Time for Class!

By Kara Chalmers

The Ringling Museum of Art offers classes for adults, as well as hands-on workshops for kids.

Maybe you're looking to brush up on your art history. Maybe you want to learn more about animals native to Sarasota and Her Islands.

Luckily, local attractions offer classes galore for both kids and adults-in everything from watercolor painting to kayaking. It's time to get schooled!

Most of the following classes require reservations and fees, but many attractions give fee discounts if you become a member.

Develop an eye for photography or botany at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. The site offers several art, photography and horticultural classes, as well as off-site classes and programs for families.

The watercolor painting class (offered at both beginner and intermediate levels) is popular, as are Selby's photography classes, which involve taking pictures in both the botanical gardens as well as seasonally on the grounds of Myakka River State Park.

Visit www.selby.org for more information.

Become an art expert at The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Adult art programs include "Spotlight" classes, which take place in the renowned museum's galleries, and single-day and multi-day courses on topics as varied as Japanese woodblock prints and P.T. Barnum.

Visit www.ringling.org for more information.

If your kids love animals, head down to Sarasota Jungle Gardens. The park's Junior Zookeeper Club for kids aged 3 to 10 meets twice a month. Club members learn what animals are like in the wild, prepare food for and feed the animals and clean enclosures. The annual club membership fee includes an annual pass to Jungle Gardens for the Junior Zookeeper.

Visit www.sarasotajunglegardens.com for more information.

Discover flora, fauna and fishing inside Myakka River State Park. The park's citizens support organization, the Myakka Friends, offers classes at the park called the Nature Adventure Series. Topics include Myakka's fishing hot spots; allergy plants; raptors; plein-air oil painting; nature photography; canoeing and kayaking; Myakka's reptiles and amphibians; flowers, seeds and fruit; and the park's butterflies.

Visit www.myakkariver.org.

Dissect a shark at Mote Aquarium. The Aquarium offers a family program - geared toward children aged 6 to 12 and their adult companions - from 9 to 11 a.m. the second Saturday of each month from November to July. The "Sharks: Up Close & Personal" class includes dissecting a shark. Other class topics are manatees and dolphins. The Aquarium also offers the Mote Special Lecture Series for adults in January, February and March. Previous lectures have explained sharks' immune systems and the sensory world of manatees.

Visit www.mote.org for more information.

Ringling College of Art and Design is a vital creative resource for area visitors and Sarasotans alike. Have fun while learning creative skills in over 200 classes and workshops offered year-round. Choose from art history lectures + tours, artist career development, color + design, digital arts, drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture and water media. Ranging from one-day to ten, programs are open to adults, teens and children.

We look forward to seeing you on campus! Visit www.ringling.edu/cssp for current opportunities.

Engage in ecology-inspired arts and recreation at the Crowley Museum & Nature Center. This home to nature trails, a museum, an observation tower and historic structures offers programs (usually on Saturdays) that are generally free with admission. Programs include bird and plant walks and educational children's classes such as "Eco Art," which allows children to make "eco-collages" using materials from nature and watercolors, and "Backyard Birdhouse," which teaches children about Florida birds and participants can decorate a bird house.

Visit www.cmncfl.org for more information.

Kayak like a pro with Dolphin Dive & Kayak in Sarasota. In the Introduction to Kayaking class you'll learn basic paddling strokes, how to sit and kayaking safety. Group classes meet from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturdays. Reservations are needed, but equipment is provided. Private intermediate and advanced classes are also offered by appointment (you provide your own equipment). You'll learn rescues, Eskimo rolling, surfing and kayak outfitting.

Visit www.floridakayak.com for more information.