Print & Sip: Explore Gelli Printing & Mixed Media Art

Experience the revolutionary technique that transformed monoprinting! Gelli printing is an easy, addictive way to create stunning monoprints—no printing press required.You’ll be amazed by the fine-art quality prints you’ll make with affordable materials. We will play with plants, stencils and stamps to create textures, patterns and shapes and even some photo transfers! Gelli prints offer endless possibilities for expression and exploration resulting in unique layered prints. They also require some patience between layers, so while we wait for things to dry, we can sip on our wine.

Your ticket includes all materials and refreshments, so just bring your creativity! This guided art-making experience offers plenty of flexibility, allowing you to explore and create at your own pace.

Yael Levy is a mixed media artist, storyteller, printmaker and art teacher based in Berkeley, CA. She believes the creative process to be its own reward and the act of making an incredible tool for healing and growing.

Saturdays at the Lab is a unique series of weekend art workshops connecting professional artists with our local community. Designed to foster creativity and collaboration, these hands-on sessions welcome participants of all skill levels to explore new techniques, exchange ideas, and experience the transformative power of art.

Every Second Saturday of the month, we unwind with a Sip & Make session, blending artistic exploration with a relaxed, social vibe.

The Junior Center of Art and Science (JCAS) is a 501c nonprofit dedicated to cultivating curiosity and creative exploration through the arts and sciences. By blending creativity with experiential learning, we inspire big ideas and illuminate the everyday connections between art and science.

Your participation in these events not only nurtures your own creative potential but also supports our mission to provide equitable access to art and science programs for youth and families across Oakland and the greater East Bay Area. Learn more about us.

Missed out on this workshop? Join our mailing list to stay in the loop about SATURDAYS at the LAB!

MINI WORLDS: A Sip & Make Diorama Workshop

Escape the slog and step into a world of creativity! Join us for a Sip & Make crafting workshop led by the ethereal Judit Navratil, where you’ll dream up your own miniature world in a pint-sized diorama.

Whether it’s a cozy home, a whimsical forest, or an otherworldly landscape, the possibilities are endless. Drawing inspiration from 3D artists like Joseph Cornell and Mohamad Hafez, we’ll use an eclectic mix of materials—paper, magazines, colored pencils, paint markers, and more—to bring your vision to life.

Your ticket includes all materials and refreshments, so just bring your creativity! This guided art-making experience offers plenty of flexibility, allowing you to explore and create at your own pace.

Artist Judit Navratil has been working with social VR building collaborative virtual reality art spaces, cyberhomes, and digital nests for the Grandchildren. This time, we will explore these concepts in a physical diorama-making workshop. What tiny world would you like to make?

Saturdays at the Lab is a unique series of weekend art workshops connecting professional artists with our local community. Designed to foster creativity and collaboration, these hands-on sessions welcome participants of all skill levels to explore new techniques, exchange ideas, and experience the transformative power of art.

Every Second Saturday of the month, we unwind with a Sip & Make session, blending artistic exploration with a relaxed, social vibe.

The Junior Center of Art and Science (JCAS) is a 501c nonprofit dedicated to cultivating curiosity and creative exploration through the arts and sciences. By blending creativity with experiential learning, we inspire big ideas and illuminate the everyday connections between art and science.

Your participation in these events not only nurtures your own creative potential but also supports our mission to provide equitable access to art and science programs for youth and families across Oakland and the greater East Bay Area. Learn more about us.

Missed out on this workshop? Join our mailing list to stay in the loop about SATURDAYS at the LAB!

Set It Up: A Workshop in Repurposed Materiality

with Luka Vergoz

ONE DAY SESSION, OFFERED TWICE • 11/16 & 12/7 • 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

All Ages • FREE Drop-in

Set It Up: A Workshop in Repurposed Materiality, is an opportunity to meet Luka Vergoz and learn their process. They will demonstrate how to use discarded and recycled materials to create objects, as well as explore scale and landscape. Luka’s installation has places that are lifted up from the floor, providing a range of heights within the landscape for participants to address. Participants will build and create objects with discarded materials such as paper, cardboard, and wood, and then add their creations to the installation.

Learn more about the gallery exhibit here.

Missed out on a workshop? Join our mailing list to stay in the loop about SATURDAYS at the LAB!

EDIBLE PIGMENT PAINTING

with Elissa Callen

ONE DAY SESSION • 9/14 • 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Ages 14 & up • $35 – $75 sliding scale

Join us for a morning of painting and experimental printing using paints made from plant materials. The ingredients we will use will focus on 3 edible plant sources, including plant scraps commonly tossed out in kitchen compost. Participants will have the opportunity to examine the use of other edible plant sources in this class, as well. Instead of using plastic-based paints and toxic materials, reconsider natural materials under your nose that have provided color for millennia.

Missed out on a workshop? Join our mailing list to stay in the loop about SATURDAYS at the LAB!

INTRO TO PROCREATE – 3 PART SERIES

with Zoe Oliver-Grey

THREE DAY SESSION • 9/7, 9/21, 9/28 • 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Ages 9-13 • $75 – $125 sliding scale

Using iPads and physical art supplies, students will create their own short animated stories! Students will create physical characters using clay, paper, pencils and paints and then upload images of their creations to iPads. Once uploaded into Procreate, students will be able to add digital embellishments, and create an animated short story starring their character! Over the course of the three sessions students will become more proficient with Procreate and be able to animate and design their own stories.

Missed out on a workshop? Join our mailing list to stay in the loop about SATURDAYS at the LAB!

DRAWING: MAKE, CREATE, AND REPEAT

with Luka Vergoz

ONE DAY SESSION • 8/17 • 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Ages 12-17 • $10 – $25 sliding scale

Drawing: Make, Create, and Repeat is a drawing class focused around the idea of repetition. The class uses repetition as a tool to learn drawing as well as a method of expression art-making. Drawing techniques will include both drawing from observation and from memory/imagination. In this class we will talk about the meaning behind repetition and why we would utilize it in art making. We’ll learn how repeating can help show important ideas and compare different elements. We’ll also see how repetition can tell a story about time, movement, and change.

Missed out on a workshop? Join our mailing list to stay in the loop about SATURDAYS at the LAB!

DRAG STORYTIME + CRAFTING

with Kico Le Strange & Cy Berspace

6/29 • 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

ALL AGES • FREE W/ RSVP

Happy Pride! Come celebrate with the Junior Center of Art and Science!

Junior Center Teaching Artist Marco Garcia AKA Kico Le Strange, and friend Cy Berspace, will be reading 3 LGBTQIIA+ children books, one of which will be Julian The Mermaid. After story time, Kico will guide the young creatives through an oceanic craftmaking excursion; making sea crowns!

CABINET OF BOTANICAL CURIOSITIES

with Sigrid Hubbell & Julia Marchand

ONE DAY SESSION • 11/11 • 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Ages 18 & up • $40 – $60

Join us for an enchanting day in the Cabinet of Botanical Curiosities. Explore a curated collection of unusual plants, flowers, and seeds, all home grown in Oakland by local horticulturist, Sigrid Hubbell. In This interactive workshop you will explore building your own botanical arrangements and dive into the world of botanical illustration as our Teaching Artist, Julia Marchand guides you through drawing plants and flowers in your vase. Step into a realm where nature’s secrets come to life. Leave with a hand selected bouquet of dried flowers and an illustration.

Missed out on a workshop? Join our mailing list to stay in the loop about SATURDAYS at the LAB!

Costume Designer’s Boot Camp

with Stephanie Verrieres & Marco Garcia
TWO DAY SESSION • 10/14 – 10/15 • 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Ages 8-16 • $50 – $70

Join us for the Costume Designer’s Boot Camp and discover the magic of turning your imagination into reality. Learn the art of transforming everyday fabrics and found materials into extraordinary costume pieces. Discover how to breathe new life into old textiles and unleash your creativity. Bring your own costume design ideas, fabrics, and patterns, or dive into our selection of fabrics and found materials for inspiration. Whether you’re a seasoned designer or a novice, this workshop welcomes all levels of sewing experience. Consult with our experienced teachers and fashion mentors, who will be by your side every step of the way. They’ll help you refine your ideas, troubleshoot challenges, and bring your costume design to life.

Missed out on a workshop? Join our mailing list to stay in the loop about SATURDAYS at the LAB!

Rent our Space

Host your next event at The Junior Center of Art and Science

Panoramic views of Lake Merritt
Rent individual rooms or the entire building
Discounts for non-profit partners

Learn more about our space rentals.