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Most Arboretum Adult Classes & Programs Postponed or Canceled through August 31

Please check the COVID-19 Arb Classes Updates Webpage for the latest updates.

Programs that remain on this page are still open for registration!

Mixed Media
Classes & Workshops

Create art inspired by nature using a variety of natural materials and products.

Gifts from the Hive: Beeswax Luminary & Candle

Select a session
Friday, November 13, 10:30 a.m -noon
Friday, November 13, 1:30-3 p.m.
Ping Honzay, beekeeper, Arboretum Manager of the Tashjian Bee and Pollinator Discovery Center

Are you in need of some natural inspiration for holiday gift giving? Look no further! Create your own beeswax luminary and matching tealight candle - a unique gift or centerpiece for holiday gatherings. Ping will guide you each step along the way, so just come prepared to have fun!

Learn fascinating information about honey bees and beeswax
Step-by-step, create your own luminary and tealight candle (to illuminate your luminary from within)
Include embedded natural materials like pressed leaves and flower petals to enhance your final product

You'll leave with instructions and a list of suggested resources if you want to make more at home!

Limit 15, Tashjian Bee and Pollinator Discovery Center - McVay Learning Lab
$23 member/$38 non-member, includes Arboretum admission and all supplies

MORNING SESSION-10:30 a.m -noon
$23 member/$38 non-member, includes Arboretum admission and all supplies

AFTERNOON SESSION-1:30 p.m -3 p.m.
$23 member/$38 non-member, includes Arboretum admission and all supplies

Kaleidoscope Discovery: Create Your Own Heirloom

Select a session
Thursday, November 12, 6-8 p.m.
or
Saturday, December 5, 9:30 a.m.-noon
Eric Wischmann, Kaleidoscope enthusiast and nature photographer for over 30 years
Craig Vanderwaal, Creator of Kaleidoscope classes with a dream to improve the experience one achieves through viewing the kaleidoscope

Level No experience necessary
Supplies All supplies included ($65 value)

Have you ever been enthralled by the beauty seen through the kaleidoscope optical lens? It is magical and entrancing. Join this class to make your own ever-changing art piece that is as beautiful on the inside as it is on the out, and can be handed down for generations.

Learn about kaleidoscope history, technology, science, reflection and refraction
Watch demonstrations explaining techniques and design elements
Choose from handcrafted wood pieces to build your heirloom wood exterior
Assemble the component parts such as the mirrors, eyepiece and object cup
Custom choose the objects that will go into your kaleidoscope's oil cell and dry cell

You will leave with a complete finished kaleidoscope to keep or give as a one of a kind gift.
Note: Once you leave class you can continue to modify your kaleidoscope experience by changing the internal objects.

Limit 30, Tashjian Bee and Pollinator Discovery Center - McVay Learning Lab

Thursday, November 12, 6-8 p.m.
$109 member/$129 non-member, includes Arboretum admission and all supplies which will be waiting for you in class.

Saturday, December 5, 9:30 a.m.-noon
$109 member/$129 non-member, includes Arboretum admission and all supplies which will be waiting for you in class.

Seasonal Evergreen Make-and-Take: Winter Wonders Wreath

Saturday, November 14, 2020
9 a.m.-11 a.m.
Laura Vogel, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Adult Education Manager

Level: No experience necessary!
Supplies: All supplies are included in the fee for a ~14" diameter wreath (varies slightly based on the wreath maker)

Where better to create a show-stopping evergreen wreath than an Arboretum? Enjoy a fun, casually-festive Arboretum atmosphere as you custom create your own wreath...great for your own seasonal decor, or as a gift!

Learn why evergreens are so well-suited for winter outdoor display
Follow step-by-step guidance to create a full, botanically diverse wreath on a wire frame
Add unique botanical touches such as cones, pods, fruit, and perhaps even citrus!

You will go home with a beautiful creation that will welcome visitors throughout the holiday season, and the skills needed to make more wreaths in the future!
Bring from home: gloves and pruners, a garbage bag to safely transport your wreath, and dress for sap!

Limit 24, Hort & Ops Multipurpose Room (directions will be emailed prior to class)

$75 member/$90 non-member, includes Arboretum admission and all supplies

Kiln Glass Discovery: Holiday Ornaments

Select a session
Saturday, November 21, 10 a.m.-noon
or
Saturday, November 21, 1 p.m.-3 p.m.
Trisch Gardiner, Glass Artist and Instructor with her art pieces in collections around the world

Level No previous experience necessary
Supplies All supplies and firing included ($45 value)

Get a jump start on your holiday gifts by joining this festive ornament-making workshop! You'll receive instruction and supplies to complete 2-3 unique glass ornaments.

Learn about the various forms of glass including: frit, stringers, and sheet glass
Select from a variety of provided patterns or create your own custom free-form designs
Explore basic cutting and assembling skills and design techniques

Projects will be kiln fired and returned to the Arboretum for pickup within 7 days of class. All materials and tools will be supplied.

Limit 15, Marion Andrus Learning Center - Harvest Kitchen

$69 member/$89 non-member, includes Arboretum admission and all supplies will be waiting for you in class.

Mosaic Nature Treasure Boxes

Saturday, January 16, 1-3:30 p.m. AND
Sunday, January 17, 1-2:30 p.m.
Wendy Andersen, Award winning glass mosaic artist who loves seeing the ah-ha moments in her work, and on her students faces

Level Beginner to Intermediate
Supplies All supplies included

Using nature as your inspiration, learn to create beautiful mosaic pictures or patterns from small ceramic tiles, glass tiles and stone. The first known mosaic art was found in a Mesopotamian temple dating back to 3,000 BC. You will learn these traditional techniques while employing modern technology to create a finished mosaic keepsake.

Watch demonstrations and get one-on-one guidance to learn the techniques
Learn about color and composition in your artwork
Design your mosaic image and adhere the tiles and stone to a wooden cigar box
Finish the box exterior with colorful acrylic paints to enhance your mosaic
Grout your mosaic design and finish with grout sealer for a polished look

You'll leave with a wonderful keepsake for treasures of all types or a unique gift to give.

Limit 10, Tashjian Bee and Pollinator Discovery Center - Honey House

$79 member/$99 non-member, includes Arboretum admission and all supplies which will be waiting for you in class.

Eco-Print Scarf: Wear the Arboretum

Saturday, March 20, 2021
10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Jean Manrique, Experienced high-end fiber artist and instructor specializing in natural dyes and eco printing

Level: No experience necessary
Supplies: All materials are included to make and bring home a natural hand dyed silk scarf

Learn how to imprint foliage, leaving a permanent imprint of the plant material intact on the silk scarf. Explore the chemistry of the plants and learn sustainable methods of harvesting materials for this art form. This process requires no external dyes, inks or paints.

Understand the history, process and outcomes of eco-printing
Select your custom combination of foliage
Create your design using elements of composition, shape, and color
Bundle and steam to extract pigment
Unroll your piece to reveal a one-of-a kind gift from nature!

After a final wash and iron you'll have a beautiful scarf to wear or give as a gift. This small class ensures one-on-one attention as you work through your project from start to finish.

Limit 20, Marion Andrus Learning Center - Inside a Plant Lab and Tree Place

$89 member/$109 non-member, includes Arboretum admission and all supplies which will be waiting for you in class.

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Questions?
Arboretum Education Office
Mon - Fri, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.*
arbedu@umn.edu
612-301-1210*
*We are temporarily working from home during Covid-19, we may return phone messages from a home phone

Cancellations & Exchanges
Cancellation policy
COVID-19 Class Updates

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Youth & Families

Summer 2020 Kids Programs Update

Youth
Summer Activity Kits To-Go
Kids Night Out

Youth+Adult Together
PeaPods for Preschoolers
Family Programs
Homeschool Days
Scouts

Drop-in
ONLINE! PlantMaker Studio@Home
ONLINE! StoryTime@Home