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.
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Seeds, soil, plants, and flowers are creative materials utilized to foster healing and connectivity through the process of tending, sowing, drying, and creating.
We welcome you to Sprout & Bloom, a group exhibition by Lana Williams, Sigrid Hubbell, and Alex Arzt.
Join us for the opening reception on Friday, March 21st from 6:30 – 8:30pm. The exhibition will run from March 17th – May 23rd.
About the Exhibit
The artworks transform the gallery into a beautiful space of knowledge and reflection—where we can learn about ourselves, co-existence, and our connection to the land and the earth. Most importantly, how we can all heal collectively through seeds, flowers, and potted ecosystems.
COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS
In addition to the exhibit, Lana and Sigrid will also be holding two workshops
Micro Bouquets
with Sigrid Hubbell Saturday, April 19th 10am -12pm for ages 3 & up, $30-$45 sliding scale
Celebrate spring with ecologically grown, freshly harvested, Oakland-grown botanicals! In this workshop, you’ll explore the unique textures, scents, and forms of flowers, herbs, and seed pods grown by our host, Sigrid Hubbell, just two miles from JCAS. Drop-in to design a micro bouquet to take home and tend. All botanicals and small glass vases provided. No experience necessary and children are welcome!
with Lana Williams Saturday, May 17th 10am -12pm All ages, $45-$60 sliding scale
Join Lana Williams for a Container Gardening 101 workshop! Learn all the basics from how to select plants and pots, design techniques, to caring for your container garden arrangements. Williams will teach you all the best practices so you can start your own container garden with confidence.
Lana Williams is an author, artist, and the owner of The Tender Gardener, a plant shop and design company that opened in 2020 in Oakland, California. Her book, The Container Garden Recipe Book, published in 2024 by Artisan Books is an in depth guide to ornamental container gardening. She leads local workshops on plant care basics, repotting, plant design principles, wreath making, and flower arranging. When she is not tending to her garden or greenhouse, you can find her in her studio painting and making ceramics.
Awestruck by the endless diversity, adaptations, and resilience of the natural world, Sigrid Hubbell spends the majority of her time in her urban garden cultivating flowers, herbs, food, medicine, and habitat. Growing and preserving the botanicals that comprise her work, she observes the vivid lessons revealed by natural rhythms. She hopes that noticing the contour of a leaf, the color of a petal, or the plumage of an individual seed invokes deep appreciation for the elegant intelligence and healing qualities of plants.
Alex Arzt is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, gardener, and grant writer based in Oakland, CA. Rooted in a connection to place and material explorations, she facilitates connections between human and nonhuman spaces by creating projects in the form of publications, interactive objects, workshops, group performances, lectures, videos, and experimental gardens.
Support Our Work
Support our nonprofit gallery space and help us continue fostering creativity, community, and access to the arts. Your contribution directly empowers emerging artists and makes inspiring exhibitions and programs possible for all.
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!
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!
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!
Ideal for ages 5 – 12, our Teaching Artists lead each party through an age-appropriate project which will leave your child and their friends feeling inspired and confident in their creative abilities.
Our 2 hour birthday party packages come complete with everything you need for your young creative’s special day:
60 minute Art or Science Activity with a professional JCAS Teaching Artist
60 minutes for cake & gifts
Dedicated party room for all the fun
All the necessary materials for each participant to create a keepsake to take home day of
1 week & 2 week full day camps from June 9 – August 15
For rising 1st-8th graders, the Junior Center of Art and Science Summer Camp (CAMP JCAS) offers full day, arts-integrated engagements for young artists, makers and thinkers. Our projects are led by professional artists and educators who inspire a safe, open, and creative environment where campers feel encouraged to take risks, explore, and try their hand at a wide variety of arts and science activities including carpentry, game design, comics and more!
Inspiring Instructors: Our camp is led by talented and experienced artists who are passionate about nurturing creativity and curiosity in young minds.
Diverse Sessions: With multiple sessions to choose from, campers have the flexibility to explore various artistic and scientific disciplines. Whether it’s carpentry, graphic design, painting, mixed media, science, engineering, and more-there’s something for every interest! Our camp themes cover a wide range of subjects, ensuring that every camper finds something that captivates their imagination.
Hands-On Exploration: Campers will have the opportunity to dive deep into arts materials and concepts, allowing them to experiment and express themselves in a supportive, thoughtful and encouraging environment.
Science and Engineering Adventures: For those with a passion for discovery, our science and engineering weeks will spark curiosity and provide hands-on experiences in the world of STEAM
CAMP JCAS is held at our home on Lake Merritt, 558 Bellevue Ave. Oakland, CA.
All JCAS classes are made available to families on a sliding scale. Families choose the amount they are able to pay, considering the top end of our scale is how much it costs us to run the class. We encourage families to help support our efforts to make programs available to those in need.
If the sliding scale prices are still out of your family’s budget, we do offer scholarships. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Please give us 7 business days to process applications. All scholarship requests must be made before April 15th.
Don’t worry about camps filling up, we account for this and ensure every camp is available for scholarship students.
Parents! Did you know JCAS is a 501c3 nonprofit? We are dedicated to offering equitable access to arts and science education. You can now support our mission directly using our Pay It Forward Program.
When registering your student for a camp, you’ll have the opportunity to Pay It Forward and contribute to our Scholarship Fund. Your donation ensures that students from all backgrounds can experience the joy and enrichment of our classes and camps—at little to no cost to them.
We provide one-of-a-kind learning experiences for more than 1,500 students every year. Most of our students – more than 70% – get financial assistance from Junior Center to be able to attend our classes and camps. You can make a donation today to support all of our programs – camps, classes, free workshops, and a gallery space for emerging Bay Area artists – to ensure equitable access to arts &science education for all.
Create and explore with us after school! Our classes are engaging hands-on fun for young artists, makers, and inventors aged 6-13. Classes are small, student-centered experiences where youth can build skills, experiment with a variety of media, and connect with their creative selves.
All classes take place at 558 Bellevue Ave. Oakland, CA.
Join us for STEAM Night 2024 at Franklin Elementary in Oakland, CA.
STEAM is an educational approach that combines Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. STEAM is an evolution of STEM education that adds the arts to the mix. It’s designed to help students develop critical thinking, creativity, and innovation skills.
Here at the Junior Center we harness the power of creativity and experiential learning to inspire big ideas and illuminate the everyday connections between art and science.
