Artist in Residence Grant applications will commence when kids are back in school!

Read more about what it’s all about and APPLY TODAY if your 4th or 5th grade class could benefit from this fun, interactive and educational art program.

What do you get when you have eight cans of paint, 30 paint brushes and 30 nine, ten and eleven year olds?

Chaos?

Nah.

Enthusiasm for sure!

Photos courtesy of Andrea Marulanda Photography

And, lots…LOTS of noise.

Every year we give away ONE magical afternoon of on-site inspiration and instruction to one AMAZING local teacher!

We call it our Artist in Residence program! Teachers between the cities of Azusa and Claremont (along the Foothill corridor) as well as the surrounding Districts of Charter Oak and Covina who teach 4th and 5th grade are eligible to apply.

The recipient of our grant will be awarded a free workshop (valued at $500) complete with supplies and instruction for their class.

I will bring a cart full of supplies to YOUR classroom and teach the kids how to use Chalk Paint® decorative paints by Annie Sloan. But, it’s more than just painting. I talk about being an artist; about up-cycling and being a good steward of the environment by re-using and re-purposing; about finding potential in discarded relics. The class will learn how to paint, distress and apply a wax finish on a picture frame that they find…and by find, I mean it’s been hanging in the yard sale box in the garage, or they picked it up at a garage sale or scavenged from a thrift store. I HIGHLY encourage them not to go out and buy a brand new frame (that basically defeats the whole “up-cycling” conversation we will have). We also explore the world of color theory and talk about how to use color in decor and when mixing shades together.

Photos courtesy of Andrea Marulanda Photography

When it’s all said and done, each student will take a finished frame home with them to hang in their rooms or house!

Worried about the kids working with paint in your classroom?

Don’t sweat it. The paint is water based so extremely easy to clean up not to mention that it is free of detectable VOC’s and harmful scents. Plus, I’ll bring everything we need to cover desks to minimize the inevitable mess.

How much time do you need to set aside?

Photos courtesy of Andrea Marulanda Photography

About two hours. I recommend scheduling the on-site workshop one hour before and one hour after recess OR lunch. It works well to have a built-in break to allow the paint to dry on their projects.

Why just 4th grade and up?

In my years of experience, I’ve found that kids nine and older tend to have the focus and self control to paint successfully. There are just too many wild cards with the younger kids.

How do you apply? Just fill out the grant application and we will select the winning teacher in March of the current school year. The application period takes place between February 1st and March 1st. 

Please send any inquiries and questions regarding our Artist in Residence Giveaway to info@knottooshabby.net or message us on facebook!