If you’ve got a budding Picasso in the family (or like to get creative yourself) Calgary has a ton of great spaces to get in touch with your artistic side. We’ve rounded up our favourite art studios for drop-in activities as well as scheduled classes that everyone in the family can enjoy.
Mousse Art Studio
Mousse Art Studio provides everything a baby, toddler, or preschooler could possibly need to create a process-based masterpiece. Rather than focus on the product, Mousse encourages the tiniest kiddos to explore art through play. There are sessions available for babies 9-18 months, toddlers 18 months-2 years, and preschoolers from 3-5 years. There is also a multi-age session for kids between 18 months and 5 years if you have more than one kiddo who wants to get creative. Sessions run for 6 weeks and must be registered in advance. Spots fill up quickly, so if they’re sold out, keep your eyes peeled for the announcement of your next opportunity to register!
Pinnovate DIY Studio
This is the place where your Pinterest wall comes to life. If you’re looking for a spot to get crafty, Pinnovate is a DIY Studio that has a wall full of ideas and materials to help you get started. “Pinnovators” are there to help you every step on the way as you get busy with your creation. If you want to join a class, there are endless opportunities to make splatter paintings, a living wall, doormats, macrame, yard games and more. Walk-in crafters are welcome, or you can register for classes ahead of time. As an added bonus, there’s a full in-house food and beverage menu so you can plan to spend the day crafting away!
4Cats Studio
4Cats offers art classes for kids between the ages of 5 and 12. Whether your kiddo wants to paint away on a canvas or try their hand at molding clay, they’re guaranteed to find a fun project to get their creative juices flowing. Project themes are ever-changing, so be sure to check out their website for information on what you can create at one of their local studios!
Clay For Kids
Clay for Kids is a mobile art studio focused on bringing clay, glass, and pottery wheels to the masses. They can be found in classrooms, hosting camps and after-school lessons, bringing fun to birthday parties, and teaching weekly classes at venues around the city. Although Clay For Kids did start with a child-centred focus, they now offer art projects to anyone aged 4 and up who wants to get their hands dirty!
Grasby Art, Supplies, and Framing
Whether you’re looking for a new brush or want to learn a new skill, Grasby’s has what you’re looking for. They host monthly art lessons (one per week for a total of 4 lessons) for kids and teens to help them gain experience with a variety of mediums, including graphite, charcoal, pen, pastel, acrylic, oil and water-colour. If your kiddo would like to drop in for a lesson to see if they like it, there’s an option to do that too! There are even 5-day camps all summer long for kids and adults!
Young Rembrandts
Young Rembrandts is a program that brings the love of drawing to kids as young as 3.5 years old. Their drawing classes are catered to both a preschool audience (kids 3.5 – 5 years old) and elementary-aged kids (6-12 years old). Kids will perfect their drawing skills while also growing their spatial reasoning and fine motor skills, order and sequencing abilities, visualization, and more. It’s been shown that involvement in the arts and academic success are interrelated, and Young Rembrandts gives kids a fun and safe place to start their artistic journey.
Art in the Box
Art in the Box is a local studio that provides art classes to both children and adults. Students will learn about materials, colour theory and artistic skills so that they can develop a level of comfort that allows them to be creative and spontaneous with a variety of mediums. Weekday classes are offered for artists as young as 3 years old, and summer camps are offered for both full and half days.
Aliki’s Art House
Aliki’s Art House has been active in the Calgary art scene since 1991. They believe that everyone can learn to draw and that students who have a good foundation in drawing can gain confidence in all other art forms. Professional artists and trained teachers lead lessons for everyone from kids (5 and up) to adults. They also offer painting classes for kids (10 and up), teens and adults, and journaling and sculpting for anyone 13 and over.
Crock A Doodle
Crock A Doodle has fun pottery projects ready for anyone in the family to come and paint. You can choose a piece from the shelf, paint your own design or follow one of theirs, and leave your painted piece to be glazed and kiln-fired. If you’d like to try a more structured project, a variety of themed projects are offered each month (think Star Wars, Frozen, sharks, and more). Check their online schedule to register – spots fill up fast!
Discovery Room at the Glenbow
Did you know that the Discovery Room at the Glenbow is open daily during visiting hours for visitors of all ages? With projects inspired by the exhibits on display, kids and adults alike can have fun creating their own masterpieces like those on the walls. Photography, pastels, paints and more await your creative flair in the Discovery Room!
Michaels
Michael’s has a new, fun craft for kids 3 and up to create every Saturday from 10 am to noon as part of their Kids Club. For just $3, kiddos get 30 minutes to make all kinds of cute creations, like pom-pom caterpillars, beaded butterflies, friendship bracelets and more.
Have you had a chance to visit any of the studios on our list? Do you have a favourite that we definitely need to add? We’d love to hear in the comments!
Tagged under: Calgary
Category: attractions,classes
