Studio 55 | Encaustic Sculpture

Studio 55 is bringing an encaustic sculpture workshop to the Tampa Museum of Art from Monday, October 26, to Wednesday, October 28, 2026. It runs across three classes, 10 AM to 4 PM each day, in the Cornelia Corbett Center at 120 W. Gasparilla Plaza.

Encaustic sculpture is a process that uses heated beeswax mixed with pigment, and this is a hands-on workshop led by teaching artists. It's part of Studio 55, the museum's vitality arts program for adults 55 and older, which is funded by E.A. Michelson Philanthropy. The whole series is built around learning new art-making techniques, gaining a sense of accomplishment, and forging new relationships. The multi-session format means you'll be working with the same group over several days, and participants join a Studio 55 Facebook group to keep the connection going after the classes end.

There's a broader goal behind the program, too. It follows a 2021 American Alliance of Museums report, Museums and Creative Aging: A Healthful Partnership, which urged museums to promote creative aging. In 2022, the Minneapolis-based E.A. Michelson Philanthropy launched the Vitality Arts Project to reshape how museums connect with older adults. The workshops are designed to improve health and well-being and provide a renewed sense of purpose, countering loneliness and isolation among older adults.

While you're there, you'll see the museum itself is in the middle of a Centennial Renovation & Expansion announced by the Tampa Museum of Art Foundation, which will increase exhibition space and education facilities. The workshop costs $30, though it's currently marked as sold out.