The philosophy of The Children’s Art Studio is that the child must be provided with an art education that emphasizes the creative process and spontaneous visual learning experiences.
The child also must be given the opportunity to make his/her own choices during flights of artistic inspiration and passion. Students at The Children’s Art Studio receive a fresh approach to the study of art. Our curriculum believes that the child enters our classes painting and drawing according to specific ages and stages of perceptual development. The Children’s Art Studio fosters a lively discourse stimulating children’s natural wonder and curiosity in the more formal foundations of color, shape, line, texture, space and composition. The opportunity to become an inspired artist only will succeed when the child is placed in the proper studio environment that caters to his/her world, and encourages each child to imagine freely and to interpret a personal artistic vision.
The Children’s Art Studio encourages the child to become an artist who experiments in the studio and, more importantly, who develops within the studio walls into a creative human being. The studio will be transformed into an artistic community which is evolving organically and will push the boundaries of creative expression. At The Children’s Art Studio, the role of the teacher is as an essential community member. The teacher is one who listens, aids and learns along with his/her students, and is a willing participant in the creative dialogue of enhancing the studio environment. In this way, the curriculum and teaching methods differ from other art programs that are based upon teacher- dependency, copying, tracing and filling-in images.
The art studio environment is an integral part of the creative process. The studio is a tool to be utilized like paint, brushes or scissors to create artwork which enriches the child’s vital self-expression. The ingredients in this “Studio Stew” all must harmonize and blend together to produce meaningful creations. In this way, the child can develop freely into a budding, young artist who enjoys the manipulation of art materials and tools, and can experience unhindered artistic growth. All of The Children’s Art Studio lessons flow from this unique studio environment. The lessons empower the school’s students to become confident, independent and creative decision makers.