Reconnect with your creativity through Summer Camp at the Stevie, a five-part workshop series that invites adults (age 16+) to experience art making through the senses. Set in the Wende Museum’s Stevie Artist Residence garden oasis, each Sunday workshop explores one of the five senses through a different creative practice, from watercolor painting and basket weaving to ceramics, botanical incense making, and traditional food preservation.

Inspired by the spirit of summer camp, the series encourages participants to slow down, notice the world around them, and engage with natural materials in meaningful ways. Together, we’ll observe the colors of the landscape, listen through handmade instruments, weave with plant fibers, create fragrances from botanicals, and preserve seasonal ingredients, discovering how creativity can deepen our relationship to the environment and one another.

Designed for artists and beginners alike, Summer Camp at the Stevie celebrates making by hand as a pathway to mindfulness, curiosity, and community. Whether you attend a single workshop or join us for the full series, you’ll leave with new skills, meaningful connections, and a renewed appreciation for the beauty found in the natural world.

What is the Stevie?

Tucked away on the southwestern side of the Wende Museum’s Community Center, the Stevie is a “tiny house” turned creative outpost. Surrounded by palms and desert landscaping, it serves as both an artist residency space and an intimate venue for programs, gatherings, and experimental events on its expansive outdoor deck. The Stevie was made possible by a transformative contribution from Steve and Jadwiga Markoff.

Workshop Description: SOUND | Ocarina Handbuilding Workshop with Peyton Ellis

Discover the connection between clay, breath, and sound by crafting your own ceramic ocarina. Guided by ceramic artist Peyton Ellis, participants will sculpt a functional wind instrument while learning the fundamentals of hand-building and acoustic form. Along the way, the group will explore how simple natural materials can become expressive musical objects that continue making sound long after the workshop ends.

Artist Bio

Peyton Ellis is a ceramic artist and educator whose playful sculptural practice bridges craft, design, and sound. Their workshops emphasize experimentation and accessibility, encouraging participants of all experience levels to engage with clay as both an artistic and functional medium.