2025-2026 Community Engagement
BIG ARTS, formally known as the Barrier Island Group for the Arts, was created by and for the community more than four decades ago. Its founding principle remains to this day: to experience and celebrate the artist in all of us and to remind us of our shared humanity. Each year we offer a vibrant cultural palette of performing and fine arts, films, workshops, classes and community events that enrich our lives
I Am My Home
Mariapia Malerba
West Gallery
Artist Reception: Friday, November 7, 2025, 5:00 PM
Without the corals, the octopus has no sanctuary…
A Journey to the Oracle
Ebenezer Leyva
Mezzanine Gallery
Artist Reception: Friday, January 30, 2026, 5:00 PM
Ebenezer Leyva is carrying out an experimental inquiry about perception.
The Profound Drama of the Ordinary
René Miville
Dunham Family Gallery
Artist Reception: Friday, March 20, 2026, 5:00 PM
Miville, an innovator in the process of chemical manipulation using the classic darkroom printing method, created a substantial body of work in the late 1980s and early 1990s, at the dawn of digital photography.
BEGINNING POTTERY WHEEL 101
Artist-Instructor: Tim Smith
Mondays, March 30 & April 6, 13, 20, 2026, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Beginning students will discover how to center a ball of clay and shape it into various objects. Those with prior experience will refine their skills and learn techniques to create more intricate forms.
BEGINNING HAND-BUILDING 101
Artist-Instructor: Kim Tetmeyer
SOLD OUT!
Mondays, March 30 & April 6, 13, 20, 2026, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Discover the timeless art of pottery through hand-building! This beginner-friendly class is perfect for those new to working with clay. You’ll learn foundational techniques such as pinch, coil, and slab construction to create both functional and decorative pieces.
INTERMEDIATE POTTERY WHEEL 102
Artist-Instructor: Tim Smith
Tuesdays, March 31 & April 7, 14, 21, 2026, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
If you’re comfortable with the basics of throwing and eager to learn more advanced techniques, this class is for you! Students will explore methods for creating larger forms, lidded pieces, and incorporating sculptural and surface techniques.
BEGINNING HAND-BUILDING 101
Artist-Instructor: Kim Tetmeyer
Tuesdays, March 31 & April 7, 14, 21, 2026, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Discover the timeless art of pottery through hand-building! This beginner-friendly class is perfect for those new to working with clay. You’ll learn foundational techniques such as pinch, coil, and slab construction to create both functional and decorative pieces.
GLASS-FUSED ART
Artist-Instructor: Petra Kaiser
Wednesdays, April 1, 8, 15, 22, 2026, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Petra will provide students with guidance and assistance, demonstrating procedures and basic glass fusing techniques, and will include compatibility and testing, annealing, and slumping.
INTERMEDIATE & ADVANCED HANDBUILDING
Artist-Instructor: Kim Tetmeyer
Wednesdays, April 1, 8, 15, 22, 2026, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Designed for students with basic hand-building experience, this class deepens your understanding of techniques such as coil, slab, and pinch construction. You’ll focus on improving form, structure, and surface design while incorporating decorative elements like carving, stamping, and glazing.
ALL LEVELS HANDBUILDING
Artist-Instructor: Kim Tetmeyer
Thursdays, April 2, 9, 16, 23, 2026, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Discover the art of creating with your hands in this all-levels pottery handbuilding class! Whether you’re brand new to clay or an experienced ceramic artist, this class offers a supportive, creative environment to explore traditional and contemporary handbuilding techniques.
CERAMICS OPEN STUDIO
Studio Monitor: Tim Smith
Fridays, April 3, 10, 17, 2026, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Students who are registered in the March/April 4-week pottery sessions will be allowed to participate in these Friday open studio classes. The open studio will offer current students extra time outside of class to continue and complete their artwork.
ABBAFAB
The Premier Abba Experience
We invite you to slip on your bell bottoms and platform shoes and “party like it’s 1979” when ABBAFAB turns Christensen Performance Hall into a glittering disco.
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