What happens when a long-standing community institution moves it into a brand new building? The answer is expanded programming full of new possibilities. With the move of the Ah Haa School into the depot building in late May, this summer promises to be full of exciting classes to tempt the senses of every artist whether your passion is cooking to painting to sculpture.

Among the new classes is a mask carving class with local Angelo Nelson. During this three-week class beginning sculpture class students will focus their efforts on using chisels and mallets to create relief carvings or masks.

Ceramics and sculptors can enjoy some special instruction from visiting instructors Kent Harris, David Aguirre and D.J. Garrity. Harris will teach Ceramics: Breaking the Circle a two-weekend workshop beginning June 21. Aguirre will teach Personal Mythology in Clay Aug. 11, 12 and 18. And Garrity will teach The Rhythms of Stone Aug. 7-10.

Unlock the secrets of the kitchen with one of Ah Haa’s summer cooking classes, among them, two classes, Cooking with Tofu July 17 and Fruit Pies Aug. 27 with chef Bobbi T. Smith. Tofu will focus on preparing this nutritious food in everyday life and Fruit Pies will cover the basics of making a seasonal fruit pie from scratch.

John SirJesse and chef Bertrand Marchal capitalize on the local mushroom crop with a harvesting and cooking class, and Chris Thompson will teach a class on preparing simple summer salads.

Rounding out the schedule is the usual array of interesting and unique class on every topic you can imagine. Writer and activist Amy Irving McHarg will host a weekend writing workshop in Moab that will focus on writings as activism.

Utilizing Ah Haa’s new metal and jewelry studio, students will enjoy some exciting class with Hilary Douglass and visiting artists Harold O’Connor and Marte Cellura who once studied with famed metal sculptor Albert Paley.

Also look for drawing classes with Meredith Neimrov, Michelle Curry Wright and David Reif. Plein Air painting with Keith Wicks and Julee Hutchinson and beginning acrylics with Brooke Bailey.

Fabric fans can work on painting and dyeing silks with Kathy Green or challenge themselves with a velvet dyeing class with visiting artist and dyeing expert Wendy Kowynia. Knitter extraordinaire Kim Perutz will teach students how to cast on, knit and cast off. Painter Abby Altshuler can teach you how to bring new life to that old dresser in her faux finishing for furniture class.

Don’t let tuition concerns stop you from developing your creativity. This summer the Ah Haa is looking for volunteers to help with every aspect of acquiring the new building from construction and cleaning to gardening, packing and moving. Participants can earn $10 per hour to be applied towards the class of their choice.

For more information, registration or to sign up for a volunteer shift call Ah Haa at 728-3886.