"These affordable art classes help Houston neighbors learn new skills, reduce stress, and connect with their community. Creative workshops bring people together and make art education available to everyone, no matter their experience level."
The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art offers hands-on creative classes that celebrate the artist in everyone. This Houston nonprofit provides year-round workshops for children and adults, including mosaic art, MIG welding, and custom LED classes. The mosaic workshops happen at Smither Park's covered pavilion, where experienced artists teach participants to create colorful art pieces using stone, glass, tile, and other materials. These three-hour classes cost $50 and include all supplies. No experience is needed, making them perfect for beginners, couples, or groups. Why does this matter? Creative education builds problem-solving skills, reduces stress, and strengthens our community bonds. Art programs like these give Houston residents affordable ways to learn new skills and express themselves. The Orange Show's location at 2334 Gulf Terminal Drive serves the East End and nearby neighborhoods, providing accessible arts education in an area that values creative expression. These workshops connect people across age groups and backgrounds through shared learning experiences. To get involved, check their website for upcoming class dates and register online. Mosaic classes run monthly on Saturdays from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM. You can also explore their other workshop offerings throughout the year. The Orange Show makes art education welcoming and affordable for our whole Houston community.
CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art produces year-round classes and workshops for children and adults interested in expressing their personal creativity and learning new skills.
We offer recurring Mosaic Art, MIG Welding, and Custom LED Workshops, and update the calendar with other one-off workshops throughout the year.
Please see below for more information and to register.
MOSAIC CLASSES
Mosaic art is the decoration of a surface with designs made up of closely set, usually variously colored, small pieces of material such as stone, mineral, glass, tile or shell. For centuries, cultures across the globe have used mosaic art to adorn buildings and create decorative sculpture, from the simple to the highly intricate.
These introductory-level workshops are facilitated by veteran Smither Park artists who instruct in the basics of mosaic design, encouraging you to experiment with colors and shapes to create your own unique piece of art to take home.
Mosaic workshops are $50 per person, 3-hours, and designed for 12 and up. No experience necessary.
Registration fee includes all materials. These workshops also make a great couples or group activity!
All workshops take place under the Vinson & Elkins Pavilion at Smither Park.
Please park on our campus at 2334 Gulf Terminal Drive, Houston, TX 77023
Special thanks to Thorntree for their generous support of our Mosaic classes
UPCOMING CLASS DATES
Click on your preferred date below to register
Saturday, January 17, 2026 - 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Saturday, February 7, 2026 - 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Saturday, February 21, 2026 - 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Saturday, March 21, 2026 - 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 2026 - 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Saturday, May 2, 2026 - 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Saturday, May 16, 2026 - 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
MIG WELDING CLASSES
MIG (Metal Inert Gas) Welding is an arc welding process in which a continuous solid wire is fed through a welding gun and into the weld pool, joining two base materials together. MIG Welding is a common welding process for beginners, and in our Intro to MIG Welding Class, you'll learn about this easy and versatile type of welding including safety and technique, all in a small group setting. No experience is required, and is designed for ages 16+
After you've taken the Intro to MIG Welding Class (or if you have proven experience with MIG welding), we encourage you to continue practicing and creating by taking one of the advanced classes we offer - The Art of Welding, where you will learn to roll and bend steel to create an armature for your own sculptural piece, and Welding for the Home, a more functional welding class designed to teach you how to create items useful for your daily life such as a steel planter box.
MIG Welding Workshops are $150 per person, 3-hours, and designed for ages 16 and up. Registration fee includes all materials and protective gear. Students are required to wear closed-toe shoes and long sleeves/pants made of natural fibers like cotton or wool (no polyester or synthetic blends).
All workshops take place at the Orange Show World HQ's ExCargo Warehouse
Please park on our campus at 5330 Gulf Freeway, Houston, TX 77023
Special thanks to Triple S Steel and the Dillard Family
for their generous support of our Welding Class program
UPCOMING CLASS DATES
Click on your preferred date below to register
Intro to MIG Welding
No experience required. 16+
Saturday, January 17, 2026 - 10am - 1pm
Saturday, February 21, 2026 - 10am - 1pm
Saturday, March 14, 2026 - 10am - 1pm
Saturday, May 16, 2026 - 10 am - 1 pm
The Art of Welding
Pre-Requisite: Intro to MIG Welding or proven MIG welding experience. 16+
Saturday, December 13, 2025, 2 - 5pm
Saturday, February 21, 2026, 2 - 5pm
Welding for the Home
Pre-Requisite: Intro to MIG Welding or proven MIG welding experience. 16+
Saturday, March 14, 2026 - 2 - 5pm
Saturday, May 16, 2026 - 2 - 5pm
SPECIAL WORKSHOPS
CIRCUIT BENDING EXPLORATORIUM
with Matt Fries
Saturday, May 30, 2026 | 1 - 5pm
Circuit bending is the practice of modifying the components inside cheap toys and synthesizers to produce unexpected sound effects. It’s long been a staple of DIY experimental music practice, and our man Matt Fries is ready to show you how to use a soldering iron to unleash new sonic possibilities from old electronics. You can bring your own sound-making device to hack, or pick something from the pile. All participants will make a small device to take home. For ages 14 and up, 12 participants max.
$80 per participant
Includes all materials, but we encourage you to bring a cheap, vintage sound-making device.
Intro to Fire Artisty & Safety
Sunday, March 8, 2026 | 10am-2pm
Sunday, May 3, 2026 | 10 am - 2 pm
Sunday, September 20, 2026 | 10 am - 2 pm
Sunday, December 6, 2026 | 10 am - 2 pm
Introduction to Fire Artistry and Safety
Introduction to Fire Artistry and Safety is a group workshop, which shares the history of fire manipulation in performance, foundations of fire safety, an introduction to fire props, dancing, and manipulation, and an opportunity to work with fire torches and propane fire bubbles. Whether you want to learn the basics of playing consciously with fire or are ready to release your inner pyro, this experience is for YOU!
Introduction to Fire Artistry and Safety is led by professional movement artist and educator, Y. E. Torres (ms. YET). Torres is a Fire Bellydancer, a Flame Effects Operator, licensed by the state of Texas, a Principal on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Special Effects (SPE-AAA) Committee, and the Public Programs and CAMHLAB Manager of the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston.
Cost: $200 including all materials. No experience necessary but availability is limited. 18 & up only.
This workshop will be held in the classroom and dock space at 2334 Gulf Terminal Drive, Houston, TX 77023
For questions and to sign up for this workshop, please contact Ms. YET at yet.torres@gmail.com
Saturday, January 17, 2026 | 10 am - 12 noon
Saturday, February 14, 2026 | 10 am - noon
Saturday, March 7, 2026 | 10 am - noon
This free and informal monthly meet-up provides an opportunity for area educators to share ideas and resources while building community. Teachers participating in the Team Gillman Art Cars in Schools program are featured, but all are invited to attend. Occasional visitors provide demos in welding, light design, bike decorating, zine making, and other crafty topics.
CLASS POLICIES & GUIDELINES
Refunds
A student may be eligible for a refund less a non-refundable registration fee. Refunds are based on the type of class and the date of request. All registrations are subject to applicable fees regardless of the payment method or purchaser.
Refunds for classes regularly priced at LESS than $100:
Request is made 14 or more days before the class date: Full refund less $10 registration fee
Request is made 7-13 days before the class date: Full refund less $15 registration fee
Request made 6 or fewer days before the class date: Ineligible for refund or transfer
Refunds for classes regularly priced $100 or MORE:
Request is made 14 or more days before the class date: Full refund less $10 registration fee
Request is made 7-13 days before the first class date: Full refund less $25 registration fee
Request is made 6 or fewer days before the first class date: Ineligible for refund or transfer
Cancellations or Postponement
The Orange Show reserves the right to cancel or postpone a class or workshop. Generally, this is because of any of the following reasons:
Instructor is unable to attend and a replacement is not possible
Number of registrations has not met the minimum class size
Weather-related issues making attending the class unsafe
The Orange Show will notify registrants within 48-hours of the scheduled class should it be cancelled, providing opportunities to transfer their registration to a different date or receive a full refund.
Attire
At the Orange Show you we encourage you to dress appropriately for the activity you will be engaging in. The vast majority of our workshops take place outdoors under a cover, so layers are recommended depending on the time of year.
For Welding Workshops, arrive for class in all-natural fiber clothing, long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with socks that protect up to the ankle. Long hair must be tied back. Nylon, polyester, spandex, or other synthetics are not allowed. Additional protective gear will be provided as needed.
For Mosaic Workshop, feel free to dress comfortably depending on the time of year. Classes take place under the open-air Vison & Elkins Pavilion at Smither Park, so you may be exposed to extreme heat or cold at times.
Ages Guidelines
For adult classes, anyone over the age of 16 is welcome to participate. Youth ages 12+ are welcome to take any adult class, as long as the parent/guardian is registered in the same class with them.
Location
All classes and workshops take place on the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art's campus, located at 2334 Gulf Terminal Drive, Houston, TX 77023. For any workshops, please park in the parking lot at this address.
Within our campus, we have multiple locations where your class may take place, including Smither Park, the Orange Show World HQ, or the Orange Show Classroom. Follow the signage when you enter the campus for your designated parking and destination.
Additional Questions
If you have any additional questions, feel free to email us at classes@orangeshow.org
