Prairie Arts Center launches new season of youth programming

Thursday, August 8, 2024

Media Contact: Meghan Brasuell | Prairie Arts Center General Manager | 405-744-1535 | meghan.brasuell@oksate.edu

The Prairie Arts Center  will kick off its fall youth programming on Aug. 27 with the first Art Academy class of the 2024-25 academic year.

Art Academy is an after-school course designed for students who wish to explore and grow their artistic aptitude. Students learn and practice foundational skills in the visual arts and are exposed to various 2D and 3D mediums. Art Academy students also develop strong visual literacy and critical thinking skills by viewing and discussing their own artwork and the artwork of others.

“I usually choose a theme for each six-week session,” said Jen Johnson, arts education coordinator at the center. “For example, for the first six-week session this fall, we will look at and be inspired by the art and cultural traditions of the American Southwest. This will include a tour of the fabulous Benjamin Harjo Jr. exhibition at the OSU Museum of Art.”

Art Academy is offered for two different age groups to address differing developmental needs. For the 6-10-year-old cohort, each class yields a final work that is shared and discussed. For the 11–14-year-old students, the focus shifts to project-based instruction emphasizing skill building.  

“For the second session, we are excited to be offering a Clay Academy for our 11-14-year-old artists,” Johnson said. “Clay Academy gives students the opportunity to have an immersive clay experience, learning the fundamentals of hand building, glazing and maybe even a little time on the wheel. They can expect to complete three projects over the six weeks.”

The center’s summer camp lineup included a clay-only camp for the same age group and was so popular that it ran an additional week to accommodate the demand.

“Kids and parents are always excited about clay opportunities, and we have a wonderful instructor, local ceramicist Missy Hitch, to head up the classes,” Johnson said.

The first session of Art Academy runs from the week of Aug. 27 through the week of Oct. 1. Students in the 6-10 age group can choose between Tuesday or Wednesday afternoons, 3:30-5 p.m. Art Academy for the 11-14 cohort is Thursdays from 4:30-6 p.m. The second session begins the week of Oct. 22 and runs through the first week of December, with one week off for Thanksgiving break.

Registration is now open for both Art Academy sessions. Find more information and registration here. For Clay Academy information, click here.