The Oklahoma Fall Arts Institute offers adult artists and Oklahoma educators the opportunity to participate in arts workshops in the visual, literary, and performing arts, including workshops designed specifically for educators seeking continuing education to enhance the classroom environment through the arts.

These all-inclusive, four-day retreats will be held at the Quartz Mountain Arts and Conference Center in the Wichita Mountains of southwestern Oklahoma this October.

Taught by nationally renowned artists, workshops are offered for all skill levels, from beginners to professional artists.

OFAI will take place October 3-6 and 10-13, and enrollment is now open. Participants can choose from workshops in writing, digital journalism, photography, painting, drawing, printmaking, and more. Participants spend their days honing their craft under the guidance of nationally recognized faculty artists.

This year’s faculty includes Suzi Pond, award-winning digital journalist, producer and storyteller. Pond spent years serving as Chief Storyteller at United Way of Greater Portland, creating audio and video stories aimed at engaging the community, and has since started two multimedia storytelling companies.

Participants in her workshop, Introduction to Audio Storytelling, will learn technological and methodological basics in creating compelling stories including how to identify, capture, and structure a story.

Other intensives this fall include photography workshop Memories & the Land with Elizabeth Greenberg, Self-Discovery Through Drawing with Katherine Liontas-Warren, and printmaking workshop Color Intaglio & Chine Collé with Yuki Hiratsuka.

OFAI also offers workshops designed specifically for educators, including courses in elementary music, folk dance, theater and social emotional learning.

In addition to learning about their chosen art form, participants may attend presentations by faculty artists in a variety of artistic disciplines.

In the evenings, they can take advantage of open studio time, attend an elective activity, or simply relax and enjoy the beautiful Quartz Mountain environment. Educators receive 18 hours of professional development credit.