Several art appreciation classes will be offered this summer for students in elementary and junior high schools at the Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art at Kansas University.

The classes combine art study with hands-on activities, gallery exploration and discussion. Each week students will investigate and discuss a group of artworks from the Spencer collection and create a work of their own based on the techniques, media and traditions they discover.

Two sessions of each class are offered: for ages 5-10 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and for ages 11-15 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The classes are “Lighting Up the Dark Ages,” studying medieval art and creating a faux stained-glass work, June 8; “Connecting to Contemporary,” studying modern art and creating a collage or sculpture, June 15; “Color, Line, Pattern and Abstraction: Piecing It All Together,” studying old and new quilts and creating a quilt block, June 22; “Threads through Time,” studying historical and contemporary textile arts and creating a work of fiber and fabric, June 29; “Talking Images,” studying how artists are inspired by or tell stories in art and creating a journal/sketchbook, July 6; “Art in the Outdoors: Landscapes and Leaves,” representing and using nature in art and creating a painted scene with printed elements, July 13; and “Fish, Flowers and Flying Things,” studying how to illustrate and sculpt animals and plants and creating a work in clay, July 20.

Classes are $12, or $10 for children of Friends of the Art Museum members or anyone enrolling in four or more classes.

Space is limited. Pre-registration is encouraged.

To register, call Kristina Mitchell at 864-0137, e-mail her at kemitch@ku.edu or go to the Web site www.ku.edu/~sma.