Stifel Open House with Artists-in-Residence

Join us from 1-3pm on Saturday, May 10 at Stifel Fine Arts Center for a free open house and art demonstrations with the 2025 Stifel artists-in-residence.

Meet three talented Stifel artists-in-residence as they demonstrate their skills. Watch artists demonstrating their crafts, ask questions, discuss art and life, explore art-making tools, and learn more about upcoming hands-on workshops with each artist. You can also tour the Lyrical Abstraction exhibition on display in the galleries.

All are welcome.

EQT and the Elizabeth Stifel Kline Foundation sponsor the Stifel Artist-in-Residence Program.

About the Artists-in-Residence

Freddie Banbridge

Freddie Bainbridge of Pittsburgh is an encaustic painter. Encaustic art uses beeswax, pigment, water and heat. Examples were found as far back as 100-300 AD — the oldest surviving encaustic panel paintings are Romano-Egyptian Fayum mummy portraits. Bainbridge describes encaustic art this way: “Layers of molten wax, bold pigments and embedded materials create ethereal landscapes where color, texture and light converge.”

Ellie Stanislav

Ellie Stanislav, from Big Rapids, Michigan and fresh out of Michigan State University is here to explore, get new ideas and increase her cache of work. She has found her niche as a tile artist. Her process involves making plaster-cast molds, then “punching in the clay” to create the tiles.

Terra Leone

Terra Leone, from Castlerock, Colorado, wants to add the art of stained glass to her repertoire during her residency. The multidisciplinary artist also works in oils, acrylics, murals, metal smithing and digital art. Specifically, she wants to create stained-glass pieces to serve as three-dimensional models for two-dimensional paintings.

LEARN MORE

Read more about the artists and the residency in our recent online article about the program.

Workshops with Stifel Artists-in-Residence

Tile and Mold-Making for Collaborative Tile Arrangement, presented by Ellie Stanislav
Wednesday, May 14, 21, 28, 1-3pm
In this multi-day workshop, students will learn the technique of ceramic mold-making and how to make a master model suitable for a one-part mold. In the first session, students will design a tile to the dimension of 6x6x0.5” in preparation to make a one-part mold of the tile. In the next class, we will build mold boxes, mix and pour plaster over the master models. Once the molds have dried out, a third session will allow students to cast their tile molds. Casted tiles will be glazed and fired and shown in a collective tile arrangement at the Artist-in-Residence exhibition at the end of June. Clay, tools, and plaster will be provided. Plaster is messy and difficult to remove from clothing, please wear suitable clothing on mold-making day.

$35/$30 OI members (Includes material fee.) Register online or call 304-242-7700.

WAX IN MOTION: Abstract Encaustic Exploration, presented by Freddie Bainbridge
Saturday, May 17, 10am-1pm
Let intuition lead the way in this playful encaustic class focused on abstract expression. Explore mark-making, color layering, and spontaneous composition through wax. You will be encouraged to have creative freedom through abstraction. Experiment with layering, scraping, fusing, and texture and understand color interaction and composition in wax on a 9×9 board.

$25/$20 OI members (Includes material fee.) Register online or call 304-242-7700.

Filming Content for Social Media: Plug In, Set Up, Shoot, presented by Terra Leone
Tuesday, May 20, 1-3pm
Whether you’re creating reels, tutorials, or behind-the-scenes clips, this class will help you level up your content creation game. In this class you’ll learn how to set up your gear (lights, tripods, cameras, phones), cable management and making your setup clean and efficient and framing, lighting, and sound basics for scroll-stopping content. No fancy equipment needed—just curiosity and your smartphone to start!

$15/$10 OI members. Register online or call 304-242-7700.

MEMORIES IN WAX: Encaustic & Photography, presented by Freddie Bainbridge
Wednesday, May 21, 6-9pm
Blend nostalgia with rich encaustic texture by incorporating photography into wax-based artwork. In this workshop, students will learn how to fuse their own photographs onto wood panels using encaustic wax. We’ll explore techniques to enhance the photo surface with translucent layers, pigment sticks, and metallic
powders on an 8x10board.

$25/$20 OI members (Includes material fee.) Register online or call 304-242-7700.

One-Part Mold-Making presented, by Ellie Stanislav
Thursday, May 22, 6-8pm
In this workshop, people will learn the technique of ceramic mold-making and how to make a master model suitable for a one-part mold. People will have the choice of casting whatever they wish to make, must be suitable for one-part mold.

$25/$20 OI members (Includes material fee.) Register online or call 304-242-7700.

BLOOM & BURN: Encaustic Dried Flowers Workshop, presented by Freddie Bainbridge
Wednesday, May 28, 6-9pm
Celebrate the beauty of botanicals by combining the lush texture of encaustic wax with dried flowers. This class focuses on capturing the delicacy, drama, and abstraction of flowers using encaustic techniques. Learn basic encaustic techniques including fusing, layering, and texture. You will enhance the surface with mica powders or pigments to create a luminous, botanical piece on a 9×9 inch board. Bring your favorite dried flowers or use what we have to offer.

$25/$20 OI members (Includes material fee.) Register online or call 304-242-7700.

Tile-Making, presented by Ellie Stanislav
Saturday, May 31, 1-3:30pm
In this workshop, people will have the opportunity to make tiles. They can make one 8×8”, two 4×8”, or four 4×4” tiles. A slab will first be formed and using subtractive and additive relief sculpture techniques using clay and tools, people will be able to make their own textures and designs to make decorative tiles. All clay and tools will be provided by the studio.

$25/$20 OI members (Includes material fee.) Register online or call 304-242-7700.

Mural Class: Let’s Make the World More Beautiful—One Wall at a Time, presented by Terra Leone
Saturday, May 31, 10am-12pm
The world needs more art, and you can help make that happen. In this class, you’ll learn how to properly prep a wall for painting, discuss the multiple ways to transfer your design (including using a projector) and tips, tricks, and techniques to bring your vision to life. No tools required, just bring your creativity!

$15/$10 OI members (Includes material fee.) Register online or call 304-242-7700.

Design & Dazzle: Using Procreate for Stained Glass + Painting Patterns, presented by Terra Leone
Saturday, June 7, 10am-12pm
Turn your iPad into a powerhouse for art planning and social content! In this class, you’ll explore how to use Procreate to create custom patterns for stained glass or paintings—and how to capture your process with the timelapse feature for great social media content.

What you’ll learn:
• How to sketch and design patterns using layers and symmetry tools
• Planning for stained glass or painting workflows
• Using timelapse recording to share your creative process
• Quick tips for clean, engaging visuals

We’ll be using Apple TV to share demos on a mobile TV stand. No tools necessary—just bring your iPad & Apple Pencil if you have them!

$15/$10 OI members Register online or call 304-242-7700.

About the Stifel Fine Arts Center

Housed in the historic Edemar Mansion, the Stifel Fine Arts Center is a treasure trove for artistic expression and personal fulfillment. As a public arts center, the community can enjoy our galleries, classrooms and performance spaces. Artists, art lovers, students, educators and families gather here to connect and engage in creative pursuits.

Tour our art galleries and see the work of local, regional and national artists. You can take a class in painting, pottery, jewelry making and more. Our classes and workshops provide knowledge and tools to explore the visual arts.

Attend a jazz concert, wine tasting or craft beer event. The elegant setting is ideal for date nights and evenings out with friends.