New Beginnings in Writing with Jack Ridl

February 28, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. ET
Tuition: $75
Materials Fee: N/A

Jack believes that making art and writing brings about realizations and valuable experiences that can happen no other way. With decades of experience in “de-threatening” the art-making process this workshop offers that for participants. He hopes that you will leave at home any notions of departing Ox-Bow with something completed; instead, he will encourage you to start many things – written pieces, creative notions, seeds of ideas. He strives to create an instant community where conversation throughout the day is stimulating, a joy, and worthwhile.

Plan to bring: Writing utensils and paper or notebook and memorable tokens from your life that may inspire writing and collaboration.

Location: Please note that this workshop takes place at Ox-Bow House, located at 137 Center Street, Douglas, Michigan 49406.

Jack Ridl, Poet Laureate of Douglas, Michigan (Population 1100), is the author of All At Once (CavanKerry Press) and Saint Peter and the Goldfinch (Wayne State University Press). His Practicing to Walk Like a Heron (WSUPress, 2013) was co-recipient of the National Gold Medal for Best Collection of Poetry by ForeWord Reviews. His collection Broken Symmetry (WSUPress) was co-recipient of The Society of Midland Authors best book of poetry award for 2006. His Losing Season (CavanKerry Press) was named the best sports book of the year for 2009 by The Institute for International Sport. Then Poet Laureate Billy Collins selected his Against Elegies for The Center for Book Arts Chapbook Award. Individual poems have been published in The Georgia Review, Poetry, Colorado Review, Rattle, North American Review, Prairie Schooner, Field, Poetry East, and elsewhere.The students at Hope College named him both their Outstanding Professor and their Favorite Professor, and in 1996 The Carnegie (CASE) Foundation named him Michigan Professor of the Year. More than 85 of Jack’s students have earned their MFA degree and over 100 are published, several of whom have received First Book Awards, national honors. Every Thursday Jack hosts and posts on YouTube his monologue “The Sentimentalist.” Poetry and Song: A Concert with Carrie Newcomer and Jack Ridl is available on YouTube. For further information about Jack, his website is www.ridl.com.

Winter Botanical Illustration

with Olivia Mendoza
March 7, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. ET
Tuition: $75
Materials Fee: N/A

Led by a natural science illustrator, this workshop invites students to explore the quiet beauty of winter flora through the art of botanical drawing. Using colored pencils, participants will learn to capture the subtle hues, textures, and forms, including and inspired by evergreens, seed pods, and winter blooms. A demonstration will cover how to freehand compositions, build texture, and layer blended colors to bring each subject to life, followed by guided practice time with individual feedback. This will be a cozy, contemplative space for nature lovers and illustration enthusiasts alike to celebrate the resilience and elegance of plant life in winter.

Plan to bring: Smooth Strathmore Bristol paper (9x12), Prismacolor Premier pencils, graphite or mechanical pencil for sketching, and erasers (kneaded, block, and narrow, etc.)

Location: Please note that this workshop takes place at Ox-Bow House, located at 137 Center Street, Douglas, Michigan 49406.

Olivia Mendoza (she/they) is a natural science illustrator and drawing teacher. She has been working as an illustrator for over a decade and teaching for five years at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. Her work has led to collaborations with natural science publications of newly discovered plant species, an illustrated avian exhibit for Kalamazoo Nature Center, and native species drawing workshops with the Kalamazoo Public Library - as well as creating botanical work for Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Fernwood Botanical Gardens, Kalamazoo Area Wild Ones, and more. Her enthusiasm for creating new work is equal to the joy of being able to share the process and methods with others.

Figure Drawing at Ox-Bow House

March 12, 19, 26, 1:00–3:30 p.m. ET
Tuition: $75 for 3 sessions, $30 for 1 session
Materials Fee: N/A
In this workshop, students will explore the human form through gesture, proportion, and expression while strengthening their observational drawing skills. Demonstrations will cover techniques for capturing movement, anatomy, and the essence of a pose using a variety of drawing approaches. Each session will include short and long poses with live models, offering a supportive space to experiment and build confidence.

Plan to bring: Your preferred drawing materials (paper, pencils, charcoal, etc.); a selection of supplies will also be available for purchase at Ox-Bow House.

Location: Please note that this workshop takes place at Ox-Bow House, located at 137 Center Street, Douglas, Michigan 49406.

Figure Drawing at Ox-Bow House

March 12, 19, 26, 1:00–3:30 p.m. ET
Tuition: $75 for 3 sessions, $30 for 1 session
Materials Fee: N/A
In this workshop, students will explore the human form through gesture, proportion, and expression while strengthening their observational drawing skills. Demonstrations will cover techniques for capturing movement, anatomy, and the essence of a pose using a variety of drawing approaches. Each session will include short and long poses with live models, offering a supportive space to experiment and build confidence.

Plan to bring: Your preferred drawing materials (paper, pencils, charcoal, etc.); a selection of supplies will also be available for purchase at Ox-Bow House.

Location: Please note that this workshop takes place at Ox-Bow House, located at 137 Center Street, Douglas, Michigan 49406.

Figure Drawing at Ox-Bow House

March 12, 19, 26, 1:00–3:30 p.m. ET
Tuition: $75 for 3 sessions, $30 for 1 session
Materials Fee: N/A
In this workshop, students will explore the human form through gesture, proportion, and expression while strengthening their observational drawing skills. Demonstrations will cover techniques for capturing movement, anatomy, and the essence of a pose using a variety of drawing approaches. Each session will include short and long poses with live models, offering a supportive space to experiment and build confidence.

Plan to bring: Your preferred drawing materials (paper, pencils, charcoal, etc.); a selection of supplies will also be available for purchase at Ox-Bow House.

Location: Please note that this workshop takes place at Ox-Bow House, located at 137 Center Street, Douglas, Michigan 49406.

Punch Needle Embroidery

with Patti Reen
March 28, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. ET
Tuition: $75
Materials Fee: $30.00

Punch needle embroidery is an ancient textile art, dating back to early Egyptian and Medieval traditions, now enjoying a modern revival through the resurgence of slow stitching and handwork. In this workshop, students will learn the fundamentals of this satisfying technique—threading the punch needle, creating smooth lines and curves, and building texture with colorful embroidery floss. Working from a small pattern mounted in a lap frame, participants will explore design, rhythm, and the tactile pleasure of textile making. A finishing technique will be demonstrated, and a detailed handout with resources will be provided for those eager to continue at home.

Plan to bring: Punch needle and other materials will be provided for use during the workshop; optional frames and tools will be available for purchase at Ox-Bow House.

Location: Please note that this workshop takes place at Ox-Bow House, located at 137 Center Street, Douglas, Michigan 49406.

Patti Reen is a retired registered nurse and moved to Holland with her husband in 2019. She is a proud mom to three girls and a grandma of 5. She has been making art for all of her life. It all started at age 8 when her grandmother taught her to knit and embroider, and then she moved on to sewing garments and quilts. Stained glass came next, then primitive rug hooking and punch needle embroidery. She learned to make mosaics at the Chicago Mosaic School at age 60! She’s been working with Punch Needle Embroidery since 2007, and has recently been displaying and selling her pieces at the Holland Arts Council and Ox-Bow House in Douglas. She really enjoys meeting folks interested in learning both Punch Needle Embroidery and Sashiko Embroidery, and looks forward to meeting new students.

Combining Watercolor & Colored Pencil 

with David Baker
April 11, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Tuition: $75
Materials Fee: N/A

Enhance your watercolor paintings by integrating colored pencil to add depth, texture, and vibrant detail. Demonstrations will guide students through using wax-based colored pencils (not water-soluble) to establish underdrawings, adjust light and dark values, and add rich textures and detail. These are excellent techniques for photorealists, illustrators, beginners, and established artists, and will give your watercolor paintings a dynamic pop. 

Plan to bring: watercolor supplies, including watercolor paper, paints, brushes, and a set of Prismacolor Premier colored pencils.

Location: Ox-Bow House - 137 Center Street, Douglas, MI 49406 

David Baker (he/him) is a visual artist who specializes in poetic landscape painting, much of it done en plein air. His studio pieces are often reinterpretations of paintings done outdoors. His principal media are watercolor, oil, and charcoal. His subjects are magical discoveries made while walking the landscape near Lake Michigan and, in particular, the campus of Ox-Bow. Frequently, these paintings will suggest an ongoing series of pictures. A lifelong artist and teacher, Baker recently retired as Art Professor Emeritus from Southwestern Michigan College. He continues to teach at Ox-Bow, South Haven Center for the Arts, and Krasl Art Center in St. Joseph, and he maintains a studio at the Box Factory for the Arts in St. Joseph.

Pillows & Plushies

with Eve Emrich
April 25, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Tuition: $75
Materials Fee: $10

Learn to create three-dimensional soft sculptures using recycled fabrics and repurposed stuffing while making your own unique pillow form. Demonstrations will cover basic patterning methods, sewing machine and hand-stitching techniques, and examples of artists working in contemporary soft sculpture. The session will include guided instruction, open studio time, and opportunities to experiment with form and texture. 

Plan to bring: fabric, old clothing, and retired pillows to harvest for stuffing—plus any personal materials you’d like to incorporate.

Location: Ox-Bow House - 137 Center Street, Douglas, MI 49406 

Eve Emrich (they/them) is a fiber artist, quilt maker, and craft educator based in Chicago. Their practice traces the nonlinearity of loss, memory, and identity through quilting, spinning yarn, and lace-making. They have taught fiber craft and quilting workshops in Chicago at Comfort Station, Haymarket House, Walls Turned Sideways, and Elastic Arts. Emrich is also the co-founder and Director of Quilt Church, a queer- and trans-centered hand-quilting project in which artists learn fundamental hand-sewing skills while cooperatively completing an heirloom-quality quilt. They received their BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2022 and participated in Ox-Bow’s Longform Residency in 2025.

Early Bloomers: Flower Arranging in Spring

with Carly Connelly
May 16, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Tuition: $75
Materials Fee: $30

Participants will explore the art of flower arranging through the lens of early spring, working with seasonal blooms, budding branches, and fresh greens that reflect the textures and rhythms of the moment. Demonstrations will cover basic floral design principles, how to condition stems, and how to compose balanced, expressive arrangements that highlight the natural character of spring flowers. Local flowers from White Barn Flower Company in Holland, Michigan, will be provided to each participant. The class will conclude with a group discussion, after which participants will take their arrangements home. 

Plan to bring: a vessel, garden gloves, and a sturdy box to safely transport your finished arrangement.

Location: Ox-Bow House - 137 Center Street, Douglas, MI 49406 

Carly Connelly (they/them, she/her) was born and raised in Chicago and received an MFA from Herron School of Art and Design. They attended Ox-Bow on a Summer Fellowship and fell in love with Michigan. Their postgraduate career included curriculum design, classroom instruction across all art media, and studio instruction with an emphasis in ceramics and sculpture. In addition to working in Chicago art studios, Connelly began working in the commercial floral industry as a lead floral designer in 2018. They are currently the Horticulture Lead Designer at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As an artist, educator, and floral designer, they explore the intersection of natural and sculptural forms and seek to help others engage with what nature provides.

Deep Looking: Painting Field Studies in Gouache

with Amy Sacksteder
May 16, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Tuition: $100
Materials Fee: $20

Explore the unfolding of spring on Ox-Bow’s campus through a series of observational gouache (opaque watercolor) paintings. Demonstrations will introduce techniques for working with gouache, including color mixing, layering, and accurately matching hues found in nature. The session will begin with a short demo, followed by guided sketching sessions around the meadow and surrounding landscape, emphasizing close observation and intuitive mark-making.

Plan to bring: sketchbook, pencil, and preferred gouache or watercolor supplies. Paper surfaces, brushes, and a small Beam Paints gouache set will be provided.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

Amy Sacksteder (she/her) grew up primarily in the Midwest, including Wisconsin, Illinois, and Ohio, and moved to Chicago following receipt of her MFA at Northern Illinois University in 2004. She now resides in Ypsilanti, Michigan, where she is a professor at Eastern Michigan University. She has taught painting and drawing at Interlochen Arts Camp, attended workshops and the Michigan Artist Retreat at Ox-Bow, and exhibited at Ox-Bow House. Her early work bridged plein air and studio painting and drawing, gradually expanding to include media such as ceramics and stained glass. Her work can be found at Real Tinsel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and River House Arts, Toledo, Ohio, and is included in the permanent collections of Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and Henry Ford Health, Detroit. She is a member of the Long Island City Studio Collective, New York, and Ypsi Alloy Studios, Ypsilanti.

Wild Grapevine Baskets

with Laurie Zientek
June 6, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Tuition: $200
Materials Fee: $20

Using freshly gathered wild grapevines and a variety of hand-dyed reed and seagrass, students will learn how to form hoops and make the framework of a ribbed-style basket. Students can expect to complete one medium-size basket in class.

Plan to bring: an old towel and an apron to protect clothing. All materials and tools will be provided.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

Laurie Zientek (she/her) is a native of Michigan who has been weaving baskets for over 40 years, working with natural materials and custom-dyed reeds to create beautiful, functional pieces. She loves sharing her hard-earned knowledge from decades of weaving, experimenting, and learning from other talented artisans. Zientek enjoys teaching the basics of basket weaving along with plenty of tips and tricks to help each student create something they’re proud of.

Here’s What Matters: Starting a Memoir

with Jack Ridl
June 6, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Tuition: $150
Materials Fee: N/A

Participants will spend the day exploring, through their preferred form of writing, the things that have profoundly impacted their own lives—whether funny, traumatic, serious, sorrowful, or joyous—and turning these stories into the beginnings of a memoir. Using suggestions provided by the instructor, writers will first talk with one another about the subject they have chosen; they will then have time to explore that choice in writing, after which the group will engage in a delightful debriefing about what showed up as they wrote, marking the culmination of a deeply memorable day.

Plan to bring: writing utensils and paper or notebook and memorable tokens from your life that may inspire writing.

Jack Ridl (he/him), Poet Laureate of Douglas, Michigan, is the author of books including All at Once and Saint Peter and the Goldfinch. His work has been recognized by the Foreword Reviews Gold Award for Poetry, the Society of Midland Authors Poetry Award, the Center for Book Arts chapbook award, and selection as best sports book of the year by the Institute for International Sport. Individual poems have been published in the Georgia Review, Poetry, Colorado Review, Rattle, North American Review, Prairie Schooner, Field, Poetry East, and elsewhere. Students at Hope College named him both Outstanding Professor and Favorite Professor, and in 1996, Carnegie Foundation/CASE named him Michigan Professor of the Year. More than 85 of his students have earned their MFAs, and over 100 are published; several have received first book awards. Every Thursday, he posts a monologue on YouTube as part of his video series The Sentimentalist.

Stitching for Change: Small Protest & Pride Quilts

with Victoria Marcetti
June 13, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Tuition: $250
Materials Fee: $20

In this hands-on fiber workshop, participants will explore quilting as a form of personal expression, collective care, and social activism. Drawing from the long history of quilts as carriers of memory, resistance, and community storytelling, we will create small protest and LGBTQIA+ themed quilts that honor identity, celebrate Pride, and speak to the causes that matter most to each maker. We’ll begin with a brief introduction to historical and contemporary examples of activist textiles, followed by demonstrations on simple piecing, appliqué, lettering, and incorporating symbolic color palettes (such as Pride flag variations). Participants will then design and stitch their own small quilt—sized for wall display, gifting, or carrying to a march—experimenting with pattern, text, and imagery that reflect their values and voice. This workshop centers process, play, and exploration; no sewing or quilting experience is required. All identities and skill levels are welcome.

Plan to bring: any personal fabric scraps or meaningful materials you may want to incorporate (optional). All other tools and supplies will be provided.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

Victoria Marcetti (they/them) is a queer and neurodiverse interdisciplinary artist and youth development worker who lives, works, and creates on Potawatomi and Peoria land, or so-called Kalamazoo, Michigan. They have been facilitating and supporting writing and art workshops for youth through Read and Write Kalamazoo for 10 years, as well as supporting and encouraging adults in explorations of fiber arts, printmaking, and book arts. Marcetti makes art because their heart, brain, and hands have to do something to try to make sense of the world around them. They believe in the process of making art as a tool for connecting with and understanding ourselves and our communities, and for shaping change in our communities and the larger world.

Divination Card Holders in Polymer Clay & Mixed Media

with Rebecca Lopez Mullins
June 13, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Tuition: $75
Materials Fee: $20

In this workshop, participants will create a one-of-a-kind divination card holder infused with personal symbolism and intuitive design. Demonstrations will cover polymer clay techniques—including texturing, marbling, blending, sculpting, and curing—along with mixed-media approaches that combine beads, crystals, metal findings, and collage. The class will flow from guided exploration of materials and colorways to intuitive composition and personal adornment.

Plan to bring: small personal objects, trinkets, charms, or collage materials to incorporate into your piece.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

Rebecca Lopez Mullins (she/her) is a multicultural and multidimensional artist and death midwife whose work explores in-between spaces, ritual, and transformation. Her creative process is ignited and guided by ancestral wisdom and elemental and cosmic realms, and often draws from personal narrative, illuminating patterns of growth, decay, and renewal. Her experience as a death midwife attunes her to thresholds, process, presence, and the unfolding of transitions, shaping both her studio work and her teaching. Mullins teaches and facilitates creative learning throughout West Michigan, blending artmaking, intuitive process, and exploration of transitional spaces. Her work engages life’s rhythms, mysteries, and the unseen, offering space for introspection, connection, and the emergence of meaning.

Flowering: Art History & Arrangement

with Maddie Reyna
June 13, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Tuition: $100
Materials Fee: $30

Create a living sculpture with flowers while considering foundational historical floral styles, including Dutch Baroque, ikebana, and contemporary movements. Following a demonstration, participants will experiment with vessel armature techniques such as wire mesh, pin frog, and tape grid. Local flowers from White Barn Flower Company in Holland, Michigan, will be provided to each participant. The class will conclude with a group discussion, after which participants will take their ephemeral arrangements home. For a full-day making experience, during which you will make a painting of your floral arrangement, sign up for the second part of this workshop, Floral Still-Life Painting, led by James Brandess.

Plan to bring: a vessel, garden gloves, and a box to transport your arrangement.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

Maddie Reyna (she/her) is an American painter who began arranging flowers as a way to have live subjects for her work. That practice has come to stand alone as she applies considerations of color, form, and composition to three-dimensional organic matter. She has a Master’s in Painting and Drawing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and studied at the Flower School of New York. She designs flower arrangements for brides and other party throwers in Chicago and serves as the Education Director at Ox-Bow.

Metal Outdoor Forms

with Robert Marsh
June 13, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Tuition: $250
Materials Fee: $30

Participants will learn basic metal fabrication processes while designing and creating a small steel work intended for an outdoor setting. Techniques demonstrated will include simple design planning, cutting, joining, and finishing methods, with discussion of materials, structure, utility, and aesthetics throughout. The workshop will begin with an overview of the Metals Studio and safety guidelines, followed by hands-on making using either personal steel or studio scrap.

Plan to bring: a sketchbook and drawing utensil, cotton long-sleeved shirt and pants, closed-toe shoes, and a tie for long hair.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

Robert Marsh (he/him) has been a faculty member for over 15 years at Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He has participated in several artist residencies, including Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, and the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship. Marsh’s works often draw inspiration from shared culture and the fine arts, balancing calculated decisions and serendipitous discoveries in his studio process. His most recent pieces combine unexpected connections, formal inquiry, and moments of levity, offering insight into how attention and interpretation shape personal perspectives.

Floral Still-Life Painting

with James Brandess
June 13, 3:00–6:00 p.m.
Tuition: $100
Materials Fee: N/A

Learn to paint a floral still life in oils from a local master. Turn your focus to painting from observation, using a demo floral arrangement made that morning as the subject. Let paint and color be the focus, inspired by the beauty that flowers and light can provide. For a full-day artmaking experience, during which you will make your own floral arrangement, also sign up for the first part of this workshop, Flowering: Art History & Arrangement, led by Maddie Reyna.

Plan to bring: gessoed canvases, flat bristle brushes, oil paints, 1 pint of odorless paint thinner, drawing supplies (vine charcoal, pencil, white eraser, sketchbook), 3 empty tin cans, empty glass jar with lid, blue paper shop towels, 18-by-24-inch plexiglass palette, vinyl gloves, sunscreen, and bug spray.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

James Brandess (he/him) was born in Chicago. A graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, he has been a longtime teacher at Ox-Bow. Saugatuck, Michigan, has been home to James Brandess Studios and Gallery, Inc., for over 30 years.

Starting Somewhere New: Drawing, Collage & Collaborative Play 

with Lisa Walcott & Meridith Ridl
June 13, 3:00–6:00 p.m.
Tuition: $75
Materials Fee: TBD

In this process-based workshop, participants will use drawing and collage to inspire play, experimentation, and discovery, creating layered works through chance and collaboration. We will demonstrate energetic mark-making prompts, partner-based exchanges, and simple collage techniques for cutting, recombining, and reconfiguring drawings. The workshop will flow from quick drawing warm-ups into collaborative interventions and conclude with the construction of experimental collages from accumulated fragments.

Plan to bring: sketchbook or drawing pad, any preferred drawing tools, and small paper scraps or printed materials to incorporate. All other materials will be provided.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

Lisa Walcott (she/her) is a sculptor and installation artist whose work engages the poetics of everyday life through kinetic forms, object-based constructions, and drawing. Using familiar materials such as cords, bristles, insulation, shelf brackets, and fan motors, she explores domesticity, labor, and the feminine experience, often creating precarious, quietly humorous environments. Rooted in repetition and slow gestures, her work reveals the unseen tensions that underlie routines of care and maintenance. Walcott is an Associate Professor of Art at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. For over a decade, she has maintained an active national exhibition record, with more than 20 solo and two-person exhibitions at venues including the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University, East Lansing; the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, Grand Rapids, and Saugatuck Center for the Arts, Michigan; ARC Gallery, Chicago; and Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati.

Meridith Ridl (she/her) is an artist and art teacher at Holland Public Schools in Michigan. Much of her work explores gestures (figurative and abstract) that suggest states of being—desire, silliness, revelation, disorientation—with compositions that often have a wobble, leave room for emptiness, press on through crowdedness, or “aren’t quite right.” Her work ranges from meditative and quiet to tipsy and quirky. She received her BA in Studio Art from the College of Wooster and her MFA from the University of Michigan. Her work is represented by LaFontsee Galleries, Grand Rapids, Michigan. She also works collaboratively with artist Lisa Walcott, and their work has most recently been shown at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts and the Holland Area Arts Council.

Longleaf Pine Needle Basketry

with Mary Boyd
June 20, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Tuition: $150
Materials Fee: $30

In this workshop, students will learn the foundational techniques of coiled basketry while creating a small basket from longleaf pine needles. Beginning with a prepared wooden or stone center, we’ll explore how to start a coil, build walls using the spiral stitch, and incorporate beads with the mariposa stitch to add texture and detail. Through demonstration and individualized guidance, students will practice shaping, binding, and tapering their final coil to create a smooth, finished edge. Along the way, we’ll discuss the history and traditions of natural-fiber basketry and how contemporary makers continue to evolve the form.

Plan to bring: a small pair of sharp scissors, a hand towel, and needle-nose pliers if available. Other materials—including pine needles, waxed thread, a prepared center, beads, and sewing needles—will be provided.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

Mary Boyd (she/her) is a natural fiber artist living in Saugatuck, Michigan. She creates functional and sculptural pieces using longleaf pine needles and stones from around the world, also incorporating natural fibers and ceramics. Boyd is self-taught; she developed her skills and techniques through years of practice, experimentation, and collaboration with fellow pine needle artists, after being introduced to the art in an afternoon workshop. She is now a full-time artist, following a career as a chemistry professor and university administrator. She also serves as an administrator for an international group of 10,000 pine needle artists on social media.

Summer Solstice Cyanotypes

with Kim Meyers Baas
June 20, 3:00–6:00 p.m.
Tuition: $100
Materials Fee: $20

Celebrate the longest day of the year through a hands-on exploration of cyanotype, one of the oldest photographic printing processes. In this workshop, participants will learn to create deep-blue botanical prints on both paper and cloth using sunlight, found forms, and the natural environment as collaborators. We will work with techniques for arranging compositions, preparing surfaces, and exposing prints using UV light—embracing the way time, weather, and the intensity of the solstice sun shape each image. The workshop will conclude with a group review of finished prints on provided high-quality watercolor paper and 100% cotton rag fabric.

Plan to bring: small natural or flat objects that hold personal meaning, and wear clothing that can get messy. Additional botanicals and textural materials will be gathered from across the Ox-Bow grounds.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

Kim Meyers Baas (she/her) is an artist, arts educator, and administrator whose practice explores family identity, equity in education, migration, and authentic voice. Her work is shaped by long-term engagement in public education settings in Michigan, in Chicago, and along the United States–Mexico border, collaborating with youth artists and communities since 1992. She currently serves as Fine Arts Coordinator for West Michigan’s Kentwood Public Schools, one of the most diverse school districts in the country. She also mentors art teachers through the Art21 Educators program and is an adjunct in the art department at Calvin University. Meyers Baas holds a BA in Visual Art from Loyola University Chicago and an MA in Art Education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is a lifelong learner at Ox-Bow, where teaching and learning alongside others feels inseparable from place, practice, and a sustained relationship with Lake Michigan.

​​Watercolor Walk: Painting Ox-Bow’s Landscape & History

with David Baker
June 27, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Tuition: $200
Materials Fee: N/A

In this outdoor workshop, participants will explore Ox-Bow’s rich landscape and quirky architecture through on-site watercolor painting. Instructor David Baker will lead a guided tour of some of his favorite spots around campus—from the lagoon and Tallmadge Woods to the dunes and historic buildings—pausing to create quick studies and longer impressions along the way. Participants will learn simple observational techniques, watercolor fundamentals, and strategies for capturing light, color, and atmosphere in a changing environment. Whether you’re new to watercolor or looking to expand your plein air practice, this workshop offers a relaxed, engaging way to experience Ox-Bow’s beauty through paint. All levels are welcome; gentle guidance will be provided throughout.

Plan to bring: watercolor supplies, including watercolor paper and a set of Prismacolor pencils.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

David Baker (he/him) is a visual artist who specializes in poetic landscape painting, much of it done en plein air. His studio pieces are often reinterpretations of paintings done outdoors. His principal media are watercolor, oil, and charcoal. His subjects are magical discoveries made while walking the landscape near Lake Michigan and, in particular, the campus of Ox-Bow. Frequently, these paintings will suggest an ongoing series of pictures. A lifelong artist and teacher, Baker recently retired as Art Professor Emeritus from Southwestern Michigan College. He continues to teach at Ox-Bow, South Haven Center for the Arts, and Krasl Art Center in St. Joseph, and he maintains a studio at the Box Factory for the Arts in St. Joseph.

Sashiko Embroidery

with Mary Baggerman
June 27, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Tuition: $75
Materials Fee: $20

Sashiko is a type of hand stitching that originated in Japan. Used for mending and embellishment, it has a rich history of tradition and design. Today, many people are discovering it as part of the visible mending movement. Come and learn the basics of stitching, pattern transfer, and tools and techniques. We will be making several small pieces suitable for use as coasters, pincushions, or patches on clothing.

Plan to bring: a sketchbook and bits of fabric or thread from home (optional). All necessary materials will be provided.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

Mary Baggerman (she/her) has lived in West Michigan all of her adult life. She loves living in the beautiful Great Lakes region, drawing inspiration from the natural world around her. She exhibits and teaches in Kalamazoo, Michigan, focusing primarily on fiber arts, including embroidery and quilting. Baggerman is currently on the faculty of the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, where she teaches creative embroidery.

Rainbow Fused-Glass Suncatchers

with Rachel E. Brace
June 27, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Tuition: $250
Materials Fee: $30

Celebrate color, light, and queer joy in this beginner-friendly fused-glass workshop held in honor of Pride Month. Participants will design and create their own radiant rainbow suncatcher using a vibrant selection of transparent and opaque glass. We’ll cover the basics of cutting, shaping, and arranging glass, as well as an introduction to glass properties and kiln firing. This workshop welcomes participants of all identities and skill levels—no previous glass experience needed. Come explore in a playful, affirming space where creativity and community shine.

Plan to bring: water bottle, closed-toe shoes, and comfortable natural-fiber clothing suitable for a hotshop environment. All glassblowing tools and materials will be provided.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

Rachel Brace (she/they) has been working with glass for over a decade. As a native Michigander, she has found inspiration for her glasswork in the beauty of the nature around her. She has worked at Ox-Bow for five years, currently serving as the Glass Studio Manager.

Nature-Inspired Ceramic Tiles

with Ellie Stanislav
June 27, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Tuition: $250
Materials Fee: $10

In this hands-on workshop, students will create clay relief tiles inspired by natural forms, learning how to translate a two-dimensional image into a sculptural composition. Working with a square or rectangular tile format, we’ll explore both low- and high-relief modeling to bring depth, texture, and movement to the surface. Students will learn key ceramic techniques, including slab rolling, image layout and composition, building forms in relief, and applying texture to enrich their design. We’ll begin with a brief introduction to historical and contemporary relief tile makers before moving into guided demonstrations and individual work time. The session will conclude with finishing steps and recommendations for drying and firing. Fired tiles can be picked up at Ox-Bow at a later date.

Plan to bring: reference images from nature—such as plants, animals, or landscapes—as well as any clay or modeling tools you enjoy using. All other materials will be provided.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

Ellie Stanislav (she/her) is a ceramic artist based in West Michigan. She has received both a BFA in Studio Art and a BA from the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities at Michigan State University. Stanislav has been an artist-in-residence at the Stifel Fine Arts Center and the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. Her work has been shown throughout the region, most notably as part of the 2026 NCECA Annual Exhibition, Absence Takes Form, in Detroit.

New Beginnings in Writing

with Jack Ridl
July 18, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Tuition: $150
Materials Fee: N/A

Jack Ridl believes that making art and writing generate realizations and valuable experiences that can happen no other way, and he brings to this workshop decades of experience in “de-threatening” the artmaking process. He hopes that you will leave at home any notions of departing Ox-Bow with something completed; instead, he will encourage you to start many things—written pieces, creative notions, seeds of ideas. He strives to create an instant community in which conversation throughout the day is stimulating, joyful, and worthwhile.

Plan to bring: writing utensils and paper or notebook and memorable tokens from your life that may inspire writing and collaboration.

Jack Ridl (he/him), Poet Laureate of Douglas, Michigan, is the author of books including All at Once and Saint Peter and the Goldfinch. His work has been recognized by the Foreword Reviews Gold Award for Poetry, the Society of Midland Authors Poetry Award, the Center for Book Arts chapbook award, and selection as best sports book of the year by the Institute for International Sport. Individual poems have been published in the Georgia Review, Poetry, Colorado Review, Rattle, North American Review, Prairie Schooner, Field, Poetry East, and elsewhere. Students at Hope College named him both Outstanding Professor and Favorite Professor, and in 1996, Carnegie Foundation/CASE named him Michigan Professor of the Year. More than 85 of his students have earned their MFAs, and over 100 are published; several have received first book awards. Every Thursday, he posts a monologue on YouTube as part of his video series The Sentimentalist.

Natural Ink Making

with Elizabeth Schmuhl
July 18, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Tuition: $100
Materials Fee: $10

Create original paintings, bookmarks, and cards with freshly foraged, handmade inks—and gain some inspiration for future inky experiments! We’ll begin the day outside foraging for plants and other natural materials. You are also encouraged to bring plants or other materials from home; anything can be used to create ink! Next, we will learn the ink-making process using your found materials. Wrap up the day by experimenting with your fresh inks on different substrates.

Plan to bring: a notebook and anything natural from your home/garden that you’d like to try to make ink with. It is recommended that you dress for the weather and foraging, including wearing tall socks, long sleeves, and a hat. Ink-making materials will be provided. 

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

Elizabeth Schmuhl (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist who creates work that explores nature, movement, and memory. She deeply investigates the natural world, its cycles, and entropy, all of which inform her work. Schmuhl is the author of Premonitions. She has also published The Four Seasons, a book of paintings created with natural ink from her centennial fruit farm in Benton Harbor, Michigan, and Fishes of the Great Lakes, containing paintings with natural inks made entirely from the Great Lake watershed and materials that surround it. Schmuhl has shared her work globally and holds an MFA and a BA from the University of Michigan. She has taught at the University of Michigan, Wayne State University, and elsewhere.

Landscape Painting

with James Brandess
July 18, 3:00–6:00 p.m.
Tuition: $100
Materials Fee: N/A

In these multilevel oil painting workshops, students will paint outdoors amid the historic Ox-Bow landscape in the medium of their choice. Instruction will focus on recognizing and then painting what we actually see. Through this process of learning to see, participants will create paintings that have veracity and strength. The workshop will include discussion of the tools and materials needed to set up and paint in any landscape you choose. Sign up for one or both of these three-hour morning painting workshops on the meadow alongside the lagoon.

Plan to bring: small gessoed canvases, flat bristle brushes, oil paints, 1 pint of odorless paint thinner, travel easel, drawing supplies (vine charcoal, pencil, white eraser, sketchbook), at least 3 empty tin cans, empty glass jar with lid, blue paper shop towels, 18-by-24-inch plexiglass palette, vinyl gloves, sunscreen, bug spray, and hat with visor.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

James Brandess (he/him) was born in Chicago. A graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, he has been a longtime teacher at Ox-Bow. Saugatuck, Michigan, has been home to James Brandess Studios and Gallery, Inc., for over 30 years.

Fiber & Ice Dyeing

with Jen Schutmaat
July 25, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Tuition: $100
Materials Fee: $20

In this workshop, students will create at least one unique hand-dyed textile using ice and powdered pigments. Working with folding methods, color placement, and melt-based dye reactions, we’ll explore how ice dyeing differs from traditional immersion techniques and how unpredictability can lead to extraordinary results. We will begin with a short introduction to the ice-dyeing process. After looking at examples and exploring design possibilities, participants will practice folds and color layouts on paper before moving to fabric dyeing. We’ll end with a wash-out session and a small-group showcase of the work created.

Plan to bring: a notebook and colored pencils. One flag-sized piece of cotton will be provided, but you are encouraged to bring anything that is 100% cotton that you’d like to dye as well (T-shirts, pillowcases, etc.).

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

Jen Schutmaat (she/her) has been involved with fiber dyeing for over 30 years. A native of Holland, Michigan, she has led dye workshops for various local groups and businesses, including Out On The Lakeshore and Bell’s Brewery. Her teaching journey has included working in early childhood special education, leading after-school elementary art enrichment, and teaching at a nature-based outdoor preschool.

Pressless Prints: Hand-Stamped Designs

with Carolyn Ingram
July 25, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Tuition: $75
Materials Fee: $20

In this workshop, participants will design and create original images using hand-carved and found-object stamps, producing a series of layered prints on paper to take home. Demonstrations will cover basic stamp carving, inking techniques, pattern building, registration, and creative mark-making without the use of a printing press. The class will flow from experimental warm-ups to guided projects and open exploration, allowing time for iteration, collaboration, and individual image development.

Plan to bring: any personal imagery, sketches, or objects you’d like to incorporate into your printing.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

Carolyn Ingram (she/her, they/them) is a printmaker living in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She received her BA in Studio Arts from Kalamazoo College and served as a postbaccalaureate printmaking resident at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. She is a part of Southwest Michigan Printmakers and has taught printmaking workshops at the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center. Ingram has been practicing printmaking for eight years, exploring traditional and modern methods. Her work has been shown at Michigan’s Crooked Tree Arts Center and was included in the Poets in Print broadside at the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center.

From Fleece to Fiber: Processing Local Wool by Hand

with Rachel Meyers Hefferan
July 25, 3:00–6:00 p.m.
Tuition: $100
Materials Fee: $30

In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn how raw, freshly shorn wool is transformed into usable fiber for knitting, weaving, and other textile practices. Working with bespoke, ethically sourced wool from Jacob and Icelandic sheep raised in Southwest Michigan, we’ll explore the early stages of fiber preparation while building an appreciation for place-based materials and slow craft. Demonstrations will cover brushing, hard carding, and introductory spinning techniques, and participants will receive guidance through the tactile process of cleaning, aligning, and drafting wool. Time will be structured between demonstration and open making, allowing participants to experiment, ask questions, and develop a feel for the fiber as it changes form. Participants can expect to leave the workshop with a small length of prepared natural fiber and a foundational understanding of how raw wool becomes knittable or weavable material. No prior fiber experience is required—curiosity and a willingness to work with your hands are all that’s needed.

Plan to bring: comfortable clothing you don’t mind getting a little fuzzy, and a tote or bag for carrying your finished fiber home. All wool and core materials will be provided.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

Rachel Meyers Hefferan (she/her) is a textile artist and small-scale shepherd focused on sustainability in her art practice and lifestyle. Her artwork looks at microbial networks, connectivity, pattern, and fermentation, and most often takes the form of large-scale abstract weavings. Hefferan’s aim as a textile artist is to engage in holistic practice that brings natural and secondhand materials through the entirety of their life cycle without sacrificing aesthetics or color. She invites others into this practice through conversation, workshops, community, and other events. Hefferan holds an MFA in Studio Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and has been invited to lecture and/or lead workshops and demonstrations at the University of Michigan, SAIC, Saugatuck Center for the Arts, the Michigan League of Handweavers, and the Michigan Fiber Festival, among many others.

Natural Impressions: Botanical Pressing in Ink

with JoAnne Laudolff
August 1, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Tuition: $75
Materials Fee: $20

Celebrate the abundance of summer with this vibrant nature printing workshop, during which we’ll transform fresh flowers and leaves into colorful printed wreaths. Participants will learn how to compose botanical arrangements and hand-print them onto fine papers to create frame-worthy works. Techniques demonstrated will include selecting and preparing plant materials, applying paints for optimal transfers, and hand-rubbing prints to capture delicate natural textures. The workshop will begin with an introduction to botanical printing, followed by guided experimentation with composition and printing methods. Participants will create one large print along with several smaller botanical impressions.

Plan to bring: fresh leaves or small botanical materials of personal interest (optional). All papers, paints, and additional plant materials will be provided. Please ensure any collected plant materials are fresh; if gathered the day prior, store them in a sealed bag in the refrigerator.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

JoAnne Laudolff (she/her) is a Saugatuck-based artist who has been teaching Japanese papermaking, printmaking, oil and cold wax, and mixed-media workshops for over 25 years. She holds a BA from Columbia College Chicago, where she studied at the Center for Book and Paper Arts, as well as an MA in Studio Arts from Northern Illinois University. Laudolff also studied oil and cold wax with Rebecca Crowell, and printmaking at both the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Anchor Graphics. In addition, she has attended various classes at Ox-Bow. Laudolff has taught at numerous venues in Illinois and has exhibited her work extensively. Her work is included in many private collections.

Wild Grapevine Baskets

with Laurie Zientek
August 1, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Tuition: $200
Materials Fee: $20

Using freshly gathered wild grapevines and a variety of hand-dyed reed and seagrass, students will learn how to form hoops and make the framework of a ribbed-style basket. Students can expect to complete one medium-size basket in class.

Plan to bring: an old towel and an apron to protect clothing. All materials and tools will be provided.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

Laurie Zientek (she/her) is a native of Michigan who has been weaving baskets for over 40 years, working with natural materials and custom-dyed reeds to create beautiful, functional pieces. She loves sharing her hard-earned knowledge from decades of weaving, experimenting, and learning from other talented artisans. Zientek enjoys teaching the basics of basket weaving along with plenty of tips and tricks to help each student create something they’re proud of.

Make a Handmade Journal

with Sandra Hansen
August 1, 3:00–6:00 p.m.
Tuition:  $75
Materials Fee: $30

In this workshop, students will learn how to construct and personalize a hand-bound journal. Techniques demonstrated include covering cardboard with decorative papers, installing simple closures, adding bookmarks, collage and surface decoration, and creating paper pulp sheets or shapes using stencils. The class will flow from guided journal assembly to open-ended decorating, followed by a playful introduction to papermaking processes.

Plan to bring: a spirit of curiosity and creativity. All essential supplies will be provided, with optional materials available for continued exploration at home.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

Sandra Hansen (she/her) is a West Michigan–based environmental artist whose handmade paper sheets and occasional sculptural works explore the delicate relationships within natural ecosystems. She holds an MFA from Kendall College of Art and Design and has developed a distinctive approach to creating large‑scale handmade papers, shaped in part by a formative residency in Australia. Her work has been exhibited regionally and internationally, including at ArtPrize 2025, where she received recognition for her installation Our Exquisite Pollution. Her art has been on view at Root Café in Fennville, Michigan, and at Ox-Bow House. Hansen enjoys teaching papermaking and journal-making workshops at various locations.

Watercolor Foundations: Techniques for Confident Painting

with David Baker
4-Day, August 3–6, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Tuition: $300
Materials Fee: N/A

In this welcoming workshop, participants will learn the core techniques of transparent watercolor and gain confidence in a medium often described as challenging or unforgiving. We’ll explore how to work from light to dark, manage water-to-pigment ratios, and approach “mistakes” as opportunities for creative problem-solving. The workshop will begin with a brief demonstration of essential methods—washes, gradients, lifting, layering, and glazing—followed by guided practice to build control and fluency. Participants will create a series of small studies designed to support a grounded understanding of how watercolor behaves on the page. This session is ideal for beginners or artists in other media who are curious to try watercolor with gentle structure and supportive instruction.

Plan to bring: watercolor supplies, including watercolor paper and a set of Prismacolor pencils.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

David Baker (he/him) is a visual artist who specializes in poetic landscape painting, much of it done en plein air. His studio pieces are often reinterpretations of paintings done outdoors. His principal media are watercolor, oil, and charcoal. His subjects are magical discoveries made while walking the landscape near Lake Michigan and, in particular, the campus of Ox-Bow. Frequently, these paintings will suggest an ongoing series of pictures. A lifelong artist and teacher, Baker recently retired as Art Professor Emeritus from Southwestern Michigan College. He continues to teach at Ox-Bow, South Haven Center for the Arts, and Krasl Art Center in St. Joseph, and he maintains a studio at the Box Factory for the Arts in St. Joseph.

Color Theory Essentials: The Double Primary Palette

with David Baker
4-Day, August 3–6, 3:00–6:00 p.m.
Tuition: $300
Materials Fee: N/A

In this workshop, participants will build a foundation in practical color theory using the double primary palette—an accessible system that expands mixing possibilities and strengthens any painting practice. Working with acrylics, we’ll explore hue, value, saturation, color temperature, simultaneous contrast, and complementary color relationships. We will begin with a brief overview of color’s physical properties, followed by guided mixing exercises that reveal how different primaries interact. Participants will create a series of small color studies to investigate spatial effects, contrast, and temperature shifts—tools they can apply to future painting projects.

Plan to bring: a basic acrylic set, painting surfaces of various sizes and textures, and a color wheel.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

David Baker (he/him) is a visual artist who specializes in poetic landscape painting, much of it done en plein air. His studio pieces are often reinterpretations of paintings done outdoors. His principal media are watercolor, oil, and charcoal. His subjects are magical discoveries made while walking the landscape near Lake Michigan and, in particular, the campus of Ox-Bow. Frequently, these paintings will suggest an ongoing series of pictures. A lifelong artist and teacher, Baker recently retired as Art Professor Emeritus from Southwestern Michigan College. He continues to teach at Ox-Bow, South Haven Center for the Arts, and Krasl Art Center in St. Joseph, and he maintains a studio at the Box Factory for the Arts in St. Joseph.

Glass Basics

with Rachel E. Brace
August 8, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Tuition: $250
Materials Fee: $30

In this hands-on hotshop workshop, participants will learn the foundational techniques of glassblowing while gaining confidence working with molten material. Through guided demonstrations and plenty of practice, you’ll explore how to gather, shape, and sculpt hot glass using traditional tools and mindful attention to heat, breath, and timing. We’ll begin with an overview of the studio and safety practices, along with a brief history of glassblowing as a craft and contemporary art form. Participants will start by making a solid paperweight, then build skills toward creating small sculptural forms, and ultimately craft their own hand-blown cup. Along the way, we’ll experiment with applying color, adding small decorative bits, and understanding how form shifts during each stage of the process. This workshop is open to all levels—no prior experience required.

Plan to bring: water bottle, closed-toe shoes, and comfortable natural-fiber clothing suitable for a hotshop environment. All glassblowing tools and materials will be provided.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

Rachel Brace (she/they) has been working with glass for over a decade. As a native Michigander, she has found inspiration for her glasswork in the beauty of the nature around her. She has worked at Ox-Bow for five years, currently serving as the Glass Studio Manager.

Sketching in Steel

with Nick Fagan
August 8, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Tuition: $250
Materials Fee: $30

Learn the basics of welding, bending, and cutting metal in Ox-Bow’s Metals Studio. We will translate a simple drawing of your own design into steel. Technical demonstrations will include hot and cold bending, modular construction, welding, and surface finishing strategies. You will quickly gain the know-how to safely use equipment in the studio! This course is suitable for all levels of experience. Leave with a great sculpture and heightened confidence after one day in the shop.

Plan to bring: cotton long-sleeved shirt and pants, closed-toe shoes or boots, and a tie for long hair. Safety gear, steel, and other metals will be provided.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

Nick Fagan (he/him) is a fabric artist and sculptor based in Virginia and Michigan. He is the Metals Studio Manager at Ox-Bow. His own work deals with themes around mental health, disability, and the sincerity of physical/manual labor, among other subjects. Most recently, his work has been exhibited at the Seattle Art Fair; Abigail Ogilvy Gallery, Boston; Massey Klein Gallery, New York; and op.cit., Mexico City. His work has also been featured or reviewed in outlets including Burnaway, NPR, Divergents Magazine, New American Paintings, and The Rib. Fagan has received fellowships and residencies from the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, the Studios at MASS MoCA, and the Fine Arts Work Center. Awards include a Kennedy Center Access/VSA Emerging Young Artists award and a Foundation of Contemporary Arts Grant. He received his MFA in Sculpture from the Ohio State University and his BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Punch Needle Embroidery

with Patti Reen
August 8, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Tuition: $150
Materials Fee: $30

Punch needle embroidery is an ancient textile art, dating back to early Egyptian and medieval traditions, now enjoying a modern revival through the resurgence of slow stitching and handwork. In this workshop, students will learn the fundamentals of this satisfying technique—threading the punch needle, creating smooth lines and curves, and building texture with colorful embroidery floss. Working from a small pattern mounted in a lap frame, participants will explore design, rhythm, and the tactile pleasure of textile making. A finishing technique will be demonstrated, and a detailed handout with resources will be provided for those eager to continue at home.

Plan to bring: No outside materials required. A punch needle and other materials will be provided for use during the workshop; optional frames and tools will be available for purchase from Ox-Bow.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

Patti Reen is a retired registered nurse and moved to Holland with her husband in 2019. She is a proud mom to three girls and a grandma of 5. She has been making art for all of her life. It all started at age 8 when her grandmother taught her to knit and embroider, and then she moved on to sewing garments and quilts. Stained glass came next, then primitive rug hooking and punch needle embroidery. She learned to make mosaics at the Chicago Mosaic School at age 60! She’s been working with Punch Needle Embroidery since 2007, and has recently been displaying and selling her pieces at the Holland Arts Council and Ox-Bow House in Douglas. She really enjoys meeting folks interested in learning both Punch Needle Embroidery and Sashiko Embroidery, and looks forward to meeting new students.

Earth & Self: Movement-Based Expressive Arts in Nature

with Ash Tree Crofoot
August 8, 3:00–6:00 p.m.
Tuition: $100
Materials Fee: $10

In this outdoor expressive arts workshop, participants will explore how movement, drawing, and writing can deepen their connection to the natural world. Through guided practices in contemplative movement, sensory awareness, and creative response, the class will investigate how the environment can serve as collaborator, mirror, and source of inspiration. We’ll begin with a brief orientation, followed by warm-up drawing and reflective writing. Participants will then move into guided mindful movement and sensory practices before engaging in solo explorations of the meadow and its more-than-human inhabitants. These experiences will be brought back into drawing and writing as tools for further discovery, play, and personal insight. The session will close with small-group reflection and a collective sharing circle. This session is accessible to all levels—no dance or artmaking experience required. It emphasizes process, welcoming all abilities and encouraging a playful, exploratory mindset. It takes place entirely outdoors, and participants will be invited to wander, sit, lie down, and move freely on the ground.

Plan to bring: anything you need for comfort outdoors, layered clothing, water bottle, snacks, personal writing tools, and drawing or simple painting supplies of your choice, including paper.

 Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

Ash Tree Crofoot (she/her) is a Registered Somatic Movement Therapist and Expressive Arts Practitioner. She holds advanced degrees in Body-Based Expressive Arts Therapy, Transpersonal Psychology, and Ecopsychology. She is a graduate of the internationally renowned Tamalpa Institute for movement-based expressive arts and is trained in the Somatic Experiencing model of nervous system–informed trauma resolution. Since 2010, she has worked in group settings and private practice, offering a unique blend of somatic psychology and expressive arts approaches to growth, healing, and creative development. She is a native Midwesterner, and the shores of West Michigan have been a place of annual pilgrimage and restoration for generations of her family. This summer, she is thrilled to offer her work in collaboration with this spirited place and its people.

Creative Movement & Self-Exploration

with Ash Tree Crofoot
August 22, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Tuition: $100
Materials Fee: $10

This workshop introduces participants to the Tamalpa Life/Art Process, a movement-based expressive arts approach that weaves together creative movement, drawing, writing, and structured reflection to support personal insight and artistic growth. Through guided exercises, students will explore how body-based awareness can open new pathways for creativity, intuition, and self-expression. We’ll begin with grounding movement scores and sensory awareness practices on the meadow, attuning to breath, sensation, and personal imagery. From there, we’ll shift to drawing and creative writing prompts that translate movement-based experiences into visual and poetic form, followed by small-group collaborations and witnessing practices that invite deeper understanding. The workshop will close with reflective writing to integrate themes, metaphors, and discoveries that emerged throughout the process. This session is accessible to all levels—no dance or artmaking experience required. It emphasizes process, welcoming all abilities and encouraging a playful, exploratory mindset.

Plan to bring: layered clothing for outdoor movement, anything needed for comfort on the ground, water bottle, personal writing materials, and basic drawing or simple painting supplies. Oil pastels, newsprint, and yoga mats will be provided.

Ash Tree Crofoot (she/her) is a Registered Somatic Movement Therapist and Expressive Arts Practitioner. She holds advanced degrees in Body-Based Expressive Arts Therapy, Transpersonal Psychology, and Ecopsychology. She is a graduate of the internationally renowned Tamalpa Institute for movement-based expressive arts and is trained in the Somatic Experiencing model of nervous system–informed trauma resolution. Since 2010, she has worked in group settings and private practice, offering a unique blend of somatic psychology and expressive arts approaches to growth, healing, and creative development. She is a native Midwesterner, and the shores of West Michigan have been a place of annual pilgrimage and restoration for generations of her family. This summer, she is thrilled to offer her work in collaboration with this spirited place and its people.

Terra-Cotta Planters 

with Israel Davis
August 22, 10:00 a.m.– 5:00 p.m.
Tuition: $250
Materials Fee: $30

In this workshop, students will design and create their own terra-cotta planters using red earthenware clay. We’ll explore hand-building techniques including slab construction with cut patterns, as well as pinching, coiling, and appliqué to add form, texture, and personal character. The class will begin with constructing the basic planter shape in the morning, followed by refining, detailing, and completing each vessel after lunch. Fired planters can be picked up at Ox-Bow at a later date.

Plan to bring: an apron or clothes suitable for getting messy.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

Israel “Izzy” Davis (he/him) is an artist whose work plays between the boundaries of object and image. He has taught numerous workshops and exhibited nationally and internationally. Davis’s work ranges in content from personal narratives to observations, particulars, and fun. A professor and Head of Ceramics at Central Michigan University, he has taught, organized, and participated in programming at Ox-Bow for more than 20 years.

New Beginnings in Writing

with Jack Ridl
August 22, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Tuition: $150
Materials Fee: N/A

Jack Ridl believes that making art and writing generate realizations and valuable experiences that can happen no other way, and he brings to this workshop decades of experience in “de-threatening” the artmaking process. He hopes that you will leave at home any notions of departing Ox-Bow with something completed; instead, he will encourage you to start many things—written pieces, creative notions, seeds of ideas. He strives to create an instant community in which conversation throughout the day is stimulating, joyful, and worthwhile.

Plan to bring: writing utensils and paper or notebook and memorable tokens from your life that may inspire writing and collaboration.

Jack Ridl (he/him), Poet Laureate of Douglas, Michigan, is the author of books including All at Once and Saint Peter and the Goldfinch. His work has been recognized by the Foreword Reviews Gold Award for Poetry, the Society of Midland Authors Poetry Award, the Center for Book Arts chapbook award, and selection as best sports book of the year by the Institute for International Sport. Individual poems have been published in the Georgia Review, Poetry, Colorado Review, Rattle, North American Review, Prairie Schooner, Field, Poetry East, and elsewhere. Students at Hope College named him both Outstanding Professor and Favorite Professor, and in 1996, Carnegie Foundation/CASE named him Michigan Professor of the Year. More than 85 of his students have earned their MFAs, and over 100 are published; several have received first book awards. Every Thursday, he posts a monologue on YouTube as part of his video series The Sentimentalist.

Papermaking Play

with Rowan Leek
August 22, 10:00 a.m.– 5:00 p.m.
Tuition: $250
Materials Fee: $30

Participants in this workshop will learn to make their own richly textured handmade paper using abaca, cotton, and hemp fibers. Demonstrations will cover sheet pulling and a range of surface-decoration techniques, including stenciling, dry-brush applications, and squeeze-bottle mark-making. The workshop will begin with foundational papermaking methods, followed by hands-on exploration at the vats as participants create multiple sheets to air-dry at home. Finished papers can be used for drawing, collage, or craft projects, or enjoyed as artworks on their own.

Plan to bring: a notebook or sketchbook, waterproof shoes (such as rain boots), and any botanical or collage materials you’d like to incorporate.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

Rowan Leek (he/him) is a paper and fiber artist originally from Memphis. He graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Art with a BFA in Sculpture and Expanded Media. While in college, he interned at the Morgan Conservatory for two summers and learned paper and printmaking. He went on to receive a studio management internship at Penland School of Craft’s Books and Paper Studios and returned the following winter as a studio assistant. Leek currently resides in West Michigan and works as Campus Manager at Ox-Bow. His work has been shown at the Betsy Gallery at Ox-Bow; at Reinberger Gallery and Bostwick Design Art Initiative, Cleveland; and as part of the traveling Queer Ecology Hanky Project.

Landscape Painting

with James Brandess
August 22, 3:00–6:00 p.m.
Tuition: $100
Materials Fee: N/A

In these multilevel oil painting workshops, students will paint outdoors amid the historic Ox-Bow landscape in the medium of their choice. Instruction will focus on recognizing and then painting what we actually see. Through this process of learning to see, participants will create paintings that have veracity and strength. The workshop will include discussion of the tools and materials needed to set up and paint in any landscape you choose. Sign up for one or both of these three-hour morning painting workshops on the meadow alongside the lagoon.

Plan to bring: small gessoed canvases, flat bristle brushes, oil paints, 1 pint of odorless paint thinner, travel easel, drawing supplies (vine charcoal, pencil, white eraser, sketchbook), at least 3 empty tin cans, empty glass jar with lid, blue paper shop towels, 18-by-24-inch plexiglass palette, vinyl gloves, sunscreen, bug spray, and hat with visor.

Location: Main Campus - 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck, MI 49453

James Brandess (he/him) was born in Chicago. A graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, he has been a longtime teacher at Ox-Bow. Saugatuck, Michigan, has been home to James Brandess Studios and Gallery, Inc., for over 30 years.