Grades 5 to 8
For our middle schoolers
For ages 10-15
Fridays 3pm to 5pm | December 6, 2024 to February 21st (No class on Dec 27.)
For ages 10-15
Fridays 3pm-5pm | December 6, 2024 to February 21, 2025 (No class on Dec 27th)
Past Classes
For 10-15 yrs old
Come celebrate Vermont’s blaze of fall color with us this year!
In this photography class for older children, we will review the basics of photo composition, the basics of aperture and shutter speed, as well as tips for taking interesting photos of beautiful places. They will also learn how to manipulate aperture and shutter speeds to create surprising works of art, and learn how to calculate hyperfocal distances and how to manually focus their cameras.
Kids will practice their new skills on teacher-guided tours and hikes around Montpelier to capture the scenic heart of our capitol city. Back in the studio, kids will learn how to edit and crop photos in Photoshop to create true works of art.
Children will need to bring their own digital cameras to the studio. Any digital camera will do: an old point-and-shoot camera or whatever else you may have! Let us know if your child may need to use a studio camera for class. Please do not bring cell phones or tablets for class (we’ve found they can be distracting!)
Children will all have the chance to display their photographs as part of our Winter Artist’ Showcase.
This class will involve hiking into Hubbard Park and other naturally stunning locations in Montpelier; children should come to class prepared to walk!
This class will run for 13 weeks, each week building on the prior week’s work. Class will begin at Wilder Arts Studio between 3-3:30pm, or some classes, we may meet at MSMS and hike from there.
Wednesdays 3pm to 5pm | August 24, 2024 to November 20, 2024
For ages 10-15
This class is ALL about learning how to refashion and add embellishments to clothes to perfectly reflect your own personal style.
Starting with a variety of vintage clothes and trims/ buttons/ sequins/ embroidery floss/ scraps, fashion maven and expert clothesmaker Susanne Grabowski will teach children the art of adding personal touches to upcycle vintage finds (or, their own clothes!) From there, they might choose to add a quilt block to the back of a denim jacket, turn a pair skinny jeans into a skirt, or turn another pair of jeans into flares. Or, this might include simpler projects like adding contrasting ribbon trim to a dress or sew sequins to a vintage Irish cabled sweater. Embroidered flowers and butterflies on denim are always a perennial favorite!
This class will run for 10 weeks, each week building on the prior week’s work. Students will meet at Wilder Arts Studio at 7 Main St between 3-3:30pm. Students in the class will have the option to show their work at our Winter Showcase.
Fridays 3pm-5pm | September 6, 2024 to November 22, 2024 (No class on October 11th and November 8th.)
For 10-15 yrs
Who says kids can’t affect change?
In this (ambitious) class, Maria Arsenlis will guide students towards selecting their favorite causes and changes they would like to see in the world (or just Montpelier!), and then help them design posters, t-shirts, stickers, and statements to help support their cause.
In this class, children will also be involved in designing screenprinted posters, t-shirts, and stickers to help promote their cause. Kids will also learn about the differing authorities of local, state, and federal government bodies, learn about how to provide public comments to proceedings, and how to gain public support for their initiatives. This class will be student-led, with Maria around to help children hone their message and develop strategies for amplifying their voice.
Before founding Wilder Arts, Maria spent her career in federal government and consulted for state and local governments on urban planning issues in NYC. She also held positions with environmental and housing nonprofits in Washington, DC.
This class will run for 10 weeks. Children will meet at Wilder Arts Studio between 3-3:30pm
Fridays 3pm-5pm | September 4, 2024 - November 22, 2024 (No class on October 11th and November 8th.)
This summer 2024 class is for rising 9th graders who want to brush up on their Algebra 1 before entering high school.
Teachers Dr. David Ory and Neville Clemens will offer review and prep tests of Algebra 1 concepts, sticking closely to the MSMS and MHS curriculum.
David holds a phd in civil engineering from UC Davis, a graduate degree from UT Austin, and graduated from the University of Arizona. He has taught college level math at Prince George Community College as well as Lake Tahoe Community College. David is an urban planner and also coaches basketball at MSMS.
Neville has an MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management and a graduate degree in Electrical Engineering from Rutgers University. His career has mostly been in the business world, at the intersection of business and technology where he has led analytics and strategy teams. He had the good fortune as a kid to have a math teacher that showed him the fun and creative side of mathematics, and is passionate about passing that on to others. He lives in Montpelier with his wife, two kids, and the goodest dog.
This class will run for 5 sessions.
Sundays 7-9pm | July 21, 2024 - August 18, 2024
For ages 10-15
Bring your A-game, designers!! This class is ALL about exploring your own personal style and learning how to make clothes and upcycle vintage finds to create a wardrobe that reflects YOU.
One of our most popular classes, now for middle schoolers! Kids in this class will be lead by local fashion guru and clothesmaker Susanne Grabowski, where they will get to design and make anything that reflects their individual style whether that’s jewelry, clothing, bags, accessories, hair accessories, or hats. As part of the class, students will learn all about the history of fashion design, from avant garde and haute couture to urban streetstyle and rocker chic. Depending on their vision, children will learn how to drape and sew, sew from patterns, and/or upcycle vintage finds into one of a kind wearable fashion.
This class will run for 10 weeks, each week building on the prior week’s work. Children will have an optional additional two weeks to drop in with Susanne and finish their pieces before the runway show. Students in the class will have the option to show their work at a runway show as part of Wilder Arts’ Spring Showcase in March 2024.
Tuesdays 5:30pm-7:30pm | November 28, 2023 to February 6, 2024 (Optional drop in days on Feb 13 & 20. No class on Dec 26th.)
For grades 6 to 8
Do you love math, or just happen to be really good at it? This is the math competition for you.
Once a year in February, middle schoolers all across the country gather to compete in mathematics, progressing from local chapters, to state, then nationals. Children will have the opportunity to compete as part of a team of 4 or individually.
MATHCOUNTS is a chance for students who enjoy math to challenge themselves beyond their school curriculum and build problem-solving skills, all within a supportive team environment. It’s also an excellent opportunity for children to see that math can be beautiful, enriching, and fun.
In this class, Dr. David Ory will guide children through weekly math challenges starting in November through to the competition. David holds a phd in civil engineering from UC Davis and also placed 4th in the Arizona State individual competition as a middle schooler. He has taught college level math at Prince George Community College as well as Lake Tahoe Community College. David is also an urban planner and coaches basketball at MSMS.
Mondays 6:30pm to 8pm | November 2023-February 2024 (No class on November 20, December 25, January 1st, January 15th, or February 26th)
For ages 11-15
Calling all doodlers, drawers, and storytellers! Learn the basics of designing characters to put into your own mini comics!
Brian Herrick, an artist and illustrator with over 20 years of teaching experience, will work with students as they learn the basics of comic design: creating panels, coming up with story ideas, doing some simple character designs, how to draw recognizable characters over and over again, how to make word bubbles that fit your words, and more! Already have some ideas? No problem! Brian can meet you where you are at so you can jump right in.
Students will all have the opportunity to show their comics at our Summer Artists’ Showcase — a gallery show with food, music, art, friends and family!
Tuesdays 5:30pm to 7pm | May 2, 2023 to June 6, 2023
Sold out
Ages 11-15
What are you passionate about? What do you want to draw? Not sure? We’ll figure it out!
We will begin with simple drawing techniques such as shading, perspective, character design, figure drawing, and faces and emotion. Students will be empowered to explore areas of their own interest and will have the freedom to create work based on their curiosity. We will work on paper and in sketchbooks using pencils, markers, colored pencils and watercolor. Join us for a relaxed environment to get creative, be curious and express our inner voices!
If they choose to, students will have the option of presenting their work as part of Wilder Arts Studio Artists’ Showcase — a gallery event full of art, food, music, family and friends.
Tuesdays 5:30pm to 7pm | March 7, 2023 to April 11, 2023 (no class on March 28th)
Do you have a kid who loves to draw and wants to improve their artistic skills, or perhaps a creative child who’s been eyeing a pencil but doesn’t quite know where to start? Then this is the class for you! In this introductory course, children will learn the fundamentals of drawing that will serve as the building blocks for their future creative endeavors. We will cover composition, drawing technique, line weight, shading, and sketching from observation and imagination. Depending on the class’ preferences, we will work with a variety of creative mediums including graphite, colored pencil, ink, crayon, and marker.
Projects in class will range from still life studies to imagination exercises designed to increase both mechanical and conceptualization skills.
Pencil, paper, and other necessary supplies will be provided by the studio and instructor, but kids are welcome to bring in any medium they’d like to explore or practice with.
(We are committed to our students, families, and staff safety and health. To register for this class, children must have had at least their first COVID vaccination or have an appointment to receive their first COVID vaccination. All Wilder Arts staff are fully vaccinated. Everyone will be required to wear masks, regardless of vaccination status inside the studio. We will also continue to open windows and utilize our 3 air purifiers. We will also utilize our outdoor space for snacks and work.)
Wednesdays 5:30pm to 7:30pm | March 2 to April 6, 2022
For ages 10-15.
Get out of your heads and on your feet! In this 8 week class, we’ll learn the fundamentals of comedy improv, focusing on short-form improv games. Kids will work on building their skills on stage collectively and individually as part of an ensemble.
This class is for budding comedians, thespians, satirists, comedy writers, and anyone who wants to build confidence, learn collaboration, and grow your creativity!
Most importantly, we’ll have a lot of fun, and laugh A LOT.
As always, we take our students, families’, and staff’s health and safety seriously. All participants will have to wear masks in the studio, regardless of vaccination status. We will open windows (bring layers!) and have three air purifiers throughout the studio. All of our staff is fully vaccinated.
Thursdays 5:30pm to 7pm | January 6, 2022 to February 17, 2022 (This is a 7 week class.)