By Allison Peck | North Platte Post
Listen to the Full Interview with Holly Carlini on our Kubota Podcast
The Prairie Arts Center is rolling out new opportunities for the community this winter, from ceramics and watercolor classes to a special Valentine’s event featuring musician Rascal Martinez. Holly Carlini, of the Prairie Arts Center, joined the North Platte Post studio to share the latest updates.
“We have some really great individuals that are regulars there,” Carlini said about the ceramics program. “Cecilia Lawrence will be volunteering to open a Thursday morning. Normally, our ceramics program runs on Fridays from 2 to 5:30 and Saturdays from 11 to 2. Cecilia wanted this to be available for maybe adults or moms who have dropped their kids off to school, kind of looking for something to do. It’s a nice, calm, relaxing environment.”
Carlini noted that a one-time evening ceramics session will also be held on February 12 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Arts Center. She added that pieces range in price from $5 to $100, all-inclusive of glaze and firing fees.
“We have molds where we pour our own pieces too that are from the ’60s and ’70s,” she said. “You can find ashtrays and all sorts of crazy stuff.”
The Arts Center also continues to host a cancer survivor watercolor class led by Sandy Meyer and sponsored by Great Plains Health.
“This class has been there since the beginning of the Prairie Arts Center. It’s free to the public, anyone that has been touched by cancer in their lives,” Carlini said. “Sandy runs this class. It’s really relaxing and beautiful, and she offers a space for them to create. It’s beginner-friendly, and people come for as long or as little as they want.”
Looking ahead, the Arts Center will host Rascal Martinez for a Valentine’s-themed show on Friday, February 13.
“He does have another musician playing with him and it’s always a super great time,” Carlini said. “Tickets are $20 apiece, or you can buy a VIP package with two tickets, a bottle of wine, and dessert.”
In addition to these offerings, the Arts Center is introducing new classes ranging from finger crocheting for Valentine’s pillows to fused glass and monthly pottery wheel classes. Hand-building clay classes will also return, allowing participants to create items like house numbers and travel mugs.
Carlini emphasized that the Prairie Arts Center is welcoming to all skill levels.
“A lot of people think, ‘Oh, I have to know art to go in there,’ but that’s what the place is for. You don’t have to know what you’re doing to go in there,” she said.
Memberships are also available at $35 annually for singles, providing discounts on classes and in the gift shop.
“The Prairie Arts Center is a non-intimidating space where anyone can explore their creativity,” Carlini said. “Stop in and check it out—you never know what you might enjoy.”