Mission

MISSION STATEMENT

The Process:

At Bass Arts Studio, it is our mission to recognize, affirm and support a child’s emerging individuality, and help strengthen a child’s sense of self through art-making. We create a safe environment where children are encouraged to playfully explore and experiment with media, engage in creative problem solving and learn to take creative risks.

We are dedicated to assisting in the development of a child’s appreciation of beauty and sensitivity to form, line, value, shape, color, texture, rhythm and movement.

In each class, children are exposed to the ways artists throughout history have employed formal principles of picture making and technique in order to translate their deepest feelings and thoughts into a visual statement.

Class discussion centering on the analysis, interpretation and critique of art work is an integral part of every class. We encourage children to learn to articulate their thoughts and feelings about what they observe and what they create. We spark discussion by asking the right questions and supply children with the vocabulary they need to talk about art.

The Product:

There is a show at the end of every semester. Children are encouraged to complete their pieces to the best of their ability and present them in a professional manner.

In each class, there is a strong emphasis on developing the ability to see. With young children, this happens through the exploration of materials and close observation of what occurs in the process. Older kids develop their ability to see largely through observational drawing and painting from life. In classes at Bass Arts Studio, children will achieve competence in drawing what they see in a variety of media.

4/5 Year Olds

Art at this age is all about exploring materials and the delight of “seeing what happens”. Basic ideas about color theory and formal principles such as contrast, line, shape and rhythm are gently introduced while children playfully experiment with media. Physical movement and music are incorporated into visual excercizes.

6/7 Year Olds

Children at this age are able to work on projects with a more sustained focus. Lesson continue to reinforce formal concepts while imaginations are allowed to run free.

8-10 Year Olds

Learning continues to be project based, engaging the imagination and providing opportunities for creative problem solving. Children are encouraged to tap into their own experiences in order to create art that is personally meaningful. More attention is paid to formal aspects of picture making and the foundation is laid for learning to draw from life.

10-12 Year Olds

At this age, children long to make things “look real”. In classes for this age group, observational drawing becomes more of a focus. Projects are designed to combine the use of imagination with the acquisition of skills. Students learn measurement techniques to understand proportion, study value and shading, learn color theory, color mixing and the elements of composition and design.

12-14 Year Olds

This is the time when students make the transition from project based painting, drawing and mixed media classes to classes specifically focused on drawing and oil painting from life. In the beginner painting and drawing classes, there is a strong emphasis on learning technique while maintaining the fluidity of self expression.

14-17 Year Olds

Students at this age are actively pursuing the acquisition of drawing and painting skills. Those who have reached a level of competence in realistic rendering are encouraged to explore content and create art that communicates their personal viewpoint. Many students at this stage are working toward developing college portfolios.

Portfolio Preparation

We offer a class in college portfolio preparation and work with students privately on their portfolios and essays. We are available to photograph 2D work and create digital prints or CD’s.

Classes at Bass Arts Studio

Bass Arts Studio offers classes throughout the year. There are 3 semesters, Fall, Winter and Spring, in addition to a 6 week summer art camp for children ages 7-12. For teens, we offer a summer painting and drawing intensive as well as fashion camp.

Our painting, drawing and mixed media classes for ages 4-12 offer children the opportunity to work two and three dimensionally in a variety of media including paint, pen and ink, clay, paper mache, collage and printmaking.

We offer art classes for children age 4-17, as well as adults. We also do theme based birthday parties and private lessons are available.