Studio Night Live Offers Legos, Art Activities

Show off your building skills or try your hand at the pottery wheel at a free open house at Friday night.

Studio Night Live will showcase the organization’s summer classes for all ages. The lively event will have something for everyone.

Those who might be interested in a pottery summer class can take a whirl on the pottery wheel in a spin-off. They’ll aim to build the largest pots they can on the wheel, Chesterfield Arts Associate Director Nicole Dutton said.

Kids can also take part in a large painting project. A big canvas will be spread on the floor for them to paint, Dutton said. There will also be a sculpture creation, nicknamed “Ugly Jugly.” Kids can add funny eyeballs, noses, arms and more on a clay jug, Dutton said.

But the biggest draw is the Lego competition, Dutton said. There’s both a design competition, which kids preregister for, and an improvised challenge.

“We get tons of kids that come and do that because we have prizes at the end of it for each age group,” Dutton said.

The On the Spot Team Lego Challenge started at last year’s Studio Night Live. Kids are placed into teams and have a limited amount of time to work together to design and build a unique Lego creation.

There’s activities for adults, too. The event will feature live artist demonstrations, including artist and Chesterfield Arts Education Liason Chris Burton’s demonstration of fabric fusion, collages made of brilliantly colored fabrics. It’s a preview of a summer class for adults called Fiber Collage. Artist Jenny Donaldson will showcase some of the techniques she’ll teach in sculpture classes, including plaster carving.

“Everybody was having fun. The adults were really getting into it, too,” Dutton said of last year’s event. “It was like play time for them, too.”

The event has more to offer than fun, though. There’s also deals to be had. Dutton said games will be played for discounts on summer workshops, classes and camps. Discounts will be as high as 20 percent off. Most courses cost about $125, Dutton said.

The free event will also feature snacks and beverages. It runs from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday at Chesterfield Arts, 444 Chesterfield Center. For more information on Chesterfield Arts summer classes, check their website.