Kids•Art

Philosophy of Kids•Art

Why are art classes important for children?

Today, art classes are more important than ever, filling a void as art classes in schools are cut back.

Parents observe how alive and peaceful their children are after Kids•Art classes. When students actively engage in art, and experience a creative connection to themselves and others, this happens!

Small classes provide a nurturing climate for 5-12 year olds, who receive individual attention, feel connected to the teacher, and enjoy a cooperative spirit with other children sharing their experience.

Kids delight in hands-on sculpting with terra cotta clay, which provides them a chance to work three dimensionally, unlike so many of their digital games and pastimes. Along the way, they develop hand eye coordination, which pleases their parents and teachers.

Inspired by characters and illustrations from the stories Ann reads them, by photographs, sculptural models and their own experience, children sculpt animal characters and other subjects , which they paint after firing in a kiln. Parents report that children use them in imaginative play, taking pride in them and displaying them as long as they remain at home.

In two dimensional projects like drawing with oil pastels and markers, prints , and collages, children translate skills from their sculpting-balance, scale, and proportion in their two dimensional projects. The greater emphasis is on sculpting.

As they engage in the projects, children experience that joy which comes as they discover how to bring their images and perceptions alive with clay , oil pastels, paper and paint.

For current class schedules and registration form, click here for the Kids•Art Flyer and registration form

Recommendations

Thanks to four years of Kids•Art with Ann McCrea, my son is a happy, confident, enthusiastic artist. Ann creates a connection with her students because she takes time to understand and get to know each child. Gifted with perception and awareness, she encourages children to recognize and express the beauty of the natural world through many media, while awakening parents to see the amazing creativity that lives within their own children. – Jen Wright

Our son has taken Ann’s classes for the past three years since he was six, our daughter since she was five. She relates to children in a meaningful way. They LOVE Ann and the art she inspires them to create. They can’t wait to get to her classes. She finds something special to celebrate in each work of art. They come home with the most amazing sculptures, collages, felt creations and masks. We have been astonished by the complexity and maturity of what they have crafted. – Sally and Bob McCraven

Our daughter loves Kids•Art. She started when she was five and has continued more than three years, including Kids•Art Camp. She enjoys listening to the stories and integrating them into her sculpting, painting and collages. Over the years she’s developed an appreciation of form, color and detail which she applies to all her work. – Doina C.

Our two daughters, ages five and seven, have been taking art classes with Ann for over a year. Whether they are working on clay projects that take several sessions to complete or on day projects involving other media, the girls always enjoy the artistic process and take great pride in their creations. Ann has the wonderful talent of teaching various aspects of art while simultaneously keeping her young students engaged and eager to participate. As parents, we also value the heightened imagination and confidence which Ann inspires in each child through her teaching.— Virginia Little

Kids•Art has been a wonderful experience for my 12 year old son, Matthew. He's been a student of Ann's for two years and thoroughly enjoys her classes. Her unique personality and obvious devotion to the process make the studio a very special place. Matthew has grown as an artist and her positive attitude has done much for his self esteem. — Theresa Thompson