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It’s been a long winter for South Dakotans, but that hasn’t stopped a Mitchell business owner from thinking about spring and warmer days ahead.
On Saturday in downtown Mitchell, as people came through the board and brush doors, Jane Shepard and her team of teachers welcomed them to an art-led workshop making spring plantings.
“I’m ready for spring. We’re always planning for the seasons, and this workshop will get you ready to plant those fall plants when nature cooperates,” Shepherd said.
With a full class Saturday, Shepherd wasn’t alone in thinking about spring. It was one of the many boards and brushes the workshop has hosted since it opened a year ago.
Sam Fosness / The Republic
While the workshops are led and facilitated by Shepherd and his fellow instructors, the setup is designed to give each participant “complete freedom” to bring their own ideas to life.
“For each of the different workshops, we have different designs. When they come in, they choose their project, and we adjust and cut our stencils to fit their personalization,” Shepherd said.
Some workshops guide participants on how to make wall signs, console tables, or functional decorative pieces. For Saturday’s spring planting workshop, blank canvases of prefabricated wooden planters were transformed into colorful, rustic planters in design.
“We guide them every step of the way so that no one gets lost. They learn how to do it all,” she said. “We provide all the materials, stains, brushes and paints. The best thing is that when you come in and make a mess, we’ll clean it up for you.”
The designs painted on the creations created in each workshop are stencil cutters, which avoids making the designs free. Shepherd says the stencil aspect “makes it scary” for people to get their hands dirty and create something they thought they couldn’t do before.
Sam Fosness / The Republic
Among the media used to create the craft and art work are flesh tenders, drills, hammers, paints and other special tools. And each device is intended to improve the overall design and appearance of the invention.
“They use what we call tools—like hammers, meat tenderizers and chicken wire. They put all the prints and twists,” she says. “They’re distressing the wood with their weapons.”
A creative atmosphere is created with music playing in the background. Alcoholic beverages are also available for those who want to take the edge off while making artwork.
Since opening, Shepherd said she has hosted workshops for a wide variety of groups, including staff, faculty, families and couples. She recommends the workshops for anyone looking to socialize and have fun while creating.
Sam Fosness / The Republic
Sam Fosness joined Mitchell Republic in May 2018. He grew up in Mitchell, SD, and graduated from Mitchell High School. He continued his education at the University of South Dakota in Vermilion. In 2020, he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in English. During college, Fosnes worked as a news and sports reporter for the Volante newspaper.
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