Sculpture

Code: S1516-25

    • O

      Open to All

      Students of any skill and knowledge level.

Braid, Coil, Stitch; Building Strategies in Fiber

Sep 8 - 12, 2025

9AM-5PM

Concept

In this workshop, students explore a variety of sculptural and embellishment techniques for working with fiber. This class encourages haptic experimentation and material skill-building, and covers techniques such as coiling, braiding, felting and beading. These techniques can be applied to 2D and 3D artistic practices. Each day we begin with a technical demonstration of a historic textile technique and a short lecture about contemporary artists who use fiber in their work. Each day of the workshop, students practice, play, and combine personal expression with new and innovative fiber skills.

Media & Techniques

Fiber, mixed media, frames, coiling, braiding, felting, beading

Faculty

Eleanor Anderson

Eleanor Anderson works predominantly in textiles but also enjoys exploring other media such as printmaking, glass, metal, and clay. Anderson has been awarded residencies at Pilchuck School of Glass, and Haystack Mountain School of Craft. She also received the Windgate Fellowship to attend Vermont Studio Center. She has taught workshops nationwide. She lives in Portland, Maine.

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Eleanor Anderson, Intuitive Cartography 15, 2022, fabric, machine embroidery, hand embroidery, beading, found objects

Tuition: $1,290.00
Studio Fee: $175.00
Registration Fee: $45.00

NEW: Tuition includes the welcome dinner and daily lunch
Registration Information

Sculpture

Express your creativity and vision by exploring the limitless art of sculpture. At Anderson Ranch, our sculpture program offers a vibrant spectrum of workshops that reflect a variety of studio practices. At the confluence of tradition and technology, these programs are material and technique-rich, ranging from classical metal fabrication to experimental digital production.

Students work in communal and interactive studios designed for all levels of experience, supporting traditional and nontraditional methods. The sculpture studios are fully equipped with advanced machinery and offer additional outdoor covered workspace.

Our renowned sculpture faculty work closely with students through critical discussions, material demonstrations and individual assistance. Instructors encourage exploration and experimentation, emphasizing process and idea development. We complement this with a focus on process and sound construction. You leave with far more than finished pieces—you walk away with the tools and inspiration required to elevate your studio practice.

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Workshop Details

Workshop Supplies

Provided by Anderson Ranch

Equipment
Supplies

What you need to bring

Optional Tools and Supplies

* Available for purchase in the studio.
** Available to purchase at the Anderson Ranch ArtWorks Store for 10% off.
Learn more about shipping supplies and artwork to and from the Ranch in the Student Handbook.

Lodging & Meals

Housing is limited and includes shared and private lodging options. Reservations will be managed on a first-come, first-served basis. The earlier you reserve housing, the better your chance of receiving your preferred option. Please note: Workshop costs do not include accommodations. 

NEW: Tuition includes a welcome dinner and lunches. In our effort to foster a stronger sense of community and accessibility at Anderson Ranch, we include the welcome dinner and all lunches as part of the tuition for summer workshop students. Our hope is that this adjustment will encourage all students to come together to share meals and engage in meaningful conversations. The Ranch Café Meal Plan, which is included with Room and Board fees, strives to provide healthy, creative meals that will nourish your artistic creativity. Learn more.

We have established a Business Safety Plan with added layers of precaution that prioritize the health and safety of our staff, students, faculty and guests while continuing to provide you with the Anderson Ranch experience that you know and enjoy.

 

Scholarships, College Credit & Discounts

Making Art Accessible

Applications for scholarship support are encouraged. Specific scholarships are funded by Ranch supporters, either through endowed funds or special gifts.

Many colleges and universities offer college credit for workshops taken at Anderson Ranch. Discounts are available for students and teachers.

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You Might Also Be Interested In

  • I

    Level I

    Students are new to sculpture and have no formal training.

  • II

    Level II

    Students have a basic knowledge of 3­-D art making and sculpture concepts and are comfortable using a variety of hand and power tools. Students have taken one or two sculpture classes or workshops.

Jun 2 - 6, 2025
9AM-5PM

The Brutal and the Delicate: Steel Combined with Soft Materials

Carl Reed

Tuition $1,290
Code S0102-25

Throughout art history, steel has been associated with industry, violence, and strength. This workshop challenges such connections by investigating ways steel can become visually delicate, and by inventing new meanings and visual relationships through combining steel with materials with opposite characteristics. Exercises address technical and creative inquiries regarding how steel is cut, shaped, and physically joined, and how to challenge material assumptions if steel becomes a secondary, rather than primary, compositional element. We explore the aesthetic and technical consequences of combining steel with soft, vulnerable, contradictory, and unexpected materials.

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  • II

    Level II

    Students have a basic knowledge of 3­-D art making and sculpture concepts and are comfortable using a variety of hand and power tools. Students have taken one or two sculpture classes or workshops.

  • III

    Level III

    Students have experience with a variety of materials and fabrication techniques and know how to use hand and power tools competently and safely. Students are self­-starting with some formal training in critical aspects of sculpture and have completed a portfolio of work. Students have taken a minimum of three classes or workshops.

  • IV

    Level IV

    Students have advanced skills and knowledge of sculpture. Students are highly motivated, have a minimum of five years experience in the field and have multiple portfolios of their artwork. Typical students are academics and professional artists.

Jun 2 - 13, 2025
9AM-5PM

Building With Clay and Steel

Trey Hill

Tuition $2,010
Code S0101-25

Investigate new materials and approaches to building sculpture in this two-week exploratory workshop. Students discover innovative ways to combine different materials, creating dynamic mixed-media sculptures. This workshop experiments with adding different materials to students’ work—such as clay, steel, and found objects—while considering how each adds formal information and intensified content. This rigorous studio environment gives access to a variety of new materials and fresh ways of approaching students’ studio practice. The workshop is open to students working in any media who are looking to try something different and add new skills to their toolbox.

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  • II

    Level II

    Students have a basic knowledge of 3­-D art making and sculpture concepts and are comfortable using a variety of hand and power tools. Students have taken one or two sculpture classes or workshops.

  • III

    Level III

    Students have experience with a variety of materials and fabrication techniques and know how to use hand and power tools competently and safely. Students are self­-starting with some formal training in critical aspects of sculpture and have completed a portfolio of work. Students have taken a minimum of three classes or workshops.

Jun 16 - 20, 2025
9AM-5PM

Material Mimicry: The Question of the Reproduced Form

Aaron T Stephan, Betsy Alwin

Tuition $1,290
Code S0303-25

Enhance mold-making knowledge and skills in this fast-paced casting workshop. We focus on the physical and conceptual implications of casting multiples, sharing and discussing strategies many artists use to shape space and create meaning with the cast form. Students refine their skills, learning how to cast a variety of materials- including silicone, plaster, and foam. Along with demonstrations of different mold-making techniques, students learn best studio practices for economical and efficient casting processes. Participants leave with new skills and a broader understanding of the role of the cast form in contemporary art.

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