For summer camp, vacation camp, workshops and adult classes, visit the Westside Studio website.

Dear Friends and Families of the Young Artists Workspace,

Fall 2009 marks the 10 Year Anniversary of the Young Artists Workspace
(Y A W S) at Totland Park. Here's the photos of our November 8th Celebration

In a culture like ours, where speed is the fashion and constancy less common, it has been an unexpected thrill to watch YAWS maintain its vitality as a children’s art center. What began as a bare bones art class for toddlers has evolved into a complex, multi-media art program that serves as many middle and high school students as it does two and three-year-olds.

YAWS and its students have grown, but some things haven't changed at all. Our modest studio is furnished with the same pre-school sized chairs and tables we had when we opened our doors. While a bit wobbly and clearly too small for our older students, they still do the trick, and thankfully, no one complains. Curious toddlers continue to peer through the windows to watch the young artists as they work, sometimes making us all laugh as they smash their faces against the glass. And as embarrassing as it may be, I still announce the beginning of class by screaming, "ART CLASS! 5&6 (7 - 9, etc.) YEAR-OLDS, COME ON IN!"

Also unchanged is our philosophy that every person has creative impulses and artistic ability.  This is especially true for children who, regardless of age and background, need time and decent materials to express their deep-seated desire to make art. As experts in education insist, art is as essential and academically rigorous as any core subject. The young artists at YAWS demonstrate this notion daily.  Through their artmaking, YAWS students utilize extraordinary intelligence, discipline, imagination, and flexibility, attributes that transfer well into any subject of study.