The Lotus Education & Arts Foundation will offer free coloring Winter Workshops at 5 p.m. on Feb. 3 and 25.
Amanda Hutchins, the operations and visual arts program manager at Lotus, will lead each of the workshops at their location at 105 S. Rogers St.
Hutchins said the events will incorporate coloring with learning about Aboriginal culture. The provided coloring sheets will have an Aboriginal-inspired drawing on the front for guests to color in. On the back of the coloring sheets, there will be information about Aboriginal art, language and culture.
“We think that incorporating art, learning and culture into a medium that is accessible to anybody, and is also just a very relaxing activity, would be beneficial to the community,” Hutchins said.
Coloring can have a variety of benefits including stress relief, improved motor skills and vision, better sleep and focus and increased mindfulness, Hutchins said.
These are the first Winter Workshops that Lotus has organized. Hutchins said the organization plans to hold more in the future, each centered around teaching a different culture.
Ivy Tech Center for Lifelong Learning sponsors the workshops. They also offer a variety of art and history classes for anyone interested.
Lotus, a Bloomington-based not for profit organization, sponsors several artistic outreach projects throughout South Central Indiana communities. Hutchins said she plans to engage local assisted living facilities like Area 10 Agency on Aging, Bell Trace Senior Living and Jill’s House with Aborignial coloring projects as well.
The workshops are something anyone could benefit from, Hutchins said.
“Anybody can color,” Hutchins said. “It’s very fun to do, and it releases stress and anxiety. Which in the times we’re living in, I feel is something everybody needs.”
Each workshop is open to all ages and requires that guests reserve their space ahead of time on Eventbrite. Both workshops have a 15 person maximum, and require masks and proof of vaccination due to COVID-19 restrictions.
About the Author
