At the Art School for Children and Young Adults at the University of Houston-Clear Lake, young artists from kindergarten through 12th grade learn printmaking, painting and ceramics under the guidance of the university’s art majors.

The gist

Because the college’s art students aspire to be professional art teachers one day, the school's hands-on classroom experience is invaluable to their education, Director David Moya said.

As the university's longest-running community outreach program, the school taught over 1,000 kids in 2022, Moya estimated.

“The reason why our program is here and the reason why it works is that the undergraduates here at the university who want to be art teachers work and help run this program to gain experience,” Moya said.


Zooming in

The school emphasizes multicultural art education and learning about pop culture and literature through art, Moya said.

It is not uncommon for students and kids to collaborate with local artists on projects, such as an interactive mural produced recently by the school to raise awareness about sustainability.

In June, students at the university’s art school collaborated with local Houston artist Jacob Messa to paint a mural called "Transcended Dream" in the Arbor Building at UHCL.
<


Next October, the school hopes to host an inaugural open-house art festival where the community can visit the school to watch tenured faculty perform live art demonstrations and give talks.

Also of note

In 2021, Community Impact reported the school expanded its offerings to include classes for autistic children.

While the curriculum in these classes is similar to that offered in the courses for neurotypical students, the school invites parents and guardians to join their kids in the classroom.


“I think it's a nice middle ground for some families. I think some parents have reservations about having their kids who are on the spectrum to have that experience,” Moya said. “Then there’s some parents who want this kind of thing, so it’s just one more opportunity to accommodate families.”

The cost

The school has rolling enrollment for its upcoming semesters and workshops, which include a one-week winter workshop Jan. 2-5, and the spring semester, which begins in February and wraps up in April, according to the school’s website.

Costs range from $75 to $90 for five classes, $120 to $150 for eight classes, and $170 for 10 weeks. Scholarships are available, according to the school’s website.


One more thing

School officials plan to expand and offer two after-school art classes at UHCL at Pearland by April.