Improve French comprehension and conversational skills through French media and literature where we will listen, read, and discuss in French what's going on in the world.

NO CLASS June 19th and July 3rd! 

White pine, Maine’s state flower, and Red pine, are ubiquitous throughout the state and provide a vital pool of resources for human and nonhuman Mainers alike. Pine needles are beautiful and strong! They can be coiled and sewn together to make hats, lovely usable baskets, and/or adorably tiny ones. Learn to identify, regeneratively gather and harvest, properly store and process, and weave with pine needles. We'll cover the basics of coiled basketry, which is a global, ancient human skill, and create a wonderful pine-needle basket. Every participant will make a basket to take home.

Everyone has a story to tell—and your family's history is a treasure trove of unforgettable characters, dramatic moments, and personal triumphs waiting to be preserved. In this special summer-series course, you'll learn how to transform memories, oral histories, and genealogical research into compelling, readable stories. Whether you're writing about a single ancestor, a cherished family tradition, or a multi-generational narrative, this class will help you build essential writing skills while discovering new ways to explore your heritage. No prior writing experience is necessary—just a love of family and a desire to share their stories.

This course covers basic genealogy concepts for researching and documenting one's ancestors. What is a genealogy brick wall and how do you break it? This course will offer key ideas on solving even the toughest research barriers. Topics include: general ideas to get started, where and how to find key genealogy records, paper and digital organization strategies, using online databases and resources, where to go in the community to research family history. One class meeting may include a field trip to a research site.

Humans have been weaving baskets for hundreds of thousands of years. Many plant materials may be used to weave with: vines, leaves, bark, wood, and more. Basket weaving requires various skills, all involving twisting and pulling and wrapping the materials around each other. Weaving a small project, like a fish (pictured), or a heart or five-pointed star, along with other shapes, can provide a comprehensive, beginner-friendly introduction to most of the skills required for full-scale basketry. Learn to make a beautiful woven window feeder for birds! We'll cover identification, responsible collection, materials processing and storage, and creation, including the basics of stake-and-strand waling and randing weaves.

Join Catherine for this 1 night class to learn new ways to incorporate mixed media techniques in your work. Create depth, texture and interest with gouache, fluid acrylic, colored pencils, watercolor pencils, dual tipped markers and posca pens (and more). Class will start with a refresher on color and techniques covered in previous levels and then transition to discuss new ways to think about layers while introducing various mixed media supplies. We will spend the rest of class playing with a variety of materials to incorporate new and old techniques to complete a fun and uplifting illustration. Materials fee: $20.

  Ocean Wave Paint night   Calling all beach lovers and art enthusiasts!  Join us for a painting class that's all about capturing the whimsical beauty of the sea.  With a range of blues and turquoise at your fingertips, you’ll learn how to paint this stunning beach scene complete with a bubbly shoreline.  In this class you’ll discover the secrets of layering and blending acrylic paints to create a unique piece of art that’s sure to impress.

No Prior experience is necessary; Shirley welcomes beginners with open arms.