Build different types of puppets out of found objects and put on a puppet show!
Saturday • May 29
12 Noon to 2 pm

Sliding Scale $15, $20, and $25. Students $10.

Have you ever wanted to become an amazing puppeteer, but thought maybe it'd be hard or a waste of time? Well, you're in luck! Because it's not hard. It's easy and incredibly fulfilling. A great puppet master on YouTube once said "anything can be a puppet"...and truer words were never spoken.

Join Tiny and Tasty the clowns for a crash course in trash-puppet creation and manipulation. You'll learn how to magically anthropomorphize your garbage and perform powerful pieces of puppet theater from the confines of your own home! Class participants will come away with a new appreciation for their trash and the endless possibilities of post-post-modern puppetry. This class is suitable for all ages. Do it with your kids, a group of friends, or by yourself (easier to concentrate)!

Materials needed by participants: Participants will need a hot glue gun or tape, metal wire and string. And you're going to need some trash. Gather a diverse array of recycled materials - cardboard, fabric, plastic - to customize your puppet and construct your set. We recommend labeling a paper bag "TRASH FOR PUPPiTS" and filling it with fun, thought-provoking garbage. Anything colorful, oddly-shaped, or fun to touch.

Bio: Phillip is a storytelling clown who inhabits many creative environments and uses trash to build his own friends. Tiny the Clown is an inventor and a birthday cake maker. She dropped out of therapy to pursue puppet making full time and can cry on command. Tasty the Clown is a clown-about-town and puppet master extraordinaire. She also specializes in magick and storytelling.

It’s All About Curves: Making an Applique Art Banner
Wed. • June 9th
5-7 PM

Sliding scale from $25 to $45. Student fee is $20.*

*Hand-selected fabric and art-banner pattern are included in the price of the class. Pick up your materials at the Southern Oregon Guild on Monday, June 7th, from 4-6pm.

This class is about getting comfortable with curves! With the detailed and skillful instruction from Southern Oregon Guild textile artist Jean Robertson, participants will create stunning fabric art banners that can be used as a wall hanging, a table runner, turned into a bag, or even made into sleeves of a jacket! Jean’s approach supports developing an eye for great composition and experimenting with unusual combinations of color and texture, while working within a framework that will guide participants to success. This technique upcycles scrap fabric and invites you to build an eye-catching design by diving into your sensual awareness and embracing curves.

Do you have an idea for bringing people together to inspire creativity and build community?

Proposal Link

Proposals will be accepted on an ongoing basis.

The Southern Oregon Guild of Artists & Artisans is seeking proposals from creative people in the Illinois Valley and Josephine County to deliver online workshops on Thursday evenings from 6-8pm this fall, starting in mid-October, as part of our "Creative Community" series. 

Offerings could take the form of a:

• Workshop
• Guided Activity
• Discussion
• Collective Performance (or)
• Another Format

Got an idea? Learn more and fill out the simple proposal form found here: Creative Community Proposal Form, and submit it as soon as possible. 

Proposals will be accepted on an ongoing basis.

We use the term "arts" and "artists" in a broad sense, encompassing all forms of creative practice and thinking. And, you don't have to be an expert!

We are looking for proposals that can happen via Zoom and are interactive, engaging, and encourage connections among participants. Your idea might involve just one Zoom meeting or several. We aim to create opportunities for exploration and to strengthen the creative community in southern Oregon’s Josephine County, especially in the Illinois Valley.

The Guild will provide support in coming up with ideas, facilitation, Zoom access, promotion and outreach, and a small stipend, depending on participation. Workshops will be offered for free with a suggested donation; 10% of the donations will go to the presenter with a $50 minimum guaranteed.

See What Strong Proposals Might Explore