Portland Child Art Studio

It is not for long in our lives that we are able to create art free of inhibition, judgement, skepticism and self-doubt. At the Portland Child Art Studio, we wholeheartedly support the idea that child art is about engaging in a natural creative process rather than about producing things that we judge to be aesthetically pleasing.  We believe in the power of artistic learning, experimentation, exploration, play, and discovery as the foundation upon which children will begin to build a life-long relationship with art.  We also believe in extending the playful spirit and approach to making art beyond the early years of life, inspiring older children to continue seeing the world and expressing themselves with imagination.

At PCAS, our mission is focused on perceptual development, something that is not often considered to be an important component of mainstream education. Yet strengthening our ability to perceive and to observe the world around us is the necessary starting point for processing information, thinking critically, discovering that we have choices, and making rational decisions.  Time and again, art education has been positively correlated with increased achievement in other areas of learning, particularly by teaching kids that problems have more than one solution and that questions have more than just one answer.  Through art, we are all continuously discovering the unexpected possibilities of our creativity.

At PCAS, our focus is to introduce children to all different kinds of artistic mediums and the endless ways that they can explore and create with the materials at hand. We want the children to dip sloppy brushes into vibrant colors, mix new colors and even invent their own unheard of colors.  We want them to smudge chalk, sculpt clay, twist wire, drip glue, balance objects into sculpture, and cover their hands in gooey paper mache.  We want them to understand the materials as tools which, using the magic of their imaginations, bring their own stories to life in the studio.  It is this connection between sensory exploration and imaginative directive that creates a powerful learning experience, leading the children to become knowledgeable, confident, and independent both inside and outside the studio environment. The teacher's role is thus one of being a resource to the kids, introducing materials and various artistic techniques and familiarizing the children with their own art space.  The teacher's role at PCAS is not to direct the children to express themselves in any specific or 'right' way, nor to pass judgment on what they create.  Our child-centered learning approach supports each child's unique perceptual and creative evolution, which unfolds naturally and colorfully in the studio when given space, material, encouragement, and support.