SIDE STREET
STUDIO ARTS
Where Elgin Creates
WORKSHOP SERIES
Side Street Studio Arts invites you to a special series of FREE creative workshops leading up to the National Cancer Survivors Day® Celebration at Sherman Hospital. These art experiences are open to all those touched by cancer — survivors, caregivers, family members, healthcare professionals, and supporters. No experience necessary — just a willingness to create, connect, and heal through the arts.
- THE FINAL WORKSHOP ON MAY 28 IS FULL TO CAPACITY. -
Block Printing Workshop
Friday May 16 from 6pm - 8pm
Students can carve their own designs into the rubber or lino blocks and print some designs to make multiple cards, art prints, postcards, tags and more!
The students can expect to learn the basics of the block printing process and the ways they can include it in their own creative practice and how they can get experimental with it.
"I personally use block printing to make art prints and also in my bookbinding practice! Sometimes, I print on the cover of a finished book." says instructor Nicki Fortunati-Warren. Check out some of Nicki's work here
THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL TO CAPACITY.
Zine Club Workshop
Thursday, May 22 & Thursday, June 19 from 5:30pm - 8pm
Join us at Zine Club, where you can make your own mini magazine. Instructor Ada of Corrupt Kids Inc. will show you how to create your zine and have a prompt for you to follow along. Register for one session or both.
INSTRUCTOR: Ada, of Corrupt Kids Inc., I'm a printmaker and dress local punk artists (or at least try to). Check out my work on Instagram @corruptkidsinc.
Open to all, but please register so we can plan accordingly. Max 15-20 students.
FREE, Please Register| Ages 14+
REST AS RESISTANCE
Saturday May 24 1pm - 4pm, and Saturday June 28 1pm - 4pm
Side Street Studio Arts would like to invite you for a series of workshops centered around the ever-important topic of rest. Drawing from decades of experience in somatic movement and creative practices, Luiza Moraes leads this series of workshops with the intention of restoring our inherent access to rest. In contrast to the relentless productivity-driven culture, the focus here is on a self-paced, curiosity-driven journey of exploration and play.
By stepping away from the colonial fixation on speed, we center our attention on comfort, ease, and safety. Through gentle movement practices, we nurture nervous system regulation and cultivate the ability to discern when to move and when to pause. In the supportive space of community, we embrace playfulness as the true measure of our well-being.
Practices include free writing, constructive rest, and the Feldenkrais Method. No prior experience with art or specific movement practices is necessary. You may sign up for one, two or all workshops.
Learn more about the instructor, Luiza Moraes.
This workshop series made possible by a generous grant from Healing Illinois.
Find more info on their mission HERE.
FREE Workshop | Best for Ages 14+
Basketweaving For Beginners
Saturday, May 31 from 10:00am - 3pm
Kick off summer and craft your own Summer Harvest Basket here at Side Street!
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, inserting a notched wooden handle, 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 Summer Harvest Basket.
Basketry is a centuries-old art form that spans many cultures. Once students know the basics, they can go on to create their own baskets of many different styles and sizes. Join us to immerse yourself in this beautiful, functional, and meditative craft!
All materials will be provided. Minimum 4 participants, maximum 12 participants.
Please bring a snack or sack lunch, or be prepared to order/pick up something to eat during class time.
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. She fell in love with the craft and now teaches basket weaving, hosts basket weaving meetups, and sells custom handmade baskets. Her favorite place to weave is out in her garden with her dog and backyard chickens by her side.
Class Tuition: $80, Materials Fee: $30, Total Price: $110| Ages 14+
Cardboard Portraits FREE Workshop
Monday, June 2 from 6pm - 8pm
Join our workshop to make sustainable art using cardboard!
We throw away cardboard after we order a package, eat out, and move from one place to another. We discard it’s use after its purpose. But how about we make something new and creative with it!
In this workshop, we will learn to explore cardboard and other accessible art media. We will make portraits…entirely out of cardboard!
So let’s rip into the workshop and explore the texture of cardboard from its ripples and frizzles.
INSTRUCTOR: Andres Dominguez Fernandez, an artist whose primary medium is ceramics, created this workshop as a way to help others explore their creativity, tell their stories, and find their voice through art. See his work on Instagram @andres.psd.
Open to all, but please register so we can plan accordingly. Max 15 students.
FREE, Please Register| Ages 14+