Current
Paddle People: Stories in Wood & Vinyl Workshop
with Manny LeGaspe
Paddle People: Stories in Wood & Vinyl Workshop with Manny
Saturday, April 25, 10:30 AM to 2:00 PM (includes a half-hour lunch break in the courtyard with live music)
Member Price $90, Non Members $100
Open to ages 12+
All materials included
No experience necessary
Paddle People with Manny LeGaspe
Join artist Manny LeGaspe for a hands-on workshop where storytelling, found materials, and expressive painting come together. In this creative session, you will transform a pre-cut wooden “paddle person” into a one-of-a-kind figure using acrylic paint and vinyl record elements.
Drawing from Manny’s exploration of form, color, and narrative, participants will be guided through the process of developing character, layering paint, and incorporating unexpected materials to bring personality and meaning to their piece. You’ll experiment with texture, composition, and simple mixed media techniques while discovering how everyday objects can become part of a larger artistic story.
No prior experience is necessary. Manny will provide guidance throughout the process, encouraging intuitive creativity and personal expression. All materials are included.
By the end of the workshop, you’ll leave with a completed paddle person that reflects your own imagination and voice—playful, expressive, and entirely your own.
Instructor Bio
Manny LeGaspe has devoted his artistic practice to exploring form, color, and narrative through acrylic painting, mixed media, and the imaginative use of found objects. His work lives between figurative fine art and folk art, blending disciplined technique with the intuitive, resourceful spirit of vernacular creativity.
Manny’s growth as an artist reflects both academic training and years of self-directed exploration. He has developed a deep fluency with materials, experimenting with texture, layering, and repurposed objects to create work that resonates with personal history, cultural symbolism, and human emotion. His artistic voice is grounded in curiosity and shaped by a willingness to move beyond traditional boundaries.
His work has been exhibited at respected Southern California institutions, including the Riverside Art Museum and The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture, contributing to the region’s vibrant and evolving artistic dialogue. These exhibitions reflect his ability to connect with audiences through both conceptual depth and visual immediacy.
Manny continues to create new bodies of work that reflect the richness of his experience and the ongoing evolution of his artistic language. Whether through figurative compositions or folk-inspired assemblages, his work invites viewers to engage with memory, identity, and the layered textures of everyday life.