Our mission is to make community-based art history and art making accessible to families in a playful, deeply connected way. 

Our goal is to bring “the Arts” back to the heart of education and our human experience. We’d like for all of us to recognize and learn from past artists — our visual historians. By studying their works closely, we can take in valuable lessons about their human story and ours as well.

Why art history? 

Art History provides a pathway to understanding our human past and its relationship to our present. By studying our human history through art, we are collectively rediscovering and reclaiming art as a part of our very nature and human birth right.

Conventional education treats art and creativity as talents reserved for the “gifted” or “special” few. Our program reveals art as an inherent part of everyone, waiting to be discovered in our own unique way.

Why do we create?  

To create is intrinsically human. 

Art education, especially process-oriented art, helps us understand and shape our identity as humans. It also helps us develop our innate skills — including our powers of observation and reflection, our motor skills, our perseverance, our problem solving and much more.

Art helps us to discover our unique voice. 

Why outside?

We see nature as our third teacher, after children’s peers and the adults in their lives. Learning about art history and art making in an open and natural space is critical because only there can we truly recognize nature as a third teacher — a great emotional regulator and a source of inspiration for artists past and present.

Why in community? 

The purpose of community learning and education is to develop the capacity of individuals and groups of all ages and to enrich and improve their lives together. By inviting families to participate in our art history programs, we combine all three teachers in one space: children, caregivers and nature, creating a supportive environment for all to thrive.

“Education in community” has so many benefits:

• It sends a clear message that learning is a lifelong activity, not just for children, but for individuals of all ages.

• It recognizes that everyone has a contribution to make and provides a space for individual gifts to shine.

• It is based on the premise that the best ideas come from collective knowledge and shared experiences that involve the community and promote collaboration.

• It provides a sense of purpose and citizenship. 

• And most importantly, it fosters joy and playfulness — togetherness. It's contagious!