All classes are held at the Barbey Maritime Center (formerly the Astoria Train Depot at the east end of the Columbia River Maritime Museum parking lot) either in the West Side Meeting Room or the East Side Shop as indicated.
Please note: If the Museum cancels a class, 100 percent of the student’s tuition will be refunded. If a student cancels a registration at least 15 days prior to the class, the student will receive a full refund. If a student cancels a registration less than 15 calendar days prior to the class, no refund will be made.
If you are registering for the Kayak Building Class, there is a separate policy as noted.
October 8, 15, 22 and 29, 2020, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
BMC West
$55 members / $80 non-members
Capture the magic of the fall in botanical drawing. Work in an expressive style or more traditional botanical illustration style. Draw fall fruit, mushrooms, fall leaves, seed pods, branches with lichen and anything else you discover while in nature. Develop basic drawing and observational skills through fun and engaging exercises. Learn how to incorporate line, value, shape, texture and color, as well as overall design and composition. Please bring an object of your choice to the first class.
All levels and skills welcome. Returning students may work on their own subject matter and will receive guidance as needed.
Minimum of 6, maximum of 14
Bring a graphite H or F, pencil sharpener (Alvin brass bullet recommended), kneaded eraser or Tombow Mono Eraser, your favorite sketch book, set of colored pencils (Prismacolor Premier or Faber Castel Polychromos), or email Dorota for a list of colors as she recommends buying open stock and not sets.
September 24, 2020
November 2-8, 2020, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
BMC Shop
$800 PLUS kit price. Kit is purchased from Pygmy. Need to specify kit is for this class.
This class includes some pre-assembly by the instructor prior to the first day of class. To ensure costs are covered, a $200 non-refundable deposit is required at the time of registration. The $600 balance is due at least 30 days prior to day one of the class.
Build an elegant stitch and glue solo kayak. This 7 day class is offered in conjunction with Pygmy Boats. Participants will leave the class with their kayak approximately 60% complete and with all the skills necessary to finish the boat at home.
No previous building experience necessary
Minimum of 2, maximum of 4
A short list of readily available hand tools will be provided by the instructor prior to the class.
Two weeks prior to first day of class
August 24-30, 2020, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
BMC Shop
$800 PLUS kit price. Kit is purchased from Pygmy. Need to specify kit is for this class.
This class includes some pre-assembly by the instructor prior to the first day of class. To ensure costs are covered, a $200 non-refundable deposit is required at the time of registration. The $600 balance is due at least 30 days prior to day one of the class.
Build an elegant stitch and glue solo kayak. This 7 day class is offered in conjunction with Pygmy Boats. Participants will leave the class with their kayak approximately 60% complete and with all the skills necessary to finish the boat at home.
No previous building experience necessary
Minimum of 2, maximum of 4
A short list of readily available hand tools will be provided by the instructor prior to the class.
Two weeks prior to first day of class
Julia Triezenberg
July 11, 2020, 12:00 to 1:30 p.m.
BMC Shop
$40, includes shirt
Fish prints or gyotaku originated about 100 years ago in Japan as a way for sports fishermen to record the exact size and species of fish they caught. Today, sports fishermen in Japan often display gyotaku as wall decorations in their home, or they keep them as a sort of journal to document their success in the sport. Join us in making your own creations with a variety of freshly caught Pacific Northwest fish.
All ages welcome. Under 13 accompanied by an adult.
Minimum of 6, maximum of 20
A variety of fish, exclusive CRMM t-shirt and fabric paint provided. Students are encouraged to bring their own items (dish towels, children's clothing, hoodies, etc.).
June 27, 2020
June 27 and 28, 2020, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
BMC Shop
$120 members / $140 non-members
By creating a sea chest, students will learn dovetail joinery, gluing, clamping, and the use of boat builder and woodworker hand tools. The skills learned can be applied to boat building courses and small personal woodworking projects.
Beginner. No experience with hand tools necessary.
Minimum of 4, maximum of 6
Basic woodworking hand tools if you have them.
June 13, 2020
June 15-21, 2020, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
BMC Shop
$800 PLUS kit price. Kit is purchased from Pygmy. Need to specify kit is for this class.
This class includes some pre-assembly by the instructor prior to the first day of class. To ensure costs are covered, a $200 non-refundable deposit is required at the time of registration. The $600 balance is due at least 30 days prior to day one of the class.
Build an elegant stitch and glue solo kayak. This 7 day class is offered in conjunction with Pygmy Boats. Participants will leave the class with their kayak approximately 60% complete and with all the skills necessary to finish the boat at home.
No previous building experience necessary
Minimum of 2, maximum of 4
A short list of readily available hand tools will be provided by the instructor prior to the class.
Two weeks prior to first day of class
June 6, 2020, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
BMC Shop
$45 members / $65 non-members
Sharp tools make any job easier and safer. In this workshop you will learn how to sharpen your planes and chisels using basic stones and strops, relying on hand-eye skills rather than expensive machines.
Beginner. No experience with hand tools necessary.
Minimum of 4, maximum of 10
Bring hand tools that need to be sharpened.
May 23, 2020
May 5, 12, 19 and 26, 2020, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
BMC West
$55 members / $80 non-members
Immerse yourself in a world of botanical painting while learning foundation skills and techniques using watercolor. We will begin with color mixing, watercolor brush and blending techniques and explore both loose and precise painting styles. No painting experience necessary, but some drawing experience will be useful. We will explore wet on wet, wet on dry, and dry brush techniques. We will work predominantly from plant material, so bring a live specimen to class. A photos reference is sometimes useful as well..
All levels and skills welcome.
Minimum of 6, maximum of 14
Please bring graphite pencil H or F, 2B, kneaded eraser, sharpener, Pigma Micron pen 01 or 005 nib, brushes 2 and 4 round. Princeton Velvetouch is great, or golden talcon synthetic. Drawing sketchbook paper, Watercolor block, 9 by 12, cold or hot press, preferably 140 lb. or any other watercolor sketchbook. For paints, suggest Daniel Smith or any other watercolor set you have. Colors to have: Hansa yellow (cool yellow); New Gamboge (warm yellow); Transparent Pyrrole orange (warm red); Quin rose (cool red); Phthalo blue (cool blue); French Ultramarine (warm blue).
April 21, 2020
May 16, 2020, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and May 17, 2020, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
BMC Shop
$55 members / $65 non-members
Learn how to create a beautiful half-hull boat model. In this class you will be shown how they were used to explore and design the shape of a boat. You will also learn how to read offset tables and understand how these are used to build a full-scale boat. Students will have a choice of models to build and will leave class with a completed ½ hull model.
Beginner. No previous experience necessary.
Minimum of 4, maximum of 8
Tools will be provided, but if bringing your own, you’ll need: tri-square, ruler marked in 1/16”, half-round rasp, flat or four-in-one file, spokeshave, #2 Phillips screwdriver.
May 2, 2020
April 20-26, 2020, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
BMC Shop
$800 PLUS kit price. Kit is purchased from Pygmy. Need to specify kit is for this class.
This class includes some pre-assembly by the instructor prior to the first day of class. To ensure costs are covered, a $200 non-refundable deposit is required at the time of registration. The $600 balance is due at least 30 days prior to day one of the class.
Build an elegant stitch and glue solo kayak. This 7 day class is offered in conjunction with Pygmy Boats. Participants will leave the class with their kayak approximately 60% complete and with all the skills necessary to finish the boat at home.
No previous building experience necessary
Minimum of 2, maximum of 4
A short list of readily available hand tools will be provided by the instructor prior to the class.
Two weeks prior to first day of class
Linda Strever and Sandra Yannone
April 18, 2020, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
BMC West
$45 members / $65 non-members
Everyone is the keeper of a unique version of family history. This creative writing workshop will begin with a discussion of what makes a compelling story and will lead us into a series of interactive writing exercises to transform our known and unknown family stories into vibrant poetry, fiction or non-fiction.
All curious writers welcome regardless of writing experience
Minimum of 8, maximum of 20
Please bring a notebook and a pen.
April 3, 2020
April 9, 16, 23 and 30, 2020, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
BMC West
$55 members / $80 non-members
Explore creating playful compositions of sketches and drawings in your sketchbook that will include plants, small habitats, butterflies, birds and other visual and text elements. Investigate shapes and forms of different flora and fauna, and experiment with various techniques using pencil, pens and colored pencils. We will be drawing butterflies or birds from photographs and plants from live specimens, so please bring both to class. Learning about native plants of the Pacific Northwest region and local butterflies or other pollinators will be encouraged.
All levels and skills welcome.
Minimum of 6, maximum of 12
Please bring a pencil (H or F), kneaded eraser, sharpener, set of colored pencils (Prismacolor Premier or Faber Castell Polychromos) and Pigma Micron Pen 01 or 005, and your favorite sketchbook. Other supplies will be provided for class use.
March 26, 2020
Henry Hoffman
March 28 and 29, 2020, 12:00 to 4:00 p.m.
BMC Shop
$45 members / $55 non-members
Have you ever wanted to fish with a fly that you tied yourself? This is a rare opportunity to learn the basics of fly tying from a renowned local expert Henry Hoffman who has over 60 years of experience. Volunteers from Rainland Fly Casters will also be present, and class participants will receive a free one-year membership to the club. An excellent book on Northwest region fly patterns will also be available for $10. All materials and equipment will be supplied.
All levels from beginner to experienced are welcome
Minimum of 5, maximum of 10
All tools and materials will be provided, however, you are welcome to bring your own gear.
March 13, 2020
March 21, 2020, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (Make-up class due to power outage on originally scheduled date of March 7)
BMC West
$20 one-person group, $30 two-person group, $40 three-person group (one shark per group)
Students will learn about shark anatomy as they are led through a dissection of Squalus acanthias (dogfish). Sharks are fascinating fishes with a cartilaginous skeleton, extremely large liver, and a tough skin covered in placoid scales. Students will observe the exterior of the shark before moving into an internal exploration focusing on the amazing and oily liver.
All ages welcome; students under 13 must have an adult assistant
Minimum of 6, maximum of 16
Specimens and tools will be provided.
February 21
March 21 and 22, 2020, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
BMC Shop
$100 members / $115 non-members
One-piece, Greenland-style paddles are becoming increasingly popular among kayakers. In this class, you will learn how to layout the paddle profile onto clear, vertical grain cedar, and the procedures for cutting out the blank. Pre-cut blanks will then be provided for the students to shape using basic woodworking tools, including block planes, rasps and sand paper. The shaped paddles will then be sealed with an oil finish, and the students will take home their completed work, as well as the skills to make additional paddles.
Beginner. No previous woodworking experience necessary.
Minimum of 4, maximum of 6
March 6
Jim Bergeron
March 13, 2020, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
March 14, 2020, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
March 15, 2020, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
BMC Shop
$55 members / $65 non-members
Have you ever wanted to learn how to carve? This class will cover basic skill for novice carvers and will focus on Northwest coast Native American carving styles. Participants will be furnished with carving tools and wood plaques and will be shown basic carving techniques. Learn how to handle tools safely, how to lay out basic designs and how to carve desired shapes.
Beginner. No previous experience necessary.
Minimum of 8, maximum of 15
All materials will be provided, but bring carving tools if you have them.
February 28, 2020
Jim Bergeron
January 17, 2020, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
January 18, 2020, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
January 19, 2020, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
BMC Shop
$55 members / $65 non-members
Have you ever wanted to learn how to carve? This class will cover basic skill for novice carvers and will focus on Northwest coast Native American carving styles. Participants will be furnished with carving tools and wood plaques and will be shown basic carving techniques. Learn how to handle tools safely, how to lay out basic designs and how to carve desired shapes.
Beginner. No previous experience necessary.
Minimum of 8, maximum of 15
All materials will be provided, but bring carving tools if you have them.
January 3, 2020