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!

TUESDAY Jan. 13th — 4:30-6:30PM

TUESDAY Feb. 10th — 4:30-6:30PM

TUESDAY Mar. 10th — 4:30-6:30PM

Ephemera: any transitory written or printed matter not meant to be retained or preserved.

Each year the Book Arts League hosts a print Ephemera playdate. Letterpress printed pieces are encouraged, but the BAL will accept any entry! In the past we have had potato prints, laser printed quotes, creative cuttings from old phone books, poems picked out on pages of old books, a set of 30 individual collages, folded maps, even laser printed illustrations. Anything you can print, you can send!!

To play, participants make an edition of 30 pieces, send them into the BAL by January 31 (or as soon thereafter as you can!) Once the Book Arts League receives all entries for the year, the sets will be collated. A BAL volunteer will then design a wrapper or package to contain the collection and you will be mailed back a complete set! Inside your package you will receive one piece from every person who participated and one of your own pieces. Also included will be a list of the names of all the artists who participated. 

Would you like to participate in our annual event but don't know where to begin? Don't have a press? Come join Brenda Gallagher in the Book Arts League letterpress studio to print your submission for this year's exchange! Bring your paper of choice. You'll need at least 30 pieces that can be cut (or folded) down to 5"x7" pieces. You can set a few words using the BAL type collection and pair it with a picture block from the BAL's collection. Bring your ideas and get ready for the 2026 Ephemera Exchange!

If you are a BAL member please reach out to registration@groundworksartlab.org for a $10 off discount. 

Ages: 16+

Prints can be dropped off at Groundworks East (3063 E. Sterling Cir)

Class will be available for registration December 8th at 8:00am. 

Join us for an afternoon of fun and art-making with your family!

In this special family class, children and their adults will work together on a hand-built Valentine’s Day-themed clay project. Pieces can be decorated with textures, designs, and painted with underglaze.

We will then fire and glaze all pieces and let you know when they are ready for pickup, about 2 weeks later. This is a fun way to give handmade gifts or have beautiful decorations for your home that last a lifetime!

All materials included.

For children ages 4+

Bring your kid(s), family, and friends! Each attendee must register separately.

Explore the art of carving. This class offers students the opportunity to develop sculptural skills through either a structured project or the realization of their own artistic concepts. We will provide materials and expert guidance to help you bring your vision to life. Carving offers a rich and repeatable artistic practice, allowing for continuous growth and exploration beyond a single project.

Class Policies & Information:

Open Lab: This class includes access to the studio during Open Lab hours. Open Lab is exclusively for students who are currently enrolled in the program. You are allowed to attend one Open Lab session per week, totaling 3 hours during the duration of your class. You may only attend the Open Lab session for the class in which you are registered. This time is intended for independent work on your class project. While studio staff will be present, they are there to ensure you are using the tools safely, not to provide instruction.

Class Make-Up: Our studios are full with adult and youth classes 7 days a week, 48 weeks a year. Typically, every class is full, which means there is simply no space for students to make up classes. If we cancel an entire class due to weather or other emergencies, we can not guarantee we will be able to schedule a make-up class. Individuals who miss a class will not be able to make it up. Please read the Frequently Asked Questions for more information about missed classes.

Studio Clean Up: Clean-up is critical! Please help our hardworking staff and volunteers by beginning clean-up 30 minutes before the end of class, helping out with common areas, and leaving class on time.

What to wear to the wood studio?  

Safety First: Long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with socks that protect up to the ankle.  Shirts and tops should be easy to tuck in, with sleeves that can be rolled up as needed.  Tie back long hair to ensure safety.  We offer safety goggles, dust masks and ear protection, and they must be worn in the wood studio.  Feel free to bring your own if you are more comfortable with them.  Jewelry, loose-fitting clothing, or any other items that could dangle will need to be secured while using machines.

Safety Information:

• Closed-toe, closed-heel shoes
• Long pants
• Shirts should be easily tucked and sleeves pulled up
• Hair tied back
• Eye and lung protection are provided and must be worn in the studio

Ages: 16+ 

All supplies and materials will be provided. 

Will be available to register on Monday, December at 8:00am.

Mix it up with Mixed Monotype! Monotype is a unique one-and-done, never to be recreated style of printmaking where you create a brand new image every time you roll out the ink. This beginner-friendly, but all levels welcome 4-week class will dive into how!

Using a variety of techniques, students will learn to compose and produce multicolored, multilayered monotype prints. We will begin by inking plexiglass plates to produce color flats, patterns, shapes and textures to which we will add other imagery, abstract layers, stenciled shapes or impressions of found materials depending on each student’s artistic goals. Over the course of the class it will be possible to produce a number of finished artworks or just to learn how to use and combine various processes including drypoint etching and linoleum or Speedy-Cut block relief prints. Consider bringing some materials for inspiration such as photographs, sketches, or ideas that you would like to work from or explore.

Ages: 16+ 

All supplies and materials will be provided. 

Will be available to register on Monday, December 8 at 8:00am.

Welcome to the world of pottery! This class is designed for young children that are new to clay and working to develop their skills in hand-building. Students will create fun and unique projects in functional and sculptural forms. Children will learn to build strong, hollow pieces and will slip and paint their own work. Join us for these weekly classes where kids can get messy, learn about clay, and make new friends!

Bring imagination into form through basic clay techniques and creative problem-solving. Instructors will encourage students to try new things and make vibrant works of art. Students will slip and paint their own work.

Ages: 5 - 9

This class is Pay What You Can with a suggested price of $100.

Will be available to register on Monday, December 8 at 8:00am.

Come spark your creativity in our Teen Welding class! Join other teens for four weeks to learn the basics of shop safety and terminology, and an introduction to MIG welding equipment and how to properly and safely use it. Through hands-on demonstration, you'll gain confidence in this expansive practice - either to use it in artmaking, or possibly even as a future career track!

This class has no prerequisites and is specifically set up for absolute beginners to this art form. Our Metal Studio does have some safety basics before anyone is allowed to join in the fun (failure to meet these requirements will result in not being granted access to the equipment): 

Please come dressed in close-toe and heel shoes, and natural material clothing, i.e. cotton or linen, long pants are recommended. 

For welding, you must wear a shirt with long sleeves that fully covers your chest. We recommend a long sleeved button down.

No loose or dangling jewelry, long earrings or scarves.

If you have long hair, please have it securely tied back from your face.

We will provide PPE including face shields

Will be available to register on Monday, December 8 at 8:00am.

Woodworking Fun for Kids! Spark your child's creativity and introduce them to the exciting world of woodworking! In this fun and safe class, young learners will learn basic woodworking skills while crafting their own unique projects.

Class Policies & Information:

Class Make-Up: Our studios are full with adult and youth classes 7 days a week, 48 weeks a year. Typically, every class is full, which means there is simply no space for students to make up classes. If we cancel an entire class due to weather or other emergencies, we can not guarantee we will be able to schedule a make-up class. Individuals who miss a class will not be able to make it up. Please read the Frequently Asked Questions for more information about missed classes.

Class Policies & Information:

Open Lab: This class includes access to the studio during Open Lab hours. Open Lab is exclusively for students who are currently enrolled in the program. You are allowed to attend one Open Lab session per week, totaling 3 hours during the duration of your class. You may only attend the Open Lab session for the class in which you are registered. This time is intended for independent work on your class project. While studio staff will be present, they are there to ensure you are using the tools safely, not to provide instruction.

Class Make-Up: Our studios are full with adult and youth classes 7 days a week, 48 weeks a year. Typically, every class is full, which means there is simply no space for students to make up classes. If we cancel an entire class due to weather or other emergencies, we can not guarantee we will be able to schedule a make-up class. Individuals who miss a class will not be able to make it up. Please read the Frequently Asked Questions for more information about missed classes.

Studio Clean Up: Clean-up is critical! Please help our hardworking staff and volunteers by beginning clean-up 30 minutes before the end of class, helping out with common areas, and leaving class on time.

Ages: 10 - 13

All supplies and materials will be provided.  

Will be available to register on Monday, December 8 at 8:00am.