Our Classes
Heartstrings: How Music Pulls Us Into Our Stories and Ourselves (high school students)
with Jessie Rothwell
Ages: 13 - 19
Thursday, April 23 and 30, 6-7:30pm
Catamount Arts Center
Instructor: Jessie Rothwell
Sometimes music feels like sorcery in the moment. Melody, harmony, rhythm and timbre can become more than the sum of their parts in a piece of music. When lyrics combine with sounds, even more magic can come into it. What is happening when certain songs give us goosebumps or make us cry? How do particular songs transport us back to certain settings or moments, even many years later? If you are curious about all this and want to explore it through listening, writing and discussion, join us. We will unpack how different areas of the brain take in music and language and work in conjunction with the areas of the brain in charge of memory and emotion.
Class fee: $45 (10% discount for Catamount Arts members) Please contact Anne at 802-748-2600 ext 109 to inquire about financial assistance.
Jessie Rothwell of Takoma Park, Maryland is a writer, storyteller and musician. Her writing has appeared in The Rumpus, Barrelhouse, Gargoyle, the Grace & Gravity journal series, Breadcrumbs magazine, and on Minnesota Public Radio’s Classical blog. She has sung Balkan traditional and other types of music with the Balkan women's vocal ensemble Orfeia and as a member of the band Mezhdou. She participated in Season 19 of AWP's Writer to Writer mentorship during 2023/2024. She holds an MFA in music composition from the California Institute of the Arts. Find her meditations on life at https://jessierothwell.substack.com/.
Studio Saturdays (grades 3-6)
with Abby Maier Johnson
Ages: 8 - 12
Saturdays, April 11, May 9, June 13, 10am-noon
Catamount Arts Center
Instructor: Abby Maier Johnson
Explore the work in the Catamount Arts galleries by making your own art creations! Classes will meet once a month. Students will spend time looking at the work in the galleries and then create projects inspired by a piece in the show.
Class fee: $20 per session. Registration in advance is required. We are committed to offering high quality arts experiences for all students, regardless of ability to pay. If you need financial assistance, please contact Anne Campbell at 802-748-2600 ext 109 to learn about scholarships.
Abby Maier Johnson has over 20 years of experience working with children in libraries, schools, museums, and community centers. Her work as a teaching artist has often focused on using everyday materials to create sculptures, puppets, and masks. She currently works with students in PreK through 8th grade as the art teacher at The Riverside School in Lyndonville, and loves exploring all kinds of visual art with her students.
Better Acting & Rock Hard Confidence (adults)
with William York Hyde
Tuesdays, May 12 - June 16, 2026 6:30 - 8:30pm
Instructor: William York Hyde
Let's have fun and gain more poise, confidence and acting chops. It doesn't matter if you've never been on a stage or you've trod the boards for years, this 6-week course of improv games, gentle acting exercises and a unique approach to character development will help you to grow as an individual and as an actor. The final class is an actual Vaudevillian-style revue of skits, one-liners, puns and even more fun. Hooray! Give it a go -- come play with us!
Class fee: Class fee: $150 (10% discount from Catamount Arts members). Catamount Arts is committed to offering quality arts experiences for all students, regardless of ability to pay; please call Anne at 802-748-2600 ext. 109 for information about scholarship funds.
William York Hyde, SAG-AFTRA member, has performed in movies, TV shows, radio broadcasts, commercials, voice-overs and more than 130 stage productions. Since settling in St. Johnsbury, William has taught acting classes for Catamount Arts, coached local high school actors and founded a Vaudevillian comedy troupe "You've Got to be Kidding," which has performed at St. J Sparkles and First Night North, and is now booking future shows. From coast to coast, from the avant-garde to Shakespeare, from Renaissance Fairs to Broadway, William is keen to share his experience and insights with curious, creative and adventurous New Englanders.
Better Acting & Rock Hard Confidence (high school students)
with William York Hyde
Ages: 13 - 18
Tuesdays, May 12 - June 16, 2026 6:30 - 8:30pm
Instructor: William York Hyde
Let's have fun and gain more poise, confidence and acting chops. It doesn't matter if you've never been on a stage or you've trod the boards for years, this 6-week course of improv games, gentle acting exercises and a unique approach to character development will help you to grow as an individual and as an actor. The final class is an actual Vaudevillian-style revue of skits, one-liners, puns and even more fun. Hooray! Give it a go -- come play with us!
Class fee: Class fee: $135 (10% discount from Catamount Arts members). Catamount Arts is committed to offering quality arts experiences for all students, regardless of ability to pay; please call Anne at 802-748-2600 ext. 109 for information about scholarship funds.
William York Hyde, SAG-AFTRA member, has performed in movies, TV shows, radio broadcasts, commercials, voice-overs and more than 130 stage productions. Since settling in St. Johnsbury, William has taught acting classes for Catamount Arts, coached local high school actors and founded a Vaudevillian comedy troupe "You've Got to be Kidding," which has performed at St. J Sparkles and First Night North, and is now booking future shows. From coast to coast, from the avant-garde to Shakespeare, from Renaissance Fairs to Broadway, William is keen to share his experience and insights with curious, creative and adventurous New Englanders.
Sketching from Life (grades 5-8)
with Abby Maier Johnson
Ages: 10 - 14
Thursday, May 14, 1-3pm (Early Release Day at St Johnsbury School)
Catamount Arts Center
Instructor: Abby Maier Johnson
Create your own sketchbook, then put it to use as we go outside (weather permitting) and sketch the signs of spring in the neighborhood. If it’s raining, we’ll sketch indoors.
Class fee: $20. Registration in advance is required. We are committed to offering high quality arts experiences for all students, regardless of ability to pay. If you need financial assistance, please contact Anne Campbell at 802-748-2600 ext 109 to learn about scholarships.
Abby Maier Johnson has over 20 years of experience working with children in libraries, schools, museums, and community centers. Her work as a teaching artist has often focused on using everyday materials to create sculptures, puppets, and masks. She currently students in PreK through 8th grade as the art teacher at The Riverside School in Lyndonville, and loves exploring all kinds of visual art with her students.
Studio Saturdays (grades 3-6)
with Abby Maier Johnson
Ages: 8 - 12
Saturdays, April 11, May 9, June 13, 10am-noon
Catamount Arts Center
Instructor: Abby Maier Johnson
Explore the work in the Catamount Arts galleries by making your own art creations! Classes will meet once a month. Students will spend time looking at the work in the galleries and then create projects inspired by a piece in the show.
Class fee: $20 per session. Registration in advance is required. We are committed to offering high quality arts experiences for all students, regardless of ability to pay. If you need financial assistance, please contact Anne Campbell at 802-748-2600 ext 109 to learn about scholarships.
Abby Maier Johnson has over 20 years of experience working with children in libraries, schools, museums, and community centers. Her work as a teaching artist has often focused on using everyday materials to create sculptures, puppets, and masks. She currently works with students in PreK through 8th grade as the art teacher at The Riverside School in Lyndonville, and loves exploring all kinds of visual art with her students.