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.

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.

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.

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.

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.