Past Workshops:
“Bending Steel” with Gubby Beck
Saturday, August 2, 2024, 9am - 12pm
Come learn the basics of bending steel without using any heat. We will be bending a variety of thicknesses of steel rod, learning fun curves and circles. You will learn how to bend around PVC pipes, paint buckets, and anything round that you can find at the Sanctuary stock pile. The curves bent in this workshop will be cut up, welded together, and added to Gubby’s sculpture installation at the Sanctuary!
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”Stuff it!” Rat Taxidermy class with Beth Allen
Saturday, May 11, 2024, 10-3pm
Taxidermy is the art of preserving a dead animal - gutting it first, then mounting the skin over an artificial body.
In this 5-hour class students will learn how to skin, clean, preserve, stuff and mount a large rat (rats are bought frozen from the pet store where they are sold as snake food). Each student will leave with their own custom-made piece and all the skills they need to continue small animal stuffing on their own (if they so desire).
Beth will bring in samples of her own work to share.
This is a beginner class, no experience necessary. The only requirement is being willing to get messy and to not be squeamish! All materials and tools will be provided.
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“Animal Party” mask-making workshop with Sunny Atema
Saturday, March 30, 2024 1-4pm & Saturday April 6, 1-4pm
Join us for Animal Party, a paper mâché animal mask-making workshop with Sunny Atema, aka Wildlife Freeway!
In 2 Saturdays, students will learn basic paper mâché, creating one-of-a-kind animal masks. All materials will be provided.
The first Saturday, March 30, 1-4pm, we will construct the bones of the masks with discarded plastic bottles, cardboard, and blue tape. The skin of the masks will be paper mâché (newspaper, flour, water, glue).
The second Saturday, April 6, 1-4pm we will paint and decorate the masks ! Who knows what magic will arise ... Tadahh !
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”A Ritual for Joy and Self-Discovery” with Anthony Greenz
Sunday, March 24, 2024, 4-6pm
Come and learn the art of dance in a supportive environment open to all skill levels. Cultivate your own unique voice through movement to bring dance into your life. In this class you will learn movement techniques that help in all styles of dance, as well as modalities to discover your own way to create movement that is unique to you.
From Anthony:
“Discovering a connection with movement, rhythm, and one's own unique sense of individuality can create a love for dance that has the potential to last a lifetime. Dance can be a powerful source of release as well as a playful way to bring positive energy into the body. We all have a deep connection with movement that can be explored to cultivate a practice with amazing effects on health, happiness, and creativity. I believe everyone is a dancer. I also believe that everyone will benefit from a deeper dive into this ancient artform. This is why I love to teach people dance as a way to connect to themselves and to the physical world.
“I teach dance as a ritual of individual discovery that is accessible to everyone, no matter their age or ability level. I start the class with exercises to connect with the body and the space. Then we move into a guided exploration to initiate the search for how every individual wants to move. Next, I will begin teaching techniques to grow the understanding of dance in connection to music. By the end of my class students learn how to connect with music by utilizing universal dance techniques as well as finding original movement to build upon.”
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Folk Art Valentine Workshop with Alea Bone
Sunday, Feb 4, 2024, 1-4pm
Come create a keepsake for yourself or a loved one using humble found objects gleaned from the Sanctuary (or bring your own). Turn common household recyclables such as bottle caps, aluminum cans and tin into sweet little vignettes inspired by the sacred heart motif. Learn the tips and techniques Alea uses in her work as a springboard for your own creativity
Stay for the unveiling of the large-scale sculpture Alea has been working on this month as the artist-in-residence, immediately following the workshop (weather permitting).
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The Little Zoo
Sunday, November 19, 2023, 1-4pm
We are pleased to welcome Highway Sanctuary board member Erin Maxick on November 19th at Highway Sanctuary for a sweet day interacting with animals at our free little critter petting zoo!
The Little Zoo, a non-profit dedicated to bringing joy, love and healing through visits with unusual animals will be bringing their entire family of friendly critters to Highway Sanctuary for a day of animals and artistic expression! Come meet: fluffy bunnies, guinea pigs, a chinchilla, leopard gecko, blue tongued skink, bearded dragon lizard, a variety of gentle snakes, a baby tortoise, hedgehog, tarantula, miniature chickens and more!
Come share a sweet day of connection, education and joy. We'll have animal coloring books on hand for learning and creative fun, rock painting, inspirational animal tattoos and snacks! Fun for adults as well as kids!
Please note that you may drop in at any time between 1 and 4pm. All activities will be going on for the duration of the event.
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Dance Party with Littles hosted by Bianca Lee
Sunday, September 24, 2023, 6-8pm
From host/artist/mom Bianca Lee:
We are throwing ourselves a super duper fun Dance Party for moms, dads, babies, and kids to boogie ecstatically into the sunset!
Join us for this treat; let’s enjoy ourselves, enjoy our babies, enjoy music, and enjoy nature… ALL AT THE SAME TIME and TOGETHER!
It will be at Highway Sanctuary in Yucca Valley, a creative space that sits atop a hill overlooking the desert mountain landscape.
From 6-6:30pm, we will have music to dance and play to.
We will take a break from 6:30-7pm for snacking, chatting, and exploring.
From 7-8pm, we will put on a Talent Show where we perform our special talent of choice for our babies and kids!
This will be a fun opportunity for our littles to see the amazing things that people like to do and perhaps spark an interest to learn!
It will also be an opportunity for us parents to give ourselves permission to reconnect with ourselves and our hobbies and perform them for each other and our families. (100% optional) (#treatYOself)
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Let’s Make a Puppet with Stephanie Brockway!
Sunday, September 10, 2023, 3-5pm
Portland, OR artist Stephanie Brockway brings her brand of folk-art whimsy to the Sanctuary to lead a puppet-making workshop, with the possibility of an impromptu puppet show in our sculpture garden!
Materials will be provided. Each participant will create a puppet to take home and enjoy!
About the artist/instructor:
Stephanie Brockway is a woodcarver and found object sculpture artist, residing in Portland, Oregon. Her work is featured in numerous galleries and publications. Her style is described as primitive, self-taught folk artist. Using intuition, she carves, builds, and fabricates, continuing a tradition of untrained vernacular visionary artists.
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Finding Your Voice with Morgan Sorne
July 9, 2023, 6-8pm
“If you can talk you can sing, if you can walk you can dance.” — Zimbabwean proverb
Sorne guides fellow singers through a series of basic vocal exercises with the intention of opening the heart and mind, breaking through inhibitions and mental barriers, allowing for the exploration of the voice in this 2 hour workshop.
Sorne uses harmonies from his music so that attendees can sing along during his performances if they so choose.
“By reclaiming the power of one’s voice, I believe that we can become stronger. more confident, fully realized people, and in turn, inspire and empower others.” — Sorne
