Pencil Box Art Studio in Millcreek celebrated their one year anniversary in August with an open house.

Ali Spittler and Brynn Grover are the owners of Pencil Box Art Studio. “We both taught second grade together at Canyon Rim Elementary for a long time. We missed the kids and classrooms so then Ali pitched the idea to me about an art studio. We both liked the idea of process art which is experimental and less about teaching specific techniques and more about the process and it helps build confidence in children,” Grover said.

“We started in January of 2021 in a dance studio and kept outgrowing that space. Last August, we got our own space at 2019 E. 3300 South. It’s been three years and it is going very well,” Spittler said.

“We have elementary education degrees and we are both very creative people and being teachers, we really care about the whole child and the emotional state of the kids. Art is a good way to express that and feel safe,” Grover said.

“We wanted to help kids let go of being perfect and getting it right and process art lets you let go of that. There is no right or wrong way to do things. It gives the child the confidence of being OK to make a mistake and finding a new way to do things,” Grover added. 

“Artist’s Chair is something we hold weekly at the end of each class where the kids can choose if they’d like to share what they’re working on and how it’s going. It’s good for them to talk through their process and have the class see how everyone’s art is different. It’s really special,” Spittler said.

Pencil Box Art Studio offers classes that align with the Granite School District’s school year calendar. Classes start at age 1 and go up to 11 which include after-school sessions for elementary school students and summer camps when school is out.

Grover explained how it works, “We have a 12-week term and we come up with a curriculum. Kids come and engage in art, and create over the course of the term. At the end we have an art show so they can show their families what they worked on.”

Pencil Box Art Studio offers classes for all students including homeschooled. “We are offering a homeschool art club,” Spittler said. This class will be with a new member of the team at Pencil Box Art Studio, Krisanne Knudsen, who is an art historian. “It’s a drop-off class for families with K-6 kids, and they’ll be learning about famous artists.”

The classes will be kid friendly and will offer field trips to museums. Knudsen has a wealth of knowledge of art history and has worked at museums around Utah. These classes give  homeschooled children museum experience, creating art and the opportunity to meet other homeschoolers.

“We pick a theme for the term and use all different types of materials, like clay, marbling, sewing, painting, and over the course of the term, the child gets to dabble in so many different ideas and materials,” Spittler said.

There are many things about Pencil Box Art Studio that make it unique. The workshops, like the Andy Warhol workshop and illustrator workshop with local illustrator Brooke Smart. These classes are well received.

“The after-school classes are just an hour and we do offer a class on the first Friday of every month called Fun Friday which is kind of a drop-in style and they do not have to sign up for the whole term. It’s where the child comes in to work on a project which is more of a one and done,” Spittler said.

“If a grandparent has a kid visiting or if children are looking for things to do during the holidays, then signing up for a Fun Friday works well,” Spittler said.

“We have so many repeat customers. One kindergarten’s mom said that her child was being bullied at school and he felt at home here. He told his mom, ‘These are my people.’”

“We believe this type of art is great for everyone. The 1, 2 and 3-year-old class is where we have more of a parent-child involvement and we have had amazing feedback from that class. We start off with music and lots of projects for the little ones and they follow where they want to go. There are five or six projects going at one time and they just hop in between them,” Spittler said. “It has been our fastest growing class this year.”

“We are offering a teen class this term and this is the first time we are offering that. This age group has flourished at the studio and they have repeated which was really a surprise for us,” Grover said.

Spittler and Grover do not miss teaching at school. “This is just as fulfilling as teaching in a classroom and we interact with the kids and care for them and their creativity and see them flourish,” Grover said.

There are no walk-in options and all classes are signed up on the website www.pencilboxartstudio.com. You can also follow them on social media. λ