Every day on Art&Seek, we’re talking to people who have tips for socially distant art experiences. Share yours with us on Facebook, Instagram or @artandseek on Twitter. Click above to hear Diana Pollak, Executive Director of the Creative Arts Center of Dallas, share her tip with KERA’s Nilufer Arsala. 

Diana Pollak, Executive Director of Creative Arts Center of Dallas

Have you felt the sudden urge to bake bread lately? Or plant tomatoes? Or paint the bathroom?

There’s just something about a global pandemic that really gets the artistic juices going, right? It seems as though with our daily routines disrupted our creative side is aggressively calling to us to action.

Don’t believe me? Just ask Sir Issac Newton who formulated his theory of gravity and Shakespeare who wrote King Lear while quarantined during their plagues.

If all your recent “alone time” has got you wanting to stretch your artistic muscles take a look at the adult classes at the Creative Arts Center of Dallas.  Their new fall session starts Monday, Aug. 17 and they’ll be offering 150 different art classes and 1-day workshops for you to sample.

“You can try your hand at everything from ceramics to painting to sculpting to welding,” said Executive Director Diana Pollak. “The majority of the classes will be in-person but there will also be a few virtual classes to choose from.”

Photo: Creative Arts Center of Dallas

One virtual offering is a 8-week mosaic class called Garden Pot Pals. Participants will get instructions  via zoom on how to make creations for your garden using terra cotta pots.

Photo: Creative Arts Center of Dallas

Some of the most popular in-person classes are the ceramics classes.  Pollak thinks that the reason they’re in such demand now is because people want to disengage from their digital devices and get their hands dirty.

“The great thing about art classes is you kind of lose yourself and people are really hungry for that right now, ” said Pollack.

Like many arts organizations, the CAC had to suspend operations in March because of COVID-19. During the shelter in place order the center developed free online content to keep people engaged while staying home. In June, the center reopened at ½ capacity for in-person classes and workshops following strict CDC protocols.

Photo: Creative Arts Center of Dallas

“To ensure we’re safe, masks are required and classes are small,” said Pollak. “Our usual class size is 6-12 people and we’ve cut that down to 3 to 6 participants.”

In addition to art instruction, the CAC also recently created an Artist Relief Fund for teachers at the CAC. The fund raised $5K which was used to help instructors pay their bills while they they were not teaching.

“This crisis has been catastrophic on all arts organizations and it will take years to fully recover,” said Pollak. “Our goal is to not only survive but come back stronger and in a position to engage with our students in an even more vibrant and meaningful way.”

Got a tip? Email Therese Powell at tpowell@kera.org. You can follow her on Twitter @TheresePowell13

Art&Seek is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you