Design and paint your own egg gourd ornament for autumn with guidance from artist Leo Rucker

Join us for a hands-on creative session to learn basic decorative techniques, explore color theory and pattern design, and incorporate personal details to create a one-of-a-kind ornament. This Art in the Park session will be led by Winston-Salem-based artist Leo Rucker. No prior experience required.

Leo Rucker

Leo Rucker is a multidisciplinary visual artist who works with pencil, pastel, acrylics, watercolor, and oils. He is known for capturing the heartbeat of his subjects through striking photo realism and emotional depth. Rucker is an award-winning artist, educator, and community collaborator, with solo exhibitions, large-scale murals, published illustrations, and portrait commissions across North Carolina and beyond. Through his art and teaching, Rucker uses visual storytelling to celebrate culture, history, and human connection.

Art in the Park

Art in the Park is a free pop-up series presented by NCMA Winston-Salem and Winston-Salem Recreation & Parks. Designed for all ages, Art in the Park invites you to explore your creativity at scenic local parks. Drop by between 10:00 and 1:00 to enjoy a unique, hands-on tutorial led by our featured local artist. Materials are provided, and if you can’t stay to create, we’ll happily send you off with supplies to help spark your imagination later.

Create puppet characters using natural and found objects

Join us at Granville Park for a playful, hands-on workshop where imagination takes the lead. With guidance from local creative John Bowhers and using everyday natural and found objects, create unique puppet characters that transform ordinary materials into expressive works of art. Leave with a one-of-a-kind puppet and fresh inspiration for imaginative storytelling.

John Bowhers is an artist and designer whose cross-discipline work includes puppet arts, stage design, printmaking, graphic design, and custom fabrication. With a 10-year professional background in theatre production, he is at his best when exploring a wide variety of mediums and trying to solve unique creative puzzles by learning new techniques. He cares deeply about work that serves young audiences and communities. 

Art in the Park

Let the park, streets, and built environment become your studio during an outdoor printmaking session

Explore the landscape to collect textures from manhole covers, grates, and other surfaces. Simple printmaking techniques will be used to transfer these textures onto t-shirts and other materials, with direction from artist Kim Varnadoe.

Please note that tote bags will be available to screen print while supplies last. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own tees or totes from home.

This Art in the Park session will be led by Winston-Salem-based painter and printmaker Kim Varnadoe, who mentored artists for over 25 years before retiring as a Professor of Art at Salem College. Varnadoe is a member of Artworks Gallery, serves on the boards of Associated Artists of Winston-Salem and the Downtown Arts District Association (DADA), and maintains a studio at Culture WS collective. She is also a Founding Artist of the online fine art gallery, Artfolios, where her work can be found online.

Art in the Park

Art in the Park is a free, pop-up series presented by NCMA Winston-Salem and Winston-Salem Recreation & Parks. Designed for all ages, Art in the Park invites you to explore your creativity at scenic local parks. Drop by between 10:00 and 1:00 to enjoy a unique, hands-on tutorial led by our featured local artist. Materials are provided, and if you can’t stay to create, we’ll happily send you off with supplies to help spark your imagination later.

Join us for a special Art in the Park double feature with concurrent workshops led by artists Emily Clare and Laura Lashley at Miller Park

Emily Clare will guide participants through hands-on printmaking with Gelli plates, using natural elements like leaves and flowers to produce layered, one-of-a-kind monoprints. Laura Lashley will lead an exploration of meditative flower paintings during an acrylic painting session designed to promote mindfulness while exploring balance, pattern, and vibrant floral forms. No experience is needed, just curiosity and a love for nature-inspired art. Materials are provided and all ages and skill levels are welcome.

Emily Clare

Emily Clare is a visual artist from Cookeville, TN, who now lives and works in Winston-Salem. She has exhibited work in regional, national, and international exhibitions; most recently, NCMA Winston-Salem’s inaugural exhibition, Unboxed: Art beyond the Museum and a solo show at Central Gallery in Greensboro, NC. Clare is a co-founder of the Ardmore Art Walk in Winston-Salem. | emilyclarestudio.com

Laura Lashley

Laura Lashley is an artist living and working in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. Her distinctive vision has remained consistent over decades of creating and exhibiting paintings in the Triad where her work in and out of the studio has been widely celebrated. | lauralashley.com

Create whimsical 2D paper-mâché clouds using pages from upcycled books

With guidance from local artist Mackenzie Yarbrough, explore layering, texture, and decoupage techniques to build soft, cloud-like forms. Materials are provided and all ages and skill sets are welcome.

In the event of rain, Art in the Park: Paper-mâché Clouds will be held indoors at Hanes Hosiery Community Center (501 Reynolds Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC 27105).

MACKENZIE YARBROUGH is a student at UNC Greensboro. With a longtime passion for art, especially watercolor illustrations, she has recently uncovered a penchant for paper-mâché creations. This medium has allowed her to create sculptures that translate her illustrative style into three-dimensional concepts, including cloud sculptures that exude the same sense of whimsy and playfulness conveyed in her illustrations.

ART IN THE PARK is a free, pop-up series presented by NCMA Winston-Salem and City of Winston-Salem Recreation & Parks. Designed for all ages, Art in the Park invites you to explore your creativity at scenic local parks. Drop by between 10:00 and 1:00 to enjoy a unique, hands-on tutorial led by our featured local artist. Materials are provided, and if you can’t stay to create, we’ll happily send you off with supplies to help spark your imagination later.