A great hands-on workshop is a fantastic experience for both adults and kids. We offer everything from arts and crafts to workshops on fashion, drawing, photography, theater, and more. Oh, and all of these also make great birthday parties.
Art Workshops: Kids
We use wonderful materials, have fabulous, experienced instructors, and love introducing projects to new audiences. Check out a sampling of what we offer, below.
The Craft Table
We love working with Creativity for Kids, the makers of the Creativity Can. Their beautiful, open-ended art supplies are a perfect fit for our crafts workshops and parties. Find out how you can get crafty with their gorgeous supplies at your next e.t.c. event! We put out a mix of supplies, samples and suggested projects, and participants go on the art adventure of their choice.
Mythology Madness
Gods, goddesses, and figures from world mythology are the inspiration; kids will make incredible projects inspired by ancient myths.
Holiday Hoopla
Create holiday decorations, place cards, ornaments and more: Christmas? No problem? Hanukah? You got it. We’ll even do Arbor Day.
Shadowbox-ing
Create beautiful and meaningful shadowboxes and memory books with your personal items and fantastic crafts supplies. This is a great one for parents and kids to do together.
Tea for Two (or Twenty)
Learn the difference between different kinds of tea; have a tea tasting, learn the proper way to brew tea, and more.
Ale, Ale, the Gang’s All Here
Enjoy a Beer 101 cocktail reception or sit-down dinner with a beer tasting and and a talk by a brew master, plus a special souvenir.
Adults/Teens
Whether it’s figuring out the season’s styles or designing your own whimsical fashion illustration, when it comes to fashion, we’ve got you covered.
What Do I Do With My Belt/Scarf/Necklace?
Let a fashion professional show you how to style the latest trends using a combination of your own items and ones she brings. Suggest a topic or choose from categories including Accessories, The Latest Trends, and Seasonal.
The Write Illustration
In this workshop, led by a fashion illustrator and a fashion stylist, you’ll write a blog, magazine-style piece or Tumblr piece focusing on fashion-show, red-carpet coverage, or street fashion. Then add an original illustration from a fashion illustrator. You’ll leave with a printout of your illustrated piece and lots of fashion tips.
Fab Fashion Illustration
Let a professional fashion illustrator show you how to create your own whimsical t-shirt, notepad, greeting card, wineglass, and more. Great for a girl’s night out (or in), a bridal shower, or just a fun get together!
Kids/Teens
We’ve got a terrific lineup of theater workshops, whether you’re looking for acting, musical theater, or Shakespeare.
Broadway, Here We Come!
Kids got the musical-theater bug? Let Catherine Cox (Tony Award nominee and Broadway veteran) and a Broadway musical director and choreographer show young actors the joys and rigors of singing, dancing, acting, sweating and having a great time.
The workshop will be held in a rehearsal studio where real Broadway shows audition and rehearse. At the end of the program, participants will put on an informal presentation. Choose from full day, two half days, or a mini workshop.
Acting and Writing for Commercials
In this workshop, you’ll write your own commercials, then act them out in a real audition setting while being filmed. You’ll also start your own writing project about acting. You’ll work with a professional actor as well as a ‘tween author who writes a book series about kids who audition for commercials. You’ll have your work professionally critiqued and get a film clip of your work and one of the author’s books. Full day, half day and mini workshops.
The Play’s the Thing
Kids create their own (brief) play or scene along with props, sets, and costumes, or do theater games or improv.
Adults/Teens
Prep for Performing Arts High School/College
Preparing an audition for the specialized performing arts high schools or undergraduate theater programs means coaching with teachers who know how to prep students effectively–because they know what they schools are looking for. Sign up for as many sessions as you need with our trained coaches–they’ll help choose the right monologue and coach students on the process.
First Folio
The first-ever publication of Shakespeare’s collected works is widely considered to be the most accurate version: Shakespeare gave clues to the actors that help deconstruct the iambic pentameter and the characters’ intentions. Participants will also learn about the history of the folio; the workshop will culminate with performance exercises.
Adults
Collecting Photography 101
Get a bird’s-eye view of the photography world. Buying tips, where to shop, key questions to ask and issues to avoid will all be covered, as you train to become a thoughtful collector. Visits to galleries, auction houses, art fairs or private collections are included in a full-day or multi-session format; a half-day classroom-only version is also available.
Alice S. Zimet is the president of Arts + Business Partners LLC (artsandbusinesspartners.com).
Behind the Scenes: NYC Photography Galleries
Join collector, educator and advisor Alice Sachs Zimet for behind-the-scenes visits to some of New York’s most prominent photography galleries to meet the dealers and see images up close. Attendees will learn the questions to ask when purchasing fine art photography as well as the resources available. Choose tours to galleries in Chelsea, the Lower East Side or Midtown Manhattan.
Behind the Scenes: A Visit to a Photographer’s Studio
Join collector, educator and advisor Alice Sachs Zimet to visit prominent fine art photographers, often represented by well- known galleries and in the collections of prominent museums.
Behind the Scenes: Visit with a Museum Curator
Join collector, educator and advisor Alice Sachs Zimet and spend time, on site, with a curator at several well-known museums. Time permitted, we’ll also visit the permanent collection as well as any special exhibitions. Institutions include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, International Center of Photography, NY Historical Society, Jewish Museum and more.
Kids/Teens
KidLit: Creative Writing
These workshops are for kids who want to create stories they can share. Examine the building blocks of story making, including plot, character and setting. At the end of the workshops, students present their stories to family and guests.
The Art of the Book
In this two part-workshop for kids (or parents and kids), participants read and discuss an art-centered book and do a project; in the second session, they visit a museum that features some of the artists and/or artwork from the books.
Poetry Workshop: From Better to Verse
Participants read poets ranging from William Carlos Williams to Billy Collins. They’ll write and read their work aloud, using works of art, everyday objects, and the world around them as inspiration.
Adults
I Could Write a Book–From Manuscript to Market
Ellie McGrath, editor of the independent McWitty Press, takes you through the steps of how a book goes from concept to bookshelf. She will cover: How to outline and begin the narrative journey; writing the manuscript, the importance of revision; publishing a book on your own.
KidLit for Grownups
If you’ve ever read a children’s book and thought, ”I’d love to be able to write my own picture book,” then grab a group of friends and sign up for this workshop, taught by a successful children’s-book author. You’ll learn how to create plots and characters, understand how to revise your work, and start to create a manuscript.
The Argosy Experience
Love rare books and antique maps? Come with us to the Argosy Bookstore, founded in 1925 and now in its third-generation of family ownership. Featuring antique maps and prints, autographs, and more, the bookstore offers a rare opportunity for bibliophiles to tour the store with an expert, shop, then have a private workshop on topics such as Collecting (learn what makes certain items collectible), or Autographs. Then, start putting together your own collection. Please email for more info.