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Spring Education Programs in Full Swing

April 26, 2023

Springtime is a wonderful time of year to engage in art and education programs and can be one of the most exciting and busiest for our education team, led by Beth Korth, Art Education and Visitor Center Manager, with Jenny Van Ooyen, Visitor Experience Manager. All together Tippet Rise hosts, organizes, and participates in over 100 educational programs throughout the year, serving everyone from pre-K students to adults.

Recent Events
This past weekend, we welcomed the return of “Songs of Spring,” a recital held in the Olivier Music Barn, where approximately 20 local students of music instructors Virginia Stene and Sue Logan performed selections from their lessons on piano, oboe, and saxophone. The recital concluded with a choral performance of It is Well with My Soul. It was wonderful to welcome family and friends of these young musicians, and for the opportunity to applaud their achievements!

On April 10, more than 30 elementary students from the regional homeschool coalition attended a performance at Tippet Rise of “Hamlet Sandwich,” presented by Montana Shakes! an educational program created by Montana Shakespeare in the Parks. Each spring, Montana Shakes! brings adaptions of Shakespeare’s plays and interactive workshops to approximately 40 elementary schools throughout Montana and northern Wyoming. Written and directed by Matt Foss, this year’s performance once again helped the students familiarize themselves with Shakespeare in a lighthearted and exciting way.

School and library programs
Over the past several months we have been delighted to partner with the Yellowstone Art Museum (YAM) in Billings for a joint program with students from the Hardin Middle School 7th grade class. Earlier this year, students toured the YAM’s “The Montana Modernists” exhibition followed by a joint program at the school which included presentations about both arts organizations and an art workshop for over 100 students. On May 16, approximately 20 students from the Hardin Middle School will come to Tippet Rise for a day-long tour, picnic lunch, and workshop on the land. We can’t wait to welcome them!

Throughout the school year, Beth regularly visits Mountain View Elementary, Mountain Bluebells Preschool, and the Boys & Girls Club of Carbon County to lead students in age-appropriate art projects such as creating abstract tin foil works or watercolor paintings. Absarokee High School students will also visit Tippet Rise later this spring as a follow-up to a presentation that Beth led earlier this year.

In addition, once a month, Beth leads a children’s story time hour at the Red Lodge Carnegie Library and the Stillwater County Public Library. This spring, she has visited libraries in Park City, Absarokee, Fishtail, Rapelje, and Powell for events. If you are interested in attending, please check your local library calendar for details. Tippet Rise provides all materials needed for any art workshops.

Adult programs
Residents of The Crossings, a senior living center in Laurel, Montana, are met by our team once a month for an art project, such as charcoal drawing, watercolor painting, or flower prints. We also look forward to hosting a group from the center in person at Tippet Rise for a tour over Memorial Day weekend.

Finally, twice this spring, Beth hosted a Teaching Artists Program for over 30 women currently incarcerated at the Montana Women’s Prison as part of their longtime partnership with the Yellowstone Art Museum. Titled “Upcycled Printmaking and Animal Imagery,” the objective of the program was to use art as a vehicle for exploring problem-solving, project planning, creative approaches to organization, confidence building, and more. The women were introduced to various printmaking concepts using easily found household objects, in addition to the history of animal symbolism in artworks for contemporary use. Of her experience, Beth Korth said, “I sincerely enjoyed the opportunity to share my passion for art with this group of women, and to do so under the auspices of art centers such as the YAM and Tippet Rise. Nearly every participant planned to gift their projects to family or friends, a beautiful example of finding new ways to spread joy.”

Tippet Rise is honored to serve our broader community through education programs and projects that promote artistic expression to people of all ages and backgrounds!