Our Facility
Seven Directions Institute of Art and Science has a wide range of materials and tools available. Please explore the videos and images on this website to get acquainted with the studio. Also, feel free to contact us to arrange a free introductory class.
Seven Directions is centrally located in the Sash Mill, between northern and southern Santa Cruz communities. Our 2000 sq. ft. studio is equipped with artist-grade materials, including stretched canvas, acrylics paints, mixed media, and clay. Additionally, SDI has unparallel digital arts workstations.
Jasper shows off his painting of the eagle on loan from Santa Cruz Natural History Museum.
Highlights Include:
Live Animals
Seven Directions has over 100 different animals to inspire creativity in the pursuit of art and science. By observing real animals, kids get more absorbed in their work and draw from the amazing detail a living breathing creature provides. Creativity brought to life!
Realistic 3D models
Our extensive collection of 100s of 3D models includes mythical, fantasy, and sports figure, realistic animals and flowers, and much more. By drawing, painting, and sculpting from 3D models, kids learn shape and proportion in a powerful way not available just from pictures.
Library
Seven Directions has a collection of well over 500 art and science books which students use to inform their creative inquiry.
Digital Art
Our digital arts workstations are cutting edge. Eight work stations are equipped with drawing tablets or Table PC computers. Students directly input into Painter X, the graphics industry standard for visual art. Several simpler drawing and painting programs are available to less experienced students. All computers are networked so kids can save and print their art.
Traditional Media
Traditional materials are still the cornerstone of a good creative arts program. At SDI, kids work with pencil, charcoal, water media, acrylics, clay, and mixed media materials to develop their art making skills.
Whether their interest lies in traditional fine art or cutting edge digital art, at SDI kids can work seamlessly in a wide range of mediums to expand their creativity.
A video fly-through of Seven Directions Institute, June 2007.
A video overview of some of the animals, June 2007.
Santa Cruz Community TV interviews at Seven Directions, 2004.