Each third Saturday this summer, Caponi Art Park will host a free, drop-in public arts program offering a rotating series of hands-on creative activities for all ages and abilities. Among the programs presented by visiting artists will be the Tiny Art School & Design, which explores accessible approaches to art and design, and a Natural Pigment Workshop demonstrating paints and dyes made from food waste and foraged plants.
Saturday, September 19 | 10am – 1pm
Natural Sculpture Workshop with Jim Proctor
Join us for an outdoor, site-specific sculpture workshop with sculptor Jim Proctor onsite at Caponi Art Park! The workshop includes a guided nature walk and natural sculpture creation in the park, using natural materials such as pinecones, needles, leaves, flowers, acorns and much more. Art Supplies provided.
Saturday, October 17 | 10am – 1pm
April Seller’s Dance Collective
Move, play and connect – inspired by the strength, adaptability, and beauty of the natural world.
Past 3rd Saturdays at Caponi Events
Saturday, June 20 | 10am-1pm
Painting with Nature: A Regenerative Art Experience at Caponi Art Park
Join us at Caponi Art Park to gather, dye, paint, and reimagine what art can be made from.
Imagine making art with color drawn not from petroleum, but from the flowers, leaves, and food scraps around you. Most conventional art materials, including acrylic paints, are made from fossil fuels—the tube and, so often, the paint itself—and they shed an astonishing amount of microplastics into our land and water. This hands-on outdoor experience invites you to create not from nature, but with it—remembering that we are not separate from the living world, but part of it.
Led by artist Lara Cornell, this gathering at Caponi Art Park in Eagan reimagines where color comes from. As you move through the park, you’ll visit pigment stations and answer trivia about the land and sustainability. Each answer earns you plant- and food-waste-based materials—an onion skin, a fallen petal, a spent bloom. You’ll then carry those materials back to the dye station, where you’ll transform them into your own colors and use them in hands-on creations of your own.
Who it’s for: Anyone curious about a different way of making—welcoming to all ages, thoughtfully designed with adults in mind too. This is a rich, immersive experience that invites everyone to look at materials and the living world with fresh attention.
What you’ll do:
- Bundle dye a ribbon made from recycled natural fibers, guided step by step at the dye station.
- Paint a card or picture using paints made from plants and food waste while your ribbon dries.
- Explore the park and discover how what we call waste can become the beginning of something new.
What to expect: While your ribbon rests and dries, you’ll have time to paint, wander, and sit with a few quiet questions. What would it mean to make art with the living world, where every petal and peel has a place? What if the materials we create with and the art we create could one day return to the earth and feed new growth—nothing wasted, everything part of a larger cycle of renewal?
This is an invitation to slow down and see ordinary materials—an onion skin, a fallen petal, a spent bloom—as part of a creative cycle where nothing is wasted, and everything can be renewed.
About Lara Cornell: Lara is an artist whose practice centers on sustainability and regeneration. She holds a Master’s degree in Sustainable Design and a Graduate Certification in Biomimicry from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD), where her work explores moving away from petroleum-based materials toward art & design materials drawn from plants and food waste. Her practice is rooted in the belief that we live within, not apart from, nature—and that every material choice has effects beyond the studio. By approaching art through a systems lens, she asks how creative work might move in relationship with living systems: avoiding harm, reducing waste, and allowing materials to return to the earth in ways that support regeneration. She sees constraints not as limitations, but as invitations for deeper creativity—where intention becomes the catalyst for innovation.
Saturday, July 18 | 10am-1pm
Tiny School of Art & Design
The Tiny School of Art & Design by Heijeu Arts is a traveling art studio that brings professional art equipment, high-quality tools, and creative materials directly to the community.
Inspired by the art school experience, teaching artists will be at the park sharing their knowledge, creativity, and passion for making art. Equipment like “drawing horses” spark curiosity for passersby, with a special throne for someone to pose for creators of all abilities, ages, and attitudes. Teaching artists provide support for participants to engage with the materials, but not necessarily a “how to draw” format. Additional art tables, lovingly covered with paint and notes from past participants, are used for watercolor and painting activities. Artists will give quick instructions of how to use the materials, allowing the participants to dive in and try it for themselves.
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced artist, everyone is welcome to join in and create.
No experience necessary. All ages welcome!
Saturday, August 15 | 10am – 1pm
Women’s Drum Center
Join us for a morning of rhythm, music, and hands-on fun with the Women’s Drum Center! Experience the joy of live drumming, songs, and the opportunity to join the drum circle yourself. Families can explore a variety of percussion instruments, create a take-home egg shaker craft, enjoy drum-themed coloring activities, and learn more through interactive displays and information panels.
Whether you’re trying drumming for the first time or simply love making music, this engaging experience is perfect for all ages. Come ready to make some noise, discover new rhythms, and celebrate the power of music together!
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