Fridays, 9 AM – 10 AM | Live Oak Cultural Center, 1000 Live Oak Street, New Smyrna Beach
ACA Arts & Wellness ambassadors share the art of movement to enhance body awareness. Tai Chi and energy work has been proven to aid in muscle strength, flexibility, lower blood pressure, stress, anxiety, and help develop a better mood. Learn the basics, then let your creativity shine!

Third Tuesdays, 5:30 PM | March 19, April 16, May 21, June 11, July 16, August 20, September 17
Live Oak Cultural Center, 1000 Live Oak Street, New Smyrna Beach
Meditation has been used for centuries to improve concentration and increase breath capacity, which can benefit cardiovascular and immune health. Adding mindful practice to your daily life can increase happiness and encourages a healthy lifestyle. ACA Arts & Wellness Ambassador, Lady Eve will lead participants through an easy, fun meditation using natural sounds and ambient music. Free and open to everyone.

2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM| Live Oak Cultural Center, 1000 Live Oak Street, New Smyrna Beach
Led by music therapist Vicki Gross,  ACA invites you to rejuvenate, relax and recharge with an eclectic mix of music-making through dancing, songwriting, listening and sharing.   While you’re there have a cup of coffee. Annual membership to COA required. Register at Council on Aging, Live Oak Cultural Center.

ACA Downtown: Yurick Studios, 123 Douglas Avenue, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168. Join local artist and expressive arts facilitator Bethany Bennett Behr, MFA to explore acrylic painting techniques with attention to mindfulness and emotional awareness. Learn about color and mood associations, the repetition and meditation of brushstrokes and how to use emotion as fuel for creativity. $35 / ACA members $25. Limited to 30 participants.

9:30 AM – 11:30 AM | 1st & 3rd Mondays. Veterans throughout Volusia County will have the opportunity to discover how the arts can strengthen the spirit, encourage mental stimulation, socialization, and manage chronic pain. The group, Creative Expressions, is inspired by the National Endowment for the Arts Creative Forces (Military Healing Arts Network) and the University of Florida Department of Arts in Medicine. ACA Arts & Wellness ambassadors M.B. McLatchey, Bethany Bennett, and Eve Payor will volunteer to lead veterans in creative activities, including writing, painting, and music at the Daytona Beach Vet Center. Vet Center Director Mary Fisher, LCSW will facilitate the Creative Expressions group. Please contact the Daytona Beach Vet Center for eligibility requirements needed to participate. (386) 366-6600.

Second Tuesdays, 12:15 – 2 PM | Dates: April 9, May 14, June 18, July 9, August 13, September 10
ACA at Harris House, 214 South Riverside Drive, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
Bethany Bennett, MFA leads wellness workshops focusing on the spiritual in art, and that which drives one to create.   Explore painting with pointillism for repetition, and expressive brush movements for stress relief. Learn different techniques with charcoal, mixed media and paint to produce an original expressive artwork. $20, supplies included. Limited to 20 participants.

Second Saturdays, 1 – 4 PM | April 13, May 11, June 8, July 13, August 10, September 14
Live Oak Cultural Center, 1000 Live Oak Street, New Smyrna Beach
Come explore art journaling in this class led by artist/art therapist Laura Bohn. The goal of therapeutic art journaling is to reduce stress and promote relaxation by increasing participants’ ability to play, experiment and gain self-guided insight and understanding of one’s own emotions. Added benefits can include self-growth, discovery, and joy through visual storytelling in a supportive group environment. Limited to 12 participants. Pre-registration required. Free, and open to everyone.

Join Rachel Chase, Expressive Arts Facilitator and Creativity Coach for this memorable and transformative experience at the beautiful Atlantic Center for the Arts main campus! Enjoy a day of slowing down, taking time to see with clarity, and give pause to experience the preciousness of your unique gifts. Connect with the moment. Draw out your inner wisdom, your muse, your soul’s voice. You are Artist. Your life is your art, your creation… whatever your media; be it fine art or any way of expressing artistry – crafty homemaking, cooking, gardening, martial arts, parenting, making music, or even singing in the shower. Limited to 20 participants. Secure your spot now! $65 / ACA members $50.

From urban design to wildlife ecology, the acoustics of our environment are a vital key to understanding how to live a balanced life, in accord with nature. The ever-changing sounds of environments that we are surrounded by every day is known as the soundscape of a location…and is unique. Artists, scientists, and local governments are grappling with the impact of human development on the natural world, and soundscape field recording can lend an integral perspective on the health of our environment. Join Atlantic Center for the Arts for an examination of field recording, how soundscapes can be used in music composition, and as creative inspiration. The workshop includes a soundwalk with local musician Lady Eve. Beginner’s welcome. Please bring a smartphone or recording device to the workshop. Register at https://timucua.com

Weekly art camps for ages 6-12: June 4 – July 19, 2019 (Ages 6-12) | July 23 – July 26, 2019 (Ages 13-17)
Tuesday – Friday, 9 AM – 2 PM (ACA art camp closed July 2-5) | $105 for ACA members; $130 nonmembers – Pre-registration is required. Scholarships are available for each session. Painting, music, dance and more – kids love Summer Art Camp at Atlantic Center for the Arts! Modeled after ACA’s world-renowned artists-in-residence program, each one-week session features three classes that give campers an opportunity to explore ideas of art and culture through hands-on experiences with a variety of art forms, including paper maché, painting, photography, yoga, drumming, dance, theater and more. Camp administrator Miss Peggy is looking forward to a great summer!

Thursdays at Babe James Community Center | 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM from June 6th – July 25th, 2019
Did you know that saxophone legend John Coltrane used Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity to map his composition “Giant Steps”? This summer, youth are invited to join ACA artist Bethany Bennett, for a fun, engaging exploration of arts and sciences. This STEAM program (STEM with Arts) is designed for middle school aged youth during the 2019 Summer Camp at Babe James Community Center.  Supported by the City of New Smyrna Beach. Call Babe James Community Center to sign up! 386-410-2890