Spotlight on 2025 - 2026

Small-Scale Regional Encaustic Events

EncausticArt D-A-CH Region Launches in Switzerland!

An initiative to promote encaustic arts in German-speaking areas of Europe.

Congratulations, Ursi Lysser, Barbara Niederberger and Beate Kratt on the successful launch of your EncausticArt initative!

Although the encaustic community in the German-speaking parts of Europe is steadily growing, many artists still have difficulty finding information in German. This group aims to help close this gap with a goal of inviting artists from Germany, Switzerland, and Austria to join and form a European community in which they foster collaboration, share knowledge, and host exhibitions and retreats across these three countries.

Check out this delightful video introducing EncausticArt D-A-CH created by the group's founders: Ursi Lysser, Barbara Niederberger and Beate Kratt!

EncausticArt's launch featured an exhibition, Wax and Visions, at the Tierlihuus in Aarwangen, Switzerland, along with several demonstrations by artists working with encaustics and with cold wax. Be sure to visit their website to learn more about how they got started and their ambitious vision for the future!

Gina has recently finished teaching an 8-week intro/intermediate encaustics course within the museum’s Studio 55 program. The Museum studio director and assistant Director joined one of the sessions. The encaustic program is going to be expanded to the Museum’s regular programming in addition to the courses for adults 55 and older.

A New Encaustic Facility Launches

at the Tampa Museum of Art

IEA members Gina White and Shelley Jean lead the way!

IEA members Gina White and Shelley Jean have been working with the Tampa Museum of Art for some time helping to launch their new Encaustic Facility as part of the Museum's Studio55 program which supports the health and well-being of the older members of Tampa Bay through the arts.

Along with many arts organisations, the Museum has struggled to re-open and re-establish programs due to recent Tampa Bay hurricanes (Helene and Milton). Gina and Shelly have worked with the Museum to provide resources to set up the encaustic facility, but lacked the funds to cover the purchase of a Hotbox for their week-long monoprinting course for 12 students in late June.

The grant contributed to the purchase of a Roland Hotbox to support the Tampa Museum’s new Encaustic Facility and to expand the range of encaustic topics offered.

Gina White shares:

"The museum is so pleased with this new encaustic program. The administration regularly brings tours of donors and other friends of the museum through the classroom during our classes, and they arranged to do a short recording of the class for an upcoming commercial for the museum on our local PBS affiliate. The encaustic courses sell out very quickly and the studio program continually receives requests to open more classes, increase the number of students per class, and create a waiting list of students in case anyone registered drops out."

Encaustic Arts in Action at the Northwest Washington Fair

in Whatcom County, Washington

Jana Gering mesmerizes fair attendees with her encaustic demonstrations

and builds her partnership with the local Jansen Art Center.

In addition to purchasing supplies for encaustic displays and demonstrations, this grant supported the design and printing of a series of educational signage about the history of encaustics and the opportunities to take classes at the Jansen Art Center.

Through the Small Scale Regional Event grant, Jana Gering led Encaustic Art Education events at the 2025 Northwest Washington Fair in Lynden, Washington.

The project was designed to improve awareness of encaustic, promote collaboration and enthusiasm for encaustic painting, and foster connections between the Fair organizers and a local non-profit organization, the Jansen Art Center).

Jana plans to continue to foster relationships between the Arts Center, local artists and the local community with more demonstrations and wontinue to meet with Jansen tutors to build on the relationship with specific emphasis on encaustic.

Jana Gering writes that in addition to generating interest in classes at the Jansen Art Center, other innovative collaborations are underway such as:

"Angela Wright (watercolor instructor at the Jansen) and I have developed a new collaborative curriculum for a six-week course incorporating watercolor and encaustic painting methods.

An Encaustic Symposium at Green Door Art Gallery in St.Louis, Missouri

IEA members Eve Bayer, Leah Merriman and Dee Levang generate interest a local IEA chapter.

Eve Bayer, Leah Merriman and Dee Levang held an encaustic symposium at the Green Door Art Gallery (which is owned by Leah) attended by an audience of invited guests.

The three artists presented on encaustic techniques, tools and equipment and then held demonstrations of the unique ways each of them uses wax media.

The purpose of this well-attended initial event was to strengthen ties among artists in the local and national encaustic communities, and to foster future collaborations and workshop opportunities with the intention that this event would be the first of many.

The demonstrations were followed by lively Q&A and a reception during which attendees and presenters shared ideas and discussed interests including the launch of a new IEA Chapter, quarterly meet-ups for encaustic demos and a social opportunities as well as encaustic demos held in the artists' actual studios.

We'll share more as this team's future plans evolve!

Check Back: More highlights of our 2025-2026 Events Coming Soon!