WSA spring programming kicks off

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Wheatland Society of Arts (WSA) is excited to be rolling out their spring to summer brochure, which is packed full of programming for the next several months. 

WSA Program Coordinator Emmeline Keeling said there are a host of different activities which are available to choose from, so there will be something for everyone to come out and try. 

“I think we’ve got a lot of really exciting things coming up here. We’ve got a lot of spring-themed things, as well as a lot of summer things,” she said. “We’ve got some really exciting pottery classes and hopefully our new upcoming pottery studio (will be) here very soon; we’ve got our own wine and paint classes which are coming up, (and) we’re continuing our free family paint classes.”

The spring and summer brochure includes classes running from April through August, and includes activities such as needle felting, a palette knife watercolour workshop, encaustic painting, batik, wood carving, byzantine weave bracelet making, and a host of designated youth activities, among others.

Pricing will vary depending on the class, though there are a number of free options available for those who are looking for a family activity which won’t require any investment. 

Free activities will be taking place all through Senior’s Week in June, as well as the free family paint nights taking place every Saturday throughout the brochure. 

“We also have some really low-cost use programming and other programming classes as well, so if budget is at all an issue, we can make it work,” said Keeling. “The takeaway from the classes varies from person to person, but for adults, it is just a nice time to wind down and relax from a stressful day. I have had a mother tell me she comes to the free family paint nights with her daughter to destress from work.”

Though some classes will be restricted in numbers based on available materials and tools, others will take as many people as the WSA studio can hold. 

Keeling reported occasionally, as many as 25 people may turn out to participate in a class for an evening. 

She added the best way to find out more about ongoing or upcoming classes is to either reach out to the WSA directly via phone or email. 

Additionally, if there are artists in the community who are interested in teaching a class, they are also encouraged to reach out.

Classes from the spring brochure are already in full swing. On April 1, the afternoon kicked off with a free family paint day themed around cute bunnies for all ages.