PETERSHAM — The Petersham Craft Center at 8 North Main St. is offering a full slate of April activities to help people enjoy spring.
Lynn Hartman of Barre will return on Saturday, April 14, from 9 to 11 a.m. to lead a class on making herbal window boxes. Participants will create beautiful and useful window boxes with fragrant herbs that can be used for cooking. Hartman grows herbs and flowers on Hartman’s Herb Farm and Bed and Breakfast in Barre and has been teaching classes in herb cultivation, wreath making and flower arranging in the region for many years.
Wilderness skills will be taught at the Art Center on Saturday, April 14, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. John Buffington will instruct students on how to make rasps and files, flint flakes and use sandstone to make stone hammers, pump drills, string games and more. This outdoor event invites participants ages 8 and older to challenge their abilities in nature’s classroom.
Bike enthusiast, Chris Jenkins, will teach a class on how to keep your bicycle in tune on Saturday, April 28, 10 to 11:30 a.m. It’s the perfect time to bring out your bike for the year and get it in shape. In this class, you will learn basic repair and maintenance skills to keep your bike in riding condition throughout the biking season.
To celebrate spring blossoms, Sue Morello of Barre will teach a class on how to create a gathering basket, on Saturday, April 28, from 9 a.m. to noon. Students will enjoy fun and camaraderie as they create homemade treasures to put to work in their new spring gardens. Morello has been making baskets at her Sheldon Farm Baskets in Barre and teaching classes at such venues as Old Sturbridge Village and the Petersham Art Center for decades.
The Petersham Art Center is a nonprofit center to promote the art and craft of the Quabbin region. Along with classes and artwork exhibits, the center maintains a shop that is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. It features the work of local artists, including fine art photography, paintings, books by local authors, handmade jewelry, pottery, artisanal woodworking, hand-created textiles and other unique items.
Call the Petersham Art Center at 978-724- 3415 for more information about the classes and to register. There is a fee for each class.