News Release: 3/25/2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

• Photo attached: Summer Fun on the Green

MINERAL POINT, Wis.—Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts is gearing up for another exciting summer of creative fun as its Youth Program kicks off this June. For over 20 years, Shake Rag Alley has been dedicated to providing creative opportunities for artists of all ages. The organization’s children's classes began with an after-school arts and crafts program and thanks in part to generous support from the United Fund of Iowa County, Mineral Point Community Chest, and other local partners, continues to inspire and engage young people with new skills and creative experiences each summer.

This year’s summer programming will begin on June 9 with Cork and Twig Birdhouse. Other workshops throughout the summer include Pink Eraser Block Printing, Tinker Lab, Youth Blacksmithing, Let’s Make Mosaics, Cementimals, Finger Knitting & Arm Knitting, Soap Carving, Steampunk Owls, and more!

Additionally, the summer line-up will feature three five-day camps. Craft Camp: Birdie Bonanza will take place June 23-27. Throughout this week, students will make birdhouses, feeders, and a variety of bird-related crafts while learning about feathered friends. This camp also creates costumes for the Mineral Point 4th of July parade. From July 14-18 tweens and teens can register for Finding Your Unique Story, an incredible experience of reflection and storytelling with Jeremy Payne. This storytelling adventure and creative expression workshop series will enhance connections, expand presence, and increase inner joy. The annual Free Arts Camp returns with a dinosaur theme! From July 21-25, students will enjoy a week of dinosaur-themed arts & crafts projects. Students can practice their T-Rex roars on Alley Stage, use science in artwork, and hunt for fossils. 

New this year is Teen Glassblowing. Students will take hot glass starting at 2000 degrees with a consistency of honey, add color, and make it into a unique glass object.  To register for workshops, see shakeragalley.org/youth-program, or call the office at (608) 987-3292. To donate in support of the Youth Program, see shakeragalley.org/support/, and reach out for more information about scholarships. 

Upcoming Events & Workshops at Shake Rag Alley

Scherbarth Residency Artist Exhibit | March 27 

Join Scherbarth residents Katie Hogan and Megan Rosing at the Sardeson Studio (223 Commerce St.) March 27, 6 p.m. for artist talks and works-in-progress. Based in Madison, Katie Hogan's practice explores human portraiture and the figure, working in oils, unconventional surfaces, and mixed media. Meghan Rosing will share about her portrait series of headline-grabbing women, some famous as perpetrators of shameful deeds while others are victims of violence and kidnap, or celebrated merely by accident of their birth. Free & open to the public; light refreshments served.

Volunteer Make a Fairy House Day | April 5
We need your whimsy & your skills! Drop in from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. to make homes fit for fairies that will be featured throughout the 2.5-acre Shake Rag Alley campus during the annual Tour of Fairy Homes on June 7. Volunteers of all ages are welcome! All sorts of natural, fun materials, and tools will be provided, but you are welcome to bring goodies to add to the stash. This free workshop is great fun for artists of all ages.

Spring Garage Sale | April 11-12 

We want your garage sale donations! Your furniture, kitchenware, art, supplies, and eclectic items! All proceeds directly benefit our arts & craft programming and operating expenses. If you'd like to volunteer for set up and staffing during the sale, contact the office at (608) 987-3292! Volunteers earn 15% off workshop tuition after just 10 hours. Our annual Spring Garage Sale runs in conjunction with Mineral Point City-wide Sales Friday April 11 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. & Saturday April 12 7:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Jewelry Boot Camp | May 2-4

At this year’s Jewelry Boot Camp, choose from 11 different workshops with 9 different jewelry artists all in one weekend. Workshops are selling out fast so we've added a Sunday pop-up: Jewelry Lab! And there's still space in Intro to Silver Metal Clay, Messy Memory Wire Bracelet, Broken China Pendants, Embossed Enameling, and Fused Loop Earrings. This lovely weekend is just in time for Mother’s Day, and the perfect way to kick off a summer of creativity. 

Mining Our Stories Writing Retreat | May 16-18 

Join us for the ninth annual Writing Retreat at Shake Rag Alley, open to writers of all levels. We’re excited to kick off the weekend with a visit from Kao Kalia Yang reading from her NEA Big Read The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir.  Explore storytelling, fiction, memoir, flash, poetry, and small press publishing with retreat faculty Sheree L. Greer, Raki Kopernik, C. Kubasta, Rebecca Jamieson, and Kristin Mitchell, with immersive workshops, manuscript consultations, and engaging talks. This weekend of writing in community will challenge you to explore new forms, deepen your writing practice, and are led by award-winning published authors and active, experienced teachers of writing.

For more information and updates throughout the year, see www.ShakeRagAlley.org, call (608) 987-3292, subscribe to twice-monthly e-newsletters and follow Shake Rag Alley on Facebook and Instagram.

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About Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts