Weekly Art Lessons for Kids
Here at Roselle Fine Arts Academy we strive to create an environment that promotes creativity, personal growth, and a sense of community. We like to think of our school as one big family, and once you take a class with us, you become part of that family!
We provide your child a break from electronics and school pressures and give them a safe space to relax, create, explore ideas, meet peers with similar interests, and develop skills, whether they may want to pursue a career in the arts or just need a creative outlet.
For those wanting to take their artistic skills to the next level, just as with a sport or an instrument, regular practice is needed to improve. Weekly art lessons provide that time to learn new techniques, try new mediums, hone skills, and just have fun!
In our Exploration series, students will use a wide variety of mediums, techniques, and styles. This includes drawing and painting mediums such as watercolor, acrylics, gouache, pastels, pen and ink, and charcoal, but also printmaking, collage, fabric, metal, and clay to name just a few. We use quality art supplies to ensure students have a positive experience when exploring a new medium and establish good habits. Students will learn basic art concepts and techniques such as color theory, composition, and perspective. We explore art from different genres, artists from past and present, and art from a wide array of cultures around the world. Our small class sizes allow for one-on-one interactions with our teachers. Most of the classes in the series are primarily project-driven, however Art Factory and Creative Exploration are mostly process-driven, where we focus on just exploring and not necessarily producing a frameable end result. As you go up each level in the series, students are given more creative freedom and less step-by-step instruction, however the class is all still working on the same project.
We also have Art Club, which gives students freedom to explore their interests independently, while having guidance available from the instructor. Maybe they’d like to try a new medium, or stay in their comfort zone and just have the time to create.
For those wanting to specialize, we have our Drawing and Painting tracks. In our Drawing track, we focus on teaching fundamentals, such as perspective, sketching, composition, proportion, and values, which are applicable to most styles of drawing, from realism to illustration. In our Painting track, we use different types of paint and surfaces, paint mediums and techniques.
We encourage elementary-aged students to enroll in the Exploration series and not specialize too soon. They may love drawing, but it is just because pencil and paper is always available to them and they may not have tried other things! Once a student reaches middle and high school, they may then choose to focus on a particular medium or style. But we do include specialized classes for younger ages for those students who are hyper-focused on a medium and do not want to branch out.
Overview of Lesson Offerings
The following chart provides an overview of our art lessons offerings. Some classes in a series overlap grades. This allows you and the instructor to determine placement based on the child’s skills and emotional readiness.
Note that not all classes are offered every semester. If there is a class you are interested in that is not scheduled, please let us know, and if there is enough interest, we will consider it for the next semester.
All fall classes follow a 10-week semester that begins the week of September 15th and ends the week of November 17th. There is a non-refundable $20 registration fee paid at time of registration. The payment schedule for the balance due is described in the class listing.
For Fall 2025, the following classes are scheduled to be offered. Registration opens to the public Monday August 25th. Click on the thumbnail below for more details about the class and to register.
Creative Exploration: Tuesdays 4:45-5:45, $25/class ($250 total for semester, plus $20 registration fee)
Art Exploration 101: Wednesdays 4:45-5:45, $25/class ($250 + $20)
Art Exploration 102: Thursdays 4:30-5:45, $30/class ($300 + $20)
Art Exploration 103: Thursdays 6:30-7:45, $30/class ($300 + $20)
Art Club: Tuesdays 6:30-7:45, $30/class ($300 + $20)
Drawing 103: Wednesdays 6:30-7:45, $30/class ($300 + $20)
Do you have more questions? Check out our FAQ below the product listings.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Registration work?
When you register for a class, a non-refundable $20 registration fee is paid. You will be contacted before class starts with more information and a link for getting set up for autopay in our billing system. The actual amount paid each month is based on the number of classes in that month. Billing normally occurs on the first of the month (with the exception of the first payment, since we are starting mid-month).
You may withdraw early from a class before the start of the next month. You must notify us by the 25th of the month for us to stop billing for the next month. Once billing has occurred, we will not issue a refund.
If a class is already in session, you may be able to enroll to begin the following month, or potentially even sooner. If you would like to inquire about being added to a class, please email us at info@rosellefa.com.
If a class is showing as sold out/not available and you would like to be added to the wait list, please contact us via email at info@rosellefa.com with details of which class, the name(s) and age(s) of who wants to join the class, and best way to contact you. You will be contacted if a spot opens up and have 24 hours to respond before we try the next person on the list.
What happens if a class does not meet the minimum registrants?
We try to be proactive keeping you informed if a class looks like it might not make the minimum required to run the class so you aren’t surprised, and in hopes that maybe you can help recruit students! Most classes give a registration deadline, and if we do not meet the minimum by that date, we will notify you. Sometimes if we are just one short we will extend the deadline a day or two.
If we end up cancelling the class, you will be issued a refund for any money paid towards that class.
There are times when, due to schedule conflicts, etc., students drop out in the middle of a semester, causing the class size to fall below the minimum. If this happens, we will inform you as soon as we know. We will finish out the current month and advertise to try to get replacements, but if not, we will cancel the remainder of the semester. You will not be charged for the month(s) that are cancelled.
Do you give Refunds for Missed Classes?
We understand things happen and plans change. But please realize that we often have to purchase dedicated supplies for classes in advance. And last minute cancellations may make a class fall below enrollment minimums. For this reason, we cannot issue refunds for classes missed due to illness or last minute schedule conflicts. When possible, our teachers will provide a take-home kit with the supplies for the missed project, or allow make-up in another similar class if there is room. Please understand kits or make-ups are not always possible and will be handled on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the instructor.
For planned absences with advanced notice - If you are aware of a vacation or upcoming conflict and notify the school PRIOR TO THE FIRST OF THE MONTH, we will prorate the upcoming month’s payment to reflect the absence. Notification must be given via the “Planned Absence Notification” form on our website: https://www.rosellefa.com/absent-notification.
How big are your classes?
The class size depends on the age group, the room used, and the subject. The younger classes are maximum 8-10 students. The older classes currently are 10-12. This may increase slightly when our new room is available. If we decide to also increase the sizes of the younger classes when we have the space, we will also increase the staff so the ratio remains the same.
My child’s age is covered by more than one class. Which one should we register for?
The Art Exploration series has overlap for a couple of reasons. First, we understand that you may not be available some days due to conflicts in your schedule, so the overlap gives you another day or time as an option. Second, children all develop at different rates. When trying to decide how ready your child is for a higher class, remember it is not just the art skills to assess, but the child’s maturity level. Lastly, we often have siblings wanting to take our classes and it is easier if they can be in the same class.
If you are having trouble deciding, feel free to contact us and we will help!
My child is a little younger than the age range stated, but can they still join that class?
The short answer is, No. We have the ages carefully chosen based on the usual skills for that range and base our curriculum on those skills. There is also the maturity level to consider. Only if your child has attended lessons with us previously, so we are familiar with their skills, will we even consider making an exception.
My child doesn’t get home from school in time. can we come a little late?
While we understand there are going to be times you are running late for whatever reason, we cannot have this be a regular occurrence. We try to pack as much as we can into our class time (so you get more for your money), and it would be too disruptive to be having to catch your child up to speed every week while the rest of the class is waiting for the next steps. If you are continuously late, we will discuss this with you and understand that at some point we may suggest you drop out.
My child has another activity after class. Can we pick them up a little early?
We understand there will be occasions when you have to pick them up early. But doing this every week will not be workable. Your child will miss finishing projects or important steps in the middle of a project and get behind. For our classes with step-by-step projects, this will be a problem because we do not have time in the schedule to make up the missed work.
How messy are the projects?
Some materials we use are not messy. Others are messy, but are washable. But others, like acrylic paints and inks, are permanent. We always suggest students wear clothes that can get permanently stained and neither of you will cry about it! We have aprons, but they not provide full coverage. Try to remember not to wear the new school outfits on art days! We suggest sending your child with short sleeves (with a sweater or sweatshirt that is removable). Or at least have sleeves that can be pushed up (and will stay up) above the elbows. We do have plastic sleeve covers, which we can provide upon request. Or have them throw on one of Dad’s old shirts as a smock! You may also purchase a long-sleeved smock (on your own) and leave it at the school (please label it).
My child is on an IEP at school. Can they attend a class?
We do allow all children to attend our classes, including those with physical, emotional, learning, behavioral, or other development disabilities. We do require that you disclose the issues on the registration form, and if your child requires an aide at school for art class, we require an adult attend our class with the child. If your child is struggling to keep up, or is having behavioral issues, we will discuss this with you to see if we can find a workable solution. If not, depending on the situation, we may recommend switching to another class, or, especially in the case of behavioral issues, we may request the child be removed from the class, temporarily or permanently,.
My child cannot climb stairs. Is there a way for them to attend A class?
While we do have wheelchair access to the first floor, we do not have wheelchair access to the second floor or basement. Unfortunately, the art room is on the second floor, and the ceramics studio is in the basement. So unless you can carry your child up and down the stairs, they won’t be able to attend an art class with us.
Can i stay and watch the class?
If you would like to stay and watch the first class, or want to pop in for a few minutes some other time, that is perfectly fine! However, we cannot have parents stay in the classroom every week. We find most children do better when their parents aren’t around (out of sight, out of mind). Plus, when there are multiple parents, their chatter can be very disruptive. If you do stay, we request that you are quiet and remain to the back, separated from your child.
I have another question i don’t see answered here…
More information on our general school policies and art studio policies can be found on our Policies page.
Do you still have other questions? We are happy to help! Call (224) 353-4430 or email info@rosellefa.com.