TIFTON — Tifton Council for the Arts will be partnering with artist Cris Lawson to bring what they call a refreshing and educational experience to town.
The painter is set to host a series of classes throughout April and May focusing on plein-air painting, teaching Tifton residents to paint outdoors and draw on their surroundings for inspiration.
Each of the eight classes, held every Tuesday from April 4 to May 23, will take participants to a new location in the city, providing them with new locales to reflect upon and emulate in their works, organizers said.
During every class, Lawson will offer advice and answer questions. Attendees are encouraged to work with their preferred medium.
The classes mark Lawson’s debut as a teacher through the Tifton Council for the Arts, though the artist has had extensive relations with the organization in the past, including serving as the pioneer artist of Celebrate Creativity festival last year.
Joy Yost, council executive director, said the plein-air classes are meant to serve as a flagship for a new series of fine arts courses and events to be held in May and throughout the summer.
“We just want people to see different ways you can create art,” Yost said. “There are just so many art forms, so many ways to get involved. … I just think that art is for everyone and it’s just figuring out which pieces of it are for you, what you enjoy. I think the plein-air classes are going to be really fun and interesting.”
All of the plein-air classes will be free, though due to the restrictions of the venues, only a limited number of slots are available for each one. The later fine arts courses, however, will be paid events.
The first class will take place 5:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, 800 block of Murray Avenue. People interested can register for any of the classes on the Tifton Council for the Arts webpage.
For more information, contact the council at (229) 382-3600.