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Sign up for our mail list
Yes! classes
may be joined
at any time!
Open Studio days
for STUDENTS:
Saturday Feb 4th
Saturday Mar 3rd
Saturday April 14th
Saturday May 5th
from 1- 4 pm
Free tuition!
check out our long-standing tuition promotion here.
Yes! classes
may be joined
at any time!
Open Studio days
for STUDENTS:
Saturday Feb 4th
Saturday Mar 3rd
Saturday April 14th
Saturday May 5th
from 1- 4 pm
Free tuition!
check out our long-standing tuition promotion here.
Frequently Asked Questions:
A - We're in the Cool Springs shopping area in Brentwood/Franklin, Tennessee. Click here for a map and directions.
Q - What should I wear to class?
A - Everyone should try to wear old clothes that they can get paint on, or bring a smock or apron. In the winter, an apron doesn't help keep paint off of long sleeves though. Plan for messiness!
Q - Do you offer art classes for grownups too?
A - Yes we do! Check the class link above.
Q - Do you offer art classes for children younger than 6?
A - Yes we do! ARTPark is our mom and me drop-in art center. It's like an open play center but just for art. This is not a structured class, and a parent needs to be present, but we've found that for ages 3-5, lessons don't work nearly as well. All kids need at this age are supplies, encouragement, and room to make stuff. That's all available at ARTPark. Check the link for the schedule.
Q - Do you have discounts for siblings or more than one class?
A - Yes we do! After the first class, all subsequent classes for a family are 15% off the regular tuition price.
Q - Do you sell art supplies?
A - Yes we do! Check the supply link above.
Q - What if I already have some art supplies?
A - Bring them! In class, however, we like for everyone to be using the same 10-color paint set for mixing, and the same quality of supplies. You can use your own supplies as long as you have everything on the supply list or something that is of equal quality or better, (such as a larger pallette pad). Brushes especially should not be budget models made for young children.
Q - Why do you not use oil paints in art classes?
A - Acrylics offer a wider range of techniques. While oil is unique and wonderful, it can also cause allergic reactions in some, and is very difficult to clean up. It's also harder to find good pigments and mediums that are non-toxic. In advanced classes oils are allowed with some restrictions.
Q - What is Open Studio?
A - This is our ONCE-A-MONTH, (on the first Saturdays of each month), free art session for our students. We understand that some artists want or need extra time to work in our studio. Also, if you miss a class, you can get some instruction for making up the missed work or catching up on a project you're in the middle of. There is a teacher, but it's not a structured class. You can get some help as you need it. Sometimes the teacher is painting too. All 3 studios are open and you can drop in at any time during the 3 hours. It is usually on the first Saturday of the month, and is from 1pm to 4pm.
Q - When do you close due to weather?
A - Weather-related closings are based on road conditions, and we wait as long as we can before canceling classes. We have tried to follow the Williamson County public school closings. However, they tend to close when there is no actual snow or very little, and kids like to get out for art class. If there has been snow, and there is ANY ice or slushy stuff on any roads, then we are usually going to be closed. We will let you know by email and on the news banner there on your left. Feel free to call or email and ask too.
Q - How do I make up a snow day?
A - Great question. If there's only one snow day for your class, nothing changes because we've already planned ahead for it. No teaching will be lost. There are 36 weeks in our schedule, PLUS 9 extra Open Studio sessions of 3 hours each*, for the 35 actual classes you sign up for. We have a built-in snow day and plenty of opportunities to get extra studio time - even if you miss for your own reasons.
If there's no snow day the entire year, well then, you get an extra free class. If there's more than that one cancelation due to weather, then you will be given a free pass to the Summer ART Buffet for a two-hour customized lesson for each day that was canceled for your class, (after the built in snow day). You can come to any of the Buffet sessions you like to get your make-up class. Just so you'll know, the regular school-year curriculum has a lot of personal project days for self-expression, and these are the days that will be moved into the Summer, since it is the same type of class. That way you don't miss any critical learning lessons due to snow or ice.
Q - Is there child care provided during classes for younger siblings?
A - No, but we do have a small library if you want to hang out. Space is limited. Siblings need to remain in the library, not in the classrooms.
Q - How should I pay tuition?
A - You should pay the way you like best. Some people pay all the tuition up front, but most pay monthly and we split it into 9 equal payments to make it easier. We take checks, MC or VISA, (credit or debit cards), Paypal, and Apple stock options. (just kidding on the Apple). You can pay online or at the studio. The best payments are with a check, since we have a good record of your payment that way. Cash leaves us wondering where it came from, so it's not the best, (even though we enjoy the look of it). If cash is the only way you can pay, it should come in a sealed envelope with the student's name and date on the outside.
Checks should be notated with the student's name, and be dropped into the "happy payment box" located right by the door. Do not hand them to teachers. We are artists. They will be lost.
Q - Can I store any art supplies at the academy?
A - No. We do not have the room. Other than leaving a wet canvas and/or art board, supplies need to be transported to and from the class each week.
Q - Do you give private lessons?
A - No. With art, private lessons means the instructor would have most of his or her time spent waiting on the artist to get to a stopping point. As an instructor goes around the class and teaches each student individually, it's very similar to a private lesson. We also feel strongly that art is great as a social learning experience.
Q - Do I have to pay for any classes that I miss?
A - This is another good question. The answer is a simple yes, but there are several reasons why.
It is your responsibility to attend the classes you've registered for. Tuition is not based on a weekly or even monthly basis, or there would be different amounts due each month. Tuition is for the entire course of 35 weeks of lessons. Monthly installments are there for convenience and unrelated to the number of months we're in session.
When we've not charged for absences in the past, it suddenly becomes a choice every week whether or not to attend. Class attendance drops dramatically across the entire enrollment. There's no doubt that this arrangement would quickly cause us to close the school. here's what we've learned: Life is hectic and full of urgent (and not always critical) surprises. For art class to be attended regularly, it needs to be a chosen commitment, instead of a decision that you make based on what is happening right before class.
Most Firstlight classes fill to capacity, and we may have people on waiting lists.
For all of these reasons, we charge the entire tuition for the year, regardless of classes missed. This is standard practice in all other programs for the same reasons.
However! There is a special provision for you - we have our free open studio (for registered students) once a month on a Saturday for 3 hours, to help with making up for missed art sessions. That's 27 extra hours we are here for you. This is not standard practice in other programs!
Q - What if I need to quit the art class sometime during the year?
A - You may cancel your enrollement with a 30-day written notice during the year, (as long as it's before February 20th), so that other students who may be waiting to get in can prepare to take your place. We can't fill spaces after Mid February, and that's why we have the deadline.
Q - Why do I have to pay for 30 days after I cancel?
A - We don't want to accomodate anyone who is not planning to enroll for the year, or who is not really serious about the art class. Without a 30-day policy, it becomes easy for people to begin the year without really taking the time to consider if they want to continue all year. We'd hate for a person to only try us out for a month without that consideration, and then casually quit, taking a space in the class that other, more committed artists would have liked to have. Once classes are 1 or 2 months into the school year, many people will have looked elsewhere for after-school activities, and our classes may have empty spaces the rest of the year. The good news is that you are encouraged to stay in the class for those 30 days and make more art!
Q - Do you offer scholarships?
A - Yes. We have an application that can be obtained by using the contact link and asking specifically about it. Scholarships are awarded based on need and talent, and cover half of the tuition for the year.
Q - How do your tuition rates compare with other classes?
A - Well, we have checked other art classes all over the country, and we have looked at local classes in several different endeavors, (there's not a local program quite like ours to compare with). Almost every art class we have found, costs more, or at least the same as ours do, yet ours are almost twice as long. Our students get enough time to learn and do a lot of work in our classrooms. Also, most programs have the students follow a step-by-step lesson, and learn how to do art in the style and manner of other artists. These programs lack the personalized attention we strive for.
The best price we found for classic-style instruction was around $20 per hour with a class that has 16 students. Many art classes and other classes are rated up to $30 for an hour of instruction. Some are up to $50.
Our classes only have 10 students, and our 2011-2012 rate works out to $14.70 per hour of instructional class time for Foundations. If you add in our extra 27 hours of free open studio, (which is completely unique to our program), then it becomes about $10 per hour for studio time with a comprehensive course and a lot of individual one-on-one instruction. Compare that to a half hour of piano for $25.
Other considerations: We have a space to wait, with free wifi, and you can leave and actually get things done in that hour and 45 minutes while your child is in class. All right here in the middle of Cool Springs, one of the best shopping areas around.
So, yeah, we feel like we have an exceptional value.
And that's what we want - for art instruction to be the best it can be, and to be affordable too.
