Classes revolve around wonder, curiosity and embracing the “beautiful oops.”
Kids classes
.Research and observation have shown that around the age of eight to ten, many children begin to turn away from art-making. This often happens as they start to internalize ideas about rules, comparison, and the fear of not being “good enough.” What was once joyful and natural can suddenly feel vulnerable.
I was one of those kids. In second grade, I remember wanting to be a children’s book illustrator. Yet by high school, even though I loved art deeply, I didn’t take a single art class.
In my classes, one of my goals is to gently push back against those messages of right and wrong, good and bad, or “talented” versus “not talented.” Children naturally create with curiosity, imagination, and presence. My aim is to protect and nurture that instinct rather than replace it with pressure or judgment.
This philosophy echoes the message of the well-known TED Talk Do Schools Kill Creativity? by Ken Robinson, which argues that creativity deserves the same care and importance in education as subjects like literacy and mathematics.
Art offers children far more than a finished product. Creative practice can support confidence, emotional expression, problem-solving, and the ability to approach learning with curiosity and openness. It invites children to explore who they are, what they notice, and how they see the world.
In our sessions, the focus is on exploration, play, and discovery. Kids are encouraged to experiment, follow their ideas, and enjoy the process of creating. The goal is not perfection, but presence—the joy of making something that comes from within.
In the words of the artists (or their parents)
-
This art class was great. It let me be creative. I am still using all the techniques I learned in this class. Miss Becky made sure that each project was our own. She showed the technique but then let us make it how we wanted it so each one looked unique. She is calm and patient and made the environment peaceful and relaxing. It made me want to paint more when I felt stressed at home.
— age 11 (had class at age 9)
-
If you choose to do the class, you will have a great teacher. She is really kind, she makes it fun and I learned a lot.
— age 9
-
My 8 year old son developed so much more confidence in this class! Learning new techniques combined with the freedom to explore his creative side- it was terrific! Would highly recommend it!
-Alana Ritenour
-
Mrs. Cowen teaches my friends and me about art. When I make a mistake, she calls it a beautiful oops and helps me work with it. Art class with Mrs. Cowen is really fun.
-age 8
-
I like art class because there’s fun pictures..that I like, and also I like it that...I sometimes do trains sometimes I just do squiggly things that I don’t do that I do nothing squiggly that today’s thing is, that I sometimes do them squiggly.
-age 5
-
(with mom) Mom- “L, is art class fun?" L- "yea" M- “Whats fun about it?" L-"Tiger school" M- "Do you like to paint?" L- "yea" M- "What colors do you like?" L-"Orange and black" M- "Is Mrs. Cowen nice?" L- "Yea, she always get girls."
-age 3