Register with a friend to get a discount on this local pop-up art class
As I sat at Blue Blaze Brewing over the summer, braving my first Modern Craft Collective class, the bubbly and welcoming teacher, Katie Breaux, instantly made me feel at ease. She ran through a few different painting techniques and prompts, and the time flew by. With each brush stroke I became more comfortable, more at ease, and surprisingly proud of my work. Despite trying this class solely for a new way to spend a Sunday Funday, I knew I had found something special, and I knew I had to try it again.
Earlier this month, I signed up for my second class — this time getting a bit more advanced. The class was to take a slab of clay and fill it with a quote, or a design. When I arrived at the small room reserved at Central Coffee, the table was already set up with our clay slabs in front of us. These were our blank slates that by the end of the evening would be turned into some pretty wonderful artwork.
From letters to textured backdrops, there were dozens of stamps to imprint on the clay. I was nervous and excited to have the chance to do something so new to me, but I knew with the help of Breaux, that same bubbly art teacher, I could make something fantastic.
Jennifer Bryant is the mastermind behind Modern Craft Collective – but it emerged from something much different. In 2007, Bryant devised ways to bring mixed media art to Charlotte children, and thus, Small Hands Big Art was born. It offers mixed media art classes for its students, and encourages creativity and growth.
With the growth of Small Hands Big Art, Bryant began to conceptualize a way to bring this same concept to adults in the community. It was out of this desire that Bryant and Breaux created Modern Craft Collective in the fall of 2016. The goal of MCC is to bring an art space for both artists needing a venue and resources, as well as those who desire to have more creativity in their life, but no idea where to start.
The skill level of the teachers and the personalized approach are what makes the classes so unique. While each class does have a prompt and a theme, there is enough freedom for you to come up with your own original piece of artwork. The teachers are all experienced artists or art teachers.
While there is currently no brick and mortar location, they are looking to open one in the near future.
“I imagine we’ll continue with pop-ups even after we set up more of a permanent shop,” Bryant said, “just because it’s great for the sense of community [and] bringing the art to the people.”
Whether you are looking to make the perfect gift for someone special, or even just wind down after work with some watercolors – Modern Craft Collective has you covered. You’ll leave with a beautiful piece to display, feeling like a real, accomplished artist.
Upcoming Events
All of their upcoming events can be found on their website, http://www.moderncraftcollective.com/, including a few that would be perfect for the holidays:
Create a 2018 Watercolor desk calendar.
When: Sunday, October 29, 2:00-4:00pm
Where: Blue Blaze Brewing, 528 South Turner Ave., Charlotte, NC
Cost: $45
Sculpt a beautiful clay piece with a quote for someone special (or just for you – which is what I am doing with mine!)
When: Tuesday, November 7, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Where: Blue Blaze Brewing, 528 South Turner Ave., Charlotte, NC
Cost: $65, 10% off if you register with a friend.
You can also join in one of their “holiday craft camps” and use a variety of materials to make ornaments, stamps, gift tags, and so much more.
When: Sunday, November 19, 2:00-5:00 pm and Sunday, December 3, 2:00-5:00 p.m.
Where: Blue Blaze Brewing, 528 South Turner Ave., Charlotte, NC
Cost: $65, 10% off if you register with a friend.
As a bonus, there is a special 10% discount for CLT5 readers through 12/31/17. The discount code is CLT5.
This story was originally published October 18, 2017 at 10:00 PM.