LightBox Poetry: Enjoy poetry in 3-D! Join us as we explore fun and fluid play with watercolor and words through haiku. You'll be guided to paint, then create a cube and design it with your own original poetry, and illumination. Poems will come from your own life experiences. Haiku is an easy pattern of 5 syllables in the first line, 7 syllables in the second line and 5 syllables in the third line. Easy to do! No experience needed.

In a nutshell, LightBox Poetry is an artistic reminder to keep holding the light of life in your hands. Facilitated by Artist and Integrative Life and Leadership Coach, Annelies Gentile, MA, PCC.

No experience is necessary and this is an easy project that anyone can enjoy. Workshop supplies are provided. 

Workshop Date: Saturday, January 18th, 1:00-4:00 pm

We offer scholarships for those who cannot afford the registration fee. To receive the scholarship promo code, email the Operation ART Program Manager at isabella@thejoelfund.org with your name and military connection. 

Bring your ideas to three-dimensional life by creating one-of-a-kind handbuilt ceramic art pieces! You’ll learn to roll unfired clay into slabs by hand, securely join clay

components, add textures, and more. Projects may include a lidded box/jar, wall pocket, mug/vase, or other small vessels depending on participants’ interests. We’ll take our time and craft each piece in phases, working on each project across multiple class meetings, so you can savor the details and smooth out the edges. Works will be fired off-site after the class is finished and will be available for pickup from the Joel Fund offices after class is over. No experience is necessary; your instructor will meet you where you are and provide the support you need to enjoy the creative process--the studio is fully accessible, participants will be able to stand or sit as desired, and accommodations are always available for any specific needs. Working with this medium provides a unique opportunity for sensory engagement and creative development--come connect to yourself and other makers as you find your way with Clay!

Specific dates: 1/22, 1/29, 2/5, 2/12 Makeup date: 2/26

A make up date will be used if a class is canceled due to the instructor's illness, inclement weather, or an emergency. If you are running late to class, or will miss a class, please contact the instructor directly or the Operation ART Program Manager at isabella@thejoelfund.org or 919 200 0886.

We offer scholarships for those who cannot afford the registration fee. To receive the scholarship promo code, email the Operation ART Program Manager at isabella@thejoelfund.org. 

Ever wanted to learn how to whittle but unsure where to start? Already enjoy the craft but you'd like to improve? If so, this one-day workshop is for you! Over the course of our three-hour class, we'll cover everything from different types of carving knives and how to keep them sharp to safely perfecting the various techniques involved in whittling. By the end of the day, you'll have whittled your very own little woodland creatures, which make perfect gifts and decorations.

Workshop Date: Sunday, January 26th, 1:00-4:00 pm 

We offer scholarships for those who cannot afford the registration fee. To receive the scholarship promo code, email the Operation ART Program Manager at isabella@thejoelfund.org with your name and military connection. 

Learn how to naturally dye fabrics to transform a simple bag into accessory art. Make a personalized tote bag using a pocket face made from naturally dyed fabrics.  Your unique textile collage pocket will bear artwork made from stitch meditations from your own hand as you learn from the instructor, Grace McFetters Caldwell, how to use specialized stitches to create a composition then apply to the tote bag as a pocket.  No one in the world will have a matching tote bag like yours, and you’ll be learning skills like dyeing with natural materials like plants and bugs and hand stitching techniques that can be used every day to embellish, mend, and create.  

Students will participate in the Spring Student Showcase in May 2025 to showcase their work.  

Specific dates: 1/13, 1/27, 2/3, 2/10, 2/24, 3/3 (make up date 3/10) 

SKIP 1/20 (MLK Day) and 2/17 (Presidents Day)

A make up date will be used if a class is canceled due to the instructor's illness, inclement weather, or an emergency. If you are running late to class, or will miss a class, please contact the instructor directly or the Operation ART Program Manager at isabella@thejoelfund.org or 919 200 0886.

This class is for women only. 

We offer scholarships for those who cannot afford the registration fee. To receive the scholarship promo code, email the Operation ART Program Manager at isabella@thejoelfund.org with your name and military connection. 

Celebrate Valentine’s Day early with Valentine’s Day card making during a Family Studio Sunday workshop! The project will take about 20-30 minutes to complete, so stop by anytime during the workshop, but please arrive by 3:30 pm. 

Family Studio Sundays are for military-connected families with children. Families can take home the craft the same day. We will have coloring pages for children under 4 years old. 

Materials and snacks provided. Registration is preferred but not required. 

Workshop date: Sunday, Feb 2nd, 2025, 2:00-4:00 pm