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Welcome to Arts at the Center! Unleash your inner artist and explore new creative passions at the Uptown JCC! Join us for engaging sessions led by experienced instructors in a welcoming and supportive environment. Classes are currently held at the JCC Uptown location. To register for a class, click on the "Register" button on each class page, or call the JCC Uptown (504-897-0143). If you have questions about the classes, please email Creative Arts Program Coordinator Joanna Russo at joanna@nojcc.org.
Have you ever written a poem? Has a poem ever moved you, ever made you laugh or spoken to your soul? Join us for the joy of speaking poetry out loud, of sharing some of your favorite poems with the group, and being introduced to poems that may make your life richer for knowing them. Join us to challenge yourself to pick up that pen once again and see what arises. Part poetry appreciation, part writing workshop, this gentle and encouraging class welcomes readers and writers of all stripes.
Instructor Joanna Russo is a theater director and writer. Originally hailing from NYC, her NY directing credits include: Dialogue at the American Theater of Actors, Alice in Bed at the Juilliard School and Sideshow at the Susan Stein Shiva Theater. Here in New Orleans, Joanna serves as Co-Artistic Director for nationally touring ensemble Mondo Bizarro, working as a writer and director for the company for many years. Her writing has been performed across the country, from Kentucky to California, North Carolina to Hawaii and has been recognized by the American Academy of Poets.
September 16 - November 4
Wednesdays | 1:15 - 2:45 PM
Members $160 | Non-members $200
In this class, you will learn to create ceramic tiles using the technique of low relief sculpture. The heart of this workshop is learning to trust your own judgment. As you work with your clay tile, you will decide which areas should rise from the surface and which should remain untouched. Every decision becomes part of the story your tile tells. Throughout the class, Horton will introduce simple techniques and guiding principles for creating depth, balance, texture, and composition, while encouraging each participant to follow their own creative instincts.
Working in clay teaches us patience. It asks us to slow down, observe carefully, and make thoughtful decisions. Confidence is built one mark at a time.
Instructor Horton Humble is a self-taught New Orleans artist whose multidisciplinary practice explores identity, community, memory, and the ways we understand ourselves and one another. Working across painting, drawing, sculpture, writing, and participatory workshops, Humble often transforms everyday materials into opportunities for reflection and connection.
Horton’s art has been exhibited at a wide variety of institutions and arts organizations locally, nationally and internationally, including the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans Museum of Art, the Joan Mitchell Center, Prospect New Orleans, Brown University, the Fritz Bultman House, and multiple artistic venues in Lisbon, Portugal.
His recent work, including the Seed Runner project and Gathering in Grief, brings art into conversation with the human body, healing, memory, and community. His workshops invite participants to experiment, share stories, and discover new ways of seeing themselves and the world around them.
September 16 - October 21
Wednesdays | 5:30 - 7:30 PM
Members $160 | Non-members $200
All voices welcome! Experience the joy of lifting your voice in song with others. Join us as we sing a variety of repertoire, including pop, oldies, traditional music, and more! This choir will introduce the concepts of proper breath support, essentials of music theory, ear training and somatic awareness. We will close with a concert on Monday, December 7th.
Sarah Ruth Altman is delighted to be directing the JCC Choir this season. She is a lifelong musician, perpetually unable to decide between piano and singing. She holds an MS in Counseling and a BA in Music and Elementary Education, and is a current master's student in Music Therapy. Besides directing this ensemble, she is the principal organist at Holy Name of Mary as well as a dedicated member of the Frazier Singers, New Orleans Vocal Arts Chorale, and Fourth Wave Women’s Choir. She hopes to share the joy of creating an instrument that only exists when we gather to sing.
September 27 - December 6
Sundays | 3:00 - 4:00 PM
$110 Members | $137.50 Non-members
Each hands-on class in this beginner-friendly course will focus on aspects of cardmaking fundamentals. These include selecting tools, materials, and color palettes; designing effective layouts; using layering techniques; and adding embellishments and sentiments. Students will build skills step by step in a welcoming and supportive environment that encourages them to explore their creative style and enjoy the satisfaction of creating something uniquely their own.
Instructor Shannon Watt is a multi-disciplinary craft artist working primarily in cardmaking and papercrafts, jewelry, and wood embellishment. After discovering crafting as a creative outlet more than 15 years ago, she developed her skills through foundational classes, self-directed study, and ongoing experimentation. She has participated in dozens of virtual craft fests, including Cricut Craftfest, Stress Free Cardmaker Summit, and Card Maker Success Summit. Shannon enjoys combining techniques and materials across disciplines. She is particularly interested in designing one-of-a-kind pieces that balance decorative and functional qualities, and she often creates artworks tailored to a specific purpose, person, and moment.
October 1 - November 5
Thursdays | 12:30 - 2:30 PM
150 Members | $187.50 Non-members
In Improv class, students will learn how to create comedic improvisational scenes with their classmates as they harness and expand the power of their imagination and creativity. The curriculum focuses on interactive, collaborative play as well as heightened listening skills. Each class consists of improv warm-ups, exercises, games, and scene work. Beginners and veteran improvisers are both welcome! All will learn something new.
Instructor Grace Blakeman is an actor, improviser, writer, and teacher. Grace started performing improv in 2006 at La Nuit Theater in New Orleans. She has trained at iO and Second City Conservatory in Chicago as well as the Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles. In Chicago, she performed with Second City's faculty team, Those Who Can't , and was a founding company member of Under the Gun comedy theater. She was on multiple house teams at Second City Hollywood and was a main company member of ComedySportz Los Angeles. Since moving back to New Orleans, she now performs with Two Friends Improv and Goat in the Road Productions' Pirate Improv Show. Grace has a Master of Arts in Teaching and has taught numerous improv workshops and classes to people of all ages. She loves performing improv and is so excited to have the opportunity to teach others her favorite art form
October 1 - November 19
Thursdays | 12:30 - 2:30 PM
$170 Members | $200 Non-members
Join local artist Jane Brewster to create original watercolor paintings with watercolor medium. Jane will guide you through a four step process, demonstrating each step with visual examples. Please wear an old shirt or an apron that you don’t mind getting paint on. Whether you're a beginner or looking to refresh your skills, this course offers a fun, encouraging space to explore watercolor and build confidence in your painting practice.
Instructor Jane Brewster is a painter, muralist, illustrator and graphic designer who studied illustration and graphic design at Lane Community College and the University of Oregon. With murals on display in Portland, Oregon and New Orleans, Jane collaborates with a wide variety of non-profits, film production companies, and community organizations. She has been a participating artist with Community Visions Unlimited since 2014, and a scenic artist for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage festival since 2016. She is a member of the RHINO Contemporary Crafts Gallery and the LA Crafts Guild. Jane participates in the New Orleans Art
Association National Show, and in 2023 was given the Merit Award. In addition to her art practice, Jane enjoys teaching watercolor workshops for artists and non-artists alike, including most recently in association with the New Orleans Public Library.
Here is a link to her artwork on Etsy, and to her Facebook page.
October 13 - December 1
Tuesdays | 5:30 - 7:30 PM
$190 Members | $237.50 Non-members
Join artist Emma Fick to make one-of-a-kind earrings! Emma provides earring-making supplies (including her hand-made acrylic earring components), personalized creative guidance, and assembly how-to; you bring a sense of play and design sensibilities. After a couple of hours of design, play, and assembly, you'll take home your ready-to-wear earrings (and bragging rights).
Instructor Emma Fick is a multimedia artist from Covington, Louisiana. Her work spans jewelry, design, ceramics, painting, and writing. Her paintings, all watercolor and ink on paper, centers on hybrids: merging Louisiana-specific symbols and ancient Byzantine frescoes; creating half-human half-bird mythological creatures; combining plant species in ways not found in nature. She has published three illustrated books: Snippets of Serbia, in 2015; Snippets of New Orleans, in 2017; and Border Crossings: A Journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway, in 2022. Emma's jewelry, like her other mediums, leans on organic form-- she transforms drawings into bold, lightweight wearable art.
Here are some photos of Emma’s earring-making workshops.
Sunday, September 27 | 2:00 - 4:00 PM
$70 Members | $87.50 Non-members
We are all overwhelmed by the constant news from around the country and around the world. The writer Ursula K. Le Guin said, "Resistance and change often begin in art, and very often in our art, the art of words.” Creativity can restore our spirit. Even if you don’t think of yourself as a writer, you can journal. Journaling helps you process thoughts and feelings. Journaling can help you see into your very soul. Join writer Harriet Riley for a two-hour workshop on writing as resistance.
Instructor Harriet Riley is a New Orleans-based freelance writer focusing on creative nonfiction. She taught creative writing for eleven years with Writers in the Schools Houston. Harriet also taught journalism, worked as a non-profit director and as a newspaper reporter. Harriet recently published articles in 64 Parishes, Presbyterian Outlook, The Christian Century, and the Northside Sun Magazine. She received an MA in print journalism from UT Austin.
Monday, November 2 | 12:30 - 2:30 PM
$40 Members | $50 Non-members
Stressed? If you're feeling it, chances are your child is feeling it too. You know the signs; when your mind starts racing and your heartbeat starts racing, your tendency is to get louder and faster. But what you and your body and your child need is for things to slow down and start making sense.
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Members can now access Online Member Services on mobile devices by downloading the New Orleans JCC app in the App Store or Google Play.
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