidisciplinary artist who scrutinizes the paper ephemera of midcentury consumer culture to probe the enduring mythos of the American Dream. Through water media paintings, collages and site-specific installations she excavates archival materials and inherited nostalgia for utopias erected and cast aside. Vibrant colors unify her work across media and evoke the built landscape of the eroding Silicon Valley where she grew up. Conscious of how much byproduct can result from art-production, Suzy maintains a “no waste” practice, recycling materials back into her work and making her own paint from botanical materials.
Suzy has been the recipient of more than a dozen residency fellowships including the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Kala and The Studios at Mass MoCA. Her art practice has been funded by the Hagley Museum, Baltimore National Heritage Area, the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and the Design History Society, among others.
In addition to her studio work, Suzy is passionate about helping other artists achieve their professional goals and generate sustainable income. She has been an invited speaker at the College Art Association, The CUE Art Foundation, Artists Thrive Conference, and the Maryland State Art Council, among others. From 2015-2024 she was a contributing writer for several publications and organizations including the Baltimore Museum of Art, Johns Hopkins University Magazine, Artwork Archive, Baltimore Magazine, BmoreArt and others.
Suzy has exhibited throughout the United States and Canada including the Turchin Center, Delaware Contemporary, Spring/Break Art Fair and the Austrian Embassy in Washington, D.C. She holds an MFA from MICA.
Formerly a college professor teaching watercolor painting, professional development and museum studies at Johns Hopkins University, Maryland Institute College of Art and Anne Arundel Community College, Suzy is now exclusively working with adult learners and focusing on her own studio practice. In 2023 after sixteen years on the east coast, Suzy and her partner moved home to San Francisco to be closer to family. They enjoy walking the San Francisco hills with their two rescue pups, Theodore Roosevelt and Penny Lane.
In this 2 hour presentation and question and answer session, artist and professional development for artists professor Suzy Kopf will guide you through the process of finding artist opportunities that align with your career goals. Dream of attending an artist residency or earning a grant that supports a new body of work but not sure where to even find a suitable opportunity? The presentation will cover how to tell if an opportunity is as good as it sounds or a scam, methods of staying organized so you can meet your deadlines and what to expect in a typical application process. The last 30 minutes of the workshop will be reserved for participant questions.
Your Instructor - Suzy Kopf is a multidisciplinary artist who scrutinizes the paper ephemera of midcentury consumer culture to probe the enduring mythos of the American Dream. Through water media paintings, collages and site-specific installations she excavates archival materials and inherited nostalgia for utopias erected and cast aside. Vibrant colors unify her work across media and evoke the built landscape of the eroding Silicon Valley where she grew up. Conscious of how much byproduct can result from art-production, Suzy maintains a “no waste” practice, recycling materials back into her work and making her own paint from botanical materials.
n addition to her studio work, Suzy is passionate about helping other artists achieve their professional goals and generate sustainable income. She has been an invited speaker at the College Art Association, The CUE Art Foundation, Artists Thrive Conference, and the Maryland State Art Council, among others. From 2015-2024 she was a contributing writer for several publications and organizations including the Baltimore Museum of Art, Johns Hopkins University Magazine, Artwork Archive, Baltimore Magazine, BmoreArt and others. Suzy has exhibited throughout the United States and Canada including the Turchin Center, Delaware Contemporary, Spring/Break Art Fair and the Austrian Embassy in Washington, D.C. She holds an MFA from MICA.
Enjoy Maine’s June wildflower blooms with this approachable introduction to the history and methodologies of botanical painting.
Artist Suzy Kopf will demonstrate 3 scientific approaches of painting plant matter in watercolor, cover the fascinating global history of this tradition and introduce some contemporary approaches in depicting nature. Leave with a completed piece or a good start on your next mantle artwork with the confidence to keep going! No prior painting experience necessary.
All painting and drawing materials are supplied. Just bring a snack for the break and enjoy ArtWaves tea selection.
Meet your instructor: Suzy Kopf is a multidisciplinary artist who scrutinizes the paper ephemera of midcentury consumer culture to probe the enduring mythos of the American Dream. Through water media paintings, collages and site-specific installations she excavates archival materials and inherited nostalgia for utopias erected and cast aside. Vibrant colors unify her work across media and evoke the built landscape of the eroding Silicon Valley where she grew up. Conscious of how much byproduct can result from art-production, Suzy maintains a “no waste” practice, recycling materials back into her work and making her own paint from botanical materials.
Saturday, May 30 4 - 6:30 PM in the Kaleidoscope Studio
Join Liz Cutler and learn to create your own charming felted bird!
In this class, you'll use natural wool fibers and wire to needle felt a unique and possibly realistic bird.
Liz will guide you through each step, from shaping the body and needling feather details to creating the feet. You can even personalize your bird with special touches like a non-wool beak or beads, and work from reference photos or your own imagination. It is wonderful as they can develop their own birdie personalities.
Here is a relaxing way to learn new techniques, a wonderful time to socialize with other fiber artists, keep your hands busy, and enjoy the calming, repetitive motions of felting! This workshop is perfect for both seasoned felters and curious beginners. You are welcome to follow along to felt a bird or a felt a flat "painted with wool" tapestry.
All instructions and materials are provided, and you'll take home a finished project ready to display! Under 10 needs an adult companion.
Best of all you leave saying " I felt Great"
The Instructor:
lizcutler.com ArtWaves founder has felted for decades and joyfully can not stop -except to paint, mosaic or teach..
This class is ideal for beginners as well as artists looking to strengthen their drawing practice with colored pencil. By the end of the session, you’ll leave with a finished study and a clear understanding of how to create depth through layered color in this exciting, and extremely approachable medium. All materials are included.
Come replicate your favorite Mount Desert vista in watercolor collage! Combining the ease of collage with the soft washes of watercolor, this technique offers endless possibilities for the experienced artist and novice alike. In this workshop artist Suzy Kopf covers color matching, creating realistic textures with watercolors and the basics of using paper scraps to make a whole new artwork. Bring in your own photo to work from or choose from one of ours. Leave with a completed piece or a good start on your next mantle artwork with the confidence to keep going! No prior drawing experience necessary; tracing is encouraged for this technique.
Child participants should be confident with exacto knives and must be supervised by a guardian. All materials for painting and collaging are provided. Just bring a snack for the break and enjoy ArtWaves tea selection!
$85 workshop price/$75 members discount.
Suzy Kopf is a multidisciplinary artist who scrutinizes the paper ephemera of midcentury consumer culture to probe the enduring mythos of the American Dream. Through water media paintings, collages and site-specific installations she excavates archival materials and inherited nostalgia for utopias erected and cast aside. Vibrant colors unify her work across media and evoke the built landscape of the eroding Silicon Valley where she grew up. Conscious of how much byproduct can result from art-production, Suzy maintains a “no waste” practice, recycling materials back into her work and making her own paint from botanical materials.
Interested in learning more about color mixing in watercolor - such as how to match greens with what you see in nature ? This is the workshop for you! No prior painting experience necessary.
Artist Suzy Kopf will demonstrate color theory exercises to get you confident about mixing up your desired colors the first time, every time. Participants will create their own color charts and have time to make a painting from a Maine themed still life set up applying what they learned. All painting materials provided, just bring a snack for the break.
This 2 hour professional development intensive offers artists with an opportunity application already in-progress the chance to get feedback from a professional development arts professor as well as a group of peers.
In this workshop setting, designed as a follow up to the Finding the Right Art Opportunity for You workshop, artist Suzy Kopf will present suggestions of what you can do to make your application stand out and what to avoid. There will be time in this session to get feedback from a group of participants as well as Suzy on your individual application.
To fully experience this workshop, we suggest before attending you complete an application for a specific upcoming opportunity that aligns with your career goals. You should bring all components of the application with you either printed out or on a computer or tablet. These documents often include (but are not limited to) an artist CV, an artist bio and an artist statement as well as responses to specific application questions and high resolution jpgs of portfolio pieces. Some applications might require a project proposal or budget. You are welcome to bring these additional documents and we will review them if time allows. Maximum of 10 students
Email address: suzykopfstudio@gmail.com
Thursdays at 4:30 pm and Saturdays at 11 am in the ArtWaves Dance Studio!
Classes end for the summer on June 13th!
Mommy & Me Ballet (for Pre-K children & their caregivers)
Contemporary / Modern Dance for Adults
Motion Collective~
Modern Dance Improvisation!
Join a group of diverse dancers who explore movement together. Begin with a structured warm-up then go on to more open-ended dance improvisations.
First Saturday of each month from 3:30-5 PM
Adults of all ages and abilities welcome!
Fee: $5-12 depending on attendance
Interested? Contact Tammy at trichards19@gmail.com or text 207-749-6720
Back by popular demand-
Batik: Ancient Art, New Twist --
Use your photographs or Gloria's. Transfer reality to artistry with ink, wax and watercolor on delicate rice-paper. Learn ancient techniques, play with layering color and go home with two wonderful paintings.
For those who have taken her workshop before, here is the opportunity to bring pieces from previous classes to to the studio to deepen, improve or add to it.
All materials and step by step instructions are provided.
Teens/Adults of all skill levels. The class is equally effective for beginners, professional artists and those taking the course multiple times.
If you want a custom group batik workshop at a time convenient to you, contact office@artwavesmdi.org
About the instructor: Gloria Avner has been creating and teaching art professionally for over twenty years. She is well known for specializing in painting BATIK Style. Both beginners and professional artists like to take her courses more than once. Ms. Avner has traveled the world and ran an art gallery in Town Hill for 35 years (Aquarius Artifacts). Her paintings are in Florida Galleries and collections across the country, and she is also well known for her Pet Portraits. See her work on Facebook, IG (@gloriavner), and Fineartamerica.com.
So much fun!
ArtWaves and Healthy Acadia are partnering with you to make Art for Health & Hope! As part of Healthy Acadia's 25 year celebrations, they are inviting the community to take part in Art for Health & Hope, a collaborative project that will become a large-scale installation celebrating health, connection, resilience, and hope, and representing community members from all ages, backgrounds, and corners of Hancock and Washington counties.
You can create a make a 5 x 7 wet felted picture and using these skills make a needle felted magnet in this joyful, hands-on workshop celebrating creativity, color, and connection.
Your Instructor, Liz Cutler, will share her vast expertise and joy in making art to help participants create 5"x7" art pieces for Art for Health & Hope. Let's make art and build community together!
Your Instructor, Liz Cutler, will share her vast expertise and joy in making art to help participants create 5"x7" art pieces for Art for Health & Hope.
Let's make art and build community together!
Relax, create, and enjoy a night out at ArtWaves! Our Art & Sip workshops are designed to be fun, beginner-friendly experiences where you can explore a new creative skill in a relaxed and welcoming environment. No prior experience is needed—our instructors will guide you step by step, and all materials are provided.
These workshops are for participants ages 21+. Feel free to bring your favorite beverage (BYOB) to enjoy while you create. Art & Sip is even more fun with friends, so gather a group and sign up together for a creative night out!
Using an Altoid tin box as a mini pochade box, create quick mini landscape paintings with a focus on composition, color values, shapes and working with a restricted palette. All materials included and there's the chance to catch a bit of twilight!
Rainey is an artist/art educator living in San Antonio, TX. She has been exhibiting work since 1995. In 2006 she established House Paint Art Studio where she teaches both oil and pastel painting.
Saturday, June 13th, 10:00 AM - 12 PM in the Kaleidoscope Studio
Join artist and sculptor Ryan Kelley for a two-hour workshop where you'll learn to create your own wire tree sculpture. Ryan will guide you through the process of transforming wire into a unique tree, mounted on a rock you provide (about the size of an adult closed fist, or roughly 3.5" x 3.5").
If you don't have a suitable rock, we can provide one for you.
This workshop is family-friendly and perfect for adults and accompanied children.
Price includes $15 materials fee.
About the Instructor: Ryan Kelley, a Byfield, Massachusetts-based artist and sculptor, transforms wire, wood, metal, and stone into unique artworks. A self-taught creator with over a decade of experience, Ryan's award-winning sculptures, including his intricate signature wire trees, are found in homes and businesses nationwide and internationally. Actively engaged in the artistic community, Ryan shares his expertise through educational outreach in schools and adult classes, alongside his studio work and commissioned projects. He is also involved with organizations such as the Newburyport Art Association and the New England Sculptors Association.
Through step-by-step guidance, students will build confidence with layering, blending, values, color harmony, and depth of field while discovering how adaptable pastel can be across many artistic styles. Beginners and those new to pastels are warmly welcomed, with all materials included to make the experience easy and accessible. Teens and adults alike can enjoy a creative weekend and leave with new skills and finished artwork.
Rainey has exhibited her work nationally for nearly three decades and has taught art since 1999. She is the recipient of the Primer Paso Fellowship and was honored by the Southwest School of Art as both Instructor of the Year and Most Creative Artist. In 2014, she founded House Paint Art School, where she continues teaching students of all levels in oils and pastels.
ArtWaves is delighted to welcome Rainey back to the studio as part of the Artist in Residence program.
Saturday, June 13th, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM in the Kaleidoscope Studio
Price includes $15 materials fee. All participants must be 21 years+ to sip alcohol | BYOB
In this hands-on creative art class, we will learn how to twine to make cordage using a technique that goes back at least 50,000 years, predating pottery. Using your own recycled fibers, we will practice techniques used by indigenous cultures worldwide that are still used today to create vessels, baskets, string, rope, bags, fishing nets, sculptures, textiles and many other items. The class goal will be to create your own unique twined vessel.
Warning: The art of twining is a slow and fun practice that you can take anywhere with you; but the repetition of the movement of hand and fiber is meditative and very addictive! Join us in this fun ancient practice. No prior knowledge in twining is expected! 14-Adult
2 day workshop/ 2 hour class/ over 2 weeks
Your Instructor Bonnie Chase
A mixed media artist living on a small farm on MDI, where I create, grow, collect and forage for most of my supporting tools, dyes, inks and paints used in my studio: Feather Leaf Stone.my Art is inspired by the seasons, nature and the diverse landscape on this beautiful island. Local plants, earth pigments, plant fibers and found objects become my substance for inspiration and get incorporated into my works. Much of my work is tactile and my hope is that it reflects the many transient cycles of the seasons on MDI and brings a sense of place and joy to its viewers.
In this workshop you can create a small light-catching stained glass mosaic magnet and use these skills to make a 5 x 7 paper mosaic in this joyful, hands-on workshop celebrating creativity, color, and connection.
June 19th, Friday, 5:30 - 7PM
June 20 - 21, Saturday and Sunday, 10-1pm
This course is designed for beginners and for those that have minimal painting experience. Students will learn the fundamentals of basic oil painting , the importance of underpainting, working with limited palettes, paint applications, the fat over lean approach and composition. Everything is included.
Your Instructor, Rainey, will address the various brands of oil paint, brush types and painting mediums.
Sunday June 20
In this engaging two-hour workshop, students will explore the expressive possibilities of soft pastels through bold, gestural mark-making. Using the innovative Mi-Teintes Velvet paper—known for its uniquely textured surface—participants will create a dynamic landscape full of movement, color, and depth and bring home a 9 x 12 pastel painting.
This distinctive paper allows for rich layering, holding multiple applications of pigment without the need for fixative or concern about dusting. Students will experiment with building atmosphere, blending, and mark variation while gaining confidence in a more intuitive, less controlled approach to landscape drawing.
Join us on the Runway at our Costume Design and Fashion Art Camp for a fun fusion of styles! Explore Victorian elegance, the vibrant patterns of Delaunay, and the classic charm of Elizabethan designs. Get creative with blue jeans. Learn about Pucci, blending past and present in your unique creations. Connect with fellow fashion lovers, and let your imagination run wild as you craft your own stunning designs in this unforgettable experience! A fashion show will be take place at the end of the camp.
Batik: Ancient Art, New Twist
Discover the magic of batik painting using ink, wax, and watercolor on delicate rice paper. Working from your own photographs or Gloria’s inspiration images, you’ll learn ancient techniques while layering color, texture, and design to transform reality into expressive art. Participants will leave with two finished paintings and the skills to continue exploring this unique medium.
Returning students are encouraged to bring past batik pieces back to the studio to deepen, refine, or reimagine their work.
All materials and step-by-step instruction are included. Open to teens and adults of all skill levels — from complete beginners to professional artists. Many students enjoy taking Gloria’s workshops again and again, discovering something new each time.
Interested in booking a custom batik workshop for your group? Contact office@artwavesmdi.org.
About the Instructor Gloria Avner has been creating and teaching art professionally for more than twenty years and is widely known for her vibrant BATIK-style paintings. A longtime owner of Aquarius Artifacts gallery in Town Hill for 35 years, Gloria has traveled extensively and shares a rich depth of artistic knowledge and encouragement in every class. Her work appears in galleries and private collections across the country, and she is also known for her beloved pet portraits. Find her work on Facebook, Instagram (@gloriavner), and FineArtAmerica.com.
Workshop Part 1: Layers of the Land – Abstracting the Acadia Landscape
Ages 12 and older (younger children may attend with an adult) Maximum 12 participants | Duration: 2 hours In this hands-on workshop at ArtWaves MDI, participants will explore the textures, colors, and patterns of Acadia National Park through a curated collection of found natural objects—such as stones, driftwood fragments, dried grasses, bark, and sea-worn materials. Using these objects as visual and tactile references, we will examine how shape, repetition, contrast, and surface inform our understanding of place.
The session will include a guided discussion on how artists abstract a landscape—moving from direct observation to interpretation by simplifying forms, exaggerating scale, layering color, and emphasizing rhythm and movement rather than literal representation. Participants will learn how abstraction can express memory, atmosphere, and ecological character. Participants will then create their own hand-painted collage papers using upcycled materials, drawing inspiration from Acadia’s coastal palette—granite grays, ocean blues, lichen greens, and weathered earth tones. These papers will be assembled into layered abstract compositions that reflect the contours, energy, and textures of the Acadia landscape, merging mindful observation with creative experimentation.
Workshop Part 2: Layers of Life – Abstracting Species and Systems in Acadia Ages 12 and older (younger children may attend with an adult) Maximum 12 participants | Duration: 2 hours This second session expands on the first workshop by focusing on living systems within Acadia’s ecosystem, again using found natural objects and visual references rather than field observation. Participants will examine materials such as feathers, shells, pine needles, lichen, and seaweed forms, discussing how these elements reveal patterns of adaptation, resilience, and interconnection. We will examine some of the indigenous species unique to Acadia National Park, with attention to their habitats. Through sketching and material exploration, participants will learn how to abstract organic forms—translating botanical and ecological structures into simplified marks, layered shapes, and repeated motifs. The workshop will emphasize how abstraction can communicate biodiversity and ecological relationships without literal depiction. Participants who attended Program 1 may integrate these new abstracted forms into their existing collage landscapes, adding complexity and narrative. New participants will be guided through the same techniques and will create their own layered abstract compositions that
Camille Kouyoumdjian is a contemporary mixed media artist whose work explores the intersection of landscape, material, and environmental memory. Drawing inspiration from coastal Maine and the California shoreline, she creates atmospheric, textural paintings using acrylic, oil, cold wax, and reclaimed materials. As an educator, Camille teaches workshops that emphasize process, experimentation, and a deep connection to the natural world. Her approach encourages artists of all levels to work intuitively, incorporate sustainable practices, and develop their own visual language through layering, mark-making, and material exploration.
Part 2: Layers of Life – Abstracting Species and Systems in
Acadia Ages 12 and older (younger children may attend with an adult) Maximum 12 participants | Duration: 2 hours This second session expands on the first workshop by focusing on living systems within Acadia’s ecosystem, again using found natural objects and visual references rather than field observation. Participants will examine materials such as feathers, shells, pine needles, lichen, and seaweed forms, discussing how these elements reveal patterns of adaptation, resilience, and interconnection. We will examine some of the indigenous species unique to Acadia National Park, with attention to their habitats. Through sketching and material exploration, participants will learn how to abstract organic forms—translating botanical and ecological structures into simplified marks, layered shapes, and repeated motifs. The workshop will emphasize how abstraction can communicate biodiversity and ecological relationships without literal depiction. Participants who attended Program 1 may integrate these new abstracted forms into their existing collage landscapes, adding complexity and narrative. New participants will be guided through the same techniques and will create their own layered abstract compositions that celebrate Acadia’s ecology through texture, color, and form.
June 29 - July 3, open to students in grades 4-7
ArtWaves is continuing our joyful collaboration with the MDI YMCA this summer!
Join us at ArtWaves for a fun-filled 5-day Children's Theatre Camp. Young performers will dive into the world of storytelling, creativity, and teamwork! Each day, we will be exploring storytelling archetypes from traditional Western folklore as well as Shakespearean plays (A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, Julius Caesar, etc.). Campers will have the opportunity to memorize monologues, choreograph dances, and support each other in an ensemble cast. This camp focuses more on process than product -- we prioritize the campers' experience over a polished performance.
Register now!
Call the MDI YMCA: 207-288-3511
Batik: Ancient Art, New Twist — Batik from Photographs with Gloria Avner July 7 | 10:00 AM – 2:30 PM
Turn your favorite photographs into luminous batik-style paintings using ink, wax, and watercolor on delicate rice paper. Guided by artist Gloria Avner, participants will explore ancient batik techniques while layering color and texture to transform everyday images into expressive works of art.
Use your own photographs or choose from Gloria’s collection of inspiring images. By the end of class, you’ll go home with two beautiful matted paintings ready for framing.
All materials and step-by-step instruction are included.
Open to teens and adults of all skill levels — from first-time artists to experienced painters. The class is equally rewarding for beginners, professional artists, and returning students looking to deepen their batik skills.
This 2 day workshop is an introduction to the fascinating and historied art of water marbling.
Marbling is a process in which paints are floated on a liquid surface and worked into patterns using different methods and tools. The pattern or image is then transferred to paper, fabric, or object. We will cover how to choose the correct materials and how to prepare them for the optimal marbling experience.
Then we will explore color theory by designing a personal color palette that will be used in our marbling lesson.
We will begin by playing with different approaches to applying color and pattern to the marbling vat, trying out different tools and rakes. We will also learn how to use a stylus to “paint” on the marbling liquid and create images. Each participant will have several sheets of paper to practice these marbling techniques. In the second section of the workshop, we will create more refined and planned marbled prints on fabric and discuss the differences in preparation and application when it comes to marbling on fabric as opposed to paper.
Tempered East is led by Claire, an experienced artist dedicated to the craft of surface design. Claire began her journey in Chicago in 2019, developing her expertise in hand-marbling techniques. Now based in Portland, Maine, Claire has expanded Tempered East to encompass a broader range of artistic pursuits, including handmade paper and sewn objects, all while maintaining a high standard of quality and precision. Claire's workshops are designed to provide a comprehensive and engaging learning experience.
In this introductory workshop, immerse yourself in the meditative art of marbling on paper. Marbling is an art process with a long history and roots in many different countries. It involves floating paints on a liquid surface and using tools and the natural flow of the materials to create beautiful designs that can be printed on paper. Unleash your inner child and embrace the joy of experimentation! With your own marbling vat at hand, delve into a world of color and pattern play.
Starting with the foundational stone pattern, we will explore some simple combing patterns and image-making techniques. By the end, each participant will depart with a collection of uniquely marbled paper sheets, several marbled greeting cards to be given to loved ones, and access to marbling instructions for continued exploration at home.
This class is an introduction to the fascinating and historied art of water marbling. Marbling is a process in which paints are floated on a liquid surface and worked into patterns using different methods and tools. The marbled pattern is then transferred to paper, fabric, or object. In the first half of the class, participants will begin by playing with different approaches to applying color and pattern to the marbling vat, trying out different tools, rakes, and a stylus to “paint” on the marbling liquid and create images. We will cover how to choose the correct materials and how to prepare them for the optimal marbling experience. Each participant will create a color palette and work in their own marbling vat, playing with pattern and color. These marbled designs will then be transferred onto high-quality fabric that can be used in the creation of future projects.
All materials and equipment will be provided.
Acadia Dance Festival offers a rigorous, creatively engaging, week-long Summer Intensive for dancers aged 14-22.
The Summer Intensive is designed for high-school and college-aged dancers looking to expand their training, explore their artistry, and gain experience in a professional-level dance setting. Faculty are experts in the field who have carefully crafted curricula to help young dancers grow technically, artistically, and professionally.
Participants take daily classes (ballet, hip hop, contemporary) with professional dance artists from Nimbus Dance and a rotation of special topics such as injury prevention, audition skills, and improvisation.
Register
https://www.acadiadancefestival.org/summer-intensive
Cost: $450 (merit and need-based scholarships available)
Location:
The 2026 The Acadia Dance Festival Intensive will take place at ArtWaves MDI, 1345-A State Highway 102, Bar Harbor, Maine
2026 Acadia Dance Festival!
Nimbus Dance intensive
Participants take daily classes (ballet, hip hop, contemporary) with professional dance artists from Nimbus Dance and a rotation of special topics such as injury prevention, audition skills, and improvisation. Students learn a piece of original choreography with company dancers from Nimbus Dance and perform on Friday, July 26th at the 1932 Criterion Theater as part of the Acadia Dance Festival.
Batik: Ancient Art, New Twist -- Batik from Photographs
Use your photographs or mine. Transfer reality to artistry with ink, wax and watercolor on delicate rice-paper. Learn ancient techniques, play with layering color and go home with two wonderful paintings. All materials and step by step instructions are provided at the spacious ArtWaves Studio in Town Hill.
Squish it, roll it, cut it, and fire away. This camp is for you if you love clay. From fish, to gnomes, owls and all things in between! We will use all types of clay from air-dry, model magic and oven baked clay.
(Our new pottery studio with the kiln may not be ready to use by this time, but we will still be able to work with all types of clay for this camp.)
Dance Discovery Week ~
Join in a welcoming, all-levels program for students in grades 5–12. Meeting 8/3-7, Monday - Friday from 9 AM–12 PM, dancers will explore the basics of ballet alongside modern and contemporary choreography in a supportive, encouraging environment.
Whether you’re brand new to dance or looking to build on your existing skills, this week-long intensive offers a chance to learn technique, improve coordination, and gain confidence in your movement. Dancers will develop skills they can carry with them while being encouraged to step outside their comfort zones.
Come ready to move, learn, and explore!
Meet your instructor: Cate Pope
Cate is a dancer, choreographer, and performer from Mount Desert Island, Maine. She graduated from Bates College in 2025 with a B.A. in Dance Choreography and a concentration in Music and Culture. Cate began dancing at the age of three and has studied extensively in ballet, contemporary, and modern dance. She has trained with Robinson Ballet (2012 – 2021), as well as with Bossov Ballet, Broadway Dance Center, Joffrey Ballet, Nimbus Dance, and others.
Experience the magic of Mount Desert Island as you paint En Plein Air. A basic review of outdoor set-up, palette organization, composition, and atmospheric color theory will be covered; however, most of the time spent together will be “hands-on” in the field with individual instruction at four select locations on the Island’s beautiful coves and shores.
The half-day sessions provide you the opportunity to work in the mornings with the instructor, leaving you the afternoons to continue to work independently and process the day’s lesson. Pack a lunch and paint all day!
All Levels Welcome. Experience with drawing from observation is helpful.
Christine grew up in Poughkeepsie, NY. She received an A.B. in English from Bryn Mawr College in 1991. In 1995, she earned a Certificate in Painting and Printmaking from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and was awarded a Louis S. Ware Memorial Scholarship for European Travel. Soon after, Christine was awarded her first major exhibition through the Fleisher Challenge Competition in Philadelphia. While Artist-in-Residence at the Fleisher Art Memorial from 1997 to 2002, she began teaching painting. She moved to Brooklyn, NY in early 2003, to earn a master’s degree in fine arts from Brooklyn College. Between 2009 and 2019, Christine traveled to and painted in Havana, Cuba; County Cork, Ireland; Oldwick, New Jersey; Mount Desert Island, Maine; Tuscany, Italy; and Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. In March 2020, she returned to Puerto Rico and sheltered-in-place there during the Coronavirus pandemic for five months. In 2023, Christine received a grant from the Schaevitz Foundation and attended a printmaking residency at Scuola Internazionale di Grafica in Venice, Italy. She lives and work in Brooklyn, NY and paints in Maine in the summers.
Artists will explore watercolor, acrylic, and pastels as they experiment with bold color, layered textures, and imaginative techniques. From blending oil pastels to mimic ancient cave paintings, to creating symmetrical butterfly masterpieces, and dreamy Monet inspired watercolors.
ArtWaves is partnering with the MDI YMCA to bring you...
Fire, Glass, and Barbed Needles -- Oh, My!
This is not your average craft camp.
Here's where young artists dive into five mornings of bold, hands-on artmaking using real tools, real techniques, and just the right amount of thrilling challenge. Guided by an experienced instructor, in a safety-first environment, students explore art forms that feel a little daring — and a lot empowering.
Throughout the week, campers will:
Work with Fire — Create vibrant batik pysanky eggs using hot wax resist techniques.
Cut Glass — Learn to safely score and cut glass to design colorful mosaics full of pattern and light. Wield Barbed Needles — Needle-felt dragons and other mystical creatures, sculpting wool into dimensional forms with texture and personality. Dip Hot Wax Orbs and candles — Experiment with layering and surface design to create glowing, sculptural wax forms.
Each morning builds skill, confidence, and craftsmanship while encouraging creativity and imagination. Campers will learn proper tool handling, studio safety, and the patience required for detailed work — all while making artwork they’re wildly proud of.
Details: • 5 immersive mornings • 9:00 AM–noon • Bring snacks • All materials provided and safety gear provided
For curious, focused makers who love a little adventure in their art — this camp is pure creative adrenaline (the safe kind).
Register through the MDI YMCA:
Artisan Soap Making Workshop
Create your own beautifully crafted soap in this fun and easy class. Design a unique bar by selecting your favorite color, scents and dried botanicals, to add texture and personality. In just one hour, you'll produce a perfectly finished soap that reflects your personal style.
Your soap will be ready to take home by the end of class and can be used within 4 hours. This is a creative, relaxing experience you're sure to love.
Family-friendly! For students 6 yo and older.
Get to know your instructor: Dr. Tanie Hotan
Dr. Tanie Hotan, the Dancing Doctor, is a movement specialist, wellbeing physician, and competitive Latin Pro-Am Ballroom dancer. Her work blends art, healing, and expression, offering performances, classes and wellness experiences that celebrate the power of dance. Learn more at her Dance website: https://www.taniehotandance.com
Latin Sizzle Dance Workshop ~
Experience the joy of dancing freely in a welcoming and fun environment. Enjoy the Latin Social dances (merengue, bachata and salsa). Class is designed for beginners to intermediates. Led by an experienced instructor (San Francisco and Ohio Star ball Champion), this session is open to ages 16 and up. Come on your own or bring a partner. No experience necessary!
75 min. $20 per student.
Meet Your Instructor: Dr. Tanie Hotan, the Dancing Doctor, is a movement specialist, wellbeing physician, and competitive Latin Pro-Am Ballroom dancer. Her work blends art, healing, and expression, offering performances, classes and wellness experiences that celebrate the power of dance. Learn more at her Tanie Hotan Dance website: https://www.taniehotandance.com
Use your photographs or mine. Transfer reality to artistry with ink, wax and watercolor on special delicate rice-paper.
Learn ancient techniques, play with layering color and go home with two wonderful paintings matted and ready to be framed
. All materials and step by step instructions are provided at the spacious ArtWaves Studio in Bar Harbor's village of Town Hill.
Teens/Adults of all skill levels will enjoy this. The class is equally effective for beginners, professional artists and those taking the course multiple times.
About the instructor:
Gloria Avner has been creating and teaching art professionally for over twenty years. She is well known for specializing in painting BATIK Style. Both beginners and professional artists like to take her courses more than once. Ms. Avner has traveled the world and ran an art gallery in Town Hill for 35 years (Aquarius Artifacts). Her paintings are in Florida Galleries and collections across the country, and she is also well known for her Pet Portraits. See her work on Facebook, IG (@gloriavner), and Fineartamerica.com.
Monotype Printing
In this class, you'll learn the art of monotype printing on gelli plates. Unlike other printing methods, monotype printing creates a single, original piece of art. Using a Gelli Plate is simple and fun without the need for a printing press. The gratification is immediate, each print is truly unique. You'll get hands-on experience inking gelli plates and creating your own unique images, which you will then press onto paper to create a finished work. Recommended for ages 8 and up with an accompanying adult. All materials are included, complimentary tea as well!
About the Instructor: Juliana Ramirez is a non-toxic printmaker and conservation biologist who works with seabirds during her summers. Inspired by her fieldwork, she mainly practices relief, collograph, and intaglio, and is currently exploring printing marine debris/found objects from the ecosystems that she finds herself in.
Aug 22, 2026, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM @ ArtWaves, Kaleidoscope Studio.
Recommended for ages 8 and up with an accompanying adult. Registration includes $10 materials fee.
Watercolor is an amazing, transparent medium that creates luminous effects when layered. It is also very responsive to creative ways of textural mark-making that complement more traditional methods. Creating natural looking textures in watercolor can enhance all genres of subject matter. It can transform the character of simple specimens from the natural world, suggest detail in landscapes, flora and fauna.
Our subject matter will focus on ocean treasures such as shells, rocks, starfish, seaweed, and sea creatures. Create an underwater scene or individual nature studies. There will be lots of beautiful natural specimens in the studio to inspire us along with colorful printed references. Color choices and the timing of techniques will be stressed. We’ll learn a few tricks using masking fluid, salts, and other materials.
Demonstrations will show how a painting is brought to life through the layering process. Being surprised by this magical medium and then bringing an image to completion with one’s own artistic voice is what makes working with watercolors so gratifying.
August 29, 10-2, $120 workshop fee (ArtWaves Members discounted fee $105)Teens & Adults Welcome, all materials and supplied, just bring a bag lunch - Check out the neighborhood possibilities.
Come learn the ancient art of Batik Painting with Master Batik Teacher Gloria Avner!
Using wax as a resist, we will create layers of brilliantly graduated color and experience effects not possible with other painting techniques.
Learn to use ink, wax and watercolor on delicate Japanese rice paper. You will be guided step by step through the creation of beautiful artwork.
No experience necessary, The class is equally effective for beginners, professional artists and those taking the course multiple times.
You will go home with increased skills, self-esteem and two completed, lovely batik paintings, subjects of your own choosing, ready for matting and framing in 11x14 frames. You don’t need to bring anything. All is provided, including a great array of subject matter (though you can bring a specific picture if there is something you’d really like to paint).
This is a fun class for anyone from age 8 to 88.
Bring a friend, colleague or family member. 95- non or not yet members/ 85- members
Ms. Avner's recent work takes ancient Batik techniques and reinvents the age old process, painting successive layers of ink, wax, and watercolor on delicate rice paper. Building vibrant color from lightest to darkest hues, the wax-resist holds the color to be preserved while the next layer is intensified. The final step, a waxing of the whole painting and crumpling of the entire piece before ironing out the wax, is daunting, but produces the mysterious quality in her backgrounds.
MDI Nonprofits Association Meeting in the Fine Arts Studio
12 - 2 PM
1345-A State Highway 102Bar Harbor, ME 04609207-266-0010office@artwavesmdi.org
Connect with us on social!
