Northwind Art is bringing in-person classes back to their curriculum.

There are currently 20 of these classes in its course catalog and the organization is expanding every day, said Northwind Art’s education director Meg Kaczyk.

“Northwind Art is so happy to be getting back to in-person classes at Building 306 at Fort Worden,” she wrote in an email to The Leader.

Since the shutdown, their first in-person workshop was May 20 with Darsie Beck’s Travel Journal Sketching.

“It felt like a holiday celebration to be getting the classroom space ready for people,” Kaczyk said.

“Art in community is so much a part of who we are, it feels like coming home to get back to being together in person,” she added.

Even with the state and Jefferson County re-opening, Northwind Art will continue to go slow and keep its class sizes small, only utilizing its large classroom space for now.

The nonprofit will be keeping class sizes to eight students, plus a teacher, slowly increasing capacity.

“I imagine by September we will be back up to 10 students, plus teacher,” Kaczyk noted.

“Most of all, we want our students and teachers to feel safe and comfortable, so it makes sense to go slow.”

The protocol requires adult students and teachers to be fully vaccinated. They will have masks available, with temperature checks and sanitization procedures still in place. Each student will have their own 6-foot-long table so physical distancing is in place, as well. 

While Northwind Art has done a great job facilitating online classes over the course of the pandemic, there are some things one can lose in an online class. 

“The connection, warmth and spontaneity of in-person classes just can’t be matched with online experiences,” the education director explained.

“There are no technology glitches in person! Many of our teachers and students simply don’t want to make art through an online experience, so we are so happy to welcome back many familiar faces that we have missed during this online-only time.”

“There is an exchange of ideas and shared learnings that is fluid and easy in person, without the separation of a screen between us,” she added.

Even with this excitement to once again offer in-person classes and workshops, Kaczyk explained,  the pivot to an online curriculum has opened up many opportunities for Northwind Art.

“We have students coming to us from all over the country (and even internationally), and that is exciting. Students who are challenged by transportation, physical ability or time have more freedom to join in the art making,” she said.

For more information on classes being offered, both in-person and online, visit northwindart.org.