"Hooping-it-up at the Villages Folk School class"

     Last weekend at the Villages Folk School Therese Cummisky from Jefferson County Conservation was teaching a class on Melon Basket weaving. The class was held at the Congregational church in Keosauqua and it offered each of the participants an opportunity to be creative and at the same time weave baskets that were formed around a melon. Eight inch hoops were used; one to form the handle and the other to form the rim. The longest step to form the basket was the weaving. Some of the ladies chose to stay with the natural color for their basket and others chose to weave in coordinating colors thus creating a basket that was unique to their style and color scheme. Regardless of what was chosen, the class was providing much fun and excitement for all of the students as they appeared to be “hooping it up”. Not only were they learning something new, they were taking home a finished product that would take its place in their home for years to come. Now that they have learned the basics, they can move on to other styles of woven baskets. Therese is planning to teach some future classes that will offer different styles of baskets.

     If this class was one that you would have enjoyed, now is the time to contact our school office and reserve your place in the next class. Maybe basket weaving isn’t something you would enjoy; that is ok because the folk school offers classes in a variety of art subjects that are sure to capture your attention. Call our office at 319-592-3700 and let Gloria bring you up to speed on the many classes we offer. If you would like to read more about our classes and our artist instructors go to our website at www.villagesfolkschool.com. To see the previous classes just click on the ‘Blog link’ at the bottom of the page, open the corresponding slide show and enjoy an inside look at our classes in action.

Classes coming up in July and August are as follows:

July 31: Barn Quilt Painting

Blacksmithing: Forge Welding

Still Life in Soft Pastels

Aug 21: Painting the Landscape

Bonaparte Pottery Experience

Aug 22: Bonaparte Pottery Experience

Aug 28: Creative Writing—Intro to Publishing

Aug 29: Creative Writing—Intro to Publishing

     Join our artists for one of their classes and experience “living the arts” firsthand as they share with you something that has become a way of life for them. This opportunity is unique at the Villages Folk School here in Van Buren County and will provide you with an experience that will help to shape the rest of your life.

Call us today at 319-592-3700!