Education

ArtiCulture has established a tradition of offering interactive opportunities that place emphasis on the creative process. Our educational philosophy focuses on exploration and experimentation, allowing participants to learn by doing. Through stressing the process, rather than the end product, true creative growth can evolve for both amateur and expert artists. ArtiCulture believes that exposure and accessibility to the arts is key to a healthy, vibrant community. Through classes, workshops, and outreach programming, ArtiCulture is a key player in the community's creative development.  The outcome is an experience for participants that meets both the artistic and social needs of the individual and the community.

Read more about our approach to arts education for specific ages below, or browse our class schedule.

Younger Children

One of ArtiCulture’s greatest success stories has been the curriculum development and growth of our unique classes for young children ages 1 to 4. When working with children, ArtiCulture emphasizes exposure and the creative process where work on small motor skills, brain development, problem solving and creative thinking are the most important part of the experience. The final artwork is then an enjoyable outcome of this process. At this very young age, classes include caregivers. Combined caregiver/child classes are just as much or more about teaching the adults how to relate to and support children regarding the arts and creativity, as it is about teaching the children.

School Age Children

Classes for school-age children continue to emphasize the creative process. As children get older, we start to introduce basic artistic concepts and teach technical skills that will help them develop the tools they will need to feel successful. Basic skills, such as line, shape, value, and color elements, are taught or refined. More advanced concepts, such as perspective, creative problem solving, proportion and composition, are also introduced. Many classes use 2- and 3-demensional projects in a variety of media.

Youth/Teens

Youth and teen classes assess what the individual artist already knows and then help enhance and refine technical skills. Students of all abilities are encouraged to create personal goals for creative growth and development. A variety of media are explored and students have opportunities to learn about the use of alternative art materials. For more serious young artists who want to develop a solid body of work for a portfolio toward college entry or for personal growth and development we also offer Master Classes. These classes hone basic skills and build upon more advanced concepts.

College Students

We have a summer educational internship program. Interns receive an intensive arts education tutorial along with our philosophy and arts learning approach, preparing them to work under our instructors and gain practical classroom experience. Educating these interns focuses our open approach to arts education, with the creative process driving creative thinking. We show interns how we impart this understanding to parents of these children, that the product is secondary to the process of learning while creating art, and not about judging the competence of the final work. Click here to read more about the program.

Adults

Adult classes welcome any ability level. Students benefit from individual guidance through a variety of skill-building projects while enjoying a creative support system. The advanced student can expand their knowledge base while the beginner learns technical skills. Workshops introduce adult students to a variety of out-of-the-box media, including jewelry-making, felting, fused glass, paper arts, bookmaking, and more.

Activities are made possible, in part, by funds provided by the Minnesota State Arts Board and Metropolitan Regional Arts Council through an appropriation by the Minnesota Legislature. Funders also include Compas and the Nash Foundation.