Sculpture Series with Michael Gerber
Explore sculpture techniques with Michael through costume mask-making, polymer clay miniatures, found-object sculpture, and nature-based earth sculptures. All classes are beginner friendly! Most supplies are included unless specifically noted.
This class:
Costume Mask Making
$50.00 per person
Saturdays, October 17th & 24th from 1:00PM-4:00PM
Location: Art Lab’s 3D Lab
Skill level: Any
Audience: age 12-adult
Description:
In this two-day class, you’ll design and build a custom 3D mask formed to fit your own face! Starting with a plaster-cloth based molded directly to your features, you’ll build up dimension and then decorate with faux fur, felting wool, and other materials to create a completely one-of-a-kind mask for Halloween (or just for fun!)
Please note: Because the base materials are applied directly to the face, some minor skin irritation is possible. Vaseline will be provided as a barrier for sensitive skin, but you’re encouraged to bring your own protectant if you prefer.
Other classes in the series:
Costume Mask Making Saturday, October 17th & 24th from 1:00PM-4:00PM
Found Sculpture: Thrift Store Edition, Saturday, 12/5/26 from 1:00-4:00PM
Sticks and Stones (Nature Sculpture) Saturday, 1/16/27 from 1:00PM-5:00PM
Making Faces, Saturday, 2/20/27 from 1:00PM-4:00PM
3D Character Sculpture Saturday, 3/20/27 from 1:00PM to 4:00PM
About the Instructor:
Michael Gerber has over 30 years of sculpting experience and more than 15 years of experience in pyrography, working across a range of media from character sculpture to burned wood pieces. He owned and operated Mikey Burns Things, a commission-based studio for pyrography and sculpture, and has a particular affinity for character creation, having studied film and stop-motion animation and applied that knowledge to designing and building sculpted characters.
Michael holds an MFA in Theatre from Ohio University and a BA from Western Oregon University, and brings additional experience as a writer, director, and performer, including a role as Artistic Director of Barter Youth Academy at Barter Theatre, and as owner/operator of Appalachian Performing Arts Academy. That background in performance and timing informs how he approaches character, form, and storytelling in his sculptural work.
At the Art Lab, Michael draws on this range of experience to help students build technical skill and find their own voice in sculpture and pyrography. He lives with his two cats, Chetney and Zeke, surrounded by sculptures and pyrography pieces, in a house that always smells vaguely like a campfire.