2026 Adult Class Schedule

Enjoy a relaxing evening glazing pottery, drinking micro brew and tasting appetizers. Our resident potter will walk you through the process of glazing two pottery pieces of your choice, from mugs to bowls to plates. There will be plenty of breaks for socializing and enjoying beer and appetizers. Absolutely no art experience is required. Come learn in a fun and supportive environment surrounded by your friends. Two beverages are included in the class fee. Ages 21+.

Instructor: Bruce Bartos

Session 1: Friday, March 6, 6:00-8:30pm - SOLD OUT

Session 2: Friday, May 1, 6:00-8:30pm

Fee: $50

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Here in the north country, we are fortunate to live with wolves, deer, bear, beaver, and countless other animals. We know how wise they are and how they guide us. We all have stories about magical encounters and will work to capture these stories through writing and collage. Join this fun class to create a beautiful collage to honor our wild ones and your special guide(s). A detailed materials list, mostly made of found items, pictures, markers, poster board, and a reference list of books will be sent prior to the first class. No negative feedback and beginners welcome!

Instructor: Judy Nelson

Date: Wednesdays, April 8 & 15, 10:00am-12:00pm

Member Fee: $55 Non-member Fee: $65

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Build your own garden art piece and have it ready for the spring bloom. Using handbuilding techniques with clay, master potter Mike Jasper will help you make some amazing sculptural garden art. Price includes instruction, clay, glazes, firing and humor.

Instructor: Mike Jasper

Date: Thursdays, April 9-May 21, 6:30-8:30pm

Member Fee: $170 Non-member Fee: $180

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This lowkey 5-week drawing class will help you to start at square one toward a successful project and is perfect for beginners. Drawing is the foundation for many artistic projects and helps you to have a “road-map” to where you are going. This class will focus on designing your idea into a cohesive direction, and making use of space, values, texture, lines, mark making and more. If you can draw it, you can paint it or sculpt it. The focus will be on drawing what you see rather than what you think you see. We will use a variety of media such as pencils, charcoal, conte crayons, and colored pencils. You will learn to set up a blank sheet of paper into spaces for your concept and add large shapes first and then small, arranging darks and lights into a pleasing finished project. We will start with simple shapes and work toward more diverse shapes.

Instructor: Jan Stenson

Date: Tuesdays, April 14 - May 12, 1:00-3:30pm

Member Fee: $145 Non-member Fee: $155

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Birch bark stars are a perfect decoration for a Christmas tree or for use throughout the year. In this class students will learn how to weave a birch bark star using a folding method from instructor Pam Burns. The materials used are all harvested from forests around Grand Rapids. All materials provided. Ages 16+

Instructor: Pam Burns

Date: Friday, April 17, 10:30am-2:30pm

Member Fee: $40 Non-member Fee: $50

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Advanced Rosemaling is for those that have had rosemaling classes with Michelle Carlson before and are ready to step beyond the beginning classes. Participants will bring their own woodenware project, oil paints, and brushes for their individual project. Michelle will then help prepare their project, assist with patterns and color design ideas.

Instructor: Michelle Carlson

Date: Saturday, April 18, 10:30am-3:30pm

Member Fee: $85 Non-member Fee: $95

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Join MacRostie exhibiting artist, Kristen Anderson, in creating a wet-felted, flat, image on wool felt. Students will be encouraged to depict a simple image of a seasonal pond in the forest where water meets the woods.  Adults 16 and up. Additional info: Students will need to bring a pair of sharp, fabric scissors. 

The instructor will provide wool roving in various colors, wool prefelt, soap, felting silks, individual work pans, plastic sheeting, felting soap, towels, water pitcher and a 5-gallon bucket.

Instructor: Kristen Anderson

Date: Saturday, April 25, 1:00-3:30pm

Member Fee: $40 Non-member Fee: $45

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Join us for a creative mosaic class where you'll learn to craft a small spring mosaic design in a little tin box. These can be propped up on a table or used as a magnet. This class will guide you through the process of creating a beautiful mosaic piece that you can take home with you that day. All supplies provided. Class will meet at Balsam Creek Mosaic Studio in Central Square Mall.

Instructor: Deb Buxengard

Session 1: Wednesday, April 29, 10:00am-12:00pm

Session 2: Saturday,May 2, 10:00am-12:00pm

Member Fee: $45 Non-member Fee: $55

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Connect, collaborate, create – creating art together. This will be a workshop for artists of all levels to work together. The workshop will include information and shared discussion on the elements of painting, exercises, and hands-on painting. Class participants of all levels will exchange information, share how they begin a painting, how they work, and what artistry they want to acquire or refine. Each can bring a work they want to discuss. The event is for artists to create together learning, doing and sharing art and inspiring each other.

Instructor: Karlyn Berg

Date: Saturday, May 9, 10:30am-3:30pm (please note new date!)

Member Fee: $55 Non-member Fee: $65

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Treat clay like a canvas in this two-part workshop that merges the joy of surface design with the utility of handmade ceramics. Moving beyond basic pottery, this class focuses on intentional mark-making and repeating pattern design. Students will create a coordinating pair of functional serving pieces (snack plates, small charcuterie boards, or trinket trays) using professional slab-building techniques. We will begin by rolling and compressing our slabs, then dive into a guided design session. Using curated underglaze palettes, students will learn to build "all-over" designs through rhythmic mark-making and layered patterns. No drawing experience is required—the focus is on texture, movement, and color. After a slow-dry and bisque fire, students return for a second session to refine their work and apply a professional clear glaze, ensuring a food-safe, gallery-quality finish. Ages 14 and up welcome.

Instructor: Jennifer Gorman

Date: Wednesdays, May 13 & 27, 6:00-8:30pm

Member Fee: $125 Non-member Fee: $135

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If you’ve ever wondered why a painting or drawing didn’t look right, it may have had to do with its perspective.  In this class, you will learn how to create accurate 1pt, 2pt and 3pt perspectives.  You will also learn the different measuring tools used to enlarge, reduce or maintain the size of your reference image. Supply list will be emailed prior to class. 

Instructor: Julie Erickson

Date: Saturday, May 16, 11:00am-1:30pm

Member Fee: $75 Non-member Fee: $85

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In this 5-week watercolor class, you will learn many ways to make use of watercolor using composition, color properties, and about the unique transparent effects of this media. Watercolor is easy to transport and is useful in capturing quick color sketches, but also adapts to larger paintings well. Watercolor’s impact can be soft or rugged depending on your color choices and subjects. How to gauge the quantity of water to use, designing the layout, mixing colors and drawing will be the primary focus for each session. Watercolor painting is a lifelong skill to enjoy from making cards to larger paintings and more. The class has a relaxed approach with time for all questions. Come for fun and a great learning experience. A supply list will be sent upon registration.

Instructor: Jan Stenson

Date: Tuesdays, May 19-June 16, 1:00-3:30pm

Member Fee: $145 Non-member Fee: $155

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Learn the ins and outs of plein air painting with your chosen medium (acrylic, watercolor, pastel, oil, gouache, and drawing mediums). In this interactive, hands-on class, Nelia Harper French will share useful tools for working quickly outdoors. She will demonstrate how to simplify the landscape, and share her approach to plein air painting that works for all mediums. You are welcome to watch, ask questions, and bring your materials with to work outside with instructor guidance. Additional materials will also be available on-site. Age limits: 16+

Location: Blandin Beach, in case of rain meet at MacRostie Art Center

Instructor: Nelia Harper French

Date: Saturday, May 30, 9:00am-12:00pm

Member Fee: $45 Non-member Fee: $55

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Tuesday open pottery sessions are designed for beginners or advanced students to use our pottery studio. This is an open studio, which means it is not a class but free working time with an instructor to help with questions or limited assistance.

Please enter in the 3D door on the Highway 2 side.

Call 218-326-2697 or register online. Attendees may drop-in but space is not guaranteed. If dropping in, attendees must have exact cash to pay for registration.

Instructor: Bruce Bartos

Time: Tuesdays, 6pm - 8pm

Student price: $10 Adult price: $15

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Tuesday Open Paint is an informal, weekly drop-in session for anyone working in a 2-dimensional medium (painting, drawing, collage, etc.). While no instruction is provided, attendees benefit from sharing their projects and process and creating in a supportive and encouraging environment. Sessions are free for members and no registration is required. Please bring your own supplies.

Time: Tuesdays, 10 am - 1pm

Member Fee: FREE Non-member Fee: $5