ArtPlay children's art studio offers classes, workshops, private birthday parties, and after-school programs, as well as, yoga/art classes in collaboration with neighboring wellness studio Centered. Photo by Hattie Quik
Tucked on North Ashland Avenue in the burgeoning Warehouse Block district is a hidden explosion of creativity and color. Owned and operated by Jarah Jones, a new children’s art studio, ArtPlay, opened in December 2017 following Jones’ vision to create a place that supports creative freedom and open-ended play for children.
“I’m not necessarily trying to get a child to become an artist; I just want them to feel confident in their creativity in any part of their lives,” said Jones, an art educator and mother of two.
In one corner of the large open studio, a huge canvas is covered with splashes of paint, glitter and tiny handprints. A brilliantly painted cardboard playhouse is filled with paint-splattered dress-up costumes. In another corner, a spin-art machine made from a deconstructed box fan is ready for high-speed creations. An entire wall is packed floor to ceiling with containers of sequins, beads, yarn, crayons, feathers, pom-poms, felt, books, kids’ art projects and endless bottles of paint.
The studio currently offers classes, workshops and private birthday parties for children 18 months to 12 years old. Parents and caregivers can either drop their little ones off for a session of art-filled fun or participate alongside their child. ArtPlay also offers after-school programs, yoga/art classes in collaboration with neighboring wellness studio Centered and enrichment programs for homeschooled children.
Jarah Jones, a Kenwick resident with a background in fine arts and art education, founded the Ashland Avenue business ArtPlay as a way to encourage creative play and exploration among children. Photo by Hattie Quik
Jones, who hails from Hazard, studied fine art at the University of Kentucky. During that time, she worked at an art studio for adults with disabilities called Minds Wide Open Studios (Minds Wide Open is now Latitude Artist Community and is located across the courtyard from ArtPlay). She has also spent several years teaching preschool. As her two children Pax, 8, and Isabel, 5, have grown, Jones’ art has evolved into designing creative spaces for children. The concept for ArtPlay started at her own home.
“I would often host neighborhood children in our backyard for collaborative art projects,” Jones said, “and I realized how much children need art in their lives.”
Providing open-ended experiences is a key component of ArtPlay. While working in schools, Jones found some art classes to be a bit too structured, often giving children very specific instructions that didn’t allow for much creativity. At ArtPlay, kids are free to explore and create on their own terms.
“It can get messy,” she admitted, but parents don’t have to worry about cleanup. “You can come and enjoy the studio, have a cup of coffee and just breathe, hang out and enjoy your kid.”
Among Jones’ favorite workshops is the Photo Project, a multimedia class available for children ages 4 to 12, with a modified version for younger children. It involves a black-and-white photo of the child layered on top of his or her artwork, along with quotes from the child about his or her thoughts, hopes and dreams.
“It’s a great keepsake for a parent or grandparent,” Jones said. In another class, called Awesome Architects, kids can learn from a real architect and then design and build with recyclable materials. For those just wanting to play, Open Studios is a free-form way for kids to explore new materials, techniques and art concepts without formal instruction.
A resident of Kenwick, Jones and her husband, Shane Tedder, are active in the community and were the driving force behind the hand-painted “Slow Down” signs, which can be seen around that neighborhood and others in the city. Jones was inspired to spawn the project when Pax began riding his scooter around the neighborhood. Seeing cars speed down the street prompted her to organize a “sign-painting” day with the
Kenwick Neighborhood Association to encourage car traffic to slow down. This summer, she plans to start a program with a similar model called “Kindness Camp,” during which children can paint “advocacy signs” with messages of peace, love and kindness.
Right now, Jones said, her biggest challenge is offering enough studio time to keep up with the demand.
“It’s really taken off fast, and it’s been very welcomed by the community,” she said, adding that she plans to hire another art teacher and include more classes over the next few months.
“Our goal is to let kids be free in their play, their thoughts and their ideas, and to be confident and just create without any limitations,” she said. “I want them to come here and feel like this is their studio – it’s not just an art class, it’s a real kids’ working studio.”
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ArtPlay classes range from “open studio” to more structured art classes geared toward older children, up to fifth- graders. Photo by Hattie Quik
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ArtPlay classes range from “open studio” to more structured art classes geared toward older children, up to fifth- graders. Photo by Hattie Quik
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ArtPlay classes range from “open studio” to more structured art classes geared toward older children, up to fifth- graders. Photo by Hattie Quik
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ArtPlay classes range from “open studio” to more structured art classes geared toward older children, up to fifth- graders. Photo furnished by ArtPlay
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ArtPlay classes range from “open studio” to more structured art classes geared toward older children, up to fifth- graders. Photo furnished by ArtPlay
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ArtPlay classes range from “open studio” to more structured art classes geared toward older children, up to fifth- graders. Photo furnished by ArtPlay
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ArtPlay classes range from “open studio” to more structured art classes geared toward older children, up to fifth- graders. Photo furnished by ArtPlay