Ah Haa: Stay Safe, Have Fun, Make Art!

30 May Ah Haa: Stay Safe, Have Fun, Make Art!

To review Ah Haa’s full June offerings, purchase an Ah Haa To Go kit or register for a class, please visit ahhaa.org. The Depot building in Telluride remains closed to the general public, so please, email info@ahhaa.org or call 970.728.3886 for more information.

Summer 2020 in Telluride is likely to be relatively quiet as the town adheres to COVID-19 restrictions. Without the annual Fourth of July celebration or most Town Park festivals, it may seem like there’s not much to do in and around town. So here is a thought: Why not embrace the pause and cross something off your bucket list? The Ah Haa School for the Arts is offering paired-down programming, both online and in person throughout summer.

Have you always wanted to experience throwing a pot on the wheel or learning the skills to capture the complexity of the evening sky with paint and brush? Slow time is the perfect time to explore. Ah Haa offers all that and more with online and in-person options to help you embrace your creativity.

To ensure its instructors, staff and community remain safe, Ah Haa has shifted its focus to programs that promote social distancing. While there may not be youth summer campers pouring in and out of the Depot, there are still options for both kids and adults to engage creatively on a smaller scale.

Along with its weekly online classes with Chef Bud Thomas, starting this June Ah Haa is offering a number of virtual art classes for all ages, from Youth PleinAir with Angela Pashayan to Painting Summer Songbirds, a three-part watercolor intensive with award-winning artist Sarah B. Hansen, from Portland, Oregon. There are currently six online classes on the roster for June, with more being added in the coming weeks.

Families in particular will appreciate the new Ah Haa To Go options, featuring art-making kits that include a tutorial video link and all the materials needed to complete a project in the comfort of your own home. Ranging from $25-$100, options include acrylic painting, beaded jewelry, pinch pots, clay sculpting and ukulele building. Simply place your order before noon, Monday-Friday,. Kits can be picked up anytime after 1 p.m. the same day.

Also starting in June, Ah Haa will begin offering private one-on-one and small family group classes  – either in person at the Depot or online. Options run the gamut from silver jewelry making to fabric dyeing to wheel throwing. Families can even hire Chef Bud Thomas to teach a personalized cooking class in their home.

For all in-person lessons, Ah Haa will be following strict health protocols to ensure the safety of all participants. Privates are available to individuals and families of up to four people who have been quarantining together in Telluride for no less than 14 days. Youth must be age 8 or older and must be accompanied by a related family member who is age 18 or older, unless prior arrangements are made. All participants will be screened upon arrival at the Depot, and hand-washing/sanitation, physical distancing and mask-wearing will be required.