SPRING 2025 CLASSES & PROGRAMS
Established in 1992, the Copper Country Community Arts Center works to bring education-based arts classes and programs in an inspirational and supportive environment to the public.
CCCAC members receive a discount on classes! Are you a member of the of the Copper Country Community Arts Center? Members receive discounts on classes! Your annual membership supports the CCCAC mission, gets you a 10% discount on Member Days in our Artists Market Sales Gallery, monthly newsletter with art postcards, early entry into our annual Poor Artists Sale, and discounts on all art classes. Join for or renew for 2025 and support the arts in our community! Visit our membership page for more information, call us, or stop by to become a member. |
Want to schedule a class for you and your friends? Depending on instructor availability, we can schedule adult classes in letterpress printing, printmaking, watercolor, and more. Just ask us! We can also work with you to schedule special youth classes too. Minimum 4-5 students; maximum amount of students depends on the class. Email [email protected] to inquire.
YOUTH & ADULT CLASSES
Unless specified as a youth class, classes are for adult students ages or ages 16 and up or 14 & up if accompanied by a paying parent or legal guardian.
REFUNDS & CANCELLATIONS
Cancellation by student: In the event of a cancellation, the student will be refunded in full one week prior to the start of class, then half the amount after. No refunds will be given to cancellations made the day before class starts, the first day of class, or after class begins. Fees cannot be transferred to future classes. Cancellations due to emergencies will be considered on a case by case basis.
Low enrollment cancellation: Students will receive full refunds for classes that are cancelled due to low enrollment, instructor cancellation, or changed covid restrictions.
Unless specified as a youth class, classes are for adult students ages or ages 16 and up or 14 & up if accompanied by a paying parent or legal guardian.
REFUNDS & CANCELLATIONS
Cancellation by student: In the event of a cancellation, the student will be refunded in full one week prior to the start of class, then half the amount after. No refunds will be given to cancellations made the day before class starts, the first day of class, or after class begins. Fees cannot be transferred to future classes. Cancellations due to emergencies will be considered on a case by case basis.
Low enrollment cancellation: Students will receive full refunds for classes that are cancelled due to low enrollment, instructor cancellation, or changed covid restrictions.
2025 Spring CLASSES & PROGRAMS
To register email ccarts@ coppercountryarts.com or call 906-482-2333.
Watch for additional classes or request a group class for you and your friends!
To register email ccarts@ coppercountryarts.com or call 906-482-2333.
Watch for additional classes or request a group class for you and your friends!
Painting Demo with Betsy Buckner
Friday, February 7 from noon-2pm Bold colors and energetic brushstrokes are indicative of Betsy Buckner’s painting style. She is known locally for her expressive portraits of foxes, bears and other animals. She will be on site for a painting demonstration on Friday February 7 from noon to 2pm. Stop by to meet Betsy and watch and learn as she makes a painting. This program is free and open to the public. |
Linoleum, Letterpress & Love with Daniel Schneider
Saturday, February 8 from 1-4:30pm Learn basic linocut carving techniques for relief printing and print your Valentine’s Day-oriented blocks on the tabletop platen press. Pair your blocks with hand-set type to increase the letterpress love. Students will print 10 single-panel cards. Fee: $55 members $65 non-members Deadline: February 4 |
Qigong with Mary Ann Geda
Every Wednesday in the CCCAC Ballroom Advanced Qigong: 11am-noon; Beginning Qigong 12:15 pm Drop in class with Mary Ann Geda in our upstairs ballroom at the Arts Center. Mary Ann has taught TaiChi and Qigong for over 40 years. She studied with Ben Lo and Carol Yamasaki. “Qigong is a system of coordinated body-posture and movement, breathing, and meditation…Qigong practice typically involves moving meditation, coordinating slow-flowing movement, deep rhythmic breathing, and a calm meditative state of mind.” -wikipedia Class fee: $5 payable to the instructor, students should bring a yoga mat and wear comfortable clothes. |
Introduction to Letterpress Printing with Daniel Schneider
February 21 & 22 and Feb. 28 & March 1 Fridays, 6-9pm and Saturdays, 9am-noon This class will introduce students to the basic skills involved in letterpress printing using hand-set lead and wood type. Students will set type, compose printing forms, and print using hand-operated tabletop platen presses. The class emphasizes technical competency but will also explore the history of letterpress printing, which goes back to the fifteenth century, and the craft’s place within contemporary books arts. Students in this class can take a test to become certified to use the Arts Center’s letterpress studio, where they can work on independent printing projects during regular open studio hours. Deadline: February 15 Fee: $175 members; $185 non-members |
Crafting Your Fictional World for Storytellers with Stephanie Flint
Friday, February 21 from 4pm to 6pm Stephanie will have a presentation on world-building, with a special emphasis on fantasy and science fiction worlds as it relates to writing fiction. These will include topics such as geography, climate, culture, and resources, as well as potential pitfalls to avoid. She will also include short writing activities for participants to help them develop and brainstorm their own story world. Deadline: February 18 FREE program for adults and youth ages 14 and up! |
Isle Royale Visiting Artist Program: Artist Talk with Tom Oliver
Saturday, February 22 from 1-2pm
Local photographer Tom Oliver will give a slide presentation and speak about his time as a visiting artist on Isle Royale National Park. Tom was part of the "Isle Royale Visiting Artist Program," a pilot program run by the Copper Country Community Arts Center and Isle Royale National Park in 2024. Tom will discuss his successes, the unexpected wrinkles, and the preparations he took.
The Isle Royale Visiting Artist Program is a proposed backcountry camping program provides local artists the chance to experience Isle Royale wilderness with the support of two organizations. The purpose of this program is to encourage local artists to visit Isle Royale and share their experience and art with the public and is separate from the long-standing Artist-in-Residence program, which local artists are always encouraged to apply. This program is free and open to the public.
Saturday, February 22 from 1-2pm
Local photographer Tom Oliver will give a slide presentation and speak about his time as a visiting artist on Isle Royale National Park. Tom was part of the "Isle Royale Visiting Artist Program," a pilot program run by the Copper Country Community Arts Center and Isle Royale National Park in 2024. Tom will discuss his successes, the unexpected wrinkles, and the preparations he took.
The Isle Royale Visiting Artist Program is a proposed backcountry camping program provides local artists the chance to experience Isle Royale wilderness with the support of two organizations. The purpose of this program is to encourage local artists to visit Isle Royale and share their experience and art with the public and is separate from the long-standing Artist-in-Residence program, which local artists are always encouraged to apply. This program is free and open to the public.
Kids Make Art! with Charlotte Haanela
Tuesdays in March & April from 4:30-5:30 for Ages 6-12 Join artist and youth instructor Charlotte Haanela for weekly "Kids Make Art!" project-based art classes. March 4 Swan Swimming on the River! We will use colored pencils to create a swan. 11 Create Your Own Cartoon! Choose a piece of paper from the bag categories to see what type of character you will design! 18 Postcards for Earth Day! Create postcards with an earth day flare using water colors. 25 Learning of Patterns! We will create a large pastel painting of a variety of patterns. Deadline: Students must be pre-register by the prior Friday for each Tuesday class to give our instructor time to prepare materials. Parents may sign up for more than one class. Please indicate which classes when registering. If a class is cancelled due to low enrollment, payment will be refunded or can be applied to the next class. Fee: $15 member per student per class for member families; $20 per student non-member families. Annual membership starts at $50/family for the calendar year. |
Art Projects from Around the World with Linda Lohmann
for 5th-7th grades Saturdays March 8, 15, 22, 29 from 10am-Noon (4 sessions total) March 8 Greek Relief designs in Clay March 15 Asian Arts Animal Containers Shapes paper mache March 22 Egyptian Tiny Sarcophagus with clay and fabric—mini mummies March 29 West African cornmeal resist dying wall hanging Deadline: March 1 Fee: $85 per student member families, $95 non-member. Class fee and registration is based on four classes. We can not offer discounts for unattended classes. |
Tiny Bookmaking with Bonnie Loukus
Saturday, March 15 from 2-5pm Tiny books are a great introduction to bookbinding and make excellent, very portable nature journals. In this class students will learn how to create tiny coptic bound books with watercolor paper. Students can choose from using birch bark or hard covers. These books can be filled with small drawings and paintings, which can be a non-intimidating way of field sketching or nature journaling. Bonnie will give a short drawing & watercolor demo at the end of class with tips and suggestions. If time allows students will be able to try their hand at tiny paintings too. Class is geared for adults and youth 16 and up. Materials: All materials included. Some birch bark will be provided, but it's preferred if students have their own flat piece that includes the thick inner bark, harvested from a fallen tree. Deadline: March 8 Fee: $45 members; $55 non-members |
Kids Make Art! with Charlotte Haanela
Tuesdays in March & April from 4:30-5:30 for Ages 6-12 Join artist and youth instructor Charlotte Haanela for weekly "Kids Make Art!" project-based art classes. April 1 Self Portraits! Using mixed media we will make vibrant, colorful portraits of ourselves with a cubism style. 8 Collage Ménagerie! Let's make a collage of all your favorite things using magazines, maps, and paints. 15 Create a Color Wheel! We will make a color wheel by mixing colors. 22 How to Draw Hands! Learning techniques to draw hands, from shapes to lines to masterpieces. 29 Peace Roses! Create a beautiful painting of this national holiday rose using acrylic paints. Deadline: Students must be pre-register by the prior Friday for each Tuesday class to give our instructor time to prepare materials. Parents may sign up for more than one class. Please indicate which classes when registering. If a class is cancelled due to low enrollment, payment will be refunded or can be applied to the next class. Fee: $15 member per student per class for member families; $20 per student non-member families. Annual membership starts at $50/family for the calendar year. |
Beginning/Intermediate Watercolor Class with Madhura Mehendale
Saturdays, April 5, 12, and 19 from 10am-1pm Students will paint beautiful flowers and birds in this series of classes to welcome spring. Learn basic and intermediate watercolor techniques, color mixing, and tips on how to produce vibrant paintings. Deadline: April 1 Fee: $145 members; $155 non-members |
Beginning Mud Management: Intro to Clay with Tammy Gajewski
Mondays, April 7, 14, and 21 from 5-8pm (Three 3-hour sessions) Welcome to Mud. We will explore the properties and qualities of stoneware clay body and how to manipulate it to create a cup, bowl and artistic animal sculpture. Hand building and properties of texture will be the main focus. Basic understanding of the process of clay and the enormous amount of information to be aware of to manage your mud. Exploration of the wheel throwing will be limited but students will have the opportunity to try it. Students will receive 10lbs of class and have 5 hours of studio time outside of class to be used before the final class. All items will be bisque fired after class and students will have an opportunity to glaze items. Class is geared for adults 18 & up. Deadline: April 1 Fee: $150 members, $160 non-members |
Beginning Watercolor Workshop for Youth and Adults with Madhura Mehendale
April 8, 9, 10 TWR from 5-7pm In this 3-day workshop students will go from learning the basics of pencil sketching, methods of creating their own composition, watercolor and brush techniques. This workshop is designed to work through a painting and examples. Geared for adults and Youth 15 and up. Deadline: April 3 Fee: $120 for members; $130 non-members |
Stitch Circle with Lynn Anderson
Friday, April 11 at Noon The stitch circle will be led by Lynn Anderson and friends. People are invited to bring works in progress or try their hand at stitching with materials provided. Or stop by just to watch and learn about various techniques being done. Coffee and bakery will be served. Free and open to everyone. |
Stitch and Dye with Lynn Anderson
Saturday and Sunday, April 26 & 27 from 1-3:30 In two short sessions participants will come away with a completed fiber art piece featuring their own dyed fabric embellished with embroidery stitches which can be framed or used as an original one of a kind art card. On day one fiber artist, Lynn Anderson will teach 4-5 embroidery stitches on linen and students will learn the magic of ice dyeing using readily available dyes on silk. In the second session students will embellish their dyed silk with stitches learned the previous day. Deadline: April 22 Fee: $75 members; $85 non-members |
Printer's Devil Workday & Pied Type Print Day
TBD Join us at the Copper Country Community Arts Center letterpress studio for a day of printing history and 19th-century-style print shop work. In the morning, we'll clean and prep donated type, equipment, and printing materials to get them ready for use in the letterpress studio. In the afternoon, we'll print postcards on a table top platen press, and proof some cool old printer's (image blocks) on the Vandercook No. 4 proofing press. This volunteer workday is a good, hands-on opportunity to experience letterpress printing! No fee: This is a volunteer workday and not a class. Participants will help with some “printer’s devil” tasks then we will break for lunch. After lunch there will be a printing demo of pre-set type and images. Deadline to register: TBD |
Want to schedule a class for you and your friends? Depending on instructor availability, we can schedule adult classes in letterpress printing, printmaking, watercolor, and more! Just ask us! Minimum four students; maximum amount of students depends on the class. Email [email protected] to inquire.
STUDIOS
The CCCAC is also home to a black & white photography darkroom, clay studio & clay co-op, and letterpress studio. Individuals that are interested in utilizing any of the spaces must be current 2023 CCCAC members, have previous experience, taken a class, and/or pass a certification test.
STUDIOS
The CCCAC is also home to a black & white photography darkroom, clay studio & clay co-op, and letterpress studio. Individuals that are interested in utilizing any of the spaces must be current 2023 CCCAC members, have previous experience, taken a class, and/or pass a certification test.

Clay Co-Op
Love clay and need a space to work on your upcoming projects? Join our Clay Co-Op! Visit our Clay Studio Page for more information! The fee to join is $45 for each 15 hour punch card and $1.50 per pound of clay. The fee includes existing glazes, tools, firings, and studio usage. Previous experience with clay and becoming an annual Arts Center member is required before joining the Co-Op. Arts Center membership starts at $25 for students/seniors/artists and $50 for individuals.
Beginning Monday February 6, Clay Co-Op starts their rotating "Late Night in the Clay Studio" events for 2024.
Late Nights February & March - Mondays (starts Feb 6) from 5-7pm
Late Nights April, May & June - Tuesdays (starts April 2) from 5-7pm
Late Nights July, August & September - Wednesdays (starts July 3 or 10) from 5-7pm
Contact [email protected] or volunteer clay co-op manger Tammy Gajewski at [email protected] about how to join.
Love clay and need a space to work on your upcoming projects? Join our Clay Co-Op! Visit our Clay Studio Page for more information! The fee to join is $45 for each 15 hour punch card and $1.50 per pound of clay. The fee includes existing glazes, tools, firings, and studio usage. Previous experience with clay and becoming an annual Arts Center member is required before joining the Co-Op. Arts Center membership starts at $25 for students/seniors/artists and $50 for individuals.
Beginning Monday February 6, Clay Co-Op starts their rotating "Late Night in the Clay Studio" events for 2024.
Late Nights February & March - Mondays (starts Feb 6) from 5-7pm
Late Nights April, May & June - Tuesdays (starts April 2) from 5-7pm
Late Nights July, August & September - Wednesdays (starts July 3 or 10) from 5-7pm
Contact [email protected] or volunteer clay co-op manger Tammy Gajewski at [email protected] about how to join.
Photography Darkroom
Update 2025: We do not have a volunteer darkroom manager to oversee the space. The darkroom is currently only available for limited use as project-based rental for experienced b/w film photographers. Experience requirements: you have developed your own film within the past 5 years, will purchase your own supplies and paper, and know how to properly use darkroom equipment without assistance.
The CCCAC darkroom is available to experienced photographers for black and white developing. Individuals must provide their own chemicals and supplies, know how to use the equipment, are expected to clean up after themselves, and follow CCCAC darkroom rules and procedures. The darkroom is run by volunteers and those interested in using the space will need an orientation from a current darkroom volunteer. Read more on our Darkroom page.
Letterpress Studio
Take a certification class to use the CCCAC Letterpress studio during open studio hours. Fee: $35 per 3 hours press time, you provide your own paper and contribute to the ink supply. Payment required before a project begins. See more on our Letterpress Studio page.
Update 2025: We do not have a volunteer darkroom manager to oversee the space. The darkroom is currently only available for limited use as project-based rental for experienced b/w film photographers. Experience requirements: you have developed your own film within the past 5 years, will purchase your own supplies and paper, and know how to properly use darkroom equipment without assistance.
The CCCAC darkroom is available to experienced photographers for black and white developing. Individuals must provide their own chemicals and supplies, know how to use the equipment, are expected to clean up after themselves, and follow CCCAC darkroom rules and procedures. The darkroom is run by volunteers and those interested in using the space will need an orientation from a current darkroom volunteer. Read more on our Darkroom page.
Letterpress Studio
Take a certification class to use the CCCAC Letterpress studio during open studio hours. Fee: $35 per 3 hours press time, you provide your own paper and contribute to the ink supply. Payment required before a project begins. See more on our Letterpress Studio page.
ABOUT OUR INSTRUCTORS
LYNN ANDERSON grew up on the Leelanau peninsula and was trained as a teacher and teacher-educator. She became a maker when her grandmother taught her to knit. Much later when she retired, she started signing up for classes, beadwork, stained glass, weaving, and she kept on exploring her many interests.. Lynn will have an exhibition in the Kerredge Gallery in April 2025 titled, “I Don’t Cook” featuring her work in various fiber art mediums and techniques.
KIM COOK is a Hancock resident, proud parent of two rescue pups, and a lifelong student of art. Her mediums include photography, pottery, fiber, printmaking, and mixed media. Kim is the former owner of Grace Art Gallery in Atwood Michigan. She has worked with over 50 local artists to promote and develop their work. As a former Librarian Kim ran monthly arts classes for children.
CYNTHIA COTÉ is the founding director of the CCCAC. She balances her work as a studio artist and an arts administrator. Her art is a mix of drawing, collage and re-assembled books as well as fiber art and beadwork.
STEPHANIE FLINT graduated from the University of Central Missouri with a Bachelor of Science in photography and a minor in creative writing. She merged the two interests into book cover design and photographic illustration, but she particularly enjoys writing speculative fiction. She’s currently writing The Wishing Blade, a fantasy series, and she co-authored Distant Horizon and Glitch, a YA science fiction series.
TERRI FREW is a Canadian artist and educator based in the Keweenaw. Frequent themes found in her work include nature, animals, and the occult. Terri holds a Master’s of Fine Art degree from Concordia University, Montréal Canada.
LINDSEY HEIDEN recently moved back to the U.P. with her family from Fayetteville, Arkansas. Her work is sculptural and for the past couple of years, she has worked in a miniature scale. Through her work, she tells stories with a cast of modified animal characters that show up through a variety of narratives and forms.
EMILY LANCTOT lives and works in Marquette. She is the Director and Curator of Northern Michigan University’s DeVos Art Museum and a Contingent Assistant Professor at NMU’s School of Art and Design.
LINDA LOHMANN has been an art teacher since 1981 after receiving her BFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and her teaching certification from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has taught workshops on 0-3 art to preschool teachers and ceramics workshops to Chicago area H.S. art teachers. Linda recently retired from L’Anse Area Schools where she was the K-12 art teacher for 10 years.
BONNIE LOUKUS is an interdisciplinary artist and Associate Director of the CCCAC. Her media mainly includes oil painting, printmaking, and letterpress printing.
MADHURA MEHENDALE is an artist who focuses on watercolor and acrylic painting.
KAY OLIVER loves teaching and clay. She hopes to share this excitement with students who are interested in exploring their design ideas in a malleable medium.
THOMAS OLIVER has been a photographer for 20 years, focusing on wildlife, the outdoors, and nightscapes– he has been photographing the northern lights in the Keweenaw for the past 3 years. Tom is an educator and wildlife biologist who helps others understand and appreciate the natural world, especially regarding the Upper Peninsula. Tom is currently the Director of MTU’s Center for Science and Environmental Outreach.
DANIEL SCHNEIDER is a book artist and industrial archaeologist. He has taught numerous classes and workshops in letterpress printing and zine making at the Copper Country Community Arts Center. He completed a book arts apprenticeship at Deep Wood Press outside Mancelona, Michigan. He has been awarded two international artist residences, a three-month artist’s residency at the TYPA Center for Paper and Printmaking in Tartu, Estonia in 2019 and a two-month residency at Vanha Kaivos in Outokumpu, Finland in 2023.
TAMMY TOJ GAJEWSKI has been drawing, painting, and doing clay since 1970. She graduated from UW-River Falls with a BFA in 1988, and earned her MPA in 2007 from Northern Michigan University. She has volunteered at CCCAC for over 15 years running the clay co-op. She has a great sense of humor and believes anyone can be creative.
The CCCAC does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission, access, or employment in regard to its programs and activities.