Expand your horizons with a no to low cost class!

While community schools have been axed due to budget issues, anyone who is willing to look can find classes abounding in South Central. One of my favorite places to learn is the Anchorage Museum is always offering classes for adults, teens and families. For people who hold a museum membership, the cost savings is significant and very much worth checking out. Among many offerings, there is a class in multi-media being offered by Mia Pasquale of Portland during the week of August 9-13 from 6:30-8:30 inthe evenings that you won't want to miss.

Don’t pass up the opportunity to check out what local shops offer. Vera at Fantastic Fibers in Palmer, Alaska has classes going on all the time for fiber artists. Her background is in biology and she is a walking encyclopedia of experience and knowledge of fibers and dyes and growing plants to dye your own yarn in addition to being an artist. Vera also teaches children and teens to knit and turns crafts into a family event if you don’t see your art as private time for yourself. Vera offers some good deals on a second person getting classes, so go down and sign up with a friend or have one of your kids join you.

Alaska Far North Yarn Co. in Spenard is also having classes. For $45 plus materials, classes in crochet and making some simple to complicated items is quite a deal. (Warning: yarn is addictive. If you are in love with anyone who loves fiber arts, you stand a good chance of getting them to overlook your shortcomings if you present them with a hank of quiviut or anything cashmere. If you knit already, leave some of the good yarn for me and let me know about any sales.)

For something fun and intelligent to do, consider attending UAA’s 18 noted authors for 9 evenings of literary readings. Blogger Steve Aufrect of What Do I Know? wrote some fascinating articles last year when he went to watch and interview the speakers. At least one of them, Zack Rogow, is returning. Read Steve’s impressions here and go to UAA’s link and consider spending one evening between July 11-20 listening to your favorites.

Are you a fan of massage? The Oriental Healing Arts School of Massage Therapy, Acupuncture, and Traditional Taoist Medical QiGong frequently offers classes to students of massage therapy as well as Oriental Medicine. I’ve seen classes offered for leisurely students who simply want to learn the basics to classes for students wanting a 750 hour massage course so they can get state level certification. They have classes with their students who often have young children or other commitments.

Antiqua of Twist Yoga in Wasilla is also offering classes for yoga teachers. This is something that I can personally vouch for in that I have been doing yoga with Antiqua for 12 years. She has seen me through six pregnancies and is a teacher who works one on one with her students and knows how to advance them as they are ready. Antiqua also teaches and practices Christian yoga. To me, this is different than practicing other forms because she often gives her students a verse or a prayer to focus on.

This is not even the tip of the iceberg for classes in South Central Alaska. What is your interest? Have you always wanted to learn something? There are five and a half months left of 2010, so think about it and decide what you want to do and go out and learn it and try it.