Lines & Lives: A Gathering for Writers and Readers Free - $15 donation to support Riverworks programming is appreciated! Do you wish you had a group where you could discuss short pieces of writing and then, perhaps, share some of your own work? If so, come spend some time with our newly forming North Country Writers of Riverworks for 90 minutes of low-stakes writing and discussion. Topics and format will be fluid as we read pre-selected writings, discuss our own writing lives, perhaps generate some new work together, or read a short piece you’re already working on. Everyone is welcome, including absolute beginners, to explore how language can deepen our relationship to self, community, and place. Please bring a notebook and pen! Wednesday, 9/9 at the Riverworks Studio at Alden Farms Wednesdays, 9/16 and 9/23 upstairs at Sugar Pea Vintage Watch the Riverworks website for ongoing meetings of Lines & Lives. Riverworks Art Center's Literary Arts Program and the North Country Writers of Riverworks are generously supported by Sugar Pea Vintage. Lines & Lives is led by Lisa Couturier. See Lisa's bio on our Teaching Artists page.

Join Riverworks Teaching Artist, Jack Burbridge, for Acrylic Painting: Autumn Light. In this course, we’ll make observational still life and interior paintings inspired by the early autumn color and afternoon light. We’ll see dark/light values and warm/cool and chromatic color interactions to convey form and light, applying basic techniques and methodologies for painting in acrylics. We’ll also learn about composing from master paintings and develop our own engaging compositions. Some drawing experience is helpful but not necessary – this course offers compelling challenges for beginners and experienced painters alike! Supplies: Required and Suggested Student Supply List: https://tinyurl.com/AcrylicPainting2026 Course Curriculum: Each session builds on concepts explored in the previous. Session 1 – Still Life with Seasonal Fruit / Objects: Seeing sculpted natural still life form in light. Palette setup and paint mixing. Working with warm and cool primary colors. Basic underpainting and compositional sketches. “Drawing” with paint. Seeing contrast in values. Blocking with value and color, creating volume in overlapping and clustered shapes. Working alla prima. 12 x 16” canvas. Session 2 – Still Life with Seasonal Flowers: Seeing natural still life and plant forms on a table in light. Mixing warm and cool and secondary colors, finding greens and higher keyed colors! Earth-tone underpainting and compositional sketches. Painting positive and negative shapes, seeing value contrast. 12 x 16” canvas or larger. Session 3 – Still Life with Interior: Seeing larger still life on table and shapes in room in perspective. Zooming in vs. zooming out. Underpainting and compositional sketches using value, aware of light source. Developing color interactions to create space and atmosphere. 16 x 20” canvas or larger. Session 4 –Still Life with Interior and Window View: Seeing interior/exterior spaces and the effects of light on interior forms. 16 x 20” canvas or larger. See Jack Burbridge's bio on our Teaching Artists page.

Join Riverworks Associate Artist, Betsy Casaleno, and discover the joy of watercolor in this structured six-class series breaking down watercolor from the ground up. In this class, you will learn essential studio fundamentals, brush handling, and water control while experimenting with fun, everyday materials and various watercolor techniques. No prior painting or drawing experience required! By the end of the course, you’ll build a toolkit of core skills and the confidence to keep painting at home. Supplies: Required and Suggested Student Supply List: https://tinyurl.com/WCStepbyStep26 Course Curriculum: Class 1: Foundations & Water Control Focus: Brush techniques, essential supplies, water control, and best practices. Texture Technique: Using plastic wrap for dynamic effects. Project: Geometric or Mondrian-style painting. Class 2: Light, Layering & Transfers Focus: Light and shadow, glazing, transparency, and image transfer techniques. Texture Technique: Alcohol application for unique reactions. Project: Classic still life exploring depth and translucency. Class 3: Resists, Lifting & Texture Focus: Masking fluid, lifting pigments, and scratching techniques. Texture Technique: Cardboard scraping and resist application. Project: Painting realistic rock textures. Class 4: Color Theory & Pigment Behavior Focus: Navigating the color wheel, hue, value, chroma, and staining vs. non-staining properties. Pigment Effect: Understanding granulation and pigment weight. Project: Still life study. Class 5: Fluid Dynamics & Atmospheric Effects Focus: Wet-on-wet painting, controlling blooms, and strategic spattering. Texture Technique: Using natural sponge. Project: Atmospheric sky studies. Class 6: Composition, Depth & Finishing Touches Focus: Creating depth with aerial perspective and introduction to compositional balance. Texture Technique: Salt application for effect. Project: Landscape painting. See Betsy Casaleno's bio on our Associate Artists page.

Join Riverworks Teaching Artist, Jack Burbridge, for Drawing from Nature. Drawing is about learning to look. Through experiments that help us shift to our spatial minds and build trust in our own hand-eye coordination, we’ll slow down to learn the wordless language of looking. In this course, we’ll draw upon still life, early autumn light, and our farmhouse environment to create drawings inspired by our response to natural beauty – both around us and within. We’ll explore line, positive and negative shape, proportion, value, and perspectival space using a range of dry (and some wet) media. You’ll come away with new skills for seeing and some unexpectedly cool drawings! This class is ideal for both beginners and those with experience in drawing. Supplies: Required and Suggested Student Supply List: https://tinyurl.com/DrawingNature26 Course Curriculum: Each session builds on concepts explored in the previous. Session 1 – Drawing the Line: Line / shape . Seeing natural forms, such as pears, apples, and other seasonal fruits and plants. We’ll learn to see contour edges, overlapped and clustered shapes; we’ll explore color as value. Session 2 – Seeing in Black and White (a Good Thing): Line / shape / value. Seeing natural forms such as flowers and other seasonal plant forms on a table. We’ll learn to see positive and negative shapes, organically compose pictures in black and white two color (and possibly gray) value. Session 3 – Putting Everything on the Table: Line / shape / value / perspective. Seeing objects on a table and the table itself. We’ll learn how to see objects in perspective, sight size, and measure. Session 4 – Reading the Room: Line / shape / value / perspective / light. Seeing interior spaces and the effects of light on form. We’ll learn how to see the room in perspective and to compose with light. See Jack Burbridge's bio on our Teaching Artists page.

Join the North Country Writers of Riverworks for an afternoon of “Found Poetry,” in which we’ll sharpen our poetic perceptions, strengthen our receptivity to the mysterious, and boldly allow our inner literary intuitions to blossom. Found Poetry is a practice of writing that allows a “way in” to your voice by finding it through the voices of others. More specifically, it is a literary art in which we compose a poem from the words, phrases, fragments, and passages of an existing text—such as articles, essays, and books—by erasing, or blacking out, lines to create a wholly new work from what remains. In a sense, this form of writing is something of a silent and powerful collaboration that reveals the hidden energy in all language. Supplies needed: Please bring along photocopies of several pages of text—from books, articles, essays, etc.—about subject matter that you are drawn to. We will mark-up this material to compose your Found Poems. If you are comfortable working on the originals of your texts, those are fine to bring along, too. Riverworks Art Center's Literary Arts Program and the North Country Writers of Riverworks are generously supported by Sugar Pea Vintage. See Lisa Couturier's bio on our Teaching Artists page.

Tuesdays, 6:00-6:50pm September 8 - December 15, 2026 $50 optional materials donation The Riverworks Children's Choir is a vibrant and inclusive program designed to foster a multigenerational sense of community through the joy of music. Directed with care and expertise, our choir brings children together to explore their voices, build foundational musical skills, and experience the magic of group singing in a fun and supportive environment. Target Audience: While our primary focus is on children ages 8-12, we welcome singers of other ages who are eager to join in the fun and creativity of making music together. What We Offer: Musical Growth - Through engaging rehearsals, children develop vocal technique, rhythm, pitch, harmony, and confidence in performing. Collaborative Opportunities: We work closely with Yunique Music School, allowing choir members to benefit from a dynamic partnership with other talented musicians and ensembles. Performance Experiences: The choir participates in several performances throughout the year, giving children opportunities to share their hard work and talent with the community. A Sense of Belonging: Singing in a choir encourages teamwork, empathy, and connection, fostering bonds that reach across generations and strengthen our local community. Our Directors: The choir is directed by Christina Carr, a Juilliard-trained opera singer and an active member of the Poolesville community since 2018, and Sarah Paksima, a dedicated Poolesville Town Commissioner and active community leader. Christina and Sarah are both inaugural members of the Riverworks Reserve Wind Ensemble, bringing their deep love for music and their commitment to enriching the local arts scene into every rehearsal. Our Commitment: At the Riverworks Children's Choir, we believe in creating a welcoming, inclusive space where all children feel valued and inspired. Our goal is to spark a lifelong love of music while having fun and making cherished memories along the way. Whether your child is an experienced singer or simply loves to hum along to their favorite songs, the Riverworks Children's Choir invites them to join us in a journey of learning, growth, and joy. Let’s make music together!

Thursdays, 6:00-7:15pm September 3 - December 11, 2026 Class fee is collected at the time of registration. Join any time with prorated fees! These exciting instrumental lessons encourage budding musicians ages 10-14 to learn to perform and work and play their instruments as a group. Learn not only music theory and technique but also build teamwork skills by rehearsing and performing with their peers, guided by Yunique Music School Director, Michelle Palmer. The Junior Band will have multiple performance opportunities including a Spring Recital and appearances at Taste of Riverworks, Pride Fest, Locals and more! For new students: email Yunique Music School Director, Michelle Palmer at michelle@riverworksart.org to take an evaluation lesson to see if your child’s experience level is appropriate for this band. Join the fun, join the band!

Tuesdays, 7:00-8:30pm September 8 - December 15, 2026 $50 optional materials donation The Riverworks Community Choir is an inclusive choir for adults (and advanced teens) who want to grow their musical skills and sing together! Whether your background is choir, karaoke, or just singing in the shower, you’ll find a welcoming place here. No formal training is required—music reading skills are a plus, but a good ear and willingness to learn are just as valuable. We’ll begin with the fundamentals of choral singing and ensemble work, then grow together toward a cappella singing with rich, close harmonies. Repertoire will span centuries and styles—from Renaissance madrigals to contemporary musicals, pop, and vocal jazz. Throughout the year, singers will have opportunities to perform, including special collaborations with Riverworks’ other music groups, building a vibrant, cross-generational music community. Our Directors: The choir is directed by Christina Carr, a Juilliard-trained opera singer and an active member of the Poolesville community since 2018, and Sarah Paksima, a dedicated Poolesville Town Commissioner and active community leader. Christina and Sarah are both inaugural members of the Riverworks Reserve Wind Ensemble, bringing their deep love for music and their commitment to enriching the local arts scene into every rehearsal. Let’s sing together!

The Studios at Alden Farms are open for your use on from 10 am - 2 pm on Tuesdays and 10 am - 1 pm on Sundays. The studio at Alden Farms is a resource for the community. Come to open studios for access to studio space in the front and back studio rooms, with large tables, art supplies, large utility sink, and library. Funds from open studio fees will go into improving the quantity, quality, and variety of art supplies and materials available for use! The studio is already equipped with all kinds of brushes, pastels, charcoal, acrylic paints, small canvases, inks, and more. These open studio sessions will be hosted by a Riverworks' staff member or associate artist, who will be there as a resource, for their perspective and expertise. You can also check out books from the studio library with this studio attendant. The library contains a variety of art guide books, beautiful color plate art books, and in-depth art history books to explore. Please respect the studio space and work with us to make it a clean, organized, and positive space!

Saturdays 9:00-9:45am September 5 - December 12, 2026 Class fee is collected at registration. Join any time with a prorated class fee! Your child's first musical experiences! This class has it all! Students learn to count rhythm, explore percussion and other cool instruments, and create art while listening and learning about classical composers. Class is limited to six participants. Please email Yunique Music School Director, Michelle Palmer at Michelle@riverworksart.org with any questions.

Friday, September 4, 1:00-4:00pm Unleash your inner artist (and smash away a little stress) in this hands-on, nature-inspired workshop! First, you'll choose your canvas: a premium tea towel or a beautifully handmade cotton tote bag. Next, browse our selection of fresh blossoms to deconstruct or arrange whole into your own unique, artistic layout. Then comes the incredibly satisfying part—grabbing a mallet and pounding the petals directly into the fabric to permanently transfer nature's vibrant dyes! Finally, elevate your masterpiece using our premium textile inks and artisan botanical stamps before walking out the door with a completely custom, machine-washable creation. No experience is required, and we provide all the supplies. Grab your spot today and let's make some botanical magic! This class is led by the mother-daughter duo of Blossom Knoll Farms: Blossom Knoll Farm began with “one too many peonies” and grew into a flower farm rooted in beauty, creativity, and a love of nature. Founded by Master Gardener Dawn and now run alongside her daughter Katie, the farm reflects their shared passion for flowers, art, and the natural world. Today, Blossom Knoll Farm invites visitors to slow down, explore the blooms, and reconnect with the beauty and wonder of Mother Earth.

Saturdays 10:00 - 10:45am September 5 - December 12, 2026 Class fee is collected at registration. Join any time with a prorated class fee! Learn about different wind instruments and how to read music! Explore playing a wide variety of wind instruments, such as saxophone, didgeridoo, harmonica and ocarina! Listen to, and learn about classical composers, practice counting rhythm, and create some awesome art along the way! Please email Yunique Music School Director, Michelle Palmer at Michelle@riverworksart.org with any questions.