Winter 2026 Maker-in-Residence Program
An artist from Southwest Michigan, you’ll find Anna Barnhart’s work defined by thick texture and colorful illustrations created with versatile acrylic paint. Her nature-inspired artwork can be seen in art fairs, on her website, YouTube channel, and at the occasional farmer’s market or craft fair.
Maker-in-Residence Drop-in Hours
Anna will work with patrons to create a “molecular self-portrait” out of recycled materials; choosing “elements” and colors that represent what you bring as unique building blocks to our Portage and Southwest Michigan community.
Visit Anna in our Makerspace on the main level during scheduled drop-in hours to participate in our community project.
We will display these molecules together as a larger piece, celebrating our similarities, uniqueness, and how we all contribute to our neighborhood.
Maker-in-Residence Workshops
In addition to the Molecules: Portrait of a Community project, Anna will also lead two Maker-in-Residence Workshops. Seating is limited. Registration is required.
Tuesday, February 24th – Book Bag Painting
Get ready for book clubs, farmer’s markets, and more by painting your own sturdy canvas-book bag. Using acrylic paint on raw cotton, you’ll learn basic painting techniques for a fun illustration on something practical–and washable! We’ll pick a natural theme like a floral or some mushrooms, but each bag will be unique! Great for all skill levels, all supplies are included for this short workshop, but your bag may not be dry when it’s done.
Registration opens January 19th.
Saturday, March 14th – Recycled Book Page Collage
Reuse the wonderful texture of pre-loved books that need a new life! Using the staining power of acrylic paint, we will make textured sheets to create a lovely landscape or floral collage to embellish. You’ll leave with an 8×10 paper collage to take home and frame. Working with paper collage is a great way to focus on values in a composition, loosen up, and ditch the paint brush! All skill levels welcome and all supplies included.
Registration opens February 16th.
About the Maker-in-Residence Program
The Portage District Library’s Maker-in-Residence program brings creativity, innovation, and hands-on learning to our community. This program invites makers, artists, and creators from all backgrounds to work on a project, share their skills, and engage with library patrons through workshops and events. Each residency lasts eight weeks and includes a $1,000 stipend, access to library resources, and a dedicated space to create.
Makers of all kinds—whether working with fiber, wood, metal, digital design, code, or experimental media—bring new ideas to life and inspire the next generation of creators.