The Sixth Cycle of the Applied Arts Program Begins Summer 2009!

To receive application information, please contact the Fiber Craft Studio by e-mail or phone (845-425-2891).

Applied Arts is a four-year, part-time program

• For those who would like to pursue a career in teaching Handwork.
• For anyone interested in developing their artistic ability, handwork skill and understanding of Anthroposophy and Waldorf education.

The aims of our work in the Applied Arts program are

• To raise the teaching of handwork to a new level of professionalism and artistry
• To build upon the foundations of Anthroposophy and Waldorf Education
• To deepen our relationship with the elements of form and color
• To develop new skills and ways of interpreting the Waldorf curriculum for handwork, including therapeutic applications

... all in order to better meet the needs of children today.

In today’s world, we see a tremendous need for cultivating artistic sensibility and warmth of heart. For this reason, handwork is becoming increasingly important within Waldorf schools and in other learning environments that understand the true meaning and possibilities of this work. Those who take up the task of teaching handwork today must be much more than skilled with their hands; they must take up the art of teaching in the highest sense.

Sixth Cycle Faculty

Nicole Kielblock, Director

A graduate of Parsons School of Design, Nicole was a participant in the first cycle of the Applied Arts Program. She is one of the founders of the Waldorf School of Philadelphia, where she currently teaches handwork in grades 1-8 and clay modeling in grades 4-8.

Gloria Kemp, Co-Faculty, Anthroposophy in Waldorf Education

Gloria is currently the administrator of The Nature Institute in Ghent, New York. She has been a class teacher at the Hawthorn Valley School in Ghent and at the Rudolf Steiner School in New York City for 24 years. She has served the Waldorf movement as chairperson of the board of the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America and was director of Waldorf teacher training for the summer teacher development institute in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She currently serves as chairperson of the Waldorf Schools Fund, Inc. and as a member of the board of the Rudolf Steiner Foundation. She is a mentor and advisor to teachers and schools around the country.