The Art Studio of Carmel Teaches Students of All Ages
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Artists are only part of what makes an “artsy town.” In order to display true patronage for the arts, a town should have creative opportunities for artists and non-artists alike. For example, Carmel allows people of all ages and skill to learn at the Art Studio of Carmel. The studio features a variety of classes and opportunities to further their mission statement of “growing artful hearts for all ages.”
Six years ago, a group of local art teachers, including Celestine Donnelly, Sheryl Shepherd and Penny Roberson, created the Art Studio of Carmel. The three were having lunch and discussing how to expand art education past schools. They decided, in Roberson’s words, “why don’t we just run our own art school?”
While the three had taught in many different towns, they knew they wanted to house their studio in Carmel. Donnelly particularly loves their location “because it is close to all the galleries. Sometimes we’ll take students to the galleries that are around here. We sometimes participate in the gallery walk for the arts district that’s every month, too.”
The Art Studio of Carmel offers a variety of classes, ranging from oil painting to sculpture. Such variety allows the teachers to come up with a variety of projects. Sometimes students make paintings out of crushed cans, sometimes they do specialty rock painting, and sometimes they make collages out of leaves.
Even more impressive than the class’s variety is the freedom it allows students.
“For some art schools, you have to sign up for a whole semester. We usually have people sign up for a minimum of four classes,” Donnelly says.
They make classes cheaper and easier to commit to. To make the time commitment even easier, the studio is known for fitting into any student’s schedule, even if that policy leads to one student classes.
In fact, the Art Studio of Carmel prefers smaller classes, rarely having more than nine students in a class. Donnelly says small classes are helpful for kids.
“We’re able to do some projects here that I would not do if I had 25 kids in a class,” she says.
For example, the studio offers acrylic paint lessons that would be too expensive and messy for a classroom setting.
In addition, children receive more attention. Roberson notes how the attention helps both advanced and struggling students.
“We’ve had students that were at a different level than what we were prepared for, but we shift pretty fast,” she says. “You learn to do that when you’re a teacher.”
As far as adult classes, Donnelly says, “believe it or not, there’s not a lot of difference.”
Adult students often feel self-conscious and worried about their creations. The lessons often teach adults that practice makes perfect, and it’s important to enjoy the processes of creation, not just the end result.
Looking to the future, Donnelly and Roberson hope to continue offering both quality classes and summer camps. While not everybody who signs up for the class become the next Picasso, they still find community and the joy of a new skill.
“We’re educators, so we’re not really happy unless you walk out the door knowing more than you did when you walked in,” Roberson says.
The Art Studio of Carmel is located on the second floor above Tina’s Tea Shoppe at 30 N. Rangeline Rd in Carmel. Visit them online at theartstudioofcarmel.com or give them a call at 317-213-7572.
