A New Reading Area is Under Way!

Hi all!  We're in the process of creating a reading area in the Yellow Room children's studio. (Please see a previous blog post for more info about the use of this space!)  I hope everyone can enjoy stories together, like Pierce, his mother, and baby-on-the-way in the photo above!

I am beginning to sort through the book collection that already exists, while adding appropriate books as I collect them.  If you have any new or used books you'd like to donate to our reading corner, whether they're specifically about art or not, please feel free to drop one off at the Lillstreet front desk for Melanie or Quinn.

We also plan to paint the wall soon, where the gold curtain is hanging now, just to make the area even more inviting and relaxing.

Thanks for reading!

Quinn

Hurry! Camps are Filling Fast!

Hi everyone!  

I just wanted to pass on a quick reminder - Don't forget to sign your children up for Kidstreet summer camp classes before they all fill!  Those of you who have been involved in camps in the past know that it is such a fun and inspiring way for your children to spend the day - making art, connecting and communicating with other children and teachers, walking to the park for a lunch break, and so much more!  And those of you who have never been involved in summer camp should at least try it!  I think you and your kids will be very pleased.  I can't help but remember my first experience as a teacher at Lillstreet.  I began working this time last summer, and after a week of camp, I was hooked, and I'm sure your kids will be too!

If you want to see a complete list of camps offered, and the schedule of classes, please visit: 

http://www.lillstreet.com/kids

Summer camp begins June 8th, and I hope to see all of you then!

-Quinn

The warm weather is on its way...and we hope it's here to stay!

It's been a while since our last post and a lot has happened here at Kidstreet since then. One event was our first Parent Workshop hosted by myself, Melanie, and Glynnis. It was made up of a small intimate group of parents and teachers. For two hours we worked with clay in a process-oriented way, discussed ways to nurture children's creativity, drank coffee, and talked about different clay techniques and ideas. Parents were sent home with some reading material about how to talk to kids about their art, and a great recipe for making your own clay/playdough at home. It was a great first workshop, especially when we got to hear from the parents about their interests, questions, and even concerns about their child's artistic development. For the parents who attended, thank you for participating!

And coming up soon...
We're beginning to put together a small reading area in the "Yellow Room" kids studio. This will be a space for children to read books, draw, and talk with each other when they're done with an art project, or just want time to relax after class. If you have any books you and your children would like to donate to the new reading area, we would be so appreciative! New or used, we welcome any kind of book...just drop it off in the reading corner of the Yellow studio, or leave it at the front desk for Melanie & Quinn!

We'll keep you updated with the new reading area progress and the next (FREE!) Parent Workshop!
Thanks,
Quinn

The Open House was Spectacular!

Thanks to everyone who supported the Open House last weekend! It was a huge success! Each studio and gallery space was open for our fellow artists and families from the surrounding community to enjoy. It was so inspiring to see all the incredible work on display and to watch the wonderful demonstrations taking place throughout the afternoon. I especially liked viewing our very own Kidstreet artists' beautiful work on the walls and in the display cases.  
Please enjoy the images from the Open House event below, and thanks again for supporting...we hope to see you in the Kidstreet classes beginning on March 23rd!  
-Quinn







Thank you also to all of you who came to the family workshop during the Open House and created a clay tile.  It was the biggest turnout we have ever had with a total of 94 tiles created!  Bobbe and Susan did a wonderful job leading the workshop and I can't wait to get the tiles installed on the walls of the kids room.   We all love the idea of our Kidstreet community contributing to the beauty of our space.  We'll be documenting the installation process and hopefully have most of the project done by the time camp begins.

Speaking of free workshops, don't forget that this Saturday 3/28 we'll be having our first parent workshop regarding nurturing children's creativity.  It's a FREE workshop, but advanced registration is required.  

Our Spring session began this week and many of our classes still have openings.  Go here to see our schedule.  Many classes are offered in 5 week sessions and will begin again the week of April 27th.

Be well!

Melanie

Upcoming classes, workshops, and events:

3/28 Family Drop-In 10:30-11:30.  $10/per person.

3/28 Nurturing Your Child's Creativity 12-2pm.  FREE (advanced registration required)

3/28 Reception for The Ceramic Print  5-8pm featuring Paul Wandless, author of Image Transfer on Clay.  In the gallery.

Ongoing: Registration for Spring classes and Summer Camps.

Call 773.769.4226 or go to: www.lillstreet.com to register and receive additional information.

We're feeling Spring-y

Hello all!
We hope the colds and flu that have been circulating through Chicago schools and businesses melt away with the snow and that this entry finds all of you healthy. We are really looking forward to Spring here at Kidstreet as the Winter Session comes to an end. To celebrate all the wonderful art-making during the Winter, please join us for the first all school student exhibition at our March 14th Open House. If your child was in a class this session and would like to show a piece they made in class, you can drop off work by March 10th. Contact Melanie Brown for more information: melanie@lillstreet.com

We also have the complete Summer Camp schedule up on our website and are registering now. I was looking through my files and found some wonderful images of work done in the multimedia camps in the past:



Fiber Wall Hangings







Frescoes













And one of the most fun projects ever, marionettes. I loved seeing what the kids came up with and taking video of the performances.




I will be there for the open house, so I hope to see you then!
Melanie


And now your weekly update from Quinn, our artist in residence:

It's already March?! It's the beginning of a new month and I'm very excited to explore all of the Kidstreet classes, document the action using photography, and share what I'm observing with you. Lately, I've been noticing the power of the art projects that emphasize a process-oriented approach, rather than a product-oriented focus. In preparation for the upcoming Open House on March 14, the Kidstreet students are starting to develop work they're interested in sharing with their friends and families at the event. Rather than ask students to "complete a final piece of art" we are encouraging their on-going creativity. So, this means the pieces they've chosen to make for the Open House may very well be works-in-progress come show time on the 14th!

Below are a few images from Kidstreet classes in February...

Hisham and Sam work on their drawings in Susan T's class:



Close attention paid to detail while carving a design in clay:



Thomas paints his clay piece with underglaze in preparation for the Open House on the 14th (He chose to contribute his sculpture titled "Rainbow" for everyone to enjoy!):



Here, Jayla concentrates on her painting experimentation:



...hope you can stop by the Open House!
Thanks,
Quinn


Upcoming classes and events:

3/7 Family Drop-In for family members ages 2 and up. 10:30-11:30a.m. $10 per person.

3/14 Open House. Free Workshops for the whole family, open studios, and student shows. Kids' activities from 12-3.

3/14 Family Workshop: Spring Bunnies for ages 5+. 2-4pm. $25/children $30/adults.

3/28 Free workshop for parents regarding how to nurture your child's creativity featuring Quinn Hunter, Glynnis Lessing, and Melanie Brown. Please call to register for this free workshop.

Ongoing: Registration has begun for Spring classes and Summer Camps.

Call 773.769.4226 or go to: www.lillstreet.com to register and receive additional information.

Welcome!

Welcome to Kidstreet's new blog! We will be updating weekly with photos, interviews, and upcoming events so you can see what's happening in the Kidstreet studios.

We're excited to announce our first ever artist-in-residence at Kidstreet, Quinn Hunter. Quinn has been getting to know teachers, parents, and students and will be leading a free workshop for parents regarding children's creativity at the end of March. Quinn joins us from Los Angeles, California and is currently working on a Master of Science degree in child development at Erikson Institute here in Chicago. Quinn tells Lillstreet teachers that her "goal is that we can learn from each other’s interests and artistic specialties in order to support the growth of our talented young artists. I believe this can happen by emphasizing the process, not the final product. Although, what's most important is to have FUN while making art...That includes all of us, not just the kids! "

Kidstreet has always been a process-oriented art program, and we have all enjoyed the process of getting together to talk about the best way to guide our students of different ages. Quinn has sparked a renewed excitement and communication amongst our teachers and we are so happy to have her here!

Quinn's update:

Hi Kidstreet artists and families!  Welcome to our new blog.  We hope this site will become a forum where you can read more about what we do at Kidstreet and view images of our wonderful young artists at work.  Please feel free to comment on our weekly posts...  

I have begun a long-term photography project in an effort to better document all the exciting things that happen in our children's studios at Lillstreet, so stay tuned for lot's of photo updates. Thanks!  We look forward to reading your comments...  

From, Quinn 

Upcoming events:
2/28 Family Drop In. Saturdays from 10:30-11:30. A clay class for the whole family! $10/per person.

3/2 Holiday Camps for ages 5-12. 9am-3:30pm. $65/per person.

3/14 Open House. Free Workshops for the whole family, open studios, and student shows. Kids' activities from 12-3.

3/14 Family Workshop: Spring Bunnies for ages 5+. 2-4pm. $25/children $30/adults.

3/28 Free workshop for parents regarding how to nurture your child's creativity featuring Quinn Hunter, Glynnis Lessing, and Melanie Brown.

Ongoing: Registration has begun for Spring classes and Summer Camps. 

Call 773.769.4226 or go to: www.lillstreet.com to register and receive additional information.

Check back next week for a new update!

Best,

Melanie, Quinn, and the Kidstreet crew.