Creativity and innovation are not in short supply at Old Town Artisan Studios, nestled within an idyllic green campus in the city of La Quinta. The nonprofit organization strives to partner with local schools, senior centers, and a wide variety of other establishments with the intention of reaching a goal of serving over 9,000 art experiences this year. Not only does Old Town Artisan Studios teach an assortment of classes in clay, fused glass, painting, drawing, and other forms of art, but the Studio also offers classes for children.
“Our mission is to provide ‘hands on’ art education and experiences for all ages. When I first heard about budget cuts in the arts for schools, it seemed important to make art available all year to our Valley families,” said Old Town Artisan Studios founder Victory Grund.
For many years, the Studio has had a Mobile Art Van that travels to Boys and Girls Clubs, the YMCA, and after school programs with lesson plans in clay or glass art where children can make an art piece to share as a gift to a family member. A majority of the students are in the East Valley and cannot afford to buy gifts for loved ones—making those artistic resources all the more important.
“We went to a Boys and Girls Club in Mecca in May so the children could make a gift for Mother’s Day. We took glass pendant supplies and I was a bit concerned the boys might not enjoy that as much as the girls, but I was so wrong. They all took so much time designing each piece… One 11-year-old boy saw his and was in tears. He said, ‘My mom has never had anything this beautiful and I made it for her,’” recalled Grund.
There are a variety of youth-centered classes offered at Old Town Artisan Studios throughout the year. Parents are able to get their child’s handprints memorialized in clay as a keepsake with their child’s name and the date added to the plaque. All materials are non-toxic and child-friendly. This project is designed for ages one through five, and a parent or adult must be present throughout the session. These clay handprint sessions can be scheduled every other Saturday in 30-minute increments.
An hour-long Discovering Clay class lets children dig their hands into clay, learning several ways to sculpt hand-built pieces. Students may attend this class two times. After the second class, they may enroll in one of the other art classes offered at the Studio, or they can be put on the waiting list for another Discovering Clay Class.
Youth Acrylic Painting is also offered at the Studio, with each session featuring a different painting selected by the instructor. Students will learn basic techniques and fundamentals of painting with acrylics with materials provided. This class is separated into four sessions, and students will be able to take home their finished painting.
To sign up for these art classes, visit oldtownartisanstudios.org and see the calendar of available sessions.
