/EINPresswire.com/ -- LAGUNA BEACH, CA--(Marketwired - Oct 16, 2017) - Sawdust Art & Craft Festival -- a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public and promoting art created in Laguna Beach -- is pleased to announce that the Sawdust Art Enrichment Fund (SAEF), the organization's philanthropic arm, has received a generous grant from the Festival of Arts Foundation, which will aid in funding four classes for 28 spouses of active military personnel.

The offered classes will include: Say It With Jewelry with Jamie Bichler on Oct. 21, Watercolor and Ink Travel Journal Workshop with Mary Gulino on Oct. 7, Holiday Card and Gift Tag Workshop with Faith Fickett on November 4^th and Silk Scarf Painting with Michelle S. Burt on Jan. 27. The military spouses will be taught the skills to make art to sell; will receive tools and materials to take home; and will also learn the skills to build their own online businesses in order to generate income regardless of where they are stationed.

"I am so pleased and excited to be teaching this class to military spouses again," said instructor and Sawdust board member Jamie Bichler, who taught the same jewelry making class last year. "Teaching, sharing and supporting others is what Sawdust is all about and I am honored to be able to give back to the community in this way."

Say It With Jewelry explores the basics of stamping on metal using hand tools and letter stamps to emboss words and short phrases to create pendants. Students take home completed pendants, materials, metal stamps, tools and more. All materials have generously been provided by Rio Grande.

Holiday Card and Gift Tag Workshop teaches students basic printmaking techniques while using stencils and recycled objects. Students will be taking home their own gel plates and brayers. This class was made possible by the California Community Foundation.

Watercolor and Ink Travel Journal Workshop teaches students to sketch, draw, paint and ink to artistically document where they have been in a creative keepsake journal. Participants take home a Strathmore journal, pocket watercolor and brush set and more.

Silk Scarf Painting allows students to create one-of-a-kind colorful silk scarves. Participants leave with beautiful finished pieces plus supplies to make more.

The Sawdust Art Enrichment Fund is a philanthropic effort that supports education of the public about the arts while providing hands-on experience to underserved populations. In recent years, SAEF has partnered with organizations to fund classes for at-risk students, seniors, military spouses and homeless populations in rehabilitation and recovery.

To learn more about the Sawdust Art Festival, please contact Leslie Licano at 949.733.8679 ext. 101 or visit the Sawdust Art Festival website. For more information about the Sawdust Art Enrichment Fund or to make a contribution, please visit: https://sawdustartfestival.org/about/saef.

About Sawdust Art & Craft Festival: Founded in 1967, the Sawdust Art & Craft Festival is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public and promoting art created in Laguna Beach. Best known for offering two highly attended seasonal festivals, the organization also hosts a variety of workshops and classes throughout the year. Sawdust's legendary summer festival is a nine-week summer celebration of fine art and craft -- the largest in Southern California -- with more than 200 Laguna Beach artists who exhibit and sell their original art and handcrafted items. The festival also offers live entertainment, fashion shows, artist demonstrations, hands-on art workshops for all ages, and a variety of food & drink offerings. Sawdust's Annual Winter Fantasy Festival occurs for five weekends leading up to the holiday season, and boasts an international collection of over 175 artisans who create, showcase, and sell their original, handcrafted artwork on the Sawdust grounds, which are lavishly decorated to resemble a winter wonderland. Special activities include "Winter Art Series" classes, where guests can create holiday-themed works, and a highly anticipated annual community tree-lighting ceremony. Throughout the remainder of the year, the organization continues to provide its Sawdust Studio Art Classes in a variety of mediums, on-site and off-site. For more information, visit: www.sawdustartfestival.org