The Beer Can House is currently open Saturdays and Sundays from 12-5pm
The Beer Can House is currently open Saturdays and Sundays from 12-5pm
CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art produces year-round classes and workshops for children and adults interested in expressing their personal creativity and learning new skills.
We offer recurring Mosaic Art, MIG Welding, and Custom LED Workshops, and update the calendar with other one-off workshops throughout the year.
Please see below for more information and to register.
MOSAIC CLASSES
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Mosaic art is the decoration of a surface with designs made up of closely set, usually variously colored, small pieces of material such as stone, mineral, glass, tile or shell. For centuries, cultures across the globe have used mosaic art to adorn buildings and create decorative sculpture, from the simple to the highly intricate.
These introductory-level workshops are facilitated by veteran Smither Park artists who instruct in the basics of mosaic design, encouraging you to experiment with colors and shapes to create your own unique piece of art to take home.
Mosaic workshops are $50 per person, 3-hours, and designed for 12 and up. No experience necessary.
Registration fee includes all materials. These workshops also make a great couples or group activity!
All workshops take place under the Vinson & Elkins Pavilion at Smither Park.
Please park on our campus at 2334 Gulf Terminal Drive, Houston, TX 77023
Special thanks to Thorntree for their generous support of our Mosaic classes
UPCOMING CLASS DATES
Click on your preferred date below to register
MIG WELDING CLASSES
MIG (Metal Inert Gas) Welding is an arc welding process in which a continuous solid wire is fed through a welding gun and into the weld pool, joining two base materials together. MIG Welding is a common welding process for beginners, and in our Intro to MIG Welding Class, you'll learn about this easy and versatile type of welding including safety and technique, all in a small group setting. No experience is required, and is designed for ages 16+
After you've taken the Intro to MIG Welding Class (or if you have proven experience with MIG welding), we encourage you to continue practicing and creating by taking one of the advanced classes we offer - The Art of Welding, where you will learn to roll and bend steel to create an armature for your own sculptural piece, and Welding for the Home, a more functional welding class designed to teach you how to create items useful for your daily life such as a steel planter box.
MIG Welding Workshops are $150 per person, 3-hours, and designed for ages 16 and up. Registration fee includes all materials and protective gear. Students are required to wear closed-toe shoes and long sleeves/pants made of natural fibers like cotton or wool (no polyester or synthetic blends).
All workshops take place at the Orange Show World HQ's ExCargo Warehouse
Please park on our campus at 5330 Gulf Freeway, Houston, TX 77023
Special thanks to Triple S Steel and the Dillard Family
for their generous support of our Welding Class program
UPCOMING CLASS DATES
Click on your preferred date below to register
Intro to MIG Welding
No experience required. 16+
Saturday April 19, 2025 - 10am-1pm
Saturday May 10, 2025 - 10am-1pm
Saturday, June 14, 2025 - 10am-1pm
Saturday, July 12, 2025 - 10am-1pm
Saturday, August 16, 2025 - 10am-1pm
The Art of Welding
Pre-Requisite: Intro to MIG Welding or proven MIG welding experience. 16+
Saturday April 19, 2025 - 2-5pm
Saturday, June 14, 2025 - 2-5pm
Saturday, August 16, 2025, 2 - 5pm
Welding for the Home
Pre-Requisite: Intro to MIG Welding or proven MIG welding experience. 16+
CUSTOM LED CLASSES
This class is an introduction to basic soldering, wiring, and assembly techniques for the purpose of assembling a remote controlled RGB LED box for each student to take home. The class will begin with an introduction to the tools and best practices for soldering and wiring. Students then assemble, populate, and wire their LED Box in a guided work session. The workshop concludes with a demonstration of more complicated LED systems such as addressable LEDs controlled by a microcontroller to inspire and encourage future avenues of study.
Custom LED Workshops are $85 per person, 3-hours, and designed for ages 16 and up.
Registration fee includes all materials.
All workshops take place at the Orange Show World HQ
Please park on our campus at 2334 Gulf Terminal Drive, Houston, TX 77023
UPCOMING CLASS DATES
Click on your preferred date below to register
Intro to Custom LED Lighting Design
No experience required. 16+
Saturday April 19, 2025 - 1-4pm
Saturday, June 14, 2025 - 1-4pm
Saturday, July 12, 2025 - 1-4pm
Saturday, August 16, 2025 - 1-4pm
SPECIAL WORKSHOPS
Intro to Fire Artisty & Safety
Sunday, February 16, 2025 | 10am-2pm
Sunday, March 16, 2025 | 10am - 2pm
Sunday, May 11, 2025 | 10am - 2pm
Introduction to Fire Artistry and Safety is a workshop that shares the history of fire manipulation in performance, foundations of fire safety, an introduction to fire props, dancing, and manipulation, and an opportunity to burn 2-3 fire props of your choice. Whether you want to learn the basics of playing consciously with fire or are ready to release your inner pyro, this experience is for YOU!
Introduction to Fire Artistry and Safety is led by professional movement artist and educator, Y. E. Torres (ms. YET). Torres is a Fire Bellydancer, a Flame Effects Operator, licensed by the state of Texas, a Principal on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Special Effects (SPE-AAA) Committee, and the Public Programs and CAMHLAB Manager of the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston.
$150 per participant
18 & up only
No experience necessary. Fee includes all materials.
Fire props are available for purchase.
TO REGISTER, EMAIL MS. YET at yet.torres@gmail.com
Found Object Sculpture with Patrick Renner
Assemblage is the term used to describe sculptures made by connecting disparate elements and media, often including everyday objects including those found by happenstance. Develop your sculpture skills under the direction of Houston artist Patrick Renner, well known for his many installations made with reclaimed wood and found objects that have appeared all over the city. We'll provide plenty of materials to get you going, but the artist suggests you bring items that carry personal meaning to incorporate into your sculpture. Ages 16 and up.
$35 per participant
Includes materials - but we encourage you to bring you own too!
About the Instructor: Patrick Renner is a fourth generation Houstonian. He received his BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2004 and his MFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 2006. As a sculptor, Renner has established himself in the Houston art scene over nearly two decades with an extensive exhibition history in his hometown. Additionally, he has shown at venues throughout the US, as well as once in a Cuban sound arts festival in 2006, and the Busan Art Fair in South Korea in 2016. Renner has been a collaborator in various capacities, helping establish the alternative art space El Ríncon Social on Houston’s east side, and as a founding member of the multidisciplinary art group {exurb} from 2011-2016.
Patrick taught art for nearly a decade at the high school level before leaving to pursue being an artist full time. He then co-founded the public sculpture production company Flying Carpet Creative, established in 2015, which has authored over a half-dozen large public projects to date throughout Texas cities as well as Memphis, TN and Scottsdale, AZ.
Some career highlights include: selection for Lawndale’s Big Show six times, with top prizes two of those years; three prizes awarded out of four years of participating in the Houston Art Car Parade with his high school students, including a Mayor’s Cup (top prize); three very wacky floats in the Houston Thanksgiving Day Parade with collaborator Alex Larsen; the Museum District Business Alliance Cultural Arts Community Improvement Award for Funnel Tunnel in 2013; a Houston Press MasterMind Award in 2015; Artist of the Year awards from both the Houston Press and the American Institute of Architects (Houston chapter) in 2016; and most recently, #1 in Glasstire’s Top Five for his exhibition BOUNTY at Redbud Gallery in February 2020.
UpCycled Paint-and-Sip with The People's CO2
Creativity meets sustainability! Using a brand new carbon capture paint, we'll transform discarded materials into pieces of art decor. The paint's inventor, NASA scientist Tanya Rogers, will explain how this revolutionary paint works and will guide you step by step while you create your own piece of eco-friendly art. All supplies are provided, and fresh juice will be served. Have fun while helping the planet! Ages 5 and up.
$25 per participant
Includes all materials
About the Instructor: The People’s CO2 is a woman-led, grassroots company committed to reshaping climate action by empowering individuals everywhere. They have developed one of the first consumer-facing products for CO2 removal. In contrast to most industrial methods, The People's C02 Carbon Capture Paint works on smaller scales so individuals can take action.
Utilizing the geological properties of a mineral called olivine, the tiny granules take advantage of surface area and natural, physical laws, to take CO2 from the air and convert it to a harmless carbonate of magnesite and quartz that remains trapped inside the paint for the rest of geologic time. This natural chemistry allows the olivine to capture its weight in CO2 over the course of 2-3 years. Though you can’t see it because of its size, nearly half our paint’s recipe is olivine powder.
This paint can be applied to any surface. Think signs, canvases, walls, fences, roads, parking garages, or parking lots - you choose the canvas, and together we paint a greener future!
INTRO TO CUSTOM TILE MAKING with CAZ SCOTT
Learn to make beautiful and useful ceramic tiles in the tradition of those that adorn the Orange Show and Smither Park. Artist Caz Scott will guide you in the basics of working with clay, including shaping, sizing, and glazinf techniques on the way to creating your own one-of-a-kind ceramic tile. Session one focuses on handworking skills, while session two follows up with glazing. All tools, materials, and firing services are provided. Ages 12 and up.
$75 per participant
Includes all materials and both sessions
Caz Scott is the founder of Caz Creates and specializes in public art and building design with an emphasis on using the latest digital design and fabrication techniques. Caz brings over a decade of experience in building design and architectural project management to the world of public art. Caz has also been a professor of art at the University of Houston, currently offers master classes in technical art skills to paid subscribers online at cazcreates.substack.com, and has been a professional mentor to many in the art and architecture professions. They currently act as Artistic Producer for the monthly performance art showcase "The Happening" at the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, were the Chair of the AIA Houston’s Women in Architecture committee in 2021, were a member of the Christopher Kelly Leadership Development Program's class of 2019-2020, and are a graduate of Rice University’s Bachelor of Architecture program.
Natural Dye Cyanotypes with Hannah Bull
Cyanotype photography is a camera-less technique where objects are laid on a prepared surface and then exposed to light, resulting in remarkable images. Artist Hannah Bull shows you how to use this method to create fashionable bandanas and other wearable art pieces with the addition of vibrant and natural dyes.
$35 per participant
Includes all materials
About the Instructor: Hannah Bull is a Houston artist, muralist, and educator whose work explores the tension between primal and sophisticated side of our being, our human relationship with nature and the individualized relationship with oneself. Bull is a mixed media artist, involving both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional products. Using two signature marking styles–the floral drip and the glitch–Hannah Bull’s techniques serve as visual language to further express her ideas. The ‘floral drip’ technique speaks to collective consciousness, ‘rewilding,’ and nature’s fleeting beauty. Separately, ‘glitch’ technique illuminates the differences and congruences we share with one another, and the inherent disconnect that pairs with our sameness in an effort to influence peace and harmony.
For Hannah Bull, the ego hides in the shadow of the visible spectrum that we each radiate from. Her works stands as a tool for self-expression: the artist explores her fragility, mental health, and discomforts, while engaging self care, complexities, and gratitude. Bull’s work aims to be a gentle reminder that without abundant love and gratitude for the self, there is much pain. She considers her work to be a love letter to the universe.
CLASS POLICIES & GUIDELINES
Refunds
A student may be eligible for a refund less a non-refundable registration fee. Refunds are based on the type of class and the date of request. All registrations are subject to applicable fees regardless of the payment method or purchaser.
Refunds for classes regularly priced at LESS than $100:
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Request is made 14 or more days before the class date: Full refund less $10 registration fee
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Request is made 7-13 days before the class date: Full refund less $15 registration fee
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Request made 6 or fewer days before the class date: Ineligible for refund or transfer
Refunds for classes regularly priced $100 or MORE:
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Request is made 14 or more days before the class date: Full refund less $10 registration fee
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Request is made 7-13 days before the first class date: Full refund less $25 registration fee
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Request is made 6 or fewer days before the first class date: Ineligible for refund or transfer
Cancellations or Postponement
The Orange Show reserves the right to cancel or postpone a class or workshop. Generally, this is because of any of the following reasons:
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Instructor is unable to attend and a replacement is not possible
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Number of registrations has not met the minimum class size
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Weather-related issues making attending the class unsafe
The Orange Show will notify registrants within 48-hours of the scheduled class should it be cancelled, providing opportunities to transfer their registration to a different date or receive a full refund.
Attire
At the Orange Show you we encourage you to dress appropriately for the activity you will be engaging in. The vast majority of our workshops take place outdoors under a cover, so layers are recommended depending on the time of year.
For Welding Workshops, arrive for class in all-natural fiber clothing, long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with socks that protect up to the ankle. Long hair must be tied back. Nylon, polyester, spandex, or other synthetics are not allowed. Additional protective gear will be provided as needed.
For Mosaic Workshop, feel free to dress comfortably depending on the time of year. Classes take place under the open-air Vison & Elkins Pavilion at Smither Park, so you may be exposed to extreme heat or cold at times.
Ages Guidelines
For adult classes, anyone over the age of 16 is welcome to participate. Youth ages 12+ are welcome to take any adult class, as long as the parent/guardian is registered in the same class with them.
Location
All classes and workshops take place on the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art's campus, located at 2334 Gulf Terminal Drive, Houston, TX 77023. For any workshops, please park in the parking lot at this address.
Within our campus, we have multiple locations where your class may take place, including Smither Park, the Orange Show World HQ, or the Orange Show Classroom. Follow the signage when you enter the campus for your designated parking and destination.
Additional Questions
If you have any additional questions, feel free to email us at classes@orangeshow.org