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:
Class Title: Sticks and Stones (Nature Sculpture)
Date/Time Saturday, January 16th 1:00PM-5:00PM
Cost: $40.00
Location: Art Lab’s 3D Lab
Skill level: Any
Audience: 12-adult
Description:
Step outside, gather what the world’s already made, and turn it into something new. We’ll kick things off with a short nature walk around the museum grounds, where you’ll collect sticks, twigs, leaves, pebbles, and stones to use in your sculpture. We’ll also provide a selection of natural materials if you’d rather skip the scavenger hunt, or bring your own from home if you’ve already got a favorite piece of driftwood or a rock you can’t put down.
Back in the studio, you’ll combine your finds with clay, wire, and glue to build a sculpture rooted in the natural world — literally. Whether you go abstract, whimsical, or true-to-nature, the materials are yours to shape. All skill levels welcome.
Other classes in the series:
Costume Mask Masking, 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.