Berkeley
California
Kala Art Institute News - May 24, 2024
Arts and Entertainment
June 3, 2024
From: Kala Art InstituteWest Berkeley Community Print Festival - Thank You!
Thanks for coming to the second annual West Berkeley Community Print Festival! It felt great to open the doors to the community to celebrate printmaking and creativity. We loved the activity in all of Kala's spaces and the overflow on the grass and sidewalk in front of the gallery as we filled every available space with demos, printing, art-making activities, studio tours, artist tables and work, conversations, connections, and more! Special thanks to Gisela Insuaste, Director of Education and Public Programs, for the vision and tenacity to get the print festival off the ground in 2023 and to make it extra special in 2024.
Thanks to ALL who helped make this day magical! Big thanks also to funders including Commotion West Berkeley and the City of Berkeley Civic Arts Festival Funding for making this event possible. We love the ever-growing Kala creative community! If you attended the print festival, please take a moment to fill out the community survey.
Camp Kala 2024 Registration
Camp Kala Dates & Schedule: June 17-August 9
One-week camps: 9am-3pm (ages 6-11) & 10am-4pm (ages 11-17).
No camp the week of July 1-5.
New & Featured Camps:
Week 8: August 5-9, ages 6-11
Working across various media such as painting, drawing, and sculpture, participants will experiment with color, light, movement (kinetic elements), and more! Throughout the week, we will explore various forms and themes inspired by the natural environment, soundscapes, and our bodies. We will experiment with diverse art materials to create artworks that incorporate movement. From three-dimensional color wheels to kaleidoscopes and self-portraits, let’s imagine the possibilities of making art in motion!
Week 6: July 22-26, ages 11-17
We will explore writing, storyboarding, illustrating, and laying out a visual narrative from start to finish, adopt techniques seen in animation and graphic novels, and develop and gain confidence in drawing the human anatomy and perspective. By the end of the week, participants will have a unique comic zine or hand-drawn storyboard highlighting their creativity and new storytelling abilities to share with families and friends!
Teen Studio: Digital Photography
Week 7: July 29-Aug 2, ages 11-17
Experiment with a range of photography styles and techniques from landscapes and portraits to photomontage and collage. A series of projects will offer opportunities to learn the technical and conceptual aspects of photography. We’ll cover framing and composition and spend time at Kala’s digital lab for an introduction to photo editing and printing.
Adult Art Classes Highlights
July-December 2024 classes are here! Members receive 10% off. Tuition assistance and scholarship tiers are available for all classes.
Multiple Plates & Color Intaglio
Saturday, June 1-15, 10am-4pm
Instructor: Kazuko Watanabe
Location: Kala Printmaking Studio
This is a multiple plate printing course that builds on the skills learned in an introductory copper plate etching class and further develops them by adding new copper plates, polymer plates, and monoprint technique. This multiple plate course will take you from simple registration systems to complex registration systems using odd-sized plates and combinations of mediums and materials.
Tuesdays, June 4-25, 6-9pm
Instructor: Christine Huhn
Location: Kala Printmaking Studio
In this class, students will be given a brief introduction to the cyanotype printing process using both negatives and found objects. Historically, cyanotypes were toned with both harmful chemicals and environmentally safe botanicals including teas and herbs. These materials alter the typically known blueprints and allow for a wider range of colors. Students will experiment with different botanicals, papers, and textiles to create unique imagery.
Mokuhanga 2: Intermediate Japanese Woodblock
Saturdays, June 8- 22, 10am-4pm
Instructor: Tomoko Murakami
Location: Kala Community Classroom
Further your exploration of the art of Mokuhanga in this intermediate Japanese woodblock printing workshop. Learn more about key-block technique including the kento registration system, tool maintenance and a selection of Japanese paper. This is a valuable class for anyone interested in developing the ukiyo-e technique, one of the oldest and most expressive forms of printmaking.
Saturdays, June 16 & 23, 10am-4pm
Instructor: Weihan Yang
Location: Kala Printmaking Studio
Through hands-on experience, participants will learn the analog process of capturing images. We will move to the darkroom where participants will learn how to process film and make enlargements to create silver gelatin prints. Knowledge of how to set up an environmentally friendly darkroom workflow will also be gained. Participants are welcome, though not required to, bring their own unprocessed film. All levels are welcome, but a knowledge of basic camera operations will be helpful.
More News... In Brief
- Painting exhibition by Kala Board Member, Amrita Singhal - Nothing Lasts, Everything Matters at Shoh Gallery in Berkeley, June 7-29; opening reception June 8, 4-7pm.
- Open call for Sebastopol Center for the Arts? upcoming exhibition Haven: Place of Comfort & Contemplation, deadline to apply June 17.
- The California Society of Printmakers is soliciting journal proposals for the 2025 issue, Printmaking—Plus, which will examine how artists combine printmaking techniques with other techniques. Accepting proposals until August 30, 2024.
- This year marks fifty years of Kala supporting artists and engaging the community. We have exciting plans ahead to make sure Kala is thriving for the next fifty years. Donate today to help launch Kala's Fund for the Future. Thanks to all who have contributed so far!