Reminder: OFFCenter Closed July 1-3

OFFCenter will be closed Thursday July 1, Friday July 2, and Saturday July 3. Have a happy and safe July 4 holiday weekend and we'll see you again on Tuesday July 6!

Valentines Art Making Gathering

Wednesday, February 10^th, 2010 5-7pm Free

Come join in an evening of art making with others from the OFFCenter community of artists!

This Wednesday night from 5-7pm.

Choose from a variety of materials to create cards, gifts and other unique Valentine gifts. Bring along your friends and family.

Friends and Dragons

Our 2010 occasional Wednesday night workshops are proving to be popular and fruitful this year! Last Wednesday was a Chinese paper dragons intensive, in celebration of Chinese New year, led by longtime OFFCenter friend and art teacher Ann Dunbar.

Next Wednesday evening, it will be Valentine Gifts. Stay tuned for more info here, or check our OFFCenter Calendar on our main website. Come on by! All ages are welcome.

Wednesday Night Workshop -- Chinese Paper Dragons

Wednesday, Feb. 3, 5-7pm

Get ready for this year’s Chinese New Year!

Join Ann Dunbar who will lead this structured workshop to create your very own Chinese Paper Dragon!

It will be a concentrated two hours of cutting, folding and gluing resulting in a delightful paper dragon that you will cherish.

Children under eight may need adult help to finish on time. All ages welcome!

$5 donation requested per dragon

A Heart Day's Night -- Valentine Art Sale

MAKE ART ~ BUY ART ~ MEET NEW FRIENDS
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Sunday, February 7
10am -- 2pm

Come visit OFFCenter's
Annual Valentine's Day Gift Sale
featuing a dozen of OFFCenter's studio artists.

Stop by and pick out some special artwork for that special someone!

Call for Entries: The Art of Devotion

Artists reveal through their art their devotion: people, places, things, ideas...

What's your devotion? Art you devoted to -- your lover? Family? Spiritual guides? Landscape? Animals? The artistic process? Squiggles? Lines, circles or squares?

Share your devotion with the world and specifically the OFFCenter community for the St. Valentine's month show "The Art of Devotion."

Please submit your artwork in any medium to OFFCenter by Jan. 29th. Show opens Feb. 5th.

This show is open to everyone, but please, one entry per artist.

Last Call for Holiday Gift Shopping!

OFFCenter studio and gift shop will remain open on Tuesday, Dec. 22 and Wednesday, Dec. 23. After that, the studio will close for a two-week holiday break, opening again on Tuesday, Jan. 5.

Did you know that 80% of your purchase price goes right back to the artist who produced it? Yes, it does. Did you know that the 20% retained by OFFCenter goes right back into open studio opportunities for other emerging artists? Yep. So your purchase helps the OFFCenter community sustain our mission of providing economic development opportunities for local emerging artists, some of whom could really use that 80% commission at this time of year!

Now is your almost-last chance to purchase holiday gifts for the unique, edgy, cozy, community-loving, quirky, fan of handmade and recycled art and craft person in your life. (Maybe that person is you!)

Our gift shop features original paintings, assemblage, tin work, beadwork, brooches, earrings, purses, altered and recycled household items, along with brilliant and quirky creations by emerging artists from all around our community. We also sell lots and lots of handmade greeting cards in a variety of styles.

Lots of wonderful artists are represented in our shop, including the highly collectible work of Mark Garcia, Marcia Sednek, and Joey Goss. We still have a couple of small paintings on wood by Jesse Reno and of course we have a variety of our studio-produced OFFBags, our sturdy & stylish market bags made of recycled plastic.

Won't you find some time to stop by this Tuesday or Wednesday? And thank for all of your support throughout the year, too.

RANA Float wins Neighborhood Cup in Twinkle Light Parade!

THANK YOU AGAIN to OFFCenter for making the RANA Twinkle Light Parade float banners.... and Guess What? - THE RANA FLOAT WON The Neighborhood Cup!!! (the first prize for neighborhood association floats)

First Friday Coffeehouse and Bonnie's Birthday Bash

COME TO THE PARTY!!

Have you been to a First Friday at OFFCenter lately? There is a big one coming up... This Friday, December 4, 2009 come celebrate OFFCenter's Anniversary and Bonnie Bluhm's birthday bash and the Holiday Gift Show at our December First Friday Coffeehouse. OFFCenter's unique gift shop is chock full of locally made art and you never know what handmade treasure you'll find there! There will also be great music and some fun snacks to enjoy - Join the party from 5-8:30 pm!

Free Holiday Arts Nights in December

Free Holiday Art Nights in December

FREE Holiday Art Nights on Wednesdays in December
5 to 7:30 pm (open late for these special event nights)

• Free and open to anyone.
• Bring your family!

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Gift cards and RECYCLED PLASTIC PLACEMATS
Wednesday, December 2nd

Roberta Delgado will demonstrate a simple printing technique to your produce beautiful personalized cards.
Marci Sednek will also demonstrate how to produce laminated recycled plastic placemats using the same process used for our signature OFFBAGs.

• Both products are great ideas for the holidays.
• Bring your recycled plastic to use and share.
• Free and open to anyone.
• Bring your family.

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Ornaments and GIFT CLOTHING AND SCARVES
Wednesday, December 9th

Susan Tische will be on hand to show how to turn recycled fabrics into the coolest attire.

Also we will be producing pass-around ornaments. What is this? Small groups of artists will sit around a table of materials and work for 5 minutes on an ornament design and then pass it to the next artist. The ornament is passed around the group until it returns to the originator in its finished glory! Great spontaneous fun!

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Holiday gift bags and paper
Wednesday, December 16th

Our last Holiday art night this year will feature decorating paper and folding gift bags using stamps, paints, markers, glitter and anything else you can find in the studio that touches your spirit!

Thanksgiving Potluck Wed. Nov. 25

Everyone is invited to our annual Thanksgiving potluck feast.

Bring your family and a side dish to share.

We will be making art as usual throughout the day!

Please note: We will be CLOSED for the THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
on Thursday and Friday, November 26th and 27th

Beautiful Pysanky

Workshop with Jo lanta Konopelska-Feliciano

Traditional Pysanky, Russian Egg Workshop Sat. 4/11

Hurry! A few seats are still available! This Saturday!

Call OFFCenter to register.

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Cost: $40 All materials will be provided. Scholarships are available.

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PYSANKY (PEE-SAN-KEY) - traditional Eastern European folk art of decorating eggs. Learn the batik technique of this unique traditional art in our 4 hour workshop taught by Jo lanta Konopelska-Feliciano. Jo lanta was born in Poland and learned this captivating art form in early childhood. She mastered this craft, adding her own unique styling to thousands of hand crafted, precisely designed, and beautifully finished Easter eggs.

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You will explore the batik technique by using beeswax applied with "kistka", dyeing eggs in vibrant colors, and designing them by following traditional Ukrainian and Polish symbolism or modern geometric forms. The final step will include empting an egg and preserving the delicate shell, so it can be used as an ornament or a unique gift for many years to come.

Holiday Gift Making Night at OFFCenter

Photo by Krisdecurtis

Holiday Gift Making Night

Wednesday, December 17th

5-8pm

OFFCenter Arts Studio

808 Park Ave. SW

Our traditional night of coming together and creating unique holiday gifts and decorations

Several artists will demonstrate projects. Bring your family and help generate some holiday warmth

This event is "free." call for more information 505.247.1172