May, May, May I?

TOSSafter

First, may we just say...the Spring TOSSing! What a sweet time of celebration! We are so proud of our student’s creative endeavors this term! Thanks so much to the Carolinas HealthCare System for hosting us! You can watch a short clip of the event and an interview with TOSSteach, Kathryn Ervin here: https://youtu.be/J3_Ai44-rfo

On May 17, 2018 Carolinas HealthCare System Blue Ridge held their second Arts in Medicine Celebration. This video features an interview with Kathryn Ervin, Co-Director of TOSS arts advocacy studio in Morganton, NC, who helps lead the Arts in Medicine Initiative - a partnership with Blue Ridge to showcase the student's art in a high-profile public setting.

Our Spring term has come to an end and we just want to send LOTS of love to all our students. You guys keep us coming back. 

And......we moved! After very SLOWLY announcing this transition, it is now behind us! TOSS has relocated to 222 W Union Street for the summer. The studio space we previously occupied became unavailable and while we have a great setup for the summer, we are still looking for a classroom for the Fall. Let us know if you have any leads. 

TOSSAIR

And now for studio updates from the TOSS teachers: Hannah, along with looking glamorous for Brandon Thrower's new marketing venture, White Blaze, has been cultivating her love for botanicals through some printmaking projects. Kirksey's collaboration with Cageless Birds has come to fruition (YAYAY!) and Kathryn has made about 1 million graphic elements for a screen-printing project she is about to complete! What an insane month! 

Stay Tuned For More On....

Jordan Winiski

We want to say a warm welcome to Jordan Winiski, our summer intern extraordinaire! Jordan comes to us from Greenville, SC, where she is studying sustainability and art at Furman University. Along with volunteering at Art Bomb and Greenville Center for Creative Arts Jordan has demonstrated her passion and enthusiasm for the arts through her making practice. The recipient of the Winthrop University’s Dean Portfolio Scholarship (Fall 2016) and a participant in South Carolina's Congressional Art Show (2014, 2016), we are so excited to have Jordan's creative genius with us this summer! Check out her portfolio here and be sure to check in for updates on her projects. 

Lance Turner

We have the privilege of collaborating with Lance Turner on a mural project this summer! We could not be more stoked! Lance is an incredible creative, with roots in Morganton, but currently based in Tennessee. Accepting his MFA in Painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design, he has exhibited all over the country, most recently in the Snap to Grid exhibition in Los Angeles. Awarded a fellowship at the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, VT, he is community focused. We are so thankful he is excited about our mission and vision for Burke County. Check out his portfolio of work here. 

Below you can see some progress shots of a recent mural he designed and painted for Artfields, in Lake City, SC. 

Watch two new murals come to life, just ahead of ArtFields 2018!

THANK YOUUUUUUUUUU!!!!

And last but not least, thanks are due to all those who helped us move last weekend! We have successful moved our many Many items (with only a few casualties along the way). Our everlasting thanks to Michael Lowther, Luke Ervin, Christy Truitt and her gang, Brandon Thrower, Michael Griffin, the extremely strong Melinda, David Ervin and his sidekick Robbin, Elizabeth Williams, and of course Hannah Thrower, and Kirksey Lowther. We could NOT have done it without you guys!!!

Marpril. That's right. March and April. Combined.

Greetings from TOSS! 

We are happy to bring you a few updates from our studio and snapshots of the creations happening on College Street, by both our students and our artists! But first a few announcements. 

The Spring TOSSing

This end-of-the-year event will be hosted by our friends at the Carolina HealthCare System on Thursday, May 17th. Student work, craft stations, really yummy food, and of course the most creative kids in Morganton. You won't want to miss it. We will have fliers at the studio if you care to take one home. 

Summer Camp

For the last two years, TOSS has hosted a joint summer camp program with our partners at the Burke Arts Council. However, this year, the BAC will be taking the lead. Stay posted for information and registration which will be made available on their website. Feel free to reach out to them with any inquiries: (828) 433-7282

TOSS on College Street

Last month we were informed that the Burke County Public School System will be renovating the building we have been renting on College street for the future use of their central offices. While this transition has dramatically effected our ability to offer summer programing, we hope to find a suitable location to begin hosting classes in the Fall. 

k-1: In addition to our regular programing for k-1, we have recently had the honor of hosting a field trip for Morganton Day School in which we created an illustration in order to tell a story. We also got to host a birthday party for a very special little lady. As always, our Monday class is fearless and curious, ready to tackle any new challenge. 

2-3: This Tuesday class has become increasingly experimental in it quest to understand the different mediums of art. We try encaustics, paper-making, making paper cups with plaster molds, painting with stencils, painting with pipe cleaners, painting with paint, making shapes with wire, making extremely scary sculptures with paper-clay that never quite dries correctly... Once we tried screenprinting and recently we glazed our ceramic mugs. And thankfully that is all. For now. 

4-5: This group has made a number of fabulous contour-line portraits using the process of monoprinting. Along with ceramic slab-building, painting, and general shinanigans, this class is having tons of fun. Possibly too much fun if we are all honest.  

6-8: Highlights include the successful completion of our slab-build ceramic letters, experimental techniques in clay, and forays into the design of our own projects for the Spring show.

9-12: The intrepid progression of the high school students in their personal projects has been inspiring! As concerted efforts are applied to understand materials and methods, drawing and painting alone have given us plenty to think about.  

TOSSAiRs: Amidst many activities, Kirksey, Hannah, and Kathryn are continuing their making practices. Kirksey, has been working on commissions for Cageless Birds and others. Hannah continues to make incredible ceramic pieces for Tanawha Adventures, and Kathryn has been solidifying designs for upcoming installation work. Check out and follow along on their instagram accounts: @kirksey.lowther @hannahgthrower @kathervin

Fini February!

TOSSafter

Here is a little peek into our month of art making at TOSS!

Kindergarten-First grade: We have recently stepped into the world of texture through the mediums of sewing, ceramics, and encaustics.

Second-Third: With elements and principles of design on our mind, we create miniature worlds in the style of dioramas to express the many types of lines we see around us. This class has also been dabbling a little in encaustic art- who can resist!

Fourth - Fifth: Art is a risky business. It's important to learn how to take a step into the unknown. Doing that in a safe environment, such as the art classroom is incredibly beneficial for a student. Simple things like adding color, layers, pushing a piece of art just a little further when you think you are finished.... it's all a part of creating, problem solving, and risk taking.

We've  got nothing but love for Morganton on this year's Valentines Day! Watch this sweet video made with a printmaking technique learned by the 4-5th graders.

Sixth-Eighth: What is more rewarding (or intimidating) than learning to draw! As we have finished up our ceramic project, this month we have been tackling the art of the still-life! Our middle school group has been so focused and we are really proud of them!

Speaking of how proud we are...Woohoo!!! McKenna Carver won a Silver Key through the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards this year! Her painting, Tossing, also won the Governor's Student Excellence Award. We were so proud to be there with her family and Kara Jones, her art teacher from Morganton Day School, to recognize her achievement! Way to go McKenna!

Ninth-twelfth: With focused projects ranging from mixed media, drawing, and oil painting, this group is zeroing in on the unique area of interest.

TOSSAiR: In preparation for our Spring TOSSing, the TOSSAiR's have been busy in their studios painting, weaving, and working with ceramics. Here are some progress shots!

TOSSneighbor: Western North Carolina Workers' Center

There are incredible organizations working in the College Street building! One (right down the hall from us) is the Western North Carolina Workers' Center. They develop leadership among workers in our area through organizing and education to resolve issues of labor rights and promote fair working conditions in Western North Carolina. The two organizers we see on a daily basis are Juan and Bacilio. A big part of their programing is around issues of workplace health and safety, wage theft, and woman fighting injustice.

One of their most recent victories was in organizing the testimonials of poultry workers in this area and garnering the support of 100,000 allies prompting the US Department of Agriculture to rejected the poultry industry's petition to increase line speed in their factories. This will have a direct effect on workers in our area.

Check out the narrative developed by Oxfam America called Lives on the Line. It illustrates the issues taking place in our very own neighborhoods.

Images are taken from the WNCWC facebook page, accessed here

TOSSers

We are so so grateful for the love and support we receive from each of you. If you woud like to here about ways to get involved or volunteer with our students, we would love to make that happen.

A special thanks as always to the BAC for their support, and for the new table for highschool room. We are spreading out! To our friends over at the Resource Warehouse for their donations of materials: Thank you. We. Love. Art. Supplies. Also, thanks are always due to the Burke County Public School System for their ongoing logistical/spacial support. We so enjoy our space on College Street and are so thankful to Bob Accord for always being a willing aid.

But guys, sorry: Melinda Davis and Samuel Kuehnert are still our favorites. Thank you both for lending a hand and being such a fun part of Thursday!!

Thank you all so much for helping to support our little school of artists! We are so thankful to you!

January Jubilee

TOSSafter

We are back at it folks.

Kindergarten-First grade

Second-Third grade

Fourth - Fifth grade

Sixth-Eighth grade

Ninth-twelfth grade

TOSSAiR

Along with facilitating our weekly TOSSafter studio sessions, the TOSSAiRs (Artist's in Residency) are hard at work generating creativity in their studios. Here is a little more info on these ladies.

Kirksey Lowther

Kirksey co-founded TOSS in 2015. She graduated from Appalachian State University with a Arts Education degree. Her current AiR focus is on weaving and painting. She is also a full time mom (incase you didn't know she is a busy lady).

Which would you rather: eat a crayon or lick a dirty TOSS paintbrush? I'd lick a paintbrush.

What master artist are you most inspired by? Gustav Klimt and Henri Matisse

Where is the most extreme or unusual place you have created art? On the back porch of a family's house in Thialand amidst much laundry.

If you had to eat only one meal for a year what would it be? Chicken pot pie.

 

Hannah Thrower

Hannah joined TOSS in 2016 as a studio director and AiR. She graduated from Appalachian State University with a Arts Education degree; her current focus is on ceramics and printmaking.

Which would you rather: eat a crayon or lick a dirty TOSS paintbrush? I'd eat a crayon.

What master artist are you most inspired by? John Singer Sargent

Where is the most extreme or unusual place you have created art? Grace Village, Ethiopia. I taught art for a week to children in an orphanage as well as partnering with them to painting a sign for their village.

If you had to eat only one meal for a year what would it be? Steak, potatoes, and broccoli...well seasoned.

Follow Kirksey on instagram, here.

Stills from an animation in collaboration with Courtney Marie Andrews  for her song, Woman of Many Colors. View the video here.

Kathryn Ervin

Kathryn co-founded TOSS in 2015. She graduated from East Carolina University with a Studio Arts degree; her current focus is on site specific art and storytelling.

Which would you rather: eat a crayon or lick a dirty TOSS paintbrush? What! Neither. Who made up these questions?!

What master artist are you most inspired by? The cave painters of Lascaux.

Where is the most extreme or unusual place you have created art? One time I made a glass house in an abandoned lot in a tiny Southern town called Lake City.

If you had to eat only one meal for a year what would it be? Oatmeal. Just oatmeal.

You can follow her on instagram here or view her website here.

Meet our Neighbor!

Nysie Hurst rolls up her sleeves as she gets down to business in her new studio on College Street! Nysie is a mixed media artist who often works with TOSS on various projects (most recently bookbinding with our middle school students). She will be using her new studio to perfect her paper making techniques, work on paintings, and develop community art collaborations with TOSS and beyond! We are so glad to have her as a neighbor! 

TOSSers

A special thanks as always to the BAC for their support. We are also SO excited for the awesome paper making frames that John Ferguson has made and donated to our middle school class. WHAT! THANK YOU JOHN!

Melinda Davis and Samuel Kuehnert. We love you. Thank you guys for making Thursday the best day of the week.

And Now November

TOSSafter

November has been a month of exploration. As our students hone their skills we collectively develop a language of design. Harnessing the creative process through exploration allows us to make discoveries (and mistakes) awaking our everyday potential. Check out a few examples of how our students do just that.

Kindergarten-First grade

How does one transform a mental image into a two-dimensional form... then bring it into three dimensional space? Our first graders can tell you a bit about that in the making of sculptures which emphesize line and shape.

Second-Third

There is nothing as agonizing as a multi-step project...or wonderful: Layers of paint are like layers of thought. We are impressed with our students for executing projects which require extended attention with layer after layer, design and redesign. 

Fourth - Fifth

Abstract art is sometimes equated with haphazard. The synthesis of orchestrated abstraction is what you will find 4th and 5th graders learning as they carefully plot their weavings.

Sixth-Eighth

Middle schoolers take techniques, such as drawing with one or two point perspective, to TASK. Here, everyone raises an eyebrow when Hannah says, "Now, use this principle to draw a wild animal and its house."

Ninth-twelfth

Sometimes we don't know the destination until we have arrived. This is often the case when we explore new mediums or set about breaking a preconceived idea. Whether we are making art about dreams employing color theory, creating a volcanic mirage of color with glue, or starting our career as illustrators (just saying, Jaylen), we are excited to be on the journey.

TOSSAiR

At TOSS, one of our goals is to give artists opportunities to make alongside students in the form of an Artist in Residency program (AiR). We see the beauty of this model as we work alongside the students, develop our own making practices and share our experiences with the broader community through community collaborations or TOSSafterhours classes. This month we have been doing just that: Hannah shared a new medium she has been exploring, hosting a macrame class. Kathryn began investigating a few avenues of figurative interpretation. ahm... and doing other stuff.

TOSSers

A special thanks to the Burke Arts Council for their support. We are also so so thankful to Melinda Davis and Samuel Kuehnert for their help in the studio. We love seeing them every week!

Featured Partner

Burke County Literacy Council is a non-profit organization committed to helping adults in our community learn to read and/or improve their literacy skills. In addition to adult reading classes, the Council has classes to train parents in how to better help their children in school. In addition, the Council offers English classes for those wanting to learn the language. They also train volunteers to tutor adults who need help with reading. All training, classes and materials are free, and you are invited to join the classes at any time.

This fall TOSS has been hosting weaving workshops for those participating in Project FLOWER. This is a program that we will continue into the Spring. We are so thrilled to be partnership with the BLC!

We love our College Street studio and part of that is having great neighbors doing incredible work in Burke County. For the next few months we are going to highlight a partner that we have had the privileged to work with, starting with our neighbors in the Old Junior High School.

Programs include:

One on One Adult is private and confidential tutoring.
Reach Out and Read is a partnership with Mountain View Pediatrics to provide free books to children at each well check visit from ages 0-5.
Motheread/Fatheread teaches parents how to help their children learn.
Project FLOWER is for adults who do not speak English.
Project Citizenship is for immigrants who need help to prepare for the INS (citizenship) test.

Thank you for all your love and support! We couldn't do it without you. Come see us in a few weeks at the Snowball TOSSing!

An Ode to October

With each day feeling more blustery than the last, TOSSafter students have been hunkering down. We are stretching our minds, considering new approaches to art-making. We are learning new skills in order to bring our imagination to life. Check out what the TOSSafter students have been learning and the teachers, too!

TOSSafter

Kindergarten-First grade

Second-Third

Fourth - Fifth

Sixth-Eighth

Ninth-twelfth

TOSSAiR

Hannah, Kirksey, and Kathryn are staying busy: We have enjoyed our collaboration with Project FLOWER sponsored by the Burke Literacy Council, supporting the Burke Arts Council at the October Oyster Outing, working on weaving commissions, designing TOSSafterhours classes, and participating in conversations about the integration of education and art with others at AiR Serenbe in Atlanta. To hear about more about any of our projects or collaborations, drop us a line!

TOSSers

We are so so grateful for the love and support we receive from each of you. If you woud like to here about ways to get involved or volunteer with our students, we would love to make that happen.

A special thanks as always to the BAC for their support, and to our generous sponsors who are helping to build our scholarship fund: Grace Episcopal Church, Sherry Lindquist, Sevan and Keri Topjian.

Thanks are also due to Elizabeth Gould, Elizabeth Williams, and Lucille Hartman for their generous donations this month. We are so grateful for more yarn, paint, and drawing materials!

Would we really be able to get anything done without Melinda Davis and Samuel Kuehnert helping on Thursday? Unlikely. Thank you guys for lending a hand and being such a fun part of that day.

Thank you all so much for helping to support our little school of artists! We are so thankful to you! Happy Fall ya'll.

Engineering Imagination

Greetings from our College Street studio!

A new term as begun for our TOSSafter students! There is still room in our k-1 and 2-3 grade classes. Register here, today! Interested in sponsoring a student to attend our studio? Find out more here.

TOSSafter

September has kicked our year of art-making into high gear. This fall, we are focusing on two themes: Engineering our imagination and personalizing our creative expression. Stay tuned to hear more about how we are accomplishing this. In the meantime, enjoy a few progress shots of our studio hour below!

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TOSS Teachers

KIrksey Lowther has been the most creative team member thus far this year, giving birth to her second son, Peter Merrifield Lowther! Congratulations Lowther family! This has hardly kept her from making other art creations, you can follow her on instagram @kirksey.lowther. We miss her in the studio, but are so excited about this new member of the family!

Hannah Thrower, amid leading our 4-12 grade classes, has started her school year teaching art at New Dimensions, participated in downtown Morganton's Tour d' Art, hosted a printing class at OSuzannah's, AND just bought a house with her husband, Brandon. She is awesome!

Kathryn Ervin, back from her residency in Maryland, is jumping back in as TOSS' k-3 teacher. She started her graduate studies through Fuller Seminary this fall and is working with a non-profit consultant, Grady Powell, in Greenville, SC, on a community engagement project. She has been really enjoying a collaboration with the Burke Literacy Council leading a weaving workshop for the participants of Project Flower.

THANK YOU!

As always, thanks is due to the Burke Arts Council for their love and support!

We would like to say a special thanks to Burke Primary Care, Don and Susan Haugen, and Dotty Ervin for sponsoring TOSSafter students this term. Thank you so much for making creative opportunities available for everyone!

Thanks is also due to Teresa Reep, and Dan and Cindy Kuehnert for their generous donations this month. We love our new shelves!

A shout out to our fierce volunteers, Melinda Davis and Samuel Kuehnert. Thank you guys for all your help!

Many thanks and much love!

The TOSS team

BAC and TOSS Summer Camp Series: Digital Art, ANIMATION

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First here are a couple digital drawings... While groups were working hard on their animations there were a few kids that got the opportunity to draw on the computer. Super fun! 

Digital painting by Jayden, age 6. 

Let the movies begin! 

The last week of Summer Camp was a blast, but also a challenge with 16 kids in our classroom. We buckled down and made some very fun collaborative stop-motion animations. The kids were challenged to work within a team, and do some major problem solving. They were inventive, and creative. Each group came up with a different story, and made their own set, and built their own characters. Please enjoy! 

Collaborative Found Object Stop Motion

The first project we filmed was a found object stop motion. The kids worked together to shoot these short films. 

STOP MOTION ANIMATION

Next up are the Stop Motion Animation Movies! Enjoy all of our students' hard work! 

This movie was made by the older group of campers. They were able to write, direct, shoot, and edit their movie independantly.

This movie was also created by an older group of students, we were impressed by their camera skills! 

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These next two films were written and shot by our campers ages ranging from 6-8. They did an incredible job building characters and painting their sets. 

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Photography

We also had a chance this week to work on some photography skills. Brandon Thrower came in an taught our campers some photography basics and practical photo editing with the little device so many of us have these days... the phone camera. Here are some of the photos taken by the campers!  

BAC and TOSS Summer Camp Series: Week Pile Up

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If you haven't been here at TOSS the last couple of weeks....

here's what we've been up to!

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Animal Kingdom Art

Camp

We weren't able to take a trip to Disney to experience Animal Kingdom so we brought Animal Kingdom to TOSS summer camp! Painting, drawing, printing, and sculpting was the name of the game this week. Animals have been a wonderful source of inspiration since the earliest cave paintings, so we couldn't ignore their artistic power. 

Fantastic Fibers Art Camp

This week students explored all different areas of fibers. Students were able to sew pillows, collage fabric, make paper, weave, and felt. A special thanks goes out to Aleisha Mathews, owner of Manazhe Fashions in Downtown Morganton, for opening up her studio to our eager artists. 

Earthworks Art Camp

Nature and amazing resources from our earth was our inspiration this week! We even took a field trip to the greenway in order to spread art throughout Morganton. Mud painting, vine weaving, leaf prints, and glass melting were ways our students explore art with nature. 

Stay Tuned for more Creativity

Photos from Scavenger Adventure Art Camp, Downtown Morganton Studio Tour, and Digital Art Camp are coming soon!

Summer Camp Series: MONSTERS

Summer camp week number 2 was a blast!! MOnSTerS!!! We worked on all types of projects: Drawing, bookmaking, origami, paper mache finger puppets, collage, and ceramics. Enjoy the pictures! 

World of 3-D

First week of SUMMER ART CAMP!! It was a blast! Here are some pics!!!

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The Wrap Up: TOSS Year 2

As surreal as it might sound, we have just ended year two of TOSSafter! We have accomplished so much over the past year! Our students are moving forward with creative inspiration, and have many skills tucked into their tool belt. We are proud of them, and feel privileged to have been their teachers. Without further todo: Here are a few pictures to highlight our year! 

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What is next? 

-We will have more TOSSafterhours workshops this summer.  Dates TBA. 

-TOSSafter will start up again in September. Applications will open in August.  

THANK YOU

To the community members who helped make this year possible. Thank you. We are so privileged to live in a town that is full of generous hearts. 

The Burke Arts Council- Deborah Jones, and Board Members.

Melinda Davis, We can not thank you enough for the time that you have spent volunteering. 

Beetles, Blossoms, Bumble bee

Ode to spring

The light breaks free from winter’s bone
to cast its warmth; to life atone,

to warm the dark; to thaw the chill,
to synthesize through chlorophyll,
a dormant seed to resurrect,
and coax a soul from introspect.

Awake! And breathe the wafting spice
of lilac buds and wild rice,
the lavender; the orange puccoon,
the sweet of honeysuckle bloom.

An overture, the sparrows sing,
to celebrate the oeuvre of spring;
while wind and weeping willow dance
to promises of new romance.

Come alive! Draw in your breath,
let winter die a noble death.
The seeds of yesterday are strewn;
it does not do to weep and croon.

If you seek, so shall you find,
as true for darkness as divine. - Thvia Shetley

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Au revoir April

April, you have opened your doors, and now you are shutting them. We must reflect on all that has been accomplished while you have entertained us. 

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4th and 5th Grade are working hard on their beetle paintings, perfecting and fine tuning. We are so proud of these guys for pushing themselves and challenging their painting skill set.  We have also worked a little on screen printing. Each of the kids made their own paper stencils and, and made a paper print as well as a T-shirt.  

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The 2nd and 3rd grade crew have been doing all sorts of projects. Weaving, observational botanical drawing, chalk+ figure photography, and paint marbling.  

This is a photo inspired from a animation artist that used chalk drawings along with a figure to animate his video. The chalk drawing is  brought to life by the figure posing in the photo. In this case Camm is in the middle of a backflip on his trampoline. 

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These sculptures are from the Kindergarten/1st grade class. We discussed using different textures. We also experimented with some "goo", and play-dough, to see what would happen to them if they were left out to dry.  We also did a bird painting series, as you can see below.

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TIME FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS  

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THE TOSSing!! 

Our end of the year bonanza. Put it on your calendar! Saturday, May 20th, 4-6pm. ART, MUSIC, HANDS-ON ART PROJECTS, ICE CREAM.

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Thank you

We want to thank: Linda Costner, for letting us use her kiln, Melinda Davis, for her commitment to volunteering, Deborah Jones and the Burke Arts board members for their support, and Overmountain Cycles for wood scraps. 

colors, collages and Cupcakes

My, My, March you brought some surprises in your suitcase. A classroom renovation, has temporarily moved us out of our regular room, and even though we have been scattered about, we have still maintained our art-flow. There has been a lot of painting going on, as well as some clay, and sculpture. Take a scroll!!

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The Middle schoolers have just completed a Painting series called, "The Life Cycle of a Cupcake". You can see their work at My Local Bakery, downtown Morganton!!  

We want to enable our students to be able to pursue projects that they are particularly interested in. Trey Truitt has a love of creating stop motion videos, and because he takes intative and is very self motivated, we let him dive right in! Please watch and enjoy!!

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Mia printed this shirt, inspired from a drawing she was working on, and then hemmed it up, so that the shirt would actually fit her.  Inginuity right here folks!

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4th and 5th Graders have been working on a postcard project of Downtown Morganton. We will be making postcards to sell at the shops downtown, proceeds will support our studio! Take a peek at some of the in-progress work!

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The 2rd and 3rd Graders have continued working on sculptural art as well as drawing and watercoloring.  

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The kindergarteners have been on a "House" series. We have talked about how one idea often leads to another. After drawing houses, we have worked on constructing cardboard houses, and then that led us to making items that belong in houses. After that, we talked about making people to live in the houses, which lead to designing our own dolls. It is a very energetic and productive two hours, let me tell you.   

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TOSSafterhours update:

The watercolor class at Food Matters was a fabulous success. These ladies painted spectacular bouquets! Stay tuned for more classes from!

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Some EXCITING news...... 

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Stay tuned for more information about the spring TOSSing Arts Festival! It will be an event you will NOT want to miss!! Date will be announced soon!!

The Sketchbook Sketchers

We are glad you stopped in once again to see what we have been up to for the last month. Our weeks have been full of creativity, from printmaking to papermache. Please enjoy the photographs!

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The middle school students were given a special sweet treat, with a challenge...... The assignment: Paint the Life Cycle of a Cupcake.  From the first bite, to the crumbly wrapper. 

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In the kindergarten class we have been working on a series involving houses. We are studying how to create the illusion of night and day in our paintings... Some of the questions we have been discussing are, "What colors make morning time?", and "How does the night-light effect the color of the house?". We have also started making house sculptures! 

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The middle school class has been learning about pinhole cameras.  These photographs were taken with student-made cameras constructed with oatmeal containers. They were then developed in a darkroom that we set up at the studio. The process was difficult, but the students hung in there and learned the mantra, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."

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Our collaboration class with The Burke County Library was a wooly, soapy success, with each student taking home a piece of handmade felt! Special thanks to OSuzannah's Yarn on Union for suppling the goods. 

Some events coming up: 

Early registration will be open soon for summer camp!! Date will be announced soon!

We have some extra slots open for students ages K-3rd grade. Pass the word along, it's not too late to sign up! 

THANK YOU!!

The Burke Arts Council, and it's board members, Melinda Davis for her steady, and valuable volunteer service, to The Burke County Library, the Burke County Public Schools System, and lastly our students and families! 

Spring Beginnings

Well, we have the first few weeks under our belt. We dove into Painting, printmaking, and pin-hole camera making. Enjoy the pictures! 

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We are still doing program collaborations with The Burke County Library. This past Friday we worked with grades Kindergarten-5th making snowflakes and cardboard sculptures. We had a blast and spread the glitter-joy EVERYWHERE!

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The Project Flower collaboration is also a part of our monthly schedule. Hannah teaches english language learners fun, and simple projects they can do using household items.  

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More classroom work. Color wheels, lap looms, watercolor, mixed media, horses and block printing.

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What's coming up:

tossAFTERHOURS (classes for adult beginners, that take place around Morganton):  

• A watercolor class is headed your way. Date TBA soon! 
• We are going to teach a Linoleum printmaking class series. Date TBA soon!  

Special thanks to:

 The Burke Arts Council, TOSSafter families, and Melinda Davis. 

IT'S A NEW YEAR!!

TOSS starts back Tuesday, January 17th!!!! 

Registration is open for K-8th graders! Apply Here: 

TOSSafter Application

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2017. Wow. Before we get too busy, let's just to take a moment to reflect on all that 2016 held. 

Starting with the Summer. TOSS and the Burke Arts Council hosted a summer camp. We hosted different guest teachers and had different themes each week. One of the weeks was a studio tour. During this week we visited some of the artists that work downtown Morganton. We were amazed with all art that was made during the camp.

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TOSS started back up in September. We focused on animation, drawing, painting, bookmaking, sculpture, and printmaking. Here are some highlights of the work students have made over these last months!  

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Kirksey taught the first TOSSafter-hours class at Food Matters Market, and it was a great success, the second class was held in December. There will be another class to be announced soon. 

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 Hannah and Kirksey 's personal work has developed as the fall progressed. Hannah has been working on various freelance animation projects, that filled her free time with pages upon pages of drawing and painting. The process is incredible, ask her about it!! We will post her current project here soon!

Kirksey's fascination with weaving still has her under it's spell. She is amazed with the endless possibilities of the loom. Aside from "throwing the shuttle"  She was also re-introduced to her love of watercolor.  

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Kathryn sends her greeting from the shores of the Chesapeake. She is doing well. She has been challenged and inspired by  Trinity Fellows Academy.  

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We are so thankful for the people that have helped make TOSS a success in 2016:

• The students and their families

• The Burke Arts Council

• Melinda Davis

• Burke Primary Care

• Grace Episcopal Church

• Terry Platt

• Nancy Taylor

• John Ervin

• Dottie Ervin

• Anne Ervin

• Donald and Susan Haugen

• Dr. Perry Beeson Dentistry

• Frances Hairfield

• Susan Pollpeter

• Burke County School System

• Burke Women's Fund

The Novy Newsie

We survived smoky November, and through the haze were able to make some incredible art! Hold on to your hat and take a look! 

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You are INVITED to the Snowflake TOSSing! Our semester is almost over, and we want to showcase all of our artist's best work! The art show and reception will be upstairs at the Grind Cafe, Saturday, December 10th, from five to seven the evening.  Click the " The Grind Cafe" button below to view map.

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There will be another TOSS After-hours class held at Food Matters Market Morganton, Saturday, December 3rd, from 4-6pm:  

We have been knee deep in various art making endevours. Our young artists have been stretching their limits, focusing on some personal work, sculpture, printmaking, drawing, and weaving. Here are some pictures of our studio activities, enjoy! 

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 We are collaborating with the Burke County Public Library on a project called Art in Action in which TOSS is provides a monthly art project. In November we worked on basketry! In December we will work on an Origami ornament project.     

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We want to say a big thank you to the Burke Arts Council for their support, and Dottie Ervin for her generous gift, and also Melinda Davis for all her tireless volunteering. We are blessed by this community! 

More Videos for Viewing

For your viewing pleasure: Some additional fantastic stop-motion by our 4th and 5th grade students. 

Great work Anna Beth! Now, this next video is a revision of the previously up-loaded version. 

Fanciful Figures and Pumpkin Painters

The leaves are falling and the temperature is changing. Now is the time to adventure outside and create the unforgettable experience of observing nature and creating art!

Watch the Animation Videos Created by the 4th and 5th Graders. They did a fantastic job problem-solving and collaborating. 

TOSS Events During September

Art in the Evening

TOSS teacher, Kirksey Lowther, hosted "Art in the Evening" at our local Food Matters. Thank you Food Matters for providing beverages, snack and a place to make fabulous works of art!

If you missed out, stay tuned for another Art in the Evening event Dec 3rd at  Food Matters Market Morganton!

Morganton Day School visits TOSS

The TOSS studio hosted Morganton Day School's 7th and 8th graders one afternoon for a local field trip. The students learned how to create coiled baskets using rope and yarn. A huge thank you goes to Kara Jones, Morganton Day School's Art teacher, for sharing your wonderful students with us!

TOSS pairs up with the Public Library

We also had the opportunity to collaborate with Morganton Public Library. Children and Parents created ceramic pumpkin votives at the TOSS studio in preparation for our fall festivities. 

Just in case you haven't seen enough photos of all the things going on at TOSS, here are a few more.

Lastly, We want to thank all the people and organizations that continue to help make TOSS a reality. Without your help we would not be able to serve the community of Burke County through the arts.

Burke Arts Council

Food Matters Morganton

The Griffin Family

Burke Primary Care

Grace Episcopal