The Van Wert County Courthouse

Thursday, Mar. 28, 2024

Art center ships out first wassenBoxes

The Annual Wassenberg Artists’ Exhibit & Sale, sponsored by Van Wert Health, continues through December 22. This is a great opportunity to purchase quality work for meaningful and long-lasting gifts. In addition, our gift area is open year round and features pottery, paintings, original, frameable greeting cards along with locally produced bath and body products. Shop the Wass!

The first of the Wassenberg Art Center’s new “wassenBox” craft subscription have left the building! 

We have until December 14 to continue to Warm Up the Ridge! Thanks to all who have contributed in 2019. We are collecting warm coats, blankets and funds for the Lakota tribe who live on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. We do this because merely staying warm in the brutal Dakota winters can be extremely difficult for the residents due to the isolation and poverty. Several people die per winter. Headed by Faces of Little Bighorn Collection owner and Wassenberg Art Center Board member Brent Stevens, this drive has directly provided residents of the “Ridge” some relief. For more information, give the art center a call. Posters are available for distribution to your organization to host a cause as well. 

ArtReach is going on now and young people can be signed up at any time. Our popular after-school art program provides much needed support in the arts which assist a myriad of academics, such as improved math skills and critical thinking skills. Our instructor Gabriel Yahl is a, professional artist and art educator. Gabriel obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from prestigious Columbus College of Art & Design in Fine Art. Gabriel has worked as a painting, cartooning, and art instructor, at CCAD in addition to sculpture lab assistant. He has 10-plus years of painting experience and has worked with children in varying scenarios including 4-H and camp counseling. He has also worked at galleries and the Columbus Museum of Art. We are looking forward to being able to provide area young artists with a creative outlet. Please contact the art center to sign up!

Joe Balyeat, event & facility coordinator, helps create the in-house wassenBox: a complete youth craft subscription that arrives in the mail.

Because access to public arts programming is shrinking every year, the Wassenberg Art Center helps fill the gaps with its after school art program ArtReach and now provides the wassenBox, a home delivery craft kit for young people. The subscription is $22 per month and automatically renews. The wassenBox will provide a new kit each month and comes with complete supplies, a welcome sticker poster and a specially designed activity book unique to each kit. Crafts for two separate age groups will be available initially, Ages 3-7 and 7 and up. Kits will designed as gender neutral. While we offer a flexible in-house art program, families are very busy and the art can now come to them. wassenBoxes have now shipping just in time for the holidays. December 10 is the deadline for Christmas delivery. To sign up visit: www.wassenbergartcenter.org

The Wassenberg Art Center provides custom designed art, craft and creative classes and parties for private groups. Need a cool birthday party option? Give us a call. What do you all want to make? Contact us and we will brainstorm your next gathering.

Watercolor Class: Tuesday mornings; 10 a.m.-noon. Fee: $55 Regular, $40 WAC member cost. Instructor: Pat Rayman. 

Holiday-Themed Stained Glass classes are scheduled for December 4, 11, 18: 6-9 p.m. Instructor: Joe Balyeat.

ArtNight: Every Thursday 6-9 p.m. Free. Artist/instructors on hand to help with your project. ArtNight one and done projects will be starting soon with our new instructor Gabriel Yahl. Stay tuned while we get this art ball rolling!

The Wassenberg Art Center is located at 214 S. Washington St. (former Van Wert Armory). We can also be reached by telephone at 419.238.6837 or email at info@wassenbergartcenter.org.

POSTED: 12/05/19 at 8:40 am. FILED UNDER: What's Up at Wassenberg?