Dan is a Hudson Valley–based scenic designer, visual artist, and theater educator who loves turning simple materials into extraordinary worlds. As a theater design instructor at SUNY New Paltz, he enjoys sharing the techniques scenic artists use to build everything from realistic walls to fantastical environments.

In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn how to construct and finish a miniature wall using the same principles employed in professional scenic design. Along the way, they'll explore scale, texture, painting, and detail while discovering how everyday materials can be transformed into convincing miniature architecture.

Dan's scenic designs have been seen Off-Broadway, at The Public Theater's Under the Radar Festival, Pittsburgh Opera, the Cell Theatre, and National Queer Theater, among many others. He is a resident artist at the cell theatre, a member of the National Queer Theater Collective, and the artistic director of OFO Theater. He looks forward to sharing the craft of scenic building and helping participants create their own miniature masterpiece.

Registration is required for this workshop. To adopt a dollhouse and register, or to ask questions, email Kristen at kthornton-destafeno@rcls.org or call 845-563-3650.

History House is a collaborative initiative of the Newburgh Historical Society, the Newburgh Free Library, and Archtober Newburgh. The program is funded by the Newburgh Free Library.