Fun with art and animals at Amy's Ark

An ark has landed in Westhampton and is ready to navigate on a flood tide of creativity. Like Noah’s, this ark has animals on board. Unlike the biblical vessel, Amy’s Ark helps prepare children and adults for the pursuit of creativity by teaching art, photography and a better understanding of connections with nature.

On January 17, the Ark will add yoga and meditation classes to its offerings.

“It’s not just about painting and drawing—it’s life itself,” said Ark founder Amy Hess. “All of the classes are about experiencing the art of life. Yoga is another way people can express creativity and learn more about themselves, wellness and ways of living.”

In the last year, the Ark has added adult classes in photography, drawing and painting, creativity, and connecting with nature. An eight-week class on Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) plus workshops on scarf making and meditation fill out the roster of adult classes.

The finishing touches for the new yoga studio were completed this week. Hatha yoga classes will be led by Ms. Hess on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Classes are $15 per session or $110 for monthly unlimited sessions.

Kundalini yoga classes will be led by Marianne Terchunian on Tuesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and on Thursdays from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Classes are $25. Group rates are available. Meditation sessions and monthly kirtans—call and response chanting sessions—led by visiting kirtankars are on the horizon. So are Pilates, drumming circles and speakers.

The 400-square-foot yoga studio is located in one section of a long converted barn on the Ark’s sprawling Westhampton property. The barn also holds Ms. Hess’s art studio where she makes her painted metal sculptures. A gathering room where art workshops are held is between the art and yoga studios.

Adding life-centering classes like yoga and MBSR to art and nature workshops is a combination that makes sense to Ms. Hess. Her mother was a trailblazer in the field of yoga, opening a studio in Indiana around 40 years ago. A life connected with farm animals and nature reflects a philosophical approach Ms. Hess adopted early on.

Ms. Hess is also the mother of two children. Around three years ago, after she discovered she enjoyed sharing playtime and relaxed creativity with children, she began offering children’s workshops and birthday parties and never looked back.

All workshop attendees at Amy’s Ark are encouraged to take advantage of the farm setting to foster their art. The grounds are home to horses, chickens, goats, geese and even a turtle. The wooded portions of Amy’s Ark are home to indigenous Long Island trees and plants.

Children’s classes weave art into nature, and vice versa. Students are introduced to farm animals or family pets like a turtle or rabbit, which then become models for drawing and painting sessions. Each composition is framed so budding artists have something tangible to show for their experience.

In the spring and summer, classes become more elaborate. A children’s garden yields vegetables planted by the children. Ms. Hess often becomes a “short order cook,” making meals from eggs gathered by the children and produce they helped cultivate.

Amy’s Ark held its first children’s art exhibition last September at the Remsenburg Academy in Remsenburg. She hopes the exhibition will become an annual event held either at that venue or at the Westhampton Free Library.

Adults were welcomed onto the Ark this past year when artist Pam Capozzola began offering classes in drawing and painting for adults. Ms. Capozzola’s signature class is Creativity & Discover.

The class begins with meditation and moves to communing with her Lipizzaner mare and wandering the grounds in search of a composition to capture. Ms. Capozzola offers tips on creativity and art techniques as appropriate. She also leads a weekly Sketch Night on Thursdays from 7 to 9 p.m. that often features a live model. There is a $25 fee.

Periodic classes and workshops are offered by other instructors. Zen teacher Jim Gates leads a Connect with Nature class combining basic woodland skills with Native American beliefs and meditation techniques. (www.gatesoflight.com).

An 8-week course on Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction is led by Nina Thorne, CSW. A photography class led by Meryl Spiegel is designed to enhance observation skills while peering through a camera viewfinder.

The mission of Amy’s Art Studio & Farm is to offer a complete curriculum of wellness, health and creativity classes. Ms. Hess hopes artistic types and those interested in leading balanced lives will find their way to her Ark. If they do, she also hopes they will gain a wider understanding of life and the roles that creativity and art play in it—whether or not there’s a paintbrush or pencil involved.

“The Ark is slowly taking on a life of its own and it’s growing,” said Ms. Hess. “Last May, I started the yoga teaching training. Now, I’m opening a yoga studio just like my mom … I think it’s just meant to be. I love it!”

The Art of Life children’s classes are held Tuesdays through Thursdays from 4 to 5 p.m. All ages are welcome. Four classes cost $85. Start dates are rolling. For information or to register for Amy’s Ark Studio & Farm classes, call 631-288-3587 or 631-835-8024, or e-mail artoflife@verizon.net. For information on Amy Hess’s art, visit www.amysarkstudio.com.