Before Artists & Crafts officially became Artists & Crafts. It was known as Brooklyn Arts & Crafts. This article was written back then.
We love living in Brooklyn! Even more, we love raising our children in Brooklyn. One of the main reasons is the multitude of cultural classes we can attend…all within walking distance from our home. From Music Together’s global range of songs to the live pianist in our Mark Morris Mommy & Me Dance Class, Georgia has been fortunate enough to experience so much at such a young age! When I was given the opportunity to teach an art class right here in our neighborhood, I jumped at the chance.
At The Hank & Jojo Shop, I created Brooklyn Arts & Crafts as an 11 week journey through the world of art. Each week students are exposed to legendary artists and introduced to their style and technique though various age-appropriate medium.
In 2013 I taught three sessions of the class. Each group of children was lively and entertaining in their own way. From one session to the next, we added and tweaked the material, building it into what it is now – an engaging, fun, and colorful 45 minutes of art, culture, and friends. Our class focuses on a different famous artist every week, introducing the children to their name, methods, and artwork. We then allow the children to explore the world of the artist with a project with which they can relate. For Van Gogh we finger paint, for Bearden we collage, and for Kahlo we create self-portraits. To hear the students repeat the artist’s name and watch as they express themselves is wonderful.
Warhol Project: ABC Soup Cans: Session 1: Shakers/ Session 2: Koozies / Session 3: Notebooks
The children's interpretation of Georgia O'Keeffe's Above The Clouds.
Having attended many classes with Georgia, I have a deeper understanding of what works best for two-year-olds (and what prevents their caregivers from becoming bored). We keep our class full of content and make sure things are always moving to stay on course with the children’s attention span. Every class starts with coloring pages and a welcome song. We then feature a book, play doh activity, song, color of the day, and main project.
Play doh time is always fun!
An extra element to each class is a handmade card created by your little one that is ready to be sent to a loving friend or relative. Highlighting either the featured artist or a corresponding holiday, the card will be sure to come in handy. We also provide you with the postage stamp to make it that much easier to get in the mail. If you are looking to make the day of a grandparent – just send them art made by their grandbaby! Works every time!
Ella showing off her Valentine's Day Card
Here are a couple links to cards we’ve made in class St. Patrick's Day Paint Swatch Card, Passover & Easter Potato Stamped Card, Elephant Shoes - I love you Card, Spring Has Sprung Pop Up Card, Jackson Pollock Splatter Paint Card, and Finger Paint Starry Night Card.
During the class we take photos while the children work as well as a photo of them proudly showing off their creation. We do this for two reasons. First, it captures a moment from this stage of your child’s life. Whether you can attend the class with your child or you send them with your caregiver, it’s nice to have a photo of them in action. Second, this is also a great way of keeping the image of their artwork without having to keep the artwork itself. We know you will want to keep every little piece of construction paper they get their hands on, but we also know living in Brooklyn you might not have the room for it. This is the perfect way to save the memory and your living space. We do recommend you display their work for a little while before *filing* it away.
"The Van Gogh/finger painting project was one of my favorites. The use of star stickers as masking for the finger paint to recreate "starry night" was just one example of your talent for taking each artist and breaking their work down in a way that the kids can relate to while exploring the process of making art in a variety of medium." – Jeff (Isaac’s Dad)
Jasmine's colorful creation.
Cleo proudly showing off her beautiful picture.
This class now operates as Artists & Crafts. If you're interested you can register here.