Akron Empire is excited to welcome aboard guest blogger Chris Rutan. Joanna wrote a post about her and her Etsy store and small business, Rigmarole, last year. (Click HERE to see that post again!)
Chris is a wife and a mother of two little girls. She owns a photography business and enjoys taking part in the local art and craft scene. Check out her photography website and her online Etsy Shop to see samples of her work.
Chris is a wife and a mother of two little girls. She owns a photography business and enjoys taking part in the local art and craft scene. Check out her photography website and her online Etsy Shop to see samples of her work.
4Cats Art Studio in Kent
by Chris Rutan
One day my husband and I took a walk around downtown Kent with our two little girls. Even though we live less than ten minutes away, we had not been to Kent since they began building the new Acorn Alley retail and dining center. I can go on and on about all of the new happenings that are popping up around downtown Kent, but one business that really caught my eye was the 4Cats Arts Studio. There, right before my eyes, was a window front full of vibrant colors and canvas paintings accompanied by a big red sign that read “4Cats Arts Studio, Art is Good.” Having a background in art myself, I felt like a kid in a candy shop while cupping my hands around my eyes to peer inside. I knew I HAD to sign my creative three-year-old daughter, Lydia, up for art classes.
What I love most about 4Cats Arts Studio are the artist influences. They don't simply teach crafts, but instead they focus on creating art that incorporates the influential styles and techniques of Monet, Van Gogh, Warhol, Michelangelo, O'Keeffe, and many more. Even the studio decor gives a nod to the artists we all know and love. They have a dedicated painting room called the “Pollock Room” which is covered from ceiling to floor with multicolored drips, strokes and spots that didn't make it onto the canvas. The 4Cats silver painted bathroom is Andy Warhol inspired given that he covered his own studio in tin foil and silver spray paint. Speaking of Warhol, you will also find giant Campbell Soup cans housing art supplies placed around the studio's floors. I also can't forget to mention the goldfish Pablo and Matisse whose tank sits right on the front counter. When I drop my daughter off for class, I'm not going to lie, I have a really hard time leaving all of the eye candy behind.
 |
| The "Pollock Room" |
My daughter Lydia is in the 3-5 year old spring session mixed media class. The class sizes are small (about 6 children per class) which makes for a more intimate experience. Lydia has done two giant canvas paintings, various ceramic projects and when I came in to pick her up at her last class, she was sketching out her next sculpture idea on a piece of paper with an oil pastel. Her class is once a week but the other six days of the week she asks me if she's going to art class that day. 4Cats Arts Studio's tag line is “The best, most fun art studio ever!” and Lydia and I don't disagree.
 |
| Lydia's in-progress canvas painting |
4Cats Arts Studio is located in Acorn Alley in downtown Kent right on Main Street and is curated by Joelle and Michele. They offer a variety of art classes for both adults and children. There is no age limit. A few of the many classes they offer are printmaking, mixed media, pixel art, and ceramics. You can sign up for workshops, summer camps and seasonal session classes. They even do birthday parties! (I think I may have MY next birthday party there! Who wants to come?)
If you are looking for a fun and creative atmosphere with wonderful and friendly instructors for your child (or yourself), I would highly recommend 4Cats Arts Studio because, simply put, it's “The best, most fun art studio ever!”
4Cats is located at 144 E Main St in Kent.
(330) 677-8575
No comments:
Post a Comment