Open studio is offered for those who are interested in using our space and materials to make clay work independently from a class and is available for use only by those who have taken at least one ceramics class at our studio or for those with prior experience that has been approved by the studio manager. Open studio members can choose to handbuild, throw on the wheel, or both! Registration will include 25 pounds of clay, use of wheels and tools, a storage shelf, and the glazing and firing of work made in that month. All clay must be purchased through Gorham Arts Alliance and all firings will be done by the studio manager. You are welcome to purchase your own cone 5/6 glazes to use in firings if you want something other than what is provided. All classes are held at the Art and Nature Center at Tannery Brook. 

PM Session IV: 4 classes, Thursdays, 4/3-4/24, 5:00pm-8:00pm, $140

Additional, optional work time will be offered for open studio members and current students on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays 10am-1pm and Fridays from 5pm-8pm. Members are welcome to attend as many or as few times during the week as they choose, but Thursdays will be the only day where there is guaranteed space. The extra, optional work time is first come, first serve for available wheel use and table space. The studio will be closed on federal holidays.

In Beginner Tai Chi, students will learn the physical movements of both Qigong and Tai Chi Quan and the philosophy behind the practice. Each class begins with Qigong movements. One must be focused, calm, and present to practice Tai Chi properly. The Qigong helps us get there. We then incorporate some gentle muscle-building and stretching. Strength training and stretching aim to develop the ability to perform postures properly. The last part of each class is dedicated to practicing the Tai Chi postures, eventually putting them together into form. The class is foundational. The study and practice of Tai Chi Quan is a lifelong one. It is a fantastic mental and physical exercise that can be modified for most restrictions or needs. No equipment is required. Wear comfortable clothing. Laurie has been practicing Yang-style Tai Chi & Qigong for 14 years.  Tai Chi has become her passion, and she finds it a perfect exercise that encompasses balance, relaxation, focus, strength, stretching, cognitive stimulation, and discipline. It is a gentle, beautiful, meditative form of expression that is also a true martial art with defensive application.

Session II: 7 classes, Thursdays, 4/3-5/22 (no class 4/24), 6:00pm-7:00pm, GMS, $69

This 1-hour class welcomes all fitness levels; prior dance experience is NOT required.  The idea is to follow along and have so much FUN you don't realize you are getting a great workout.   We dance to both popular and Latin music using basic Zumba Rhythms: Salsa, Reggaeton, Merengue, and Cumbia.    Please wear comfortable clothing and sneakers and bring water.   The best part is that there are no wrong moves; it's all about moving. Maureen attended her first Zumba class in 2017 and fell In love.  She decided she wanted to share Zumba with others, and in February of 2024, she became a certified teacher.     

6 classes, Thursdays, 4/3-5/15 (no class 4/24), 6:00pm-7:00pm, Village Gym, $65

Join Certified Group Fitness Instructor Theresa Labrecque for a class that blends Pilates's core conditioning and full-body strengthening with the flexibility and lengthening of Yoga for a balanced workout for all levels. Theresa has been a certified group fitness instructor for over 30 years, teaching Pilates for more than 18 years and Yoga for 12. She is committed to providing functional strengthening to all ages and ability levels.

Session III: 10 classes, Mondays & Wednesdays, 4/7-5/14 (no class 4/21 & 4/23), 7:00pm-8:00pm, Village Gym (Virtual option available), $80

DROP-IN RATE: $12/PER CLASS 

Join Certified Group Fitness Instructor Theresa Labrecque for a class that blends Pilates's core conditioning and full-body strengthening with the flexibility and lengthening of Yoga for a balanced workout for all levels. Theresa has been a certified group fitness instructor for over 30 years, teaching Pilates for more than 18 years and Yoga for 12. She is committed to providing functional strengthening to all ages and ability levels.

Session III: 10 classes, Mondays & Wednesdays, 4/7-5/14 (no class 4/21 & 4/23), 7:00pm-8:00pm, Virtual, $80

*Class links and any additional materials will be emailed prior to the start of class.*

Maine's Driving Dynamics course allows all drivers to improve their defensive driving abilities.  This five-hour course will discuss collision avoidance techniques, safety issues, driver habits and attitudes, and the essential elements constantly challenging drivers on Maine's highways.  Students completing the course will receive a three-point credit on their driving record.  A certified Maine Driving Dynamics instructor teaches this course.

 2 classes, Tuesday, 4/8 & Thursday 4/10, 6:00pm -8:30pm, GMS, $75

Your instructor, Chris Toy, is the author of 6 popular cookbooks, a private chef, and has taught Asian fusion cooking for several Maine community education programs. Cooking students will learn how to prepare a variety of recipes from Asia, Europe, and the Americas, incorporating traditional and local ingredients. Each meal will actively engage cooks with the tools, techniques, and stories behind the dishes being created. $595 includes a workshop fee, all meals, and special activities to extend your learning from the day’s workshops. 

Recent Acadian Arts Retreats participants commented: “I learned so much from Chris that I can use immediately at home in my own kitchen.”  “Great kitchen hints!”.

4/11-4/14, The Harbor View House is in Prospect Harbor on the coast of Maine. Come join this intimate group of artists, cooks, and creatives! Evening activities include a private house concert by Grammy-balloted singer-songwriter, storyteller, and author Gordan Ward. For more information about the workshop, call Mary at 207-632-2251. To book your stay at the inn, call 207-963-9122 or visit https://harborviewhousellc.com/. 

Your instructor, Mary Laury, is an accomplished watercolorist and highly esteemed teacher. She encourages all her students to believe they can be successful. Painting is an exciting medium; it flows, moves, and does beautiful things. We will start at the beginning if you have never painted in watercolors. If you have painted before, you will also learn new tips and tricks. We all learn together! $595 includes the workshop fee, all meals, and special activities to extend your learning from the day's workshops. 

Recent Acadian Arts Retreats participants commented: "Great instructor! Mary acts as a guide to develop our own style. "Easy, no-stress instruction."

4/11-4/14, Painting Flower Portraits in Watercolor at The Harbor View House.  Paint flower portraits realistically. You will paint pictures of flowers in detail, but more painterly than a scientific illustration. We won't count veins, but we will count petals! Painting flowers is a wonderful exercise in observation. We will paint on smooth paper; Strathmore Series 500, one hundred percent cotton paper, either plate or vellum. This paper can be purchased in large sheets at Artist and Craftsman in Portland, which we will cut up. Bring a #2 round brush and a #6 round brush, pencil, palette, tube watercolors in the three primary colors, and perhaps a green paper towel and water container. And bring a plant or flower specimen with no more than nine petals. This is a slow and careful process, and 9 petals and some leaves are enough happiness for us all.

Harbor View House is in Prospect Harbor on the coast of Maine, with an intimate group of artists, cooks, and creatives! Evening activities include a private house concert by Grammy-balloted singer-songwriter, storyteller, and author Gordan Ward. For more information about the workshop, call Mary at 207-632-2251. To book your stay at the inn, call 207-963-9122 or visit https://harborviewhousellc.com/.