Level I Hand-building for students wanting to explore the basic techniques for hand-building functional, sculptural, or decorative pieces.

Learn about the various hand-building tools, and the three basic hand-building techniques: pinching, coiling, and slab rolling through a series of self-guided projects.

PLEASE NOTE: This class runs for 3.5 hours, which includes 1 hour of work time at the end of each class period. You will not have access to the studio outside of the scheduled class time. You will also not have access to the Groundworks other locations.

Ages: 16 and above

Class meets weekly on WEDNESDAYS

Does NOT include Firing Fees. For details on our Firing Fees, please click here: https://www.groundworksartlab.org/firing-fees

This class is Pay What You Can with a suggested price of $270.

All pieces will be fired to Cone 6 in an oxydation kiln.

Will be available to register on Tuesday, May 26 at 8:00am.

Linoleum, created in the mid-1800s for flooring, was discovered by artists early on as an effective medium for carving and printing. In this class students will carve their own designs and print a set of cards with matching envelopes in our vintage letterpress shop. We'll supply the linoblocks (mounted for printing on a letterpress), paper for cards, and presses to print your own designs.Students should bring a pencil and eraser to work out designs before carving. All levels invited. All materials and tools included.

All supplies and materials will be provided. 

Taught by: Julia Seko and Greg Robl

Will be available to register on Tuesday, May 26 at 8:00am.

The Book Arts League is excited to announce that we will now offer open studio hours! Our shop will be available monthly for you to print your work. Below are the upcoming open studio dates. BAL board members will be your hosts and will assist you with your printing projects. Please bring your own paper and get ready to print! Book Arts League Members please RSVP to bal.workshops@gmail.com. If you are not a Book Arts League Member, register here!

WEDNESDAY July 8th — 4:30-6:30PM

WEDNESDAY JAug 12th — 4:30-6:30PM

Join us for clay camp, where kids learn the basics of ceramics hand-building. Campers will experiment with low-fire clay and discover ways to build functional pottery as well as creative sculpture — monsters and mugs, nature-inspired works, zoo creatures, and anything they dream up. Each day, we spend most of the time learning techniques and creating, with a quick break in the middle for snacks, outdoor activities, and games.

Supervised Lunch / Extended Pick-Up/Drop-off:Each student enrolled in camp can sign up for supervised lunch. Bring your own lunch to enjoy between morning and afternoon camps (12pm-1pm). The fee for this add-on program is $25 per week.

This camp will be available to register at 8:00AM on Monday, February 2.

This three-hour workshop will introduce you to the basics of bookbinding, including appropriate materials and tools needed to make your own notebooks, journals, or albums. The book structures you will learn will include several single-sheet cut and fold book structures, a sewn pamphlet stitch journal and a covered hardcover accordion fold book. Additionally, you will learn the tools needed in a basic bookbinding tool kit, receive a detailed list of bookmaking resources and opportunities to study book arts further. By the end of the course, you will have had a thorough introduction to the basics of the folded book structure which will form a strong foundation for furthering your bookbinding skills.

The Book Arts League is a Colorado-based community of individuals who share an interest in letterpress printing, calligraphy, and bookbinding.

(kids 12+ must be accompanied by an adult)

All supplies and materials will be provided. 

Will be available to register on Tuesday, May 26 at 8:00am.

Learn how to build mugs with a twist of whimsy!

Add a twist of whimsy to each one-of-a kind mug in this class. Start by learning how to build a mug with slabs, followed by demos on how to make your mug come alive - facial features, handles, decoration, color - all in high fire clay. Create a fun companion for morning coffee or afternoon tea.

This class takes place at Groundworks EAST at 3063 Sterling Circle, Boulder, CO

This class meets weekly for 4 weeks on MONDAYS.

Class does NOT include additional open lab time or clay. All work must be completed during class time. 

Ages: 16+

Will be available to register on Tuesday, May 26 at 8:00am.

These sculpture camps for preteens and teens are focused on the more advanced and specialized hand-building techniques. Students will get to experiment with a variety of sculptural forms to create beautiful and unique art pieces. Beginner potters welcome!

Supervised Lunch / Extended Pick-Up/Drop-off:Each student enrolled in camp can sign up for supervised lunch. Bring your own lunch to enjoy between morning and afternoon camps (12pm-1pm). The fee for this add-on program is $25 per week.

This camp will be available for registration at 8:00AM on Monday, February 2.

This fore-edge fold book opens wonderfully flat, making it an ideal companion for drawings or prints, writing, or a memory/legacy book. Each page is created by folding a piece of high-quality drawing paper, giving the finished book a clean, elegant feel in the hands. We will begin by reviewing terminology and tools. We will then tear paper down to size, fold and punch our signatures, and sew them over three woven tapes. Once the pages are complete, we will glue them up and shape the text block. After a lunch break, we will cover the hardboards with book cloth or decorative paper, then attach the tapes to the inside of the covers and finish with a decorative endpaper. By the end of the day, you will have a completed book and the skills to make more on your own. You will be provided with hand-drawn directions, as well as terminology and resource lists. This class is for beginners to advanced book makers alike. This is one of my favorite structures to teach – I can’t wait to share it with you!

Ages: 16+

This class takes place at Groundworks East (3063 E. Sterling Cir)

Will be available to register on Tuesday, May 26 at 8:00am.