Jan Downey is the daughter and granddaughter of a German-Jewish family, some of whom managed to escape the Nazi's "Final Solution". In presenting her family's ordeal and escape, Jan will show original family documents the Nazis demanded and defiled, documents related to their escape from German and their refugee status in the United States. A tailor in Germany, Jan's grandfather was also an artist who loved painting and photography.  Once [...]

Shimmering wings and delicate legs - Dragonfly on a Reed.  Using glass and wire, you will make two dragonflies (one large and one small) that will grace your home.  At the end of the class, the dragonfly will be fused and ready for pickup the following week. Kathy Nelson spent most of her life on the West Coast. She enjoys working with students and has developed multiple classes to help [...]

This is a class for students who have already attended Prudence's class on Adjusting to Changes as You Age. Many of you from the first and second sessions of “Adjusting to Change in Purpose as we Age” have expressed an interest in staying connected to further discuss what was shared in those two previous sessions.  Based on this request, an open format will take place on Wednesday, February 15 from [...]

  Are you tired of being told what health care you need?  Are you ready to learn how to navigate our crazy system of health care? Do you need to understand what procedures are required, or just recommended?  These are just some of the topics that will be covered in this very valuable 3 part “Consumer Health Lecture Series”. In this first session you will get an overview of health care [...]

Harmony Hollow, in Cave Creek, is a triangular piece of land that reaches the boundaries of Spur Cross Ranch.  It is 28 acres of desert, wildlife, and history. Much like Spur Cross Ranch, the land contains Native American Pit Houses, Pueblos, and ruins from long ago when the land was home to the Hohokam. "The whole thing is full of archaeology" says Gary Smitt, former president and founder of the [...]

  Take your paper printing to the next level!  In this class we go more in depth using Stencils, Rubber Stamps, and Paper Masking & other basic texture tools.  This is a major printing session for you to create more complex beautiful papers! You must have taken Gelli Printing 101, Note:  Wear painting clothes or bring an apron. Class Cost is $60, which includes the materials fee. Feb. 21, 2023, 1:00 [...]

Arizona is a special place with a very humble beginning and an interesting journey to become the last of the 48 contiguous United States.  We will examine how pre-Columbian Native Americas built the most elaborate irrigation system in the Western Hemisphere.  How the Arizona Territory sided with the Confederacy with the tiny village of Tucson its hub.  We will examine how mining would become Arizona’s catalyst to growth and how [...]

  Please join us in attending a new women's group that has just formed.  We have already had two sessions and, due to popular demand, we are going to do another, including past students and new students. We all have stories worth sharing, and this is the perfect opportunity.  We use stories to make sense of our world and to share that understanding with others. We continue to learn that [...]

Are you a woman who would like to feel more empowered in your relationships?  Would you like to be more confident in your encounters with others?  We are starting two new 4 week classes that will make such a difference in your life. Kelley Bird, your instructor, is offering an hour-long class that will explain to you what this class is all about.  This free introduction, is on Feb. 22 [...]

  As the saying goes, "A thing of beauty is a joy forever," and the desire to adorn one's self with beautiful things is as old as humankind. A magnificent jewel provides the perfect complement to the fashion of the day, but more importantly, reflects its owner's taste, lifestyle, wealth and status. This lecture will examine some of the great jewelry collections belonging to royals, aristocrats, divas, socialites and Hollywood [...]

Each month, the Holland Center offers an afternoon Open Studio in our art room.  Art instructor, Larry Charles, will be on hand to provide helpful advice about art materials and techniques as you work on a project of your own choice.  Feel free to create with your oil paint, acrylics, colored pencils, watercolor, gouache or drawing pencils. Ask for helpful tips or color combinations while the Open Studio instructor is [...]

Spend a splendid afternoon with a wonderful local artist!  Learn how to use Coffee Dye papers and make Marks with with Gesso, Watercolors & Metallic Paints. These gorgeous, one of a kind papers can be used in your journaling, scrapbooking, notecards & other artistic projects! Mimi Damrauer will fill you with new and inventive ideas for creating wonderful things out of paper! All supplies included. Wed., March 1 - 10:00am [...]

The number one cause of Level I Traumas in an ER is injuries resulting from a fall, and these injuries can be very serious, possibly resulting in death.  Our Fall Prevention Awareness program is a one hour class introducing and discussing the causes of falls, the results of falls and methods of the prevention of falls.  Please join us for this informative safety class - for your health! Joe Meier, [...]

STOP THE BLEED This class is all about bleeding control for massive hemorrhage.  It is a national initiative from the American College of Surgeons to help all members of the community be able to help each other in case of a bleeding emergency.  Topics covered will include a short power point presentation and lots of hands on skills practice: Identifying life threatening bleeding Calling 911 Commercial tourniquet Wound packing Makeshift [...]

Are you a woman who would like to feel more empowered in your relationships?  Would you like to be more confident in your encounters with others?  We are starting two new 4 week classes that will make such a difference in your life. Kelley Bird, your instructor, is offering an hour-long class that will explain to you what this class is all about.  This free introduction, is on March 2 [...]

The desert is a beautiful place with so much to see, so much to do. But you must be careful!  Len Marcisz, a Legacy Steward for the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy, is going to enlighten and educate you about the unusual ways in which people end up ten toes in the air in the middle of the Sonoran Desert! He will provide information on how to deal with rattlesnakes, Gila monsters, [...]

In four Tuesday morning workshops this March, instructor, Larry Charles, will show the techniques the masters used to paint realistic still lifes. The workshops will feature both oil paints and acrylics. Unique to the Valley, these Holland Center classes include all the necessary art supplies in the class fee. It is a great way to sample both types of paint before purchasing your own studio supplies. The instructor will demonstrate [...]

Where are you?  Are you at Stage 1? Stage 2? Stage 3, 4, or 5?  Regardless of your Stage of Consciousness, there is always the possibility for growth. And we are all exactly where we are supposed to be. The education and societal systems are designed to make you look outside of yourself for the answers.  And yet, quite the opposite is true. The only way to discover the way [...]

Chiles and Chocolate!  Really?  We invite you to come have a taste of the rich and savory history of these food favorites!  Explore how early peoples used them, and how they have evolved and spread to all corners of the world. Food is a portal into culture and can convey a range of cultural meaning including occasion, social status, ethnicity, and wealth depending on the social context.  Discover how chiles [...]

Explore the art of fused glass. In this class the student will create a graceful vase -- no cutting skills are required.  Using a 10 x 10 sheet of clear glass and colored frit (ground glass), pebbles of glass and other forms of glass, you create a beautiful vase. Your piece will be taken to the kiln and fired. The finished piece will be returned to you the next week. [...]