Sept. 2024 | Vol. 06 Iss. 9
FREE
PENCIL BOX ART STUDIO LETS KIDS MAKE MISTAKES, MAKE A MESS AND CREATE ART By Jolene Croasmun | j.croasmun@mycityjournals.com
P
encil Box Art Studio in Millcreek celebrated their one year anniversary in August with an open house. Ali Spittler and Brynn Grover are the owners of Pencil Box Art Studio. “We both taught second grade together at Canyon Rim Elementary for a long time. We missed the kids and classrooms so then Ali pitched the idea to me about an art studio. We both liked the idea of process art which is experimental and less about teaching specific techniques and more about the process and it helps build confidence in children,” Grover said. “We started in January of 2021 in a dance studio and kept outgrowing that space. Last August, we got our own space at 2019 E. 3300 South. It’s been three years and it is going very well,” Spittler said. “We have elementary education degrees and we are both very creative people and being teachers, we really care about the whole child and the emotional state of the kids. Art is a good way to express that and feel safe,” Grover said. “We wanted to help kids let go of being perfect and getting it right and process art lets you let go of that. There is no right or wrong way to do things. It gives the child the confidence of being OK to make a mistake and finding a new way to do things,” Grover added. “Artist’s Chair is something we hold weekly at the end of each class where the kids can choose if they’d like to share what they’re working on and how it’s going. It’s good for them to talk through their process and have the class see how everyone’s art is different. It’s really special,” Spittler said.
Pencil Box Art Studio offers classes that align with the Granite School District’s school year calendar. Classes start at age 1 and go up to 11 which include after-school sessions for elementary school students and summer camps when school is out. Grover explained how it works, “We have a 12-week term and we come up with a curriculum. Kids come and engage in art, and create over the course of the term. At the end we have an art show so they can show their families what they worked on.” Pencil Box Art Studio offers classes for all students including homeschooled. “We are offering a homeschool art club,” Spittler said. This class will be with a new member of the team at Pencil Box Art Studio, Krisanne Knudsen, who is an art historian. “It’s a drop-off class for families with K-6 kids, and they’ll be learning about famous artists.” The classes will be kid friendly and will offer field trips to museums. Knudsen has a wealth of knowledge of art history and has worked at museums around Utah. These classes give homeschooled children museum experience, creating art and the opportunity to meet other homeschoolers. “We pick a theme for the term and use all different types of materials, like clay, marbling, sewing, painting, and over the course of the term, the child gets to dabble in so many different ideas and materials,” Spittler said. There are many things about Pencil Box Art Studio that make it unique. The workshops, like the Andy Warhol workContinued page 19
Thank You
to our Community Sponsors for supporting City Journals
Pencil Box Art Studio in Millcreek celebrating their one year anniversary. (Ali Spittler and Brynn Grover/Pencil Box Art Studio)