Programs for Adults
(16+ years)

At A Glance

Winter-Early Spring 2023
 
Transformation
Panel Discussion
Friday, February 3
Noon-1:30PM

Outsmarting Watercolor for
Beginners (and not-so-beginners)
Mary Reardon
Wed:  Feb. 8; 15; 22 & Mar. 1
4:30-6:30PM
 
Introduction to Drawing
Robert Waldo Brunelle, Jr.
Sat., Feb. 25
9:30AM-4PM
 
Book Arts Open Studio
Elissa Campbell
2 Sessions:
Fri., Feb. 17, Noon-5PM
Sat., Feb. 18, 11AM-4PM

Introduction to Drawing
Robert Waldo Brunelle, Jr.
Sat., Feb. 25
9:30AM-4PM
 
Blizzard of Blizzards
Elissa Campbell
Sat., March 11
10AM-2PM

Drawing Trees in Winter
Susan Sawyer
6 Sundays:  March 12; 19; 26; April 2; (skip Apr. 9); April 16; April 23
1-4PM

​Introduction to Acrylics
Robert W. Brunelle, Jr.
2 Saturdays: 
NOTE DATE CHANGE
March 18, 9:30AM-4PM
April 1, 9:30AM-4PM

Figures in Pastel Compositions
Aline Ordman
Fri., March 31
9:30AM-4:30
 
​Color Pencil from Basic to Brilliant
Mary Reardon
Wed: April 5; 12 & 19
4:30-7PM

S.A.L.T. (SPA Art Lunchtime Talks)
Digital Media for Artists
Elissa Campbell
Friday, April 7
Noon-1:30

Drawing 2: Taking Skills to the Next Level
Robert Waldo Brunelle JR
Sat., April 22
9:30AM-3PM

Photography with Cell Phones
(ages 14 to adult)
Orah Moore
Saturday, May 6
10AM-2PM

Oil Pastels Intensive
Mary Reardon
Sat:  May 13
10AM – 4PM

Watercolor Painting – Focus on Negative Space
Ruth Kalder
Sat., May 20
9:30AM-4PM

​Color and Composition
Susan Sawyer
Fri:  June 2 & 9
11AM-4PM
 

We invite you to become inspired and learn new ways to create at Studio Place Arts (SPA)!   Let us know if you would like additional information about these classes and workshops.  In addition, please let us know if there are topics you would like us to consider for future classes.
 
Help Keep our Art Classes Healthy!
Students and instructors are working in proximity in our Classroom and we want to keep everyone in good health. 

• For that reason, we  ask that participants bring and wear masks for physically close working situations. 
• Additionally, we ask participants to stay home if they are not feeling well; payment for the class will held for a future class.

How to Register:

• Payment for classes needs to be made at least 10 days before the scheduled class in order to hold your space in the class.  SPA has a small staff and is unable to remind everyone who has mentioned they are “interested” in a class.
• You may call us at 802.479.7069 and register promptly with your credit card.  (SPA has regular hours Wed-Fri: 11:30-5 and Sat: 11:30-4)
• You may send us an email to let us know you are “interested” in enrolling in a class.  Please follow-up with a telephone call and mail a check payment to SPA promptly.  (If your timing is close to the starting date of a class, please call us to confirm your payment and reserve your space.  Some classes fill quickly.)
• You may register using our Paypal service.  (See top, right side.)  Please send us a prompt email to let us know which email you would like us to use for SPA notifications and suggested materials lists.  (Your email associated with your Paypal account may not be the one that you use frequently for routine correspondence like this.  Check.)
• Finally, SPA sends a reminder email to persons who have completely enrolled in advance of the first scheduled class (at least 5 days before the class).  If you do not receive an email from SPA, please call us ASAP – we may have a problem that needs to be resolved.  

Please call us at (802) 479-7069 if you have questions.  We look forward to seeing you at SPA!


Winter-Spring 2023
Classes & Activities

Transformation Panel Discussion
Friday, February 3
Noon-1:30PM
A panel discussion involving Dianne Shullenberger; Jane Quimby and Heather Ritchie with Leslie Roth as Facilitator.  All 4 artists are exhibiting in “Transformation-Material, Environment, Us,” a fiber art show by the Vermont Surface Design Association (3rd fl gallery).  Hot tea available.
 
Free Inspiration!
 
Background on the Panel Members:
Dianne Shullenberger
Outside my door is a wealth of inspiration for my art. I spend a portion of everyday outdoors doing sport activities regardless of the weather. It is this intimate time revisiting or discovery new terrain, and absorbing the details in nature that are crucial to my art.  The influence of my mother's profession as a fashion designer and her collection of fabrics were important in the path I have taken with my art.  A degree in physical education and art was a perfect blend, love of outdoors and love of fiber. I draw on location or photograph then translate these images into fabric collages, or colored pencil drawings.
Jane Quimby
Jane Quimby creates large cotton wall hangings using machine stitch-resist shibori manipulation and paint, with the addition of heat appliquéd/collaged pieces similarly prepared. The aim is to transform plain white cotton into a detailed dimensional abstraction.
Heather Ritchie
I am a multi medium artist and feminist influenced by nature and natural forms. I create work in context to work, body image, familial roles and societal expectations of women. I am interested in repurposing tactile materials and am a lifelong scavenger.
Facilitator:  Leslie Roth
Leslie Roth is a knitter and sculptor. Her work examines how we perceive and connect with non-human animals, as well as our relationship with the natural world. She has a studio at Studio Place Arts in Barre and lives in Montpelier.

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Outsmarting Watercolor for Beginners
(and not-so-beginners)
Mary Reardon
Wed:  Feb. 8; 15; 22 & Mar. 1
4:30-6:30PM
​This class is full; please contact SPA to be on the waiting list.
Watercolor can seem like an intimidating and unpredictable material for beginners and even for those with more experience. In this course we will outsmart watercolor with the knowledge of what it will do in any given situation. When we know what to expect from watercolor, we can better get the results we want. This course will cover basic wash techniques and work up to more advanced skills, tips and tricks (find out what you can do with a Magic Eraser!); plus, lots of additional resources will be provided so you can further explore more advanced materials and techniques as you desire. Because the quality of watercolor paper is crucial to success (sometimes even more than the paint itself!), a materials fee will cover the cost of the paper to be provided for the course. In addition to the papers used in class, each student will get a small sampler-pack of papers to experiment with. A list of other materials needed for the course will be provided.
Materials fee to the instructor (for paper) $18. 
 
Members $80/Non-Members $90
 
Mary Reardon is a native Vermonter who became an artist because everyone in the second grade said she would. She attended the Art Institute of Boston before the school was swallowed up by Lesley University, and earned her teaching degree from Johnson State College. She recently retired from teaching high school art, and contrary to her elementary school classmates, firmly believes that drawing, or any art form, is a learnable skill--not a gift magically bestowed at birth to a chosen few. When not teaching, eating, sleeping, etc. she occasionally finds time to make art herself and has exhibited around the state. If you take her class, she apologizes in advance for her warped sense of humor.
 
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Book Arts Open Studio
Elissa Campbell
2 Sessions:
Fri., Feb. 17, Noon-5PM
Sat., Feb. 18, 11AM-4PM
This experimental workshop is a mini retreat, where students who have taken some book arts classes in the past can explore taking their artist books to a new level. Enjoy the creative environment of working with other artists – it’s like a book arts play date!

In this workshop, I’ll share several of my one-of-a-kind artist books and provide some insights into how I created them. I will share my skills and strategies with students in order to coach students to conceive of and create their own one-of-a-kind art book. The workshop will include a discussion of the relationship between a book’s structure and content.

The use of both standard and unconventional materials will be demonstrated, along with creative ways to apply them to the book arts. A wide range of tools and materials will be available for you to try, including collage, carved block stamps, image transfer, Dremel, and paper cutting. Different binding techniques will also be explored.

In this workshop, each participant will leave class with an accordion book and technique sample cards. This workshop is best-suited to someone with previous book arts experience

Materials fee: $15.00
 
Supplies (Bring them if you have them – don’t feel obligated buy anything): Awl, bone folder, ruler, X-Acto knife or utility knife, cutting mat, scissors, pencil 
 
Members $85/Non-Members $95
 
Elissa Campbell has been making books for the past 27 years and sells her work professionally under the business name of Blue Roof Designs. She is a big believer in the power of using books for self-expression. Elissa is currently chair of the Book Arts Guild of Vermont, is on the board of the Vermont Crafts Council, and is on the Vermont Arts Council's Teaching Artist Roster.  http://www.blueroofdesigns.com & https://www.instagram.com/blueroofdesigns/
 
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Introduction to Drawing
Robert Waldo Brunelle, Jr.
Sat., Feb. 25
9:30AM-4PM (with a ½ hr break for lunch)
In the first part of this class students will learn how to use One Point and Two Point Perspective techniques to create the illusion of depth and dimension on a flat surface.  Students will learn how to use horizon lines and vanishing points correctly to draw the interiors and exteriors of houses and buildings. 
In the second part of this class students will learn how to draw the human face in front, profile and ¾ views.   Students will learn the correct proportions of the face, and how to draw faces of various genders and age groups.
 
NOTE:  We have scheduled a Drawing 2 class with Robert Brunelle on Saturday, April 22.
 
Materials:  Paper, pencil, eraser, and a straight edge (ruler or triangle)
 
Members $50/Non-Members $60
 
Robert Waldo Brunelle is a painter, book illustrator, retired art teacher and political cartoonist.   He taught cartooning and computer animation techniques at the Browns River Middle School for 31 years, and has taught cartooning workshops for adults at the Fletcher Farm School for Arts and Crafts.  In 2007 he was one of the Vermont cartoonists featured in the "Drawn Here" series produced by WCAX Channel 3 T.V.  He created a weekly cartoon for Seven Days for several years.  His political cartoon strip "Mr. Brunelle Explains It All" appears monthly in the humor magazine "Funny Times", and weekly on the website of the humor magazine "Humor Times", at [www.humortimes.com].  To see more of Mr. Brunelle's art and cartoons, visit his website at [www.mrbrunelle.com], or email him at [brunelles3@aol.com]

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Drawing Trees in Winter
Susan Sawyer
6 Sundays:  March 12; 19; 26; April 2; (skip Apr. 9); April 16; April 23
1-4PM
This class is full; please contact SPA to be on the waiting list.
This is a botanical art class focused one of our most important subjects. The winter season lets us take note of all the woody plants around us, whether green or bare-branched. In this drawing class, which will include the botany of our subjects, we’ll work at all scales, from the intricate and characteristic winter buds of deciduous trees, conifer needles and cones, twigs and branches, and whole trees with their individual histories and personalities. We will be drawing with artist’s graphite pencils and various types of ink pens. 
 
All materials except sketchbook provided, but for those interested, a list of good pencils, pens, and accessories will be available. Any sketchbook with a smooth paper intended for dry media is acceptable, size 9”x12”. 
 
Members $185/Non-Members $205
 
Susan Sawyer is an artist-naturalist from South Woodbury with many years of experience teaching, mostly adults in college and non-formal settings.  After starting life as a printmaker and decades of making art quilts, her current practice consists of drawing, painting, and biological illustration, in graphite, ink, watercolor, and silverpoint.  She believes in an experimental and experiential approach to all kinds of education, as well as careful observation of worlds without and within.
 
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Blizzard of Blizzards
Elissa Campbell
Sat., March 11
10AM-2PM
If this winter is giving you the blues, here's a reason to like it a bit more - book artist Hedi Kyle's famous Blizzard Book was invented during a snowstorm!
This gem of a book has a spine made of folded pockets that lock pages into place without using adhesive. The folded components can be modified to create other structures that Hedi affectionately refers to as the Blizzard Clan.
In this workshop, you'll start by making the book that started it all, the Blizzard Book. As time allows, you'll complete up to five variations including the Blizzard Box, the Blizzard Pocket, and the amazing Wheel of Fortune. All of these structures are intended to house your choice of content - for example, business cards, ticket stubs, or fortune cookie fortunes.

You'll leave this workshop with a completed set of books and a basic knowledge of folding and bookbinding technique. You will receive a detailed handout and resource list for all materials we use.  Experience in origami is helpful, but not required.

Materials fee to the instructor: $10.00
Supplies: Awl, bone folder, metal ruler, X-Acto knife, cutting mat, scissors, pencil, glue stick or roller adhesive.  NOTE: Bring the supplies if you have them – don’t feel obligated to buy anything. Elissa will have extras available.

Members $40/Non-Members $50

Elissa Campbell has been making books for the past 27 years and sells her work professionally under the business name of Blue Roof Designs. She is a big believer in the power of using books for self-expression. Elissa is currently chair of the Book Arts Guild of Vermont, is on the board of the Vermont Crafts Council, and is on the Vermont Arts Council's Teaching Artist Roster.  http://www.blueroofdesigns.com & https://www.instagram.com/blueroofdesigns/

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Introduction to Acrylics
Robert W. Brunelle, Jr.
DATE CHANGE:  This class now takes place on June 10 & 17
2 Saturdays: 
March 18, 9:30AM-4PM
April 1, 9:30AM-4PM
(The sessions have ½ hr. breaks for lunch)
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Learn about the advantages of using acrylic paints in your creative repertoire.  (Robert used oils for years and never looked back after he started using acrylics.)  During this two-part class students will learn all they need to know about working with acrylic paints to capture the brilliant colors and rich textures of our built and natural environments.  There will be light “practice homework” suggested for the week between the 2 workshop sessions.  
 
The class is open to students at all skill levels.  Among the topics covered will be; color mixing, adding additives to make the paints thicker or thinner, slowing drying time, using acrylics as washes, sculpting with acrylics, brushstrokes for creating various effects, using fast drying time to your advantage, and how to control blending colors.   We will also talk about composing your picture, stretching canvases, transferring drawings to canvas, various surfaces to paint on, as well as some useful hints on drawing, shading and shadows, and creating the illusion of depth on a flat surface. 
 
A materials list will be provided to students prior to the class.  (NOTE:  SPA has a good supply of acrylic paints that you are welcome to use – let us know if you are interested in this.)  Bring 1-3 seasonal photographs from which you would enjoy working.  If you have any questions, feel free to email Robert Waldo Brunelle, Jr., at brunelles3@aol.com.  Visit his website at www.mrbrunelle.com to see examples of his acrylic paintings.

Members $110/Non-Members $130
 
Robert Waldo Brunelle is a painter, book illustrator, retired art teacher and political cartoonist.   He taught cartooning and computer animation techniques at the Browns River Middle School for 31 years and has taught cartooning workshops for adults at the Fletcher Farm School for Arts and Crafts.  In 2007 he was one of the Vermont cartoonists featured in the "Drawn Here" series produced by WCAX Channel 3 T.V.  He created a weekly cartoon for Seven Days for several years.  His political cartoon strip "Mr. Brunelle Explains It All" appears monthly in the humor magazine "Funny Times", and weekly on the website of the humor magazine "Humor Times", at [www.humortimes.com].  To see more of Mr. Brunelle's art and cartoons, visit his website at [www.mrbrunelle.com], or email him at [brunelles3@aol.com]
 
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Figures in Pastel Compositions
Aline Ordman
Fri., March 31
9:30AM-4:30 (with a short mid-day break; bring a snack)
Aline is known for her vivid paintings and creative use of color.  Working from their own photo references, students will transform these into pastel paintings using the principles of color and design.  Aline will do a demonstration of figures in an environment and emphasize the understanding of color in terms of temperature, intensity and value while translating those ideas using pastel.  Aline will give a lot of personal attention and works to develop the individual style of each student.
 
Members $90/Non-Members $100
 
Aline received her BFA at Cornell University and continued her training the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, earning a degree in illustration.  Aline is a Master Pastelist with the Pastel Society of America, a Signature Member of the American Impressionist Society, a Signature Member of the Oil Painters of America and a Master Circle Pastelist with the International Assn. of Pastel Societies.  She has juried the Pastel Society of America’s National Juried Show; The Pastel Journal’s top 100 Animal and Wildlife Competition, the Pastel Society of New Mexico’s Annual Juried Show and the Adirondack Plein Air Festival Awards.  For more information, https://www.alineordman.com/
 
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Color Pencil from Basic to Brilliant
Mary Reardon
Wed: April 5; 12 & 19
4:30-7PM
The unassuming low-tech color pencil is well suited for a range of applications from quick, rough sketches, to eye-popping photorealism. Participants will learn simple tricks for solid coverage, beyond-the-basics color theory for more accurate color mixing, and a variety of techniques from working on colored papers to creating burnished color layers useful for photorealistic effects. A materials list will be provided prior to the class.
 
Members $60/Non-Members $70
 
Mary Reardon is a native Vermonter who became an artist because everyone in the second grade said she would. She attended the Art Institute of Boston before the school was swallowed up by Lesley University, and earned her teaching degree from Johnson State College. She has taught high school art for 15 years, and contrary to her elementary school classmates, firmly believes that drawing, or any art form, is a learnable skill--not a gift magically bestowed at birth to a chosen few. When not teaching, eating, sleeping, etc. she occasionally finds time to make art herself and has exhibited around the state. If you take her class, she apologizes in advance for her warped sense of humor.
 
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S.A.L.T. (SPA Art Lunchtime Talks)
Spice up your week.  Bring your own lunch; hot tea available.
Digital Media for Artists
Elissa Campbell
Friday, April 7th
Noon-1:30
The online marketing landscape is always evolving. However, one thing hasn’t changed - the human desire to connect and communicate. Building relationships with customers helps establish your trustworthiness and expertise as a professional artist and can have a positive effect on sales.

There are several online tools available for you to use in reaching new audiences. In this talk, we will explore the use of social media, blogs, email newsletters, and websites, and why these tools are relevant for artists.

Please reserve your place in advance (call us or send us an email by Tuesday, April 4th.
 
Free for SPA members/$20 for non-members

Elissa Campbell has been making books for the past 27 years and sells her work professionally under the business name of Blue Roof Designs. She is a big believer in the power of using books for self-expression. Elissa is currently chair of the Book Arts Guild of Vermont, is on the board of the Vermont Crafts Council, and is on the Vermont Arts Council's Teaching Artist Roster.  

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Drawing 2: Taking Skills to the Next Level
Robert Waldo Brunelle JR
Sat., April 22
9:30AM-3PM (with a ½ hour break for lunch)
This is the second part of my Drawing Intensive series of classes.  It is best if students have taken my Drawing 1 Class or have had some experience drawing. Topics covered in this class include: Constructing images using basic shapes, thinking in terms of volumes rather than outlines, using shapes to determine proper proportions, hints on composition and the rule of thirds, using composition to establish mood and emotions in a drawing, and using shading and shadows to describe textures.  Students will draw a still life using these concepts, and, if time permits, will have a chance to draw with pen and ink and charcoal.
Materials:  Paper, pencil, eraser, and a straight edge (ruler or triangle)
 
Members $50/Non-Members $60
 
Robert Waldo Brunelle is a painter, book illustrator, retired art teacher and political cartoonist.   He taught cartooning and computer animation techniques at the Browns River Middle School for 31 years, and has taught cartooning workshops for adults at the Fletcher Farm School for Arts and Crafts.  In 2007 he was one of the Vermont cartoonists featured in the "Drawn Here" series produced by WCAX Channel 3 T.V.  He created a weekly cartoon for Seven Days for several years.  His political cartoon strip "Mr. Brunelle Explains It All" appears monthly in the humor magazine "Funny Times", and weekly on the website of the humor magazine "Humor Times", at [www.humortimes.com].  To see more of Mr. Brunelle's art and cartoons, visit his website at [www.mrbrunelle.com], or email him at [brunelles3@aol.com]

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Photography with Cell Phones
(ages 14 to adult)
Orah Moore
Saturday, May 6
10AM-2PM
 
This class will cover basic photo composition and light awareness.  Instructor Orah Moore views cell phone photography as very fun, freeing and spontaneous.  We may not all have the same features on our cell phones, but most participants will have a regular option and a close-up feature.  In addition, most will be able to turn the image into black and white.
 
First, we will go over straight photography vs. manipulating photo imagery.  Orah will have a few assignments and even a photo treasure hunt to be completed before the end of the class.  Her hope is that participants will create a personal gallery presentation by the end of the class.
 
What to bring:

• A cell phone fully charged that has photo capability, a charger for later in the day, a laptop and cables for downloading cell phone photos to your laptop.  (Don’t have a laptop?  You can share with me or others who do.)  Bring a thumb drive.  Be familiar with the workings of your phone camera before the class.

 

• Bring a lunch so we can be in the field!  We will take a break both morning and PM sessions to return to SPA for restroom and downloading.

 
If you have a favorite editing ap, Orah would like to know it ahead.  (Please send information in an email to SPA in advance.)   Orah will compile a list to share with everyone in the workshop.
 
Members $40/Non-Members $50
 
Orah Moore, life-long art and commercial photographer, MA, Cal State Fullerton, CA, owner of Orah Moore Photography since 1977, Haymaker Press, since 1987, publishing her work as cards and books.  Studied with Ansel Adams and Ruth Bernhard.  Producing and showing in galleries over 40 years.  www.orahmooreartist.com
 
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Oil Pastels Intensive
Mary Reardon
Sat:  May 13
10AM – 4PM
Visually and texturally rich, oil pastels are a medium halfway between drawing and painting.  In this workshop, students learn through demonstration and practice multiple techniques to create color and textural effects in oil pastel.  This workshop focuses on learning and practicing techniques in the studio.  Bring photographs from which to work.  Contact SPA for a suggested materials list.  (Bring a snack for mid-day.)
 
Members $50/Non-Members $60
 
Mary Reardon is a native Vermonter who became an artist because everyone in the second grade said she would. She attended the Art Institute of Boston before the school was swallowed up by Lesley University, and earned her teaching degree from Johnson State College. She recently retired from teaching high school art, and contrary to her elementary school classmates, firmly believes that drawing, or any art form, is a learnable skill--not a gift magically bestowed at birth to a chosen few. When not teaching, eating, sleeping, etc. she occasionally finds time to make art herself and has exhibited around the state. If you take her class, she apologizes in advance for her warped sense of humor.
 
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Watercolor Painting – Focus on Negative Space
Ruth Kalder
Sat., May 20
9:30AM-4PM
Through negative space paintings, we will use watercolors to focus background areas of our paintings to develop dynamic and interesting compositions that enhance your subject.  Some watercolor painting experience is needed.  Contact SPA for a suggested materials list.
 
Member:  $60/Non-Member $70
 
Ruth taught art at the Cabot Schools (K-12) for 23 years.  She is a Signature Member of the Vermont Watercolor Society and an Associate Member of the New England Watercolor Society.  She currently teaches K-6 in the Peacham schools.
 
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Color and Composition
Susan Sawyer
Fri:  June 2 & 9
11AM-4PM
For artists, color’s a delight and a surprise, sometimes a puzzle, occasionally a headache. Using gouache (opaque watercolor) and collage, participants will get a refresher or an introduction to the terms and characteristics we use to describe colors, and in a series of activities, experiment, analyze, and discuss color effects, interactions, and meanings. Composition fundamentals and possibilities will be addressed as we go. Students will have ample time for free play in each session. Some painting experience is helpful but not required.
 
Materials provided.
 
Members $95/Non-Members $105
 
Susan Sawyer is an artist-naturalist from South Woodbury with many years of experience teaching, mostly adults in college and non-formal settings.  After starting life as a printmaker and decades of making art quilts, her current practice consists of drawing, painting, and biological illustration, in graphite, ink, watercolor, and silverpoint.  She believes in an experimental and experiential approach to all kinds of education, as well as careful observation of worlds without and within.
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​​REGISTER ONLINE:

Send us an email with the participant's name, address and phone number.  Also, let us know which email you prefer that we use for notifications and suggested materials lists.
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SPA REFUND POLICY:

​Cancellations at least 9 days before first class:  Refund for full paid amount minus $10 registration fee OR 100% credit towards a future class.

Cancellations that occur within 8 days before the first class:  50% refund minus $10 registration fee OR 50% credit towards a future class.

Cancellations after the first class, but before second class:  50% refund of remaining class tuition OR 75% credit towards future class.

Full refund if SPA cancels.  Credits towards future classes must be used within 12 months of date of cancellation. ​

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