Tricia – Muralist

"My little buddy spoke no English. At first she was very shy and timid, could not look me in the eyes, but by the second week, our language barrier seemed to disappear. I watched her open up like a flower and express herself confidently and joyfully, mostly without words.

As the weeks progressed, she opened up more and more, directing the project by taking my hand and dragging me to a box of supplies, or a piece of paper that she wanted to use. There was lots of laughing. It was so great to reaffirm that language isn’t the only way to communicate!"

Ben – Photographer

"My buddy was initially pretty squirrley. But, by the second week, he sat right down and got to work. He ended up having the best, most interesting ideas. He was totally dedicated and really loved this program!"

Gretchen – Teacher

"Kids who were having a horrible day—crabby, wrestling, goofing off—suddenly changed at the door to Art Buddies. I think it’s the one-on-one attention. Kids really need that."

Abdul – Student

"Now I know I can be something fun!. I can be a chef, a vet, even an art guy."

Glen – Art Director

"The way different children and cultures all work and learn together is amazing."

Sarah – Designer

"I will remember this forever and tell everyone I know about the program! The people you meet, the brainstorming that happens at such a young age is out of this world. This may sound hokey, but Art Buddies really put things in perspective for me. My creativity mattered, too! Yay! I couldn’t wait for Art Buddies!"

Christi – Art Director

"My child wished we could do Art Buddies all day on Fridays. When I told her we’ll get to see each other next Friday, she said, “Do you KNOW how far away that is?"

Lisa – Teacher

"The program was fantastic for the kids! They got one-on-one attention that all kids so desperately need, they created something they were very proud of, and were engaged in learning 100% of the time."

Susan – Creative Director

"Even after years of learning in the field of advertising, I’m still learning from these kids."

Nicole – Teacher

"At Art Buddies, every child is creative. It’s exciting to make a plan and see it come to life! And they want more of that feeling, so they understand their abilities, ideas and creativity can happen if they want it to."

Emily – Parent

"This is a terrific program. Art Buddies helps kids foster relationships with adults in new ways. It allows the kids to explore creativity without the confines that adults who have known them for long periods of time might unintentionally impose.

My daughter was in Art Buddies for two seasons and has great memories of bringing Kitty Girl and Cupcake Girl to life through ideations with her Art Buddies mentors."