Museo Art Academy has been raising the bar in art education for over 9 years. And it's all because of our founder and president, Marci Knutsen. Marci is a fellow art lover and experienced businesswoman. Along with the teachers and directors you see at the academy, Marci keeps Museo running behind the scenes. We sat down with her to learn more about her background and interests. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? I love spending as much time as I can with my family. My husband and I live in Sammamish and have two fabulous kiddos; one is a freshman at the University of Washington and the other is a freshman at Eastlake High School. They’ve all been very supportive in the development and growth of Museo Art Academy and I am incredibly grateful for all of them! I have an adorable dog, Mozzi (part German Shepherd, part Golden Retriever), who I spend a lot of time with. He’s almost always by my side! I enjoy working on home remodel projects and spending time reading/learning, painting, drawing and skiing. What's your artistic background? I’ve been a designer since I was a kid. I think my first official gig was designing a logo for my girl scout troop around the age of 9. I then became a “professional” when I created some corporate branding work for several small businesses as a teenager. I have a BFA in Graphic Design and Visual Communications from Cornish College and worked as a designer, art director and creative director prior to moving into marketing. My fine art strengths lean toward traditional illustration, acrylic painting and pottery which proved to be very helpful in developing the curriculum for many art education programs. What made you want to start an art academy? Art has played an important role in my life from a young age; always drawing, painting and hand-lettering since I can remember. I endured a very abusive childhood and attribute art to "saving me". As a young adult, I had been heading down a self-destructive path when I enrolled at Cornish and my life changed. I completed a series of conceptual pieces that forced me to finally process, and thankfully begin to overcome the emotional damage from the past. Understanding first-hand how important creative skills are in a child's healthy development, I didn't hesitate when the opportunity came along to provide art classes to kids. What is your favorite part about Museo? I'm very proud of the fact that Museo Art Academy steps in where a lot of schools drop off. We avoid taking the "cookie cutter" approach to art-making in a group where it's all about the product, or end result. Instead, we focus heavily on the process and provide instruction in conceptual exploration and skill-building which cultivates creativity and individual expression in each of our students. Who is your favorite artist? I honestly don't have one. I'm drawn to the more modern artists—Picasso, de Kooning, Calder, Rothko and others; always intrigued by use of unique materials, color and texture but I also have a tremendous appreciation for the cultural story-telling aspects of the classical artists. What do you see in Museo's future? Museo Art Academy will continue to grow with our students. We're regularly adding new media and techniques to our curriculum in response to our students' interests. We have several students who have been with us for many, many years and we're honored to be able to experience their creative journey with them. We'll be expanding our access to students by opening additional locations as well as establishing an online class program in the near future. What advice would you give parents? Students? Students will benefit by listening closely to their instructors and asking questions when something isn’t clear to them. Even if a technique is confusing or complicated, it pays off to stick with it—practice, practice, practice. Buy a sketchbook and use it everyday. Once you have some good foundation skills established, it’s a lot easier to move into new ways to express yourself effectively. I encourage parents to actively support their child’s learning process. Get involved. Chat with your child’s instructor regularly to better understand the work they’re doing in class and then do what you can to help apply those learnings to the everyday experiences around you. It’s fun and easy. For example, if your child is learning about warm and cool colors during art class, spend five minutes on the drive home identifying examples of each. We're so happy with the turnout of our first ever Manga Night at Museo. Manga Night is our newest Friday Night event (in addition to Pizza & Picasso and Masters Night). Over 20 people showed up to learn about Character Design with Miss Sarah! Students learned about body proportions and manga styling, then created their own characters with markers and watercolors. Seating is already limited for our next Manga Night on February 12, so be sure to sign up early. If you're interested in diving deeper into the world of manga, check out our weekly classes here. As a parent, you want to expose your child to a variety of activities and interests at a young age. That's why you bring them to art class (and/or dance, sports and music lessons). You encourage their artistic abilities because you saw a spark of talent in them early on. Or maybe you simply want them to enjoy art and explore their creativity. Whatever your reason for enrolling your child in art class, we appreciate your support. Artistic children thrive when their parents recognize and foster talent.
As the new year begins, you may wonder what 2016 will bring for your child when it comes to art. Will their drawing skills improve? Will they make new friends with similar interests? Will they understand how colors convey feelings? Will they learn about history through the context of art? Will they learn how to express their emotions better via the artistic process? While our teachers work hard to foster all of these facets of art education, there are things you can do to encourage your child to grow in art this year. Here are 4 simple ways to make 2016 your child's best art year yet. Create Space If your child is enrolled in weekly art classes, they're off to a good start. But if art is truly how your child processes the world around them, they might crave more art time during the week. Set up a space in your home where your child can go anytime to create art freely. You can put a small table or desk in a corner of your kitchen or their bedroom. Keep a small desk organizer filled with art supplies on the table for easy access. Some good (and clean) options are white and colored paper, crayons, colored pencils, stickers, washi tape, cardboard, string, tissue paper, cloud clay, and pipe cleaners. No need to set up a dedicated "art time". Allow your child to choose when and how they create, and it will become a place of self-guided learning and growth. Give Them a Sketchbook Artists use sketchbooks to jot down ideas, keep a visual journal, or practice drawing skills while out and about. If you notice your child constantly drawing, give them a sketchbook to keep their drawings organized. It's fun to look back on an old sketchbook and see how much they've improved. Not to mention, sketchbooks hone observational drawing skills. Sketchbooks are best used on the go. Your child may draw a dancer while waiting for their sibling at dance class, or sketch a tree at the park. They could observe people at the airport and practice figure drawing. Older children might jot down a thought and draw the most memorable thing from that day. Sketchbooks can be as varied as the artists who draw in them. Praise the Process, Not the Product Maybe your child really loves art but is too young to bring home stunning pieces just yet. Or maybe their behavior and mood improves when they take art classes, but they're not there for the end product. How can you encourage this type of artist? As with all young artists, you should praise the process and not the product. You might notice an improvement in line quality, painting skills, or focus. Or maybe their teacher commented on an improvement in listening skills and speaking out of turn. Give praise for small victories that aren't necessarily related to the quality of the final project. Your child will learn that art has inherent value besides aesthetics. Bring Art Alive Nothing is more exciting for a young artist than seeing "real" art in person! Make a point to go to local museums and galleries. Chances are good that your nearest museum offers tours where children can engage in artwork with the help of a museum professional. Even if you don't go on a guided tour, walking through the museum together will expose your child to a more tangible art world outside their art classroom. Thank you for investing in your child's artistic future! Let us know how you encourage art in your home in the comments below. |
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