On Saturday, April 14 from 4-6pm, The Jacksonville Center will host the 8^th Annual Education Kick-off and Instructor’s Exhibit Reception, which highlights The Jax 2012 class schedule and features a selection of art by some of the center’s instructors, including Ed Gowen, Gretchen St. Lawrence, Jean Poythress Koon, Karen Sewell, Sharon Hall and more.

Activities during the reception will include demonstrations from local art instructors such as blacksmith John Riddle and ceramics artist Sidra Kaluszka. Glenda George will demonstrate her felted soaps course and give attendees a chance to try it out for themselves. There will also be kids’ activities with Afternoon Arts teacher, Sarah Greene and assistant Rebekah Bordeaux and a talk/demonstration from Japanese Woodworker and Jax instructor, Yann Giguere. Yann will give a one hour talk/demonstration from 4-5pm introducing his love of the art and the goal of the classes he will be teaching in June. Yann is owner and founder of Mokuchi Woodworking and will be teaching a 4-day series of classes on knife sharpening, planing, and small stool making. Registrations for classes made during the event will receive a 10% discount on class tuition.

“I’m really excited about this year’s reception. We have some great demonstrations and activities planned and, of course, great people leading them. I hope we can give people a taste of how fun it can be to participate in our educational programming here at The Jax,” said Amy Avery-Grubel, Director of Educational Programming. The community is encouraged to attend.  The exhibit and the reception are free and open to the public.

For more information about these exhibits and more, visit www.jacksonvillecenter.com, email info@jacksonvillecenter.com or call (540) 745-2784.

‘Round the Mountain members are invited to submit proposals for the “Make and Take Holiday Crafts” interactive demonstrations at Heartwood during the holiday season.

The “Make and Take” activity will be scheduled for approximately two hours each day on:

• Friday, November 25 and Saturday, November 26
• Saturday, December 3, 10, 17 & 24

The “Make and Take” activity will involve interaction with Heartwood visitors through the creation of a “craft” item that can be completed by a visitor (child or adult) within an allotted time frame.

Cost of materials for the project will be paid for by Heartwood and a table will be provided for the project. Each craftsperson will receive a meal ticket for the Heartwood Café.

The proposal should include:

• Description of craft project and your experience with this type of activity
• Approximate time to complete the project
• Estimated material cost per item created
• Dates you are available

Please submit your proposal by November 9th to info@roundthemountain.orgor by mail to the attention of Debby Loggans at One Heartwood Circle, Abingdon, VA 24210. Contact RTM at 276.492.2408 should you have any questions or comments.

If you haven’t met Teri Walters, do. Soon. She’s a petite bundle of creative energy. That her favorite medium is polymer clay is appropriate given that it is a medium known for its vibrant colors and she is a woman known for her vibrant personality.

Name an artisan-instructor role at the center and Teri has filled it, often many times. She has worked with young artists at events including our Kids’ Art Camp, Halloween KidsFest and Winterfest. She has taught a variety of adult classes, including next week’s intermediate class Millefiori Caning with Polymer Clay. For true polymer clay enthusiasts and those looking for an introduction to the moldable medium, there’s also a monthly opportunity to get a dose of Teri’s creative energy at the Polymer Clay Guild.

Normally, the guild meets on the second Saturday of each month, but with hectic fall schedules, the September and October meetings have moved in both time and place.

If you’re interested in the guild, plan on attending a meeting at Teri’s own home on Saturday, September 18 and/or Saturday, October 16. Both meetings will be held from 1 to 4 in the afternoon. Non-members are welcome to visit the club once with no charge or obligation but the annual membership is only $15 for Jax members and $25 for those who haven’t yet joined the Jax membership.

Click here for more info about the guild, or email Teri to RSVP for an upcoming meeting.