Gini Marziani’s home is full of art projects that her boys have crafted over the past two to three years. But they’re not the kind of crayon-and-construction-paper treasures most grade-schoolers bring home to hang on the refrigerator.
That’s because her sons–Giuliano, 5; Giovanni, 7; and Gian Thomas Wrobel, 9–have taken classes at The Art Institute of Chicago and at Lill Street Gallery, just two of the many Chicagoland venues that offer children from toddlers to teens the chance to discover the arts in a hands-on way.
“The boys really enjoy just the art,” said Marziani. “There’s so much positive reinforcement.”
She is just one of many Chicago-area parents enrolling their offspring in programs that teach the visual arts, programs that are popping up throughout the city and suburbs as more schools are forced to slash budgets for the arts.
“I know the parents who take their children here are appreciative of our offerings because (arts programs offered in) the schools are so limited,” reports Brooke Marler, school coordinator at the Evanston Arts Center.
And they’re doing so in ways that are affordable for families from all economic backgrounds: Some offer free programs; many have workshops and classes priced between $15 and $50; and some offer financial aid based on need.
Whether your child is a budding Picasso or a typical tot who just likes to get down and dirty with paint or clay, here are a few of the choices available in the area:
– The Art Institute of Chicago. The offerings here include weekend Family Workshops that combine an instructor-led gallery visit with an art activity. There are separate programs for ages 4 through 6 and ages 7 through 12, says Daryl Rizzo, family programs educator at the Art Institute.
“We gear the art activities to reinforce the materials and techniques of the works in the gallery we’ve taken the kids to look at,” Rizzo says.
There also are drop-in activities for families from 12:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. on most weekends, which give kids and adults alike the chance to draw along with an artist who is demonstrating a particular artistic technique, Rizzo says.
No registration is required for either program. Registration is required for the popular Drawing in the Galleries for children age 9 and up. “Here they draw directly from works of art,” Rizzo says.
There’s also the Grand Program for grandparents and their grandchildren ages 6 and up who visit the galleries and work together on an art project. A new Parent Program called Learning to Look Together is a two-part class that teaches parents the basics of looking at art with their children.
All of these programs are free with suggested admission, which is $7 for adults, $3.50 for children over 6 and free for children under 6. Call 312-443-3689.
– The School of the Art Institute. The Division of Continuing Studies and Special Programs offers classes for children from age 3 and up.
In Open Studio Exploration, for example, children ages 3 through 6 experiment with various media at different work stations set up in the classroom. In Exploring the Arts, kids ages 4 and 5 learn about the historical aspects of art through slide shows, stories and mock archaeological digs, then apply what they’ve learned in various projects.
For children ages 6 through 8, there’s the Multimedia Arts class that introduces them to line, shape, volume and pattern. And in the advanced Exploring the Arts for ages 9 through 12, preteens can experiment with drawing, painting, clay, printmaking, collage and India ink batik.
Tuition, which includes a $10 lab fee, is $290. Art Institute members receive a 10 percent discount, and financial aid is available. Call 312-899-5130.
– The Elmhurst Art Museum. The museum works with the Elmhurst Park District on a cooperative arts program that includes classes for children ages 3 through 14.
The Little Picasso class is designed for kids who love to paint and gives them a chance to explore color mixing, texture and painting surfaces with water-based paints and markers. In The Great Shadow Detective, children ages 6 through 12 learn to create three-dimensional drawings. The museum also offers a Young Rembrandt’s Basic Drawing class for ages 6 through 9; Youth Ceramics and Jewelry classes for ages 7 through 14; the Young Rembrandt’s Cartoon Drawing for ages 8 through 13; Youth Photography for ages 10 through 13; and Printmaking for ages 11 through 14.
Prices range from $30 to $60 for Elmhurst residents and from $40 to $70 for non-residents. Phone 630-834-0202.
– The Evanston Art Center. The Youth Fine Arts Program offers a variety of programs for children from 2 to 16.
In Fun with Arts and Music, preschoolers and parents or caregivers share an hour-long session filled with art, movement and musical activities. After-School Fun gives kids ages 5 through 10 a chance to learn ceramics, mixed media, drawing, painting and sculpture, with most projects incorporating a multicultural theme. Creative Saturday Fun offers an hour-long adventure in ceramics plus an hour of art exploration in painting, drawing, collage, sculpture and printmaking for the age 5 to 10 set.
Preteens and teens can enroll in Exploring Photography, a class that teaches them to develop negatives and print black-and-white photos in a darkroom; in Toons, a class that introduces students to cartooning, character design, caricature and creative story development; in Silver, Stones, and Imagination, a program that lets students age 15 and above design their own jewelry; and a Multi-Level Ceramics class for kids age 10 through 14 who have experience working with clay.
Prices range from $70 to $150 for members and from $80 to $160 for non-members. Financial aid is available. Call 847-475-5300.
– Lill Street. Many of the kids’ classes at this Lincoln Park gallery, especially for tots, focus on clay, according to Lill Street director Laurie Shaman.
Those classes include Toddler’s Clay for ages 2 to 5; Handbuilding in Clay and Clay and Multimedia for ages 5 through 8; and a new Clay Sculpture class for ages 6 through 9. Other offerings include a Multimedia art class for ages 3 1/2 through 5; a Drawing and Painting class for ages 5 through 8; a Handbuilding and Wheelthrowing class for 8- to 12-year-olds; the Comix class that gives kids ages 9 through 15 a chance to tell stories in comic book form; and a Metalsmithing program that lets 12- to 17-year-olds create jewelry and other pieces.
There also are Weekend Clay Days for anyone 5 and older. Prices range from $15 for a single Clay Day to $65 to $140 for the more formal classes. Call 773-477-6185.
– Visual “I” Studio of Art. This Oak Park studio offers classes on Saturdays for children from age 5 through 17.
“I teach whatever the children want,” says owner Beth Ryza. “We work with clay, and we use a lot of recycled stuff. The kids discover a lot.”
Prices range from $70 to $140. Call 708-660-9070.
