Southern Alleghenies Museum in Ligonier plans 3 art workshops

Both would-be and accomplished artists are invited to the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art Ligonier for three upcoming workshops.

The first two take place before the holidays, offering participants the opportunity to create handcrafted items suitable for gift-giving. The third comes afterward, promising a fun and relaxing afternoon in the midst of winter.

• Glass Ornament Workshop, 1-3 p.m. Dec. 14 — Join artists Jean Coursey Beaufort and Mary Clark as they lead a session on creating glass ornaments for the Christmas tree. Each participant will make nine ornaments by pouring technique, painting into glass balls, swirling and more. They also may paint the outsides of their globes using special brushes.

The workshop is for ages 12 and up. Fee is $25, or $20 for museum members; materials are included.

Extra kits also will be available for purchase at a discount.

• Family Fun Holiday Painting Workshop, 2-4 p.m. Dec. 21 — Take a break from the hustle and bustle of the final countdown to Christmas and design and paint a special holiday tree with artist Amy Roadman. Participants will choose a color scheme and motif to fill in the silhouette of their trees.

Hot chocolate and popcorn will add to the fun of this all-ages session.

Fee is $25. Reservations are required by Dec. 19.

• Needle Felting Picture Workshop, 1-3 p.m. Jan. 18 — Artist Loretta Radeschi will guide participants through the process of making a needle-felted piece of art, using a personal photo, other item or just the imagination as the basis for a picture made with wool and llama fleece.

Workshop attendees should bring a picture frame, 5-by-7-inches or smaller, along with the image they would like to render.

Fee is $22, or $20 for members. Reservations are required by Jan. 15.

The museum is located at 1 Boucher Lane and Route 711 just south of Ligonier. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 1-5 p.m. Saturdays.

The museum is featuring the Southwestern Pennsylvania Council for the Arts 24th Annual Juried Exhibition, running through Feb. 2. Admission to the exhibition is free.

For workshop information and reservations, call 724-238-6015 or visit sama-art.org.