SIDE STREET
STUDIO ARTS
Where Elgin Creates
FALL CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
ADULT WORKSHOPS
Block Printing November Workshop
Friday, November 14 from 6pm - 8:30pm
$60 per class - Materials included / Best for students ages 14+
This Winter Holiday season spend some time with us at Side Street making your own stamp for printing. You will carve and create a stamp that you can use again and again to decorate and design, holiday cards, gift bags and gift tags.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
Nicki Warren is a multidisciplinary artist originally born near Milan, Italy. She works in a variety of mediums including oil and acrylic, ink, watercolor, gouache, colored pencil, and digital. She is particularly fascinated with memory, nostalgia, and fantasy and the effects they have in art.
Nicki has taught sold out block printing classes at Side Street Studio Arts and sells her artwork in MADE.
Wonders of Felt Workshop
Saturday, November 15th 12-2pm | Main Gallery
$40 | Materials includedBest for students ages 14+
Join Sugey Mondragon to learn the many Wonders you can create with Felt! Utilize felt pieces to create fun and whimsical items! Creating felt wallets, keychains, puppets, plushes, bookmarks and more.
Students will include embroidery skills to help perfect our crafts and personalize them even more and make something we are happy and proud of! Learn to make a gift for someone special for the upcoming Holiday season.
Holiday Stained Glass Ornament Workshops
Friday, November 21 from 6-9pm
Saturday, November 22 from 1-4pm
Sunday, December 7 from 1-4pm
The same workshop is offered all three days.
$85 per class - Materials includedBest for students ages 18+ / Maximum 10 students per class.
In this hands-on workshop, you’ll join artist Abby Franke to explore the copper foil technique—cutting, shaping, and assembling colorful glass pieces into your choice of a star or a tree. These can be ornaments or window decor. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to expand your creative skills, you’ll receive step-by-step guidance and all the materials needed to craft a unique stained glass keepsake.
Abstract Painting Workshop
Sunday, November 23rd from 1-3pm
Sunday, December 7th from 1-3pm
The same workshop is offered both days.$45 | Materials included
Best for students ages 14+
Explore the plasticity of acrylic as you paint an abstract painting. Learn how to layer, scrape, add visual texture while expressing your creative self on the canvas. (Same workshop offered on two different days... pick the day that works best for you!)
Holiday Basket Weaving Workshop
Sunday, December 14th from 10am-2:30pm
Class Tuition: $75, Materials Cost: $25 for Total: $100 | Materials included
Best for students ages 14+
We are excited to welcome back artist Christine Sciortino who taught a very successful basket weaving class over the summer.
Spend a cozy Sunday at Side Street making your own Holiday Basket. Students will make a basket of the same size and shape, but will have the choice of colors and can create any pattern! (Stripes, Buckle Shapes, Crosses and more!) The basket is great for hanging and holding treasures.
In this beginner-friendly workshop, students will learn the basic techniques of basket weaving using rattan reed. This workshop will cover how to weave a square base, a continuous weave with flat reed, twining, lashing a rim and more. The foundational tools and terminology of wicker basketry will be discussed as well. At the end of the day, each participant will go home with their very own fully-completed Holiday Basket, great for hanging, storing mail or Holiday cards.
Please bring a snack or sack lunch, or be prepared to order/pick up something to eat during class time.
Minimum 4 participants, maximum 12 participants.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Christine Sciortino, RYT is a multidisciplinary artist, educator, and holistic practitioner with a lifelong passion for textile arts. She began sewing her own clothes at the age of 11 and went on to study Costume Design and Film at New York University. After 12 years working as a makeup artist, hair stylist, and costume designer behind the scenes of major film, TV, and theater productions, Christine published the book Makeup Artistry for Film and Television in 2020. She created and instructed the curriculum for Cinema Makeup at Columbia College Chicago from 2016-2020 before relocating to St. Charles where she learned basket weaving at a local folk arts school.
CLASSES FOR GRADES 6-8TH
One Man's Trash is An Artist's COLLAGE Class
Fridays
November 21, December 5, and 19
6:30pm - 8:00pm
$55 | 3 Week Mini-Series | 1.5 Hour Sessions | Materials includedBest for students in Grades 6-8
Young students will be learning about the amazing world of collaging. Not only is this accessible to anyone who receives newspapers,photos,junk stickers, or any type of paper we can then utilize these items to create vast variety of different artworks. Join us for a safe space to hang and create on Friday evenings! Bring in your own paper magazines, stickers and junk mail - we will have lots on hand as well. Make a gift for a friend this Holiday season or something for yourself.
CLASSES FOR ADULTS
Intro to Standup Comedy [Spanish/Spanglish]
Mondays
November 3, and 10, 17
December 1, 8, 15
7pm-8:30pm
$90 | 6 Weeks | 1.5-Hour Sessions | Materials includedBest for Adults 18+
A 6 week intro to standup comedy in Spanish/Spanglish which aims to cater to the Elgin Area latino community. The course would focus on basic joke writing, different forms of standup comedy, character creation, stage presence and how to navigate the comedy scene in Chicago and suburbs. Ending the 6 week workshop with a showcase at SSSA on Friday, Dec 19th @7pm. ($5 suggested donation for non-students)
Watercolor Portraits [Pets and People]
Wednesdays
November 5, 12, 19
December 3, 10, 17
7pm-8:30pm
$95 | 6 Weeks | 1.5-Hour Sessions | Materials includedBest for Adults 14+
An intro to watercolor portraits from beginners to some experience. Watercolor can be intimidating but we'll go over some basic techniques and create different basic portraits ending the six week workshop creating a larger format watercolor portrait.
Stamping and Printing w/ Sugey
Saturdays
November 22,
December 6, 12
12pm-2pm
$60 | 3 Week Mini Series | 2-Hour Sessions | Materials includedBest for Adults 14+
Students will hand carve a stamp to press and print their own unique clothing items, totebags, handkerchiefs, shirts, pants, dish clothes and more! People will carve a design of their choice and begin to print on an item of their choice and learn the history of linoleum printing and how easy and fun it can be to add a little bit of you into your clothing! Create Holiday cards, gift tags, stamp gift bags, create unique prints, gifts and so much more!