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The Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, announces the Fall 2023 schedule of studio art classes for children and adults.

For children, the Museum & Me Pre-K program returns on Tuesdays, 10:30-11:30 a.m. By popular demand, this program for ages 2-5 now meets bimonthly, and introduces children to the Appleton through story time, a brief gallery visit and a corresponding art activity in the Artspace. For children ages 8-12, Art Explorations is back with a six-week session focusing on hand-building with clay, scheduled for after school on Wednesdays, beginning Oct. 11. Just for teens, a six-week clay class focusing on wheel throwing, will meet on Saturdays beginning Oct. 14.

New this year is a three-week art class for ages 5-7 called Art Adventures. This class meets on Saturdays beginning Oct. 7 and will introduce pint-sized Picassos to creating art in a studio environment. A new program called Museum Happenings is designed with homeschool and independent school students in mind. Meet an educator in the lobby and pick up a special activity sheet, complete the activity sheet in the museum galleries, then visit the Artspace for an accompanying art project led by the education team. This program meets on Wednesdays, Sept. 20 and Oct. 25.

A special holiday-inspired workshop on Dec. 9 allows children and an accompanying adult to make art together. Create a clay horse ornament inspired by the colorful wooden Dala horses of Sweden.

For adults, the Art 101 workshop series returns with Paper Quilling on Sept. 12, Abstract Mood Painting on Oct. 10 and Fall Leaves Colored Pencil and Watercolor workshop on Nov. 14. All materials are provided for these single-day, three-hour workshops. A Reduction Printmaking class on Sept. 30 will have participants creating multicolored, layered prints using a single print block during one four-hour session with E. Marie Fielding. Other single-day workshops include a charcoal drawing class led by Christina Szakonyi that meets on Oct. 14, and an Art Deco Mandala Painting workshop with Lisa Russo that meets on Dec. 9.

Multiweek classes for adults include Dig Into Clay Wheel Throwing that begins Sept. 30. The six-week session is offered on Saturdays and is open to potters of all skill levels.

“The Appleton Clay Lab features 11 pottery wheels and is the only one of its kind in the area,” said Hollis Mutch, museum educator. “We welcome all students, from beginner to advanced.”

Also this fall, the Master Class Series welcomes acclaimed visiting artist Anthony Ackrill. Focused on teaching the basics of figure drawing from life with charcoal or pencil, participants will learn the steps of establishing a solid rendition of the model. Ackrill trained as a student at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy for five years, where he then taught anatomy, figure painting and figure drawing. Ackrill’s painting, “Reaper,” is part of the Appleton’s permanent collection.

“By adding several new programs this year, we are pleased to meet the increased need in our community for arts and education,” said Jason Steuber, Appleton director.

Advance registration is required for all classes and programs. Visit AppletonMuseum.org for full class details and to register.

The Appleton Museum, Artspace and Store are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. A campus of the College of Central Florida, the Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, east of downtown on SR 40 (exit 352 east off I-75 or exit 268 west off I-95). Parking is free. For more information, call 352-291-4455 or visit

The College of Central Florida has been selected as an education partner for Amazon’s Career Choice program, providing Amazon’s hourly employees access to eligible 91��Ƭ’s degree and certificate programs.

Amazon’s Career Choice program is an education benefit that empowers employees to learn new skills for career success at Amazon or elsewhere. The program meets individual learners where they are on their education journey through a variety of education and upskilling opportunities including prepaid college tuition, industry certifications designed to lead to in-demand jobs, and foundational skills such as English language proficiency, high school diplomas and GED diplomas. In the U.S., the company is investing $1.2 billion to upskill more than 300,000 employees by 2025 to help move them into higher paying, in-demand jobs.

“We’re committed to preparing students for success in their careers, and this partnership is going to make that process more affordable and accessible for even more students in our community,” said Dr. Jennifer Fryns, 91��Ƭ vice president for Workforce Development and Innovation. “Whether students are interested in logistics, marketing, engineering or another field altogether, there are opportunities for them here.”

At 91��Ƭ, students can upskill with a short-term certificate, earn an Associate in Arts degree for university transfer, learn specialized workplace skills with a two-year Associate in Science degree, or pursue a four-year bachelor’s degree. 91��Ƭ’s Associate in Science in Supply Chain Management is expressly designed for logistics and supply chain employers such as Amazon. Night, weekend and online classes are offered to provide class options for students needing flexible schedules. With a wealth of student services, small class sizes and award-winning faculty, students at 91��Ƭ are supported every step of their education and beyond.

Amazon’s Career Choice program has a rigorous selection process for third-party partner educators, choosing partners that are focused on helping employees through their education programs, assisting them with job placements, and overall offering education that leads to career success.

“We’re looking forward to 91��Ƭ coming on board as an education partner for Career Choice, adding to the hundreds of best-in-class offerings available to our employees,” said Tammy Thieman, director of Career Development Programs at Amazon. “We’re committed to empowering our employees by providing them access to the education and training they need to grow their careers, whether that’s with us or elsewhere. We have intentionally created a partner network of third-party educators and employers committed to providing excellent education, job placement resources, and continuous improvements to the experience. Today, over 130,000 Amazon employees around the world have participated in Career Choice and we’ve seen firsthand how it can transform their lives.”

For more information on Amazon’s Career Choice, visit: or .

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit and follow .

The College of Central Florida Webber Gallery presents the “52^nd Annual Florida Watercolor Society Exhibition” on view Sept. 25-Oct. 26. Visitors will see a diverse array of both traditional and experimental designs created with water-soluble media on materials from paper to clay-coated surfaces to illustration board.

More than 500 works were submitted by skilled artists affiliated with the Florida Watercolor Society, and 79 were selected and will be judged by Andy Evansen, a watercolor painter and signature member of the American Watercolor Society since 2015. Evansen was featured on the cover of American Artist Magazine in 2005 after winning its international watercolor competition. He has taught national and international workshops and is a longtime signature member of the Transparent Watercolor Society of America, Red River Watercolor Society, Northwest Watercolor Society and Plein Art Painters of America, as well as a member of the Salmagundi Club and California Art Club.

“Jurying a large watercolor society’s annual exhibition is always enjoyable because of the variety and skill level, and this year’s Florida Watercolor Society entrants didn’t disappoint,” Evansen said. “Watercolor is an incredibly diverse medium, and I want the public to see that when viewing the exhibition. I love original, thought-provoking works, and I often find myself asking, ‘How did the artist do that?’ or ‘What was this artist trying to say?’ and I hope the paintings selected elicit the same response from viewers.”

The community is invited to an opening reception on Friday, Sept. 29, 6-8 p.m. Webber Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and admission is free. The Webber Gallery is located at the 91��Ƭ Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road. For more information, visit or call 352-854-2322, ext. 1664.

The Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, offers free admission on the first Saturday of each month with the popular Free First Saturday series.

The next Free First Saturday is Aug. 5. From 10 a.m.-5 p.m., visitors can enjoy free admission to see several recently opened exhibitions, including “The Unscene South: Charles Eady Revisits History.” At 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Eady will give free tours of his solo exhibition, featuring more than 20 mixed-media works that explore the history of free Blacks in the South prior to the Emancipation Proclamation. Learn directly from the artist with the opportunity to ask questions. Tours are free and will meet in the exhibition on the second floor.

Other special exhibitions on view include “Eternal Summer: Works from the Permanent Collection” and “Caught Up in History and Captured on Film: Randy Batista’s Photographs of Florida and Cuba.” Scuba Steve’s Snack Shack food truck will be on-site throughout the day.

The Appleton Museum, Artspace and Store are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. A campus of the College of Central Florida, the Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, east of downtown on SR 40 (exit 352 east off I-75 or exit 268 west off I-95). Parking is free. For more information, call 352-291-4455 or visit

The College of Central Florida invites anyone thinking about college to an open house on Thursday, July 27, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Charles S. Dean Sr. Educational Center at the 91��Ƭ Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus, 3800 S. Lecanto Highway, Lecanto.

Future students are encouraged to tour the campus and learn about more than 150 academic pathways, including 70 job-training programs. Attendees can get help with admission and financial aid and register for the fall semester, which begins Aug. 14.

Everyone who completes an admissions application at the event will have the $30 fee waived and will receive a 91��Ƭ T-shirt.

Attendees are encouraged to register at . For more information, call 352-746-6721, ext. 6179.

The College of Central Florida invites anyone thinking about college to an open house on Thursday, July 20, from 2-5 p.m. at the 91��Ƭ Jack Wilkinson Levy Campus, 15390 N.W. Highway 19, Chiefland.

Future students are encouraged to tour the campus and learn about more than 150 academic pathways, including 70 job-training programs. Attendees can get help with admission and financial aid and register for the fall semester, which begins Aug. 14.

Everyone who completes an admissions application at the event will have the $30 fee waived and will receive a 91��Ƭ T-shirt.

Attendees are encouraged to register at . For more information, call 352-658-4077, ext. 2118.

The College of Central Florida invites anyone thinking about college to an open house on Wednesday, July 19, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., at the 91��Ƭ Ocala Campus Ewers Century Center, 3001 S.W. College Road, Ocala.

Future students are encouraged to tour the campus and learn about more than 150 academic pathways, including 70 job-training programs. Attendees can get help with admission and financial aid for the fall semester, which begins Aug. 14.

Everyone who completes an admissions application at the event will have the $30 fee waived.

A virtual open house will also be offered on Wednesday, Aug. 2, from 10-11:30 a.m. on Zoom.

Attendees are encouraged to register at . For more information, call 352-873-5800, ext. 1379.