From the Crawford County Arts Council
The Crawford County Art Center is unveiling a digital classroom.
The new offering is comprised of 9 of the latest generation iPads fully equipped with leading art software. The suite of iPads is available to Art Center members for use during Open Studio hours every Monday from 6-9 p.m. in addition to scheduled classes. Classes will be available for all skill levels, starting with an iPad 101 basics class on March 21st.
“When we were looking at ways to expand the center’s offerings, digital media creation and display stood out,” CCAC Board President Joe Graham said, “because it is an opportunity to make art accessible for all abilities in a new, relevant way.”
In addition to the creation of fine art, this training will serve as a jumping-off point for learning in-demand graphic design skills needed within the Crawford County workforce.
Instructor Trevor McCarthy, who is teaching a Digital Mandala art class on April 4, shared “Digital art is an adjustment and has a learning curve, but for the better.”
The digital classroom will provide a chance to learn new technological skills and enable artists to expand their repertoire into the realm of digital graphic arts. Working in the digital space is also a cost-saving measure that doesn’t put limits on creativity.
“I don’t know how many times I’ve ‘wasted’ materials on a project I just scrapped. When it’s digital, there are so many ways to fix it. You can undo, delete, move, or even just hide it… It’s like magic!” McCarthy exclaimed.
The new feature is already creating a buzz with artist members of the Art Center who have gotten a preview of the capabilities.
“Having the new digital art classroom is beyond exciting! Digital art is on the rise and learning these skills alongside other people in the community to incorporate them into my work is a great opportunity.” shared artist Karrigan Winbigler.
The CCAC plans to reach over 150 unique Crawford County residents and utilize the portability of the equipment to bring the classroom to multiple locations throughout the county.
“We are very grateful to the Community Foundation for Crawford County for the generous grant they provided and their belief in this program.” CCAC Executive Director Kaylee Powers said.
Interested community members are encouraged to email info@crawfordcountyartcenter.com to learn more about participating in the digital classroom and signing up for classes.
Image by Juan Francia from Pixabay
