By Robin Tarnowetzki
Journal Staff Writer
The excitement on the faces of four girls learning how to make paper is at odds with the fact that they are elbow deep in dirty water.
"This one was really fun for them because how can it not be fun to take paper and put it through a blender? It's awesome," said class instructor, Annah Gullacher. "So they had a lot of fun with thatI think the classes that are a little bit more messy and hands-on tend to be really popular."
This year marks the third year of offering the Home Grown Community Art Program to children and the second year of offering it to adults and youths. The program began when Gullacher and Taylor Crozon initially organized the program, and last year was the first year the classes were offered in conjunction with the Humboldt and District Museum and Gallery. So far this year, each of the kids' classes has been at capacity or over capacity, which she said is an "awesome response."
Gullacher, whose background is in arts education, is a museum clerk and teaches the classes during the summer, though she's hoping to start offering some classes year-round.
She almost wasn't an art teacher; surprisingly, she was initially in school for premed.
"Then I started taking more and more art classes, and all of a sudden I was in an art degree," she laughed. "It's like opposites, but it's not at the same time because you're always observing things. It's about observation and problem solving."
By this, Gullacher means that when creating something the artist has to decide on a concept and then figure out the best way to execute it.
"I really like how you have to take an idea and make it practical," she said.
Gullacher said that when she started the adult classes, she had assumed that the adults would be a bit more self-conscious than the children, but that hasn't been the case.
"It is kind of scary sometimes, showing your skill in front of everybody and your ideas but we've had a lot of people excited to just dive right in to the project. I think it has a lot to do with setting things up so that everybody can be successful. Then they are, and it's really exciting."
Gullacher added that the adult classes have a core group of regulars, but that they are also picking up more participants as the classes continue.
"I really try to make my adult classes especially relaxing and approachable," she said. "I think most people that come to me think that they can't draw or they can't do things and I want to show them that they can."
Gullacher keeps the art projects and they will be exhibited in the gallery from Aug. 19 to Sept. 5. There will then be a closing reception at the end of the exhibition, after which participants can bring their art home.
"Art is very important to our society; it helps us think about who we are and celebrate who we are and also question it," Gullacher said. "So for me, it's a reflection of ourselves. I'm really excited to see how much Humboldt is being receptive to the arts and to culture."
