I made a couple pieces of bad art recently, now around Carrboro.

I added a Bad Art Club sign to the bike path/greenway behind The ArtsCenter.

And a little piece of Pride to the Carrboro Art Fence.

June Bad Art Club: Personalized Stamp-Making w/ Margaret Maples

Registration open now!

Create a personalized bookish or stationary stamp with guest artist Margaret Maples!

Use handheld tools to carve soft rubber or hard linoleum to create a functional, reusable stamp.

In hour 1, we will discuss design and typography and design our stamps.

In hour 2, we will carve our stamps and test them.

In hour 3, we will ink our stamps and create prints on various paper materials such as cards and envelopes.

Stamp ideas include:

• Address / Return address

• Ex Libris / From the Library of…

• From the Kitchen of…

• Signature or Initial Monograms

• Made By / Crafted By

• “Thank You” / Greeting Stamps

Each participant will leave with stamped cards, envelopes, and papers. Bring your own linoleum / rubber and carving tools or use ours!

Register for June BAC

Date: Saturday, June 27 (next weekend!)

Time: 2-5 pm

Location: The Carrboro ArtsCenter

Cost: $30

Link: canvas.artscenterlive.org/classes/551

July Bad Art Club: Still Life Painting w/ Elisa Holley

Register now

Practice painting a still life, but you don’t have to draw it! Guest Artist Elisa Holley will provide pre-drawn canvases, all you have to do is paint. You are welcome to draw your own still life as well. Materials provided, all skill levels, and best for ages 8+.

Sign Up for July BAC

Date: Saturday, July 25

Time: 2-5 pm

Location: The Carrboro ArtsCenter

Cost: $30

Link: canvas.artscenterlive.org/classes/552

TONIGHT

Pride First Friday: Raleigh

I’m OBVIOUSLY going to Pride! Join me and Downtown Raleigh Alliance for Pride First Friday at Commerce Place. We’re having a block party between Raleigh Denim Co. & The Pit, and I’m running the art table. Come paint a banner, sign, or poster with me :)

Date: Friday, June 5, 2026

Location: Commerce Place (https://share.google/4MMAvwktWG6kmw15b)

Link: June Pride First Friday

FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD

National Arts Policy Survey

Americans for the Arts is inviting arts leaders, practitioners, and advocates to participate in the 2026 National Arts Policy Survey to help shape the future federal policy agenda for the arts and culture sector.

The survey explores topics including federal arts investment, creative workforce support, arts education, artist income stability, and arts in health and human services. Participants are also encouraged to share personal stories and experiences that highlight the impact of the arts.

Take the brief survey here!

COMING UP THIS MONTH

June Bad Art Club: Stamp-Making w/ Margaret Maples

Registration open now!

For June BAC, we are practicing printmaking and stamp-carving! First, we will draw designs to create our stamps. Guest artist Margaret Maples will guide us in transferring our drawings and carving our stamps. We will ink our stamps with a variety of color options to make prints.

Register for June BAC

Each participant will leave with stamped cards, envelopes, and papers. Bring your own linoleum / rubber and carving tools or use ours!

Watch this short video of Margaret making a stamped print!

Date: Saturday, June 27

Time: 2-5 pm

Location: The Carrboro ArtsCenter

Cost: $30

Link: canvas.artscenterlive.org/classes/551

We’re So Back

Shady here, I run Bad Art and wanted to say thank you for your patience and support. May was challenging for me, and I needed to take a break from some work tasks to have time with myself to do therapy/rest/recovery tasks.

The good news:

• The next two Bad Art Clubs are OPEN! Printmaking and still life painting await you. Learn more below.

• I have a lot more free time this summer! Hire me, invite me to an event, share a scholarship or opportunity; I have time and want to connect with you.

• Right now I’m planning classes with some exciting new partners, coming soon!

I also gave The Bad Newsletter a visual update. I hope you enjoy!

June Events

Celebrate Pride at First Friday

Join Bad Art for art-making in Downtown Raleigh this Friday, June 5

Create a poster, banner, or sign celebrating Pride Month. All supplies provided and all skill levels welcome. This program is free thanks to Downtown Raleigh Alliance. DRA is hosting multiple activities at Commerce Place for First Friday, including making art with Bad Art! Join me there :)

Description: Make a signs, banners, and posters to celebrate Pride month as a part of Raleigh’s First Friday. This event is part of a larger block party at Commerce Place.

Date: Friday, June 5

Time: 5-8 pm

Location: Commerce Place, Raleigh, NC

Cost: Free

June Bad Art Club: Stamp-Making w/ Margaret Maples

Registration open now!

For June BAC, we are practicing printmaking and stamp-carving! First, we will draw designs to create our stamps. Guest artist Margaret Maples will guide us in transferring our drawings and carving our stamps. We will ink our stamps with a variety of color options to make prints.

Register for June BAC

Each participant will leave with stamped cards, envelopes, and papers. Bring your own linoleum / rubber and carving tools or use ours!

Watch this short video of Margaret making a stamped print!

Date: Saturday, June 27

Time: 2-5 pm

Location: The Carrboro ArtsCenter

Cost: $30

Link: canvas.artscenterlive.org/classes/551

July Events

July Bad Art Club: Still Life Painting w/ Elisa Holley

Register now

Practice painting a still life, but you don’t have to draw it! Guest Artist Elisa Holley will provide pre-drawn canvases, all you have to do is paint. You are welcome to draw your own still life as well. Materials provided, all skill levels, and best for ages 8+.

Sign Up for July BAC

Date: Saturday, July 25

Time: 2-5 pm

Location: The Carrboro ArtsCenter

Description:

Cost: $30

Link: canvas.artscenterlive.org/classes/552

Youth: Artspace Summer Camp

The Art of Digital Media (6-8th grade)

Dates: M-F, July 27-31

Time: 1-4 pm

Location: Artspace

Description: Immerse yourself in the dynamic world of branding and design! Participants will engage in hands-on projects that include crafting logos, mockups, buttons, and posters while learning essential design principles through fun, interactive activities. By the end of the week, students will have honed valuable skills in digital artistry, enhancing their creativity and problem-solving abilities in a lively and energetic atmosphere. (Session 6, Grades 6-8)

Cost: $160 Artspace members / $182 non-members​

Link: artspacenc.org/summer-class-schedule/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-25

Paper Playground (3-5th grade)

Dates: M-F, August 3-7

Time: 1-4 pm

Location: Artspace

Description: Engage with the wonderful world of paper arts! Projects include creating collaged boxes, artist trading cards, buttons, and postcards. Participants will engage in hands-on activities that promote creativity and community. Each day features structured lessons on techniques like collaging, drawing, and printmaking. Expect a supportive and friendly environment where students design unique projects to take home. (Session 7, Grades 3-5)

Cost: $160 Artspace members / $182 non-members​

Link: artspacenc.org/summer-class-schedule/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-25

May BAC is Cancelled

I am taking a mental health day. Thank you for your patience.

• Join us in June for Stamp-Making with Margaret Maples! A very popular and fun class from last year. Registration is open now ($30).

  

• Join us in July for Still Life Painting with Elisa Holley! All supplies provided, all skill levels welcome. Registration is open now ($30).

A Play I Loved Is Back In Town

Every Brilliant Thing is on tour in Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Durham: May 5-22

Described as “one of the funniest plays you’ll ever see about depression,” I found this part improv, part memoir, part play immersive in a fun way. If you want to have a unique theater experience that has meaningful subject matter, check out the tour dates.

FYI: This is NOT my program

If you see ads for this program at the Carrboro Drakeford Library, it is a different program

Today I found out the Drakeford Library (about 1 block away) has started a program with the same name as mine! How exciting!

I saw this event today and immediately drove over to the library to talk to the event coordinator. I explained my program, Bad Art Club, running for 2 years now at The ArtsCenter as well as my business and brand Bad Art. While the person I spoke to said they would not consider changing the name for future events, I wanted to at least let them know who I was and that there may be some confusion here.

So if you see this event, please feel free to attend (honestly) but it’s just not my program and I don’t want folks to be confused :)

(Do you have any other ideas about how to handle this situation?? I am open to ideas.)

Just look for the ghost logo to find my work:

See y’all soon, and please, go easy on yourselves.

Register Now! This class is our last free class for a while

Register for free

Walk-ins also accepted today, just check in at the desk.

Fill Out Carrboro’s Accessibility Survey

The Town of Carrboro is asking people who live, work, or play in Carrboro to share their experiences with accessibility.

They especially welcome feedback from people with disabilities and people who support someone with a disability. Your input will help the Town understand what is working well, what needs improvement, and which changes should be prioritized.

Complete the Public Input Survey

Tomorrow! Hand To Hand Market

11 am-3 pm on Sunday at ONE REP in Greensboro

I will be there on Sunday with new Bad Art!

Location: 207 S. Westgate Dr. Ste. A, Greensboro

The Spring Hand to Hand Market is back and celebrating 15 YEARS since the first Spring Market. H2H is Greensboro’s longest running indie craft fair.

If you can make it, or know any GSO folks to invite, I hope to see you there! I had a great experience at their fall market and really enjoyed the other vendors

If you completed your taxes, you earned this award.

Congratulations on doing a difficult legally required task. I see you!

Mental Health & Community Art Day at The ArtsCenter

Free art activities, music, and a sidewalk sale!

Today: Sunday, April 19th! Join me in the Youth Studio for Poster / Banner / Sign making from 2-4 pm (drop-in hours). All supplies provided. Thank you to NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, for sponsoring this event <3

• There are 2 more free art activities you can join (check out Maria Geary’s activity in the painting studio)

• There are music activities available

• A sidewalk sale is outside

• The bar and concession stand are open

• See the Earth Day posters my elementary students made (outside & inside)

More on The ArtsCenter’s Instagram

For more free activities today, join Carrboro Day / Earth Day across town.

Learn more at: Carrboro Earth Day 2026

• Sunday, April 19 from noon to 4 pm

• At Carrboro Town Hall, Town Commons, and along Weaver Street

• Weaver St. will be closed to traffic for the event

Carrboro’s ADA Coordinator Connects with Bad Art

Carrboro’s ADA Coordinator, Bear Tose’, is stopping by May Bad Art Club and my Accessibility in the Arts class to talk with us about Carrboro’s ADA Transition Plan.

The Town of Carrboro is asking community members to share their experiences with accessibility in Carrboro.

They especially welcome feedback from people with disabilities and people who support someone with a disability. Your input will help the Town understand what is working well, what needs improvement, and which changes should be prioritized.

Complete the Public Input Survey

If you have a disability or care for someone with a disability, please fill out the survey!

Hope to see some of yall this afternoon!

Register Now! This is our last free class for a while.

Register for free

This April we do not have a guest artist and will focus on abstract graffiti and public art.

• Shady will present graffiti concepts and photos, and facilitate small group discussion

• We will then work on individual or group projects related to creating public art

Professional Development: Accessibility in the Arts

Join my 2 hour workshop on accessibility!

Register & Learn More

• Accessibility in the Arts: How to start, continue, & do more is on Thursday, April 30 from 6:30-8:30 pm

• Learn how to incorporate accessibility into your work (programming, teaching, marketing, event planning)

• Please share if you know someone who’s work involves people with disabilities

Now Teaching With the North Carolina Museum of Art

I am a first-time teaching artist with NCMA’s Artist Innovation Mentorship program.

I’m leading a 6-week after-school residency at an Alamance County middle school as part of NCMA’s statewide outreach.

In each 90-minute session, I guide a cohort of 15 middle school students through a blend of hands-on art making and informal socializing. The goal is to foster a creative community outside the traditional classroom.

We are learning about printmaking, using a variety of methods.

Starting in May, Bac Will Be $30

The Bad Art grant provided by Orange County ends this month, moving forward Bad Art Club will be $30. This is the third year Orange County has provided funding to support Bad Art, this year providing 6 free classes.

Thank you to The ArtsCenter to providing Bad Art Club’s space, online registration, and administrative staff time for free.

How can you help? You can email Rachel Pottern Nunn ,the ArtSchool Director at TAC, to thank her for co-writing our grant and providing space / her time / the registration system for free. You can copy me on the email or not!

Send a thank you email to Rachel

I will apply for grant funding again to make BAC free in the future. Updates will come via this newsletter.

How can you help? When I turn in the grant report this summer, I will send out a list of emails that you can send a thank you note to.

Bad Art Now Has a Phone Number

That’s right folks, you can now call or text me about Bad Art at (919) 480-9231. Texts preferred. Save this number as Bad Art!

I’ll be back when taxes are done to share upcoming free activities & an award for YOU.

The Bad Art grant provided by Orange County ends this month, moving forward Bad Art Club will be $30. This is the third year Orange County has provided funding to support Bad Art endeavors, this year providing 6 free classes. Thank you OCAC!

Thank you to The ArtsCenter to providing Bad Art Club’s space, online registration, and administrative staff time for free so we can keep the cost as low as possible. The ArtsCenter also co-wrote this year’s grant, allowing us to gain more funding than before. The ArtsCenter is truly the BEST partner we could have.

I will apply for grant funding again to make BAC free in the future. Updates will come via this newsletter.

April Bad Art Club: Register Now! (Free)

This April we do not have a guest artist and will focus on abstract graffiti and public art.

• Shady will present graffiti concepts and photos, and facilitate small group discussion.

• We will then work on individual or group projects related to creating public art.

This month’s theme is inspired by the 2011 book “Abstract Graffiti” by Cedar Lewisohn: Addressing such issues as street art as a form of protest, graffiti as a crime, the place of street art in museums, and the evolution of materials, this book offers unrivaled insight into some of the most exciting and challenging work on the contemporary art scene.

Register for April BAC

Bad Art Now Has A Phone Number :]

That’s right folks, you can now call or text me about Bad Art at (919) 480-9231. Texts preferred. Save this number as Bad Art!

My First ARTS Day

North Carolina’s Annual Conference of Art & Action

Arts North Carolina is providing me a full scholarship to ARTS Day 2026. Thank you to the Robert & Mercedes Eichholz Foundation for funding this opportunity.

ARTS Day is a gathering of artists and arts leaders from across the state to convene as peers and prepare for action, then meet with their elected representatives at the NC General Assembly.

Communal Gatherings with Bad Art Friend & Guest Artist: Free!

Longtime Bad Art friend (and upcoming guest artist) Free is facilitating collaborative community embroidery at Durham Art Guild’s Golden Belt Gallery. This is a beautiful space and I highly encourage anyone interested to go to a session!

Read more from Free below:

✨Still Here: Rituals of Presence✨

A series of communal gatherings held on Mondays @ 5-8pm | March 16 - April 13

Durham Art Guild - Golden Belt Gallery (800 Taylor St, Durham NC)

This spring, I’ve been invited to collaborate in a photography exhibition by my friend, Derrick Davis (@esoderic3) - a griot, photographer, DJ, aspiring speech therapist, and Artist in Residence with Durham Art Guild. His exhibition, BLACK PASSING SWAMPED: Societal Signs of White Supremacy & Capitalism, examines the meaning and impact of trespassing signs — how they have historically been used to police space, belonging, and movement, particularly for Black folks.

Each week you’re invited to:

✨ spend time with the photographs and imagine the stories that live beyond the photos

✨ write reflections and/or create collage art in response to the photographs

✨ share space and sip on some radical tea provided by Wonderpuff Teahouse (@wonderpuff)

✨ add stitches to a communal embroidery piece that represents belonging

During these weekly gatherings, I will be facilitating a very special collaborative project. The intention is to create a communal embroidery piece that represents a map of belonging and uses textiles to imagine our presence as resistance and what it means to create liberated spaces in places where we’ve been told we don’t belong. This will be an experimental process blending mapmaking with fabric collage and embroidery.

Artspace Summer

Job Posting, Scholarships, & Volunteer Opportunities

Learn more by clicking a link below:

• Volunteer Teaching Assistant

• Artspace Summer Youth Scholarship Program

• Camp Coordinator (Seasonal Position)

Thanks for reading all the way to the end! Gold star for you ⭐

Already tried BAC and loved it? Forward this to someone who might also enjoy making bad art :)

Bad Art Club Participants Say:

I Can Do It

“Bad Art Club introduces me to new concepts, new art forms, makes me more appreciative of artists and their work, and offers challenges which take me out of my comfort zone.”

I Feel Like A Kid Again

“Super welcoming space, and the process was very accessible as a person who hasn’t painted since elementary school.”

I Experience Real Connection

“Great great class. Everyone was very engaged and supportive of each other.”

Want To Register? March Is Open Now

Register Now

• March’s Bad Art Club with guest artist Zaire Miles-Moultrie is next Saturday, March 28 from 2-5 pm

• We are focusing on collage & zine-making: Using cut images, textures, and found materials, we’ll explore how to layer and combine visuals to create expressive compositions in collage

• Participants will also learn how to fold a single sheet of paper into a mini zine and begin creating their own small, self-published booklet

• There are 8 spots remaining! If class is full, joining the wait list could also get you a spot, just look out for an email

• If you registered and can’t attend, please release your spot to someone who can

Another Amazing (& Free) Class

Free Storytelling Class for Underrepresented Voices

Thursdays, 6:30-8:30pm, April 2-May 7

Register & Learn More

I took this class twice and LOVED it. I WOULD recommend this class to anyone interested. Read more from the organizer Julia F. Green below:

Do you love the Moth or the Monti or wish you could tell a great story for an audience or at a gathering? Maybe you’re looking for a way to feel more comfortable and confident in social or professional situations? Or perhaps you’re just looking to have a lot of fun trading tales with new friends? Live Storytelling offers all this and much more!

In this class, we’ll develop engaging stories that convey your unique voice and experience. We’ll talk about the techniques and craft that make a story great and spend lots of time practicing our stories and learning how to make them better. This class is appropriate for all levels of storytelling experience, including beginners.

A final showcase will be scheduled for a weeknight in May. Participants are encouraged but not required to share their stories on stage at the showcase.

This class is free, funded by a grant from the Orange County Arts Commission, and reserved for underrepresented voices, including people of color, queer and disabled folks, immigrants, and anyone else whose voice has been silenced. Participants will not be required to tell an identity-based story, nor are those interested in the class required to justify their belonging. If this offering calls to you, register now.

Bad Art Spring Class: Accessibility in the Arts

Register & Learn More

• Accessibility in the Arts: How to start, continue, & do more will take place on Thursday, April 30 from 6:30-8:30 pm (Registration open now)

• For people who want to learn more about how to incorporate accessibility into their work and creative practice

Summer Classes for Youth: At the Carrboro Artscenter

Tarot & Magical Art: Grades 6-9, Monday – Friday, June 22 - 26

Digital Art & Graphic Design: Grades 6-9, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, June 29 - July 2

Letter Lab: Art with Words: Grades 6-9, Monday – Friday, July 6 - 10

The Paper Playground: Grades 3-5, Monday – Friday, July 20 - 24

Collaborative Mural Creations: Grades 6-9, Monday – Friday, August 10 - 14

Digitally Publish a Magazine! (Zines!): Grades 6-9 Monday – Friday, August 10 - 14 (FULL!)

Collaborative Mural Creations: Grades 3-5 Monday – Friday, August 17 - 21

Intuitive Painting & Collage: Grades 6-9 Monday – Friday, August 17 - 21

Thank you to all 350 people who are on the Bad Art Substack. Since I don’t have other social media, this is the one way we can keep in touch. Thank you <3

Subscribe now

Join me at Hartwell in downtown Raleigh for a Celebration of Women’s History Month. Myself and two artists from CoLab Studio are facilitating drop-in art tables where you can make hand-drawn stickers and/or 1-page zines.

Create hand-drawn stickers, also known as slaps:

Make a zine with your thoughts about aliens:

We will be outside of Hartwell with art activities from 5-8 pm:

The following map shows all the Feminist First Friday activities:

• A women-owned vendor market

• Complimentary professional headshots with hair & makeup touch-ups from DRFT Salon and Bardot Beauty Lounge

• Local art with Bad Art Company

• Free apparel for job searching and career support from Dress for Success

• Flash tattoos from Tiny Ghost Tattoo of Pinky Swear Tattoos

• Food and drinks onsite

• Live music from 22 Strings

This event is free and open to the public! You can celebrate First Friday all across downtown Raleigh.

Got 5 bucks? Carrboro Farmer’s Market can double it.

Carrboro Farmers Market is raising money for their Double Bucks program. I am a SNAP (Food Stamps) recipient and use this program.

Double Bucks lets people use their SNAP money at the Farmer’s Market, and they will match up to $25 dollars in extra food tokens. Even when the government was shut down, they continued to give us access to double bucks tokens each week.

It’s a win-win-win:

• SNAP money is spent at the farmers market instead of large companies

• Local farmers get paid even more than they usually would

• Low income shoppers get extra money for fresh local food

Please consider donating even a small bit to this direct impact program. Shout out to Short Winter Soup for matching the first $5,000 in donations (double your money!)

Support the Double Bucks Program

Can’t donate but still love the cause? Please share this email / post with someone.

TAC Yard Sale on the Bike Path

Join The Carrboro ArtsCenter this Saturday, March 7 from 9 am-1 pm - outside if it's nice, in the front gallery if it's not - and shop for art supplies, random furniture, and more! Walk, bike, scoot, or drive because it’s right off the bike path.

Spring Classes

At The Carrboro ArtsCenter

• Bad Art Club with Zaire Miles-Moultrie on Saturday, March 28 from 2-5 pm (Open now)

• We will focus on collaging with archival items such as copies of photos, writings, and ephemera.

• Accessibility in the Arts: How to start, continue, & do more on Thursday, April 30 from 6:30-8:30 pm (Open now)

• For people who want to learn more about how to incorporate accessibility into their work and creative practice.

Summer Classes for Youth: Open Now!

At The Carrboro ArtsCenter

Tarot & Magical Art: Grades 6-9, Monday – Friday, June 22 - 26

Digital Art & Graphic Design: Grades 6-9, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, June 29 - July 2

Letter Lab: Art with Words: Grades 6-9, Monday – Friday, July 6 - 10

The Paper Playground: Grades 3-5, Monday – Friday, July 20 - 24

Collaborative Mural Creations: Grades 6-9, Monday – Friday, August 10 - 14

Digitally Publish a Magazine! (Zines!): Grades 6-9 Monday – Friday, August 10 - 14

Collaborative Mural Creations: Grades 3-5 Monday – Friday, August 17 - 21

Intuitive Painting & Collage: Grades 6-9 Monday – Friday, August 17 - 21

Next Saturday, February 28 is Bad Art Club from 2-5 pm at The Carrboro ArtsCenter.

Join myself and guest artist Paper Izzy for a class focused on drawing and card-making. All ages and skill levels welcome. It’s free! (4 spots left)

Sign Up For Bad Art Club

Spring Classes

At The Carrboro ArtsCenter

• Banner & Sign Design workshop on Saturday, March 21 from 5:30-8:30 pm (Open now)

• Bad Art Club with Zaire Miles-Moultrie on Saturday, March 28 from 2-5 pm (Registration opens March 1)

• Accessibility in the Arts: How to start, continue, & do more on Thursday, April 30 from 6:30-8:30 pm (Open now)

Summer Classes for Youth: Open Now!

At The Carrboro ArtsCenter

Tarot & Magical Art: Grades 6-9, Monday – Friday, June 22 - 26

Digital Art & Graphic Design: Grades 6-9, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, June 29 - July 2

Letter Lab: Art with Words: Grades 6-9, Monday – Friday, July 6 - 10

The Paper Playground: Grades 3-5, Monday – Friday, July 20 - 24

Collaborative Mural Creations: Grades 6-9, Monday – Friday, August 10 - 14

Digitally Publish a Magazine! (Zines!): Grades 6-9 Monday – Friday, August 10 - 14

Collaborative Mural Creations: Grades 3-5 Monday – Friday, August 17 - 21

Intuitive Painting & Collage: Grades 6-9 Monday – Friday, August 17 - 21

Next Saturday, February 28 is Bad Art Club! Join myself and Paper Izzy for a class focused on drawing and card-making. All ages and skill levels welcome. It’s free!

Sign Up For Bad Art Club

Most recently, I am:

• Teaching Card-Making classes for K-5 students during Afterschool at The ArtsCenter (TAC).

• Teaching Card-Making at February Bad Art Club on Saturday, February 28 from 2-5 pm at TAC (Register for free!)

Next month, I am:

• Teaching a Banner & Sign Design workshop at TAC on Saturday, March 21 from 5:30-8:30 pm (Registration is open!)

• Teaching Bad Art Club with Zaire Miles-Moultrie (Registration opens March 1)

• Teaching Digital Art during Afterschool at TAC

• Finishing Anna Podris’ Magical Realism in Nature class at Raleigh’s Pullen Arts Center

A Quote: Embarrassing

“Starting something new is incredibly embarrassing. Finishing and releasing something is incredibly embarrassing. Every part of the creative process, save for that sweet spot in the middle when God is speaking directly through you, is irreducibly, crushingly embarrassing.”

From gabe k-s on Substack

Art For Mental Health

I want to share this amazing work by the organization Performance Hypothesis!

"Six bipartisan Georgia House Representatives filed HR 1007 making Georgia the first state in the nation to formally recognize the arts as a resource for mental health treatment."

Now let's get the arts covered by insurance (seriously).

What I Do

Shady Kimzey is a lifelong creative and trained educator. They founded Bad Art Company in 2022 and began working full time as artist-educator. They are influenced by pop culture, surrealism, the relationship between past/present/future, and mental health. Each year Shady teaches hundreds of students in creative classes aimed at making their life more creative and fulfilling. Bad Art classes, events, and workshops run on a continuous cycle in various spaces and would love to work with YOU this year.

Shady’s studio practice includes:

• Expressionist and surrealist painting

• Paper and collage works

• Community-based murals

• Socially engaged printmaking

• Personal narrative zines

• DIY digital art

Most Recently

• I taught a semester of month-long Afterschool classes for K-5 students at The ArtsCenter (TAC).

• I participated in Greensboro’s Hand 2 Hand Market and the Elf Market at TAC.

• I taught a Holiday Printmaking Workshop at the Seymour Senior Center in Chapel Hill, and December Bad Art Club at TAC.

• I hosted my monthly graffiti meetup at the local free expression wall and a monthly night open studio at CoLab in Raleigh.

• I serve on the board of a local DIY arts non-profit and attended our quarterly meeting. I successfully advocated for our organization to start a Substack newsletter, which I co-write and edit. I also successfully advocated for a month-long Post-It art show as part of this month’s gallery theme “Ephemeral”.

Next Month

• I am teaching the New Year’s Workshop at TAC & the Seymour Center (LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER!)

• I will resume teaching Afterschool at TAC starting with Digital Zine-Making

• I am taking Anna Podris’ Magical Realism in Nature painting class at Raleigh’s Pullen Arts Center (JOIN ME!)

• I am hosting the January Graffiti Meetup at the NCSU Free Expreesion tunnel on Sunday, Jan. 18 from 12-2 pm

  Learn About The New Year's Workshop

  

Register Now :) :) :)

ABSOLUTE LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER

• 2026 New Year’s Workshop, Sat., January 10, 5:30-8:30 pm. The ArtsCenter, Carrboro.

  • For creative planners! Complete Gretchen Rubin’s “Design Your Year”: a one-world theme for the year, a daily goal, and 26 yearly goals. Paint a 2026 banner with your word / images of the year. Strategize, prioritize FUN, and do it all creatively in a group of like-minded people. This workshop comes once a year!

  • $72, all materials provided, scholarships available

Register Now :) :) :)

Need a different date or more affordable option?

Take an abridged version of this class 1 week later at Chapel Hill’s Seymour Center. All ages welcome. Call 919-968-2070 to register, or for more information.

Happy New Years! Whenever and however you celebrate <3

I am a mentally ill person, and a planner. My schedule is the foundation of my functioning life. For years I tried and tested paper planners until landing on my favorite. I embraced the witchy planner. I took my planner to the mental hospital somehow.

I started Bad Art, and realized after the first year that I needed a digital calendar :[ oh well. So, I have Google Calendar. A few techniques I like to use include:

• Setting my weeks to start on Monday

• Adding in all Mercury Retrogrades and routine monthly events

• Having all weeks numbered 1-52

Do you care about your schedule?

You may find my New Years Workshop helpful for planning out your intentions, goals, and steps to meet them.

Learn About The New Year's Workshop

Important Details:

• Saturday, January 10, 2026

• 5:30 – 8:30 PM

• All Levels, ages 10 through adult

• All supplies provided, scholarships available

I'm Coming!

What’s it all about?

In this 3 hour class you will:

• Complete Gretchen Rubin’s Design Your Year: a one-world theme for the year, a daily goal, and 26 yearly goals.

• Paint a 2026 banner with your word / images of the year.

• Strategize, prioritize FUN, and do it all creatively in a group of like-minded people.

Register for the New Year's Workshop

Need a different date or more affordable option?

Take an abridged version of this class 1 week later at Chapel Hill’s Seymour Center. All ages welcome. Call 919-968-2070 to register, or for more information.

Join us at 2 pm! A few spots are still open.

Register for December Bad Art Club: Painting Animal Cards today or show up as a walk-in and register at the front desk! This is a free class and we have plenty of spots left. Plus, we are doing an ART SWAP this month. Bring some art, take home a treasure.

Details:

• Saturday, December 13, 2-5 pm. The ArtsCenter, Carrboro.

• This month, we are painting animal greeting cards. For each activity we will sketch, then paint. Cards can be sent, kept, displayed, or donated.

• All materials provided. You can bring a reference photo if you would like. Bring a sketchbook or use one of ours!

• All ages and skill levels welcome.

Visit The Elf Market TOMORROW!

I am selling the best of the worst art (and art kits) THIS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14th from 11 AM -5 PM at The Carrboro ArtsCenter.

Come out this Sunday and visit your local creatives! It’s going to be fun :) with over 60 vendors filling every room.

⭐ Find me in the Youth Gallery ⭐

Learn More About Elf Market

Classes Open For Registration Now

JANUARY

• 2026 New Year’s Workshop, Sat., January 10, 5:30-8:30 pm. The ArtsCenter, Carrboro.

  • For creative planners! Complete Gretchen Rubin’s “Design Your Year”: a one-world theme for the year, a daily goal, and 26 yearly goals. Paint a 2026 banner with your word / images of the year. Strategize, prioritize FUN, and do it all creatively in a group of like-minded people. This workshop comes once a year!

  • $72, all materials provided, scholarships available

⭐ A Bad Art favorite class, returning for it’s third year ⭐

Please Note: There will be NO Bad Art Club in January.

FEBRUARY

• Graffiti Writing Workshop: Stickers, Wed. Feb. 7, 5:30-8:30 pm. The ArtsCenter, Carrboro.

  • Curious about graffiti writing but don’t know where to start? Join this beginners graffiti writing class and create your own stickers, also known as slaps. This workshop will start with a presentation on the background of graffiti writing, and then we will focus on practicing graffiti-style writing and hand-lettering. We will make our own hand-drawn stickers by the end of class.

  • $72, all materials provided, scholarships available

MARCH

• Banner & Sign Design Workshop, Sat. March 21, 5:30-8:30 pm. The ArtsCenter, Carrboro.

  • Learn basic design principles such as layout, lettering, & legibility, and draw or paint a yard sign, paper sign, or vinyl banner. Workshop how to get your message out into the world.

  • $72, all materials provided, scholarships available

I am selling the best of the worst art (and art kits) THIS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14th from 11 AM -5 PM at The Carrboro ArtsCenter.

Come out this Sunday and visit your local creatives! We need you here <3

Learn More About Elf Market

In addition to hosting over 60 arts and craft vendors, we will have activities for the whole family, like the popular ‘Paint Your Own Plate’ brought to you by our ceramics studio, and fairy hair! If you come hungry, fear not, we are so excited to have Chef Bill Smith, local treasure and author making his famous Atlantic Beach Pie bites for us, and the ever joyful Beau Catering bringing their signature southern cooking to us for some grab & go lunches and more! Plus, super fun music vibes with Kelly Reidy and Clark Blomquists’ ‘Holiday Music Zone’.

~ The ArtsCenter

Video of some of my market items (No Sound):

Thank You Hand-To-Hand Market & Greensboro DIY-Enthusiasts!

This past Sunday I participated in Hand-To-Hand Market in Greensboro. I wanted to connect with the GSO Zine Fest community, and this market introduced me to many generous people. Art = sold and laughs = had. Thank you to the organizers! Great playlist by the way. Follow Greensboro Zine Fest for more.

Thank You Specialty Supply Donors!

The last 3 Bad Art Clubs required specialty supplies and several donors stepped up to fund these advanced endeavors.

Thank you to Terri & James Kimzey, Margaret Maples, and Jenna Luna for providing rubber blocks, carving tools, and ink for our stamp carving class.

Thank you to Gary Greene for providing funding for special Sashiko needles and blank holiday cards for our visible mending class and upcoming card painting class.

While all supplies are provided at Bad Art Club, all supplies are also DONATED. Bad Art Club relies fully on donated/re-use materials & donated funds.

If you want to meaningfully contribute to BAC, providing special supplies really helps. Email me at badartcompany@pm.me if you are interested in providing supplies or funds for supplies.

Thank you for your consideration.

Classes Now Open For Registration:

LAST CALL to JOIN

• Printmaking Workshop, Friday, December 12, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm, Call to register: (919) 968-2070. Seymour Center, Chapel Hill.

  • Get ready for the holiday season with this printmaking class to create custom wrapping paper, cards and bookmarks! Design your own stamps and use different techniques with ink and gel plates.

  • $50, all materials provided, scholarships available

  ---

LAST CALL to JOIN

• December Bad Art Club: Painting Animal Cards, Saturday, December 13, 2-5 pm. The ArtsCenter, Carrboro.

  • This month, we are painting animal greeting cards. For each activity we will sketch, then paint. Cards can be sent, kept, displayed, or donated. You can bring a reference photo if you would like. Bring a sketchbook or use one of ours!

  • Free, all materials provided

  ---

COMING UP!

• 2026 New Year’s Workshop, Sat., January 10, 5:30-8:30 pm. The ArtsCenter, Carrboro.

  • For creative planners! Complete Gretchen Rubin’s “Design Your Year”: a one-world theme for the year, a daily goal, and 26 yearly goals. Paint a 2026 banner with your word / images of the year. Strategize, prioritize FUN, and do it all creatively in a group of like-minded people. This workshop comes once a year!

  • $72, all materials provided, scholarships available

FEBRUARY

• Graffiti Writing Workshop: Stickers, Wed. Feb. 7, 5:30-8:30 pm. The ArtsCenter, Carrboro.

  • Curious about graffiti writing but don’t know where to start? Join this beginners graffiti writing class and create your own stickers, also known as slaps. This workshop will start with a presentation on the background of graffiti writing, and then we will focus on practicing graffiti-style writing and hand-lettering. We will make our own hand-drawn stickers by the end of class.

  • $72, all materials provided, scholarships available

MARCH

• Banner & Sign Design Workshop, Sat. March 21, 5:30-8:30 pm. The ArtsCenter, Carrboro.

  • Learn basic design principles such as layout, lettering, & legibility, and draw or paint a yard sign, paper sign, or vinyl banner. Workshop how to get your message out into the world.

  • $72, all materials provided, scholarships available

Registration Open Now: 17 Spots Left

Next weekend, we are painting animal greeting cards. Cards can be sent, kept, displayed, or donated!

Guest artist Myles Brown (he/him) will give a live painting demonstration, then guide us in painting an animal. You can bring a reference photo if you would like. Bring a sketchbook or use one of ours!

This class is provided for free to participants thanks to funding from the Orange County Arts Commission and in-kind donation of space from The ArtsCenter.

Register Now

Classes at The ArtsCenter: Open Now

Learn About Banner & Sign Design

Learn About Graffiti Writing Workshop

Learn About The New Year's Workshop

Upcoming Bad Art Clubs: Open In 2026

Bad Art at The ArtsCenter’s Elf Market!

I am selling the best of the worst art on SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14th from 11 am-5 pm at the Carrboro ArtsCenter.

Learn More About Elf Market

In addition to hosting over 60 arts and craft vendors, we will have activities for the whole family, like the popular ‘Paint Your Own Plate’ brought to you by our ceramics studio, and fairy hair! If you come hungry, fear not, we are so excited to have Chef Bill Smith, local treasure and author making his famous Atlantic Beach Pie bites for us, and the ever joyful Beau Catering bringing their signature southern cooking to us for some grab & go lunches and more! Plus, super fun music vibes with Kelly Reidy and Clark Blomquists’ ‘Holiday Music Zone’.

~ The ArtsCenter

Add the date to you calendar :)

P.S. Who is ready to talk about Pantone’s color of the year?

A popular class is back for it’s 3rd year! Join the fun of creative-planning your 2026.

Important Details:

• Saturday, January 10, 2026

• 5:30 – 8:30 PM

• All Levels, Ages 10 through adult

• All supplies provided, scholarships available

Register & Learn More

Description

Are you a creative, a planner, or a creative planner? Come the New Year’s Workshop facilitated by Bad Art and plan your whole year in 3 hours!

In this 3 hour class you will:

• Complete Gretchen Rubin’s Trifecta: a one-world theme for the year, a daily goal, and 26 yearly goals.

• Paint a 2026 banner with your word / images of the year.

• Strategize, prioritize FUN, and do it all creatively in a group of like-minded people.

Register & Learn More

More upcoming classes now open for registration:

• Graffiti Writing Workshop: Stickers, Wed. Feb. 7, 5:30-8:30 pm

• Banner & Sign Design Workshop, Sat. March 21, 5:30-8:30 pm

Bad Art at The ArtsCenter’s Elf Market!

I am selling the best of the worst art on SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14th from 11 am-5 pm at the Carrboro ArtsCenter.

In addition to hosting over 60 arts and craft vendors, we will have activities for the whole family, like the popular ‘Paint Your Own Plate’ brought to you by our ceramics studio, and fairy hair! If you come hungry, fear not, we are so excited to have Chef Bill Smith, local treasure and author making his famous Atlantic Beach Pie bites for us, and the ever joyful Beau Catering bringing their signature southern cooking to us for some grab & go lunches and more! Plus, super fun music vibes with Kelly Reidy and Clark Blomquists’ ‘Holiday Music Zone’.

~ The ArtsCenter

Add the date to you calendar :)

If you want to give back, give forward, or make a local investment, please consider The ArtsCenter in Carrboro. This is one of the best gifts you could give to me, Bad Art Club, or yourself as someone participating in Bad Art!

Donate Now

Why I endorse them:

• The staff is the best team I have ever worked with, especially in hard times

• I trust their work and vision, and consistently align with their community, climate, and art focus

• The working environment includes people with a range of identities, abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs

• They have created a space that many people rely on for surviving and thriving

• They not only offered free space and staff support for BAC, but co-wrote a grant with me to make it free for the next 6 months

• My mental health is BETTER when I work with them

• They are committed to accessibility on multiple levels, including offering free and low-cost programming, staff trainings, and implementation of strategies

Learn More

Have Extra Art Supplies?

• Bad Art accepts donations of art supplies in good & great condtion

  • Email Shady at badartcompany@pm.me to donate

  • Currently accepting just about anything

• The ArtsCenter AfterSchool (Youth) Program accepts art supplies for K-5

  • Email youth@artscenterlive.org to donate

  • Currently requesting pencils & washable markers

    

For Graphic Design Nerds

Canva launches free Adobe rival

Because I am a frequent Canva user, I watch their yearly Keynote videos. In 2023, their focus was “Magic”, Canva’s AI tool(s). This year, they are launching Affinity, a program that rivals Adobe Creative Suite, “for free, forever”. Canva is an Austrailian based graphic design company that launched in 2013, right around when Adobe switched from CDs to online subscriptions.

They are also improving other programs like their brand kit and website hosting, making me seriously question not only Adobe, but Squarespace as well. Video editing could be coming.

Sources:

2025 Canva Keynote Video

Why It Matters Video

Read more