In addition to offering opportunities to learn about art and art history, OMAA’s exhibitions, oceanside location and landscape can also offer regeneration, thoughtfulness, solace and inspiration. We developed Community ARTfullness to increase awareness of the power of art and place. Designed to reach people of all ages and backgrounds, this initiative consists of classes, lectures and programs for our community to:
■Experience ways that art, design, and landscape affect the body and state of mind.
■Discover ways in which engagement with art can foster regeneration and inspiration.
■Foster engagement with landscape and sense of place. .
■Think about art and its history in a broad, inclusive way.
Figure Drawing Class • Heather Lewis • $45 per class (Materials are NOT included. Please see materials list)
From quick, warm-up, gestural drawings, to longer studies to gain a better understanding of the skeleton, weight-bearing points in the pose, foreshortening and more, while working from the model. Classes begin promptly at 5:30pm.
Materials You’ll Need To Bring: 18×24 Newsprint pad and/or Sketchbook, (conte crayon, wax crayon, or graphite pencil,) eraser, and sharpener
Easels, drawing boards, and chairs provided by the museum
Heather Lewis, with a life-long immersion in the arts, is an accomplished visual artist, teacher, and creativity coach, who inspires learning through her engaging and interactive teaching style.
Outdoor Sketch & Paint • Heather Lewis • $45 per class (Materials are NOT included. Please see materials list)
gardens with a backdrop of dramatic seaside views. Artist/teacher Heather Lewis will
share her love of sketching, and tips of how to easily capture what is seen in an outdoor setting, while on the move.
Materials You’ll Need To Bring: Recommended- a lightweight, easy carry tote: Sketchbook- 8×10, or smaller, multimedia, or watercolor; graphite pencil, charcoal, pencil sharpener, eraser; variety of color media- watercolors (pan style set), 3 brushes- large, medium and small, pen, crayons, colored pencils,
water soluble colored pencils, or pastels. Sunscreen, bug spray, sun hat, water repellent windbreaker, water bottle, rags
Heather Lewis, with a life-long immersion in the arts, is an accomplished visual artist, teacher, and creativity coach, who inspires learning through her engaging and interactive teaching style.
Plein Air Painting Demo • Mary Byrom • $20 per class (No materials required. Attendees are welcome to bring sketch books)
In this demonstration, Mary will reveal a simple process she has developed over many years to make painting en plein air easy and enjoyable, no matter the weather or conditions- how she chooses a subject, sketches the design for the painting, determines values, keys the painting, and does all her thinking before she even puts a brush on canvas. She will show how making important decisions before starting a painting frees one up to be accurate, loose and expressive while painting. Mary’s streamlined simple plein air process can be applied to all wet media: oil, acrylic, gouache and watercolor.
Award winning, internationally exhibited artist, Mary Byrom, is known for her sensitive interpretations of wild, beautiful places. She is a popular instructor of plein air and studio
landscape painting in oil, acrylic, gouache and watercolor in Maine and New Hampshire.
She paints en plein air in every season and in any place that inspires her. Her favorite painting locations New England and the Rocky mountains. Ms. Byrom has been featured in Plein Air magazine, Soutwest Art magazine, Portland Press Herald, and numerous other publications.
Art After Hours • Ric della Bernarda • $20 per class (Materials are NOT included. Please see materials list)
Rain or Shine-Come sketch and paint, and find community with your fellow creatives! Enjoy the beauty of the museum’s gardens and the glow of the ocean views during the magic hours of the day. This outdoor event is hosted and by well known plein air artist Ric della Bernarda, who will facilitate a variety of activities.
Materials You’ll Need To Bring: Sketch materials.
After studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, Ric worked early in his career as a freelance fashion illustrator for various department stores. After working in a corporate environment for 30 years Ric’s true love of painting finally blossomed at his home in Ogunquit Maine and Palm Springs California where he resides. Ric continues to develop his craft through various workshops including studying at the Florence Academy of Art, Florence Italy. Ric is currently Artist in Residence at the Cliff House where he teaches plein air painting classes and shows his work both there, as well as at his home studio.
The History and Culture of Ballet (2 parts) • Bryan Matluk • $25 per lecture, $45 purchased together • (No materials required. Attendees are welcome to bring sketch books)
Part 1 – History of Ballet: This lecture and demonstration is for the novice and
expert alike and will take you through the history of ballet from courtly dance to
contemporary performance. We will utilize live performance of historic ballets featuring dancer Madelynne Boudreau, and videos to highlight the evolution of dance throughout history while also putting the art form in socio-cultural context.
Part 2 – An Introduction to the World of Ballet: This lecture and demonstration will
approach various topics in ballet including: pointe shoes, tutus, training, nutrition,
styles, etc. Dancer Madelynne Boudreau and one to two more of Bryan’s students
will be on hand to provide demonstrations and share their experience in a professional training program.
In addition to being OMAA’s Director of Institutional Advancement, Bryan Matluk, a seasoned Master Instructor in classical ballet with the Balanchine aesthetic, possesses extensive training, experience, and affiliations of great distinction in the ballet world, from such notables as the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Marcia Dale Weary, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Institute for Arts Management, Suzanne Farrell, the Bolshoi Ballet, New York City Ballet, to mention a few. He has been on the faculty for the Sandonato School of Ballet, and been Ballet Master for productions with Eglevsky Ballet, Wilmington Ballet, and Bangor Ballet. Mr. Matluk founded and ran the Exchange Street Studio in Portland, Maine. His students have gone on to study and dance with companies known far and wide from the American Ballet Theater, to New York City Ballet and many more.
Drawing in the Moment, The Art of Mindfulness • Laura Jaquays • $45 per class (Materials provided)
Retreat for a morning of creative wellness in the galleries and gardens.
Ogunquit artist and educator Laura Jaquays will talk about mindfulness
and creative practice and lead a guided meditation for drawing on the moment.
Take time for creative self-care time and fill your well with wellness. Using all
the senses, pause and be present with self and the art and nature at the OMAA.
Laura Jaquays is an artist and educator who has taught creative wellness for nearly 30 years to support long-term illness, mental health and resilience, hospice care, and K-12 education. She is the founder of ART HOPE, a nonprofit dedicated to creative wellness education. Inspired by her community work and personal exploration, she authored the book ART HOPE The Way To Creative Wellness. Laura’s uplifting approach helps people tap their creative potential for health, well-being, and enjoyment.
Littles on the Lawn: Children’s Storytime at OMAA • Robin Fagurland • $20 per class (Materials provided)
Using art related current children’s literature, stories will be read, with correlated creative activities to follow. A wonderful fun morning program available to pre-K through 3rd grade aged “littles”, and their parents/guardians. Families welcome to come and create!
Robin Fagurland, artist, educator, and art researcher is fascinated with the creative process and especially enjoys helping others create art. As a former OMAA docent, Robin brings her love for art, expertise, and experience working with children to the Artfullness program.
KIDZART: Children’s Crafts Workshops • Robin Fagurland • $20 per class (Materials provided)
During these exciting classes, students will draw inspiration from the museum’s
beautiful seaside gardens, utilizing natural materials for a variety of creative
activities including nature printing and nature weaving.
Robin Fagurland, artist, educator, and art researcher is fascinated with the creative process and especially enjoys helping others create art. As a former OMAA docent, Robin brings her love for art, expertise, and experience working with children to the Artfullness program.
