Summer Art Opportunities

In the mood for something artsy? Check out the summer calendars at the Indianapolis Art Center and the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

The museum's "Art for You" schedule for May through July features a couple of lectures I've already added to my calendar. I'm a nut for Egyptian history, so save me a seat at "Living Forever in Ancient Egypt," about how the ancient Egyptians overcame barriers to immortality (2 p.m., Sunday, July 13). Tickets are free, but reservations are required.

The museum is also offering talks by architect Maya Lin (who designed the Vietnam War Memorial), blogger Scott Schuman (who writes a fashion column for GQ) and artist Nick Cave.

And here's something certifiably quirky: Artist Cat Chow is teaching a workshop about how to repurpose old clothes -- like your favorite out-of-style shirt -- to create new, modern fashions (noon to 5 p.m., Sunday, May 4, $15).

The Art Center's summer class catalog also arrived this week. I rejoice whenever the new catalog comes, but the summer schedule is looking a bit thin. We've seen most of the classes and workshops before, but there are a few workshops that look intriguing:

• Ukrainian egg-decorating, June 14 ($48)
• Goblet making (functional glassware), June 28-29 ($326)
• Marbling and book arts sampler, July 14-18 ($304)

Looking for a longer-term class? The Art Center is offering its usual schedule of painting, wood-working, steel and metal sculpture, glass-blowing, jewelry, photography, print-making, ceramics, etc.

There's a new weaving class on the schedule (under the fiber category) called "No More than Four" for weavers with four-harness looms, but if you're a beginner, I'd recommend waiting until the introductory weaving class comes back around in the fall. (Better yet, check out the weaving classes at Conner Prairie, which has better equipment.)