Art Classes in Fort Mill
Age Appropriate Fine Art Classes
For children ages Toddlers to Teens!
Escort Your Artist
Ages 18m - 3 Yrs., with caregiver
Remember that time you tried that amazing craft project from Pinterest with the cotton balls and food coloring that stained your kitchen table and your toddler's hands for four days? Let's not do that again, okay?
Our "Escort Your Artist" playgroup is the perfect opportunity for your child to experiment with colors, shapes & enticing sensory materials. You or another adult sidekick (nanny, grandparent, etc.) will engage, inspire and challenge your little Picasso alongside our teaching staff, as they move freely throughout the studio working at their own pace at a number of creative art stations & prompts.
Preschool Art Open Studio
Ages 3-6 Yrs., with caregiver
Join us for a crafty morning in the studio with your favorite preschooler! (Caregiver required to stay.)
We will have 2 stations for them to explore and create a masterpiece. We will of course offer guidance and ideas, but will leave the final design up to their own creativity and imagination. And YES there will be lots of glitter!
Story Time + Art Class
Two options: Either as an Escort Your Artist class with caregiver, or Drop Off for Ages 3.5 - 5
Join your creative little bookworms in this fun + messy Storytime Art Class! Each week, we’ll kick off this fun class by reading from a curated selection of well-loved picture books (new releases + classics!), followed by art projects inspired by the story of the day! Imaginations will be bursting with energy as we get creative juices flowing through animated storytelling, rhymes + song! Audience participation + spontaneous dance moves are encouraged! We'll select featured stories that appeal to toddlers through preschool age children. Older siblings up to age 6 are welcome too!
Creative Morning Preschool Classes
Drop Off, Age 3.5 - 6
Preschool age kids (age 3.5 – 6) will delight in following their natural curiosity as they discover and learn through art! At this age, virtually anything can be taught through or enhanced by art! – Nature, science, numbers, letters, colors, shapes, mixing, sorting, stacking, pinching, pulling, squeezing, rhyming, singing… you name it!
This drop off creative class is a blast for your newly independent artist as they explore lots of different art materials, tools and processes through open-ended projects and child-led experiences. A perfect blend of sensory process-based art, and simple instructed techniques, your child’s confidence & joy will soar as they experience the magic of mixing yellow + blue to make green (!!), and turning simple marks & shapes into recognizable objects (what?! a circle with a triangle on top can turn into a bird!).
If you were a fly on the wall during this class you might possibly see us using our paintbrushes as microphones, wearing embroidery hoops as crowns, creating art inspired by our favorite books, making up rhymes and ditties, and generally just being silly! And brace yourself at pick up time for the high pitched squeals of happy kids who can’t wait to show you what they created!
Preschool Age Pottery Classes
Ages 3.5-6
Manipulating clay at this early developmental age is a great way for preschoolers to express their imagination, improve their fine and gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills!
The ultimate 3D art form, clay can be a direct extension of kids’ imaginations! It’s not only relaxing and enjoyable for kids this age, but it helps with focus and concentration, and gives them the freedom and enjoyment of creating something tangible with their own hands! It builds hand and finger muscle strength, coordination, and gives kids a sense of pride and accomplishment to have a long lasting piece of art to show off!
We offer either a Preschool Combo Art + Pottery “Clay Play” class (ages 3.5 -6, drop off).
Preschool
Ages 3 - 5 Yrs. Old
This class is a blast for your newly independent artist as they experience a drop-off creative class. Each week is a different art medium, allowing your child to explore new materials and tools, turn their shapes into recognizable pictures, learn foundational art techniques and have some messy fun, all while easing them into a classroom dynamic.
If you were a fly on the wall during this class you might possibly see us using our paintbrushes as microphones, wearing embroidery hoops as crowns, and playing musical "colors" as we trade oil pastel hues!
Elementary
Age 5 - 9 Yrs. Old
This class blends fine art techniques with your child's own creative expression. We strive to expose students to aspects of art history, current art makers, and the elements of art (line, space, color, balance, etc.), while letting them run a little wild with their own imagination.
We hear lots of kids this age saying "But I don't know howwwww!!!!!!”. We enjoy creating a space for your child to slow down, be in the moment, and be comfortable trying something new. This class is a great social experience and opportunity to share, brainstorm as a class, and bicker over who gets the yellow paint first.
3D Sculpture + STEAM Class
Age 5-9
Students in this class will learn to create a variety of sculptures, including free-standing 3D sculptures and relief sculptures (a raised design on a flat surface), using foundational sculpting techniques such as modeling, molding, shaping, & assembling. We strive to apply STEAM-based learning principals (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) to guide students in their critical and creative thinking and problem/solving.
Kids love to work on a large scale, and what better opportunity to go big than a Sculpture class! The methods & possibilities are endless – from papier mache to modeling clay and assemblages, to creating sculptures from unique found objects & upcycled materials!
Homeschool Class
Age 5 - 12
This 2 hour class blends fine art techniques with your child’s own creative expression. We strive to expose students to aspects of art history, current art makers, and the elements of art (line, space, color, balance, etc.), while letting them run a little wild with their own imagination.
*NEW!* Art + Handbuilding Pottery Combo Class
Ages 6 - 12
This class is for kids who love both art AND clay! Each week, we’ll alternate between Mixed Media art (painting, drawing, sculpture, collage, & more!) and hand-building pottery / ceramics (*no pottery wheel). Because of the pottery component, kids must be age 6 to start this class.
In Pottery, kids will learn various hand building techniques involving coils, pinch pots, and slabs, as well as various surface design & glazing techniques. Finished, glazed & fired pottery pieces will be available for pick up after the end of the session
Middle School
Age 9 - 12 Yrs. Olds
These 'tweens are excited and ready for more complex techniques & materials and we have the joy of challenging them as they grown in the creative process. They are encouraged to trust their instincts, value their individuality, and think critically about their art choices.
Continuing with mixed media art projects, we embark on more advanced techniques in drawing, painting, collage, printmaking, and sculpture. The dynamic in this class is much more of a collaborative art studio - with students sharing ideas and teaching artists demonstrating techniques for each individual artist to apply.
Teens
12 - 15 Yr. Olds
This 60 minute studio class provides our early teen students with an in-depth opportunity to explore innovative art techniques, advanced fine art skills, trendy creative projects, and simply get their hands messy!
This process-oriented class emphasizes making independent choices, expressing themselves through their creativity, and progressively building upon their art-making knowledge and skills. We explore a variety of mediums with a constantly rotating menu of fun projects on tap, ranging from illustration, painting, printmaking, fiber arts, sculpture, & upcycle, to home decor + fashion trends! These classes are usually intimate and laid back - our team of instructors are skilled at getting to know individual students to strike the best balance between challenging & fun, helping to work through frustrations & self-criticism.
Students will grow in their understanding of techniques, art vocabulary, composition, proportion, scale, perspective, color theory, light & form. Oh! And they'll make some cool stuff too!
