Art Start: Shamrock Quilling Class

Rochester’s Memorial Art Gallery hosts an Art Start workshop on March 12, 2026, from 6pm to 8pm, teaching adults the precise craft of paper quilling while creating a shamrock keepsake. This adults-only class guides you through rolling, shaping, and gluing narrow paper strips into intricate coiled designs, a decorative art form that dates to the Renaissance. Your instructor demonstrates basic quilling techniques including tight coils, loose scrolls, teardrops, and marquise shapes before you arrange green paper strips into a three-leaf shamrock design.

All materials and tools are provided, including quilling paper, slotted tools, tweezers, glue, and mounting boards. The class costs $45 per person and requires advance registration through the gallery’s website or by calling 585-276-8959. Class size is limited to ensure individual attention from the instructor. No prior art experience is necessary, and you will leave with a finished piece ready to frame or display.

The Memorial Art Gallery opened in 1913 as a memorial to architect James Averell. The Italian Renaissance-style building houses more than 12,000 works spanning 5,000 years. March evenings in Rochester bring temperatures in the 20s to 40s, so wear warm layers for your walk from the parking lot. The gallery offers free parking in the lot behind the building. Plan to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early to check in at the Creative Workshop desk.

If you are making a weekend of it, combine your gallery visit with a Finger Lakes drive and book a lakefront stay near Canandaigua Lake or explore shoreline paths near Cayuga Lake. For forest scenery between gallery visits, Finger Lakes State Park fits easily into the itinerary.