WINONA, Minn. — Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts (MCA) invites community members to join in a unique community-building initiative. Each week, MCA will share information about an important artist of color or of an indigenous background and their approach to art. Participants will then use rocks as their canvas to create art inspired by that artist.
To take the experience a little further, after each artist’s bio, MCA will offer a series of questions about identity and art that can be discussed within families (or in a Facebook group, which will be created for this project) to help promote unity and understanding. After each week of learning, creating, and discussing, participants will be asked to place the rock they created out in the community for a lucky passerby to find.
Two optional Zoom sessions will be offered to participants to learn about the project, discover art techniques, and engage in meaningful conversations. This program is offered free of charge, but registration is required to receive weekly email updates and Zoom session links.
These are very divisive times in our country and our world. Though we may be unable to physically gather together at this time, MCA hopes this project will help facilitate important conversations within families and the community while also encouraging exploration of art, artists, and the area around us.
Participants will receive tips and ideas on where to find rocks and what materials to use, but MCA has also created “Just Add Rocks” kits which include supplies to be used by the whole family. Each kit contains acrylic paints, paint brushes, sharpies, Q-tips, Mod Podge, an instruction packet, and more. Kits are $25 and include free delivery or pickup in Winona.
Class details
- Dates: Self-paced program, July 9-Aug. 29; optional Zoom meetings, July 16 at 6 p.m. and one TBD in August; optional participation in program Facebook group.
- Ages: All ages are invited to participate. When registering, families only need to register one family member.
- Materials and technology needed: Rocks and decorating materials. To participate in optional live Zoom sessions, internet and a Wi-Fi enabled device are required. Weekly lesson plans will be shared via email. If this is a barrier, please contact MCA and we’ll provide a hard copy of the plans.
- Cost: Free, but registration is required. Optional “Just Add Rocks” multi-person kits can be purchased for $25. (After registration, an email information about how to purchase a kit will be sent out.)
- Register: Online at mca.smumn.edu.
Don’t live in Winona?
Families in other communities are invited to join. The weekly content, art instruction, and conversation prompts are not specific to Winona. However, some of the conversation and rock-hiding location discussions will be more focused on this area. If you’re interested in bringing this to your community, we would be happy to design a program for you. For more information, contact Jamie Schwaba at jschwaba@smumn.edu.
About MCA
The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts (MCA), an affiliate program of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, is a nonprofit community arts school offering programming in dance, music, visual art, and theatre. Classes, lessons, workshops, and camps are offered for students of all ages from birth through older adults at the Valéncia Arts Center. For more information about MCA or Galleria Valéncia, visit mca.smumn.edu, email mca@smumn.edu, or call 507-453-5500.