ASTROLOGY LEGENDS & LORE

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We are delving into the deep mythology of Greek and Roman astrology. Drawing inspiration from these classical parables and stories, this class focuses on artistic interpretations of heroes' feats and lovers' woes. Astrological mythology seeks to understand the role of fate in human lives, and considers the influence of celestial bodies in day-to-day matters. 

Each week we will explore a new story, culling details from the heroes' adventures to depict through art. Students will view a pre-recorded video with examples of already existing artwork from those stories. These legends are artistically rich, surviving time with great reason for their wisdom and drama. 

This class encourages students’ ability to represent a defining moment within a story. Any artistic medium may be utilized such as poetry, mosaics, embroidery, musical ballads, illustration, animation, dance numbers, and more.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF SCI-FI & FANTASY

From alien invasions to alternate timelines, sci-fi and fantasy have always helped us explore the big "what ifs" of our world—and ourselves. In this course, we'll take a journey through key moments in these genres by focusing each week on one powerful short work: a story, short film, or audio production. We'll dive into pieces like Harrison Bergeron, The Egg, and They're Made of Meat, examining not just what they say about imaginary worlds, but what they reveal about the real world at the time they were created.

Each assignment is centered on a single work, so there’s no need to worry about keeping up with a long, winding novel. Instead, we’ll zoom in, explore deeply, and connect each piece to its historical moment and cultural impact. With a seemingly endless library of iconic sci-fi and fantasy to pull from, this course offers a fast-paced, fascinating overview of two of the most imaginative genres out there.

FOUND FOOTAGE: MULTIMEDIA SCRAPBOOK

Discover the art of noticing. In this course, you'll become a collector of everyday magic — gathering audio, video, photos, poetry, songs, and more to build your own multimedia scrapbooks. Each week, you’ll respond to a broad, playful prompt (think: “something yellow,” “echoes,” or “patterns in motion”) that invites you to explore the world around you with fresh eyes and ears.

Like a creative scavenger hunt, this process will sharpen your ability to see and hear with intention — building a personal archive of beauty in the ordinary. You’ll use the software of your choice to shape your findings into short films, visual collages, or layered soundscapes. Whether you’re a filmmaker, musician, poet, or curious observer, this course offers a flexible, experimental space to grow your voice and artistic habits — one snippet at a time.

HISTORY, BUT MAKE IT FASHION

Take a time machine back to explore fashion from the streets of the Renaissance to the grungy 1990s! 

Whether you’re an artist who wants to practice drawing clothes from another era, or a costume designer who wants to research the period of a play, or an actor who wants to know what type of clothes you would've worn in Shakespeare’s day, this class has a little bit of information for everyone. 

Each week will cover a different time period, followed by an activity incorporating fashion from that period. Spend one week designing a fall collection fit for Fashion Week in the 1960s, experiment with what your favorite modern tv characters would look like during the Renaissance, or sketch a gown and wig to rival that of Marie Antoinette’s - whatever your skills are, wherever your talents lie, use them to show off fashions of the past. 

MICRO-STORIES: NOODLES, DOODLES, AND MORE!

“The greats weren't great because at birth they could paint/The greats were great because they painted a lot” - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Creativity takes a ton of practice to develop, and projects that spark curiosity and invite playful responses are an important and necessary part of creative development! Each week students will be provided a slide deck containing 3-5 references curated from a blend of photography, music, writing, and visual art, along with artistic challenges prompting creative response spanning genre, media, and style (e.g. referencing a famous work of art to create a moment before and after, embellishing a micro photograph to create worlds within dewdrops, creating a score or soundscape, etc). After examining the reference material, students will complete a brief guided brainstorming activity grounded in the Apex Creative Process, ultimately selecting their inspiration and stating their creative intention for their response. The format of the final product is flexible, and students are encouraged to explore both in and outside their prime, submitting illustration, flash fiction writing, soundscapes, creative journaling, or any other method that supports their creative expression as they address the prompts. In short, this class is about getting inspired and generating artistic seeds that may be revisited and cultivated at a later time! Students in all primes are encouraged to participate.

PERSONAL MYTHOLOGY

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Recommended if you intend to engage in the Virtual Lab on a regular, weekly basis.

Turning the everyday into a work of art. In this class we view life through a mythological lens, taking mundane things from students’ day-to-day life and depicting them in a fantastical way.

Each week a new theme or challenge is introduced, guiding students to look at small routines and habits and expanding those things into something legendary. Don’t like doing your laundry? Well, now you are racing the clock to fold your shirts before the Laundry Dragon destroys the city. Have a cozy bedtime routine? Now you are tucking yourself into a lush magical forest among fairies. 

The goal of this class is to accumulate the art students make into a zine or digital archive at the end that depicts their “personal mythology”. Students may use writing, collage, illustration, painting, photography, music, etc. to represent their mythology. This class encourages self-reflection and romanticization of the mundane, drawing inspiration from creators like Hayao Miyazaki, Joan Brown, Sandy Skoglund, and more. 

We will be engaging with a sense of playfulness and thinking about ourselves as characters that live in these artistic realms.

REIMAGINED REALITIES: THE ART OF READYMADES & FOUND OBJECTS

In this experimental course, students will explore the world of readymades and found object art, transforming everyday materials into powerful works of art. Inspired by the artist Marcel Duchamp, students will learn to see the ordinary in extraordinary ways. Through guided assignments, discussions, and creative challenges, students will question traditional definitions of art and discover how context, intention, and meaning shape artistic expression.

No previous art experience is required—just curiosity, imagination, and a willingness to experiment with what you already have at home.

What You Will Learn:

• The history and theory of readymade and found object art

• How to develop concepts and tell stories using nontraditional materials

• Techniques for assembling, arranging, and altering found items

• Critical thinking and discussion around the value and impact of everyday objects in art

Materials can be whatever is available in your home! This could include:

• Discarded household items

• Packaging and recyclables

• Fabric scraps, broken tools, old toys, etc.

• Smartphone or camera (to document and share your creations)

STUDYING VIDEO GAME MUSIC

You don’t have to be a gamer or a musician to love great video game music — you just need ears and curiosity! In this course, we’ll explore how music in games helps tell the story, build tension, and totally mess with your emotions (in the best way). Each week, you’ll get a short clip from a game, listen closely, and figure out what makes the music tick — spotting repeated themes (aka motifs), picking out cool sounds, and answering fun questions to help you hear things you’ve never noticed before. Whether you’re into Zelda, Minecraft, Mario, or just vibing with soundtracks, this class is all about discovering how music brings digital worlds to life.

WORLD MUSIC: MUSICAL TRADITIONS ACROSS THE GLOBE

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Pack your curiosity — we’re going on a musical journey around the world! In this class, we’ll explore how different cultures use music to express identity, celebrate community, tell stories, and pass down traditions. You don’t need to be a musician to join in — just come ready to listen, learn, and be surprised by what music can teach you.

We’ll explore the rhythms of West African drumming, the harmonies of South African choral music, the shimmering sound of Zimbabwean mbira, the bold energy of Nigerian Afrobeat, and the spiritual grooves of Moroccan Gnawa. In Asia, we’ll dive into Japanese shakuhachi music, kabuki theatre, and the thunder of taiko drumming — plus Buddhist chants, Chinese opera, and the hypnotic layers of Javanese gamelan. Oceania brings us the rich musical traditions of the Māori people of New Zealand and the ancient sounds of Aboriginal Australia. And here in the Americas, we’ll explore Latin and South American styles, Native American music, and even French Canadian folk tunes.

This is just the beginning — the world of music is huge, and there's so much to discover. Each week will include listening activities, videos, creative prompts, and space to reflect on how music shapes culture (and maybe how it shapes you, too!).