Jackson Pollock said, “Painting is self-discovery. Every good artist paints what he is.” Perhaps there is no more important discovery one can make in life than to figure out who they are and what their place is in the world. This means anyone facilitating a healthy, constructive, and enjoyable environment for others to do so is providing a priceless service. Emily and Rob Peters of Children’s Art Classes in Hanover are doing just that.
Children’s Art Classes began in 1997 when a public art teacher, Barbara Gay, began teaching her two daughters art lessons from her garage. Now, 25 years later, Children’s Art Classes is a thriving franchise that has expanded to nearly 40 nationwide locations. Children’s Art Classes mission? To provide a comprehensive art education program that enriches lives, raises self-esteem, and improves the academic performance of their students. Children’s Art Classes also aim to provide a comprehensive art education program that enriches lives, raises self-esteem, and improves the academic performance of their students. Though based in Jacksonville, FL, the power of art has a way of reaching far and wide, so it is no surprise that the artistic vision of Children’s Art Classes made its way to Hanover, MA through Emily and Rob Peters.
Together, the Peters’ have four children and are no strangers to taking on the big things in life. Rob Peters spent over 20 years as a full-time Massachusetts Army National Guard Servicemember with four, year-long deployments -three of them overseas. While in Afghanistan and Iraq for his last two deployments, the Peters’ children were having a difficult time adjusting to their father being gone. Their daughter’s art teacher at school noticed her artwork had become a bit dark and she contacted the Peters to discuss why that might be. They came to understand that their daughter was filtering her complex emotions during this time through art and it was allowing her to express herself in a healthy, constructive way. It was then that the Peters understood the importance of art and the therapeutic channels it provides.
After retiring from the Army National Guard, Rob Peters was searching for the next path in life. “I love serving others and making a difference. I love to help in the community and I needed to do something to fill my cup while also helping others. After the experience with our daughter, I started to think about how this could be our next chapter,” says Peters. When he heard about the Children’s Art Classes franchise, he noticed it was based in the area he grew up in and that, in combination with feeling strongly about its mission, pushed Peters to join the Children’s Art Classes franchise and open the sixth location in Hanover. Peters explains, “Not only was it established close to where I grew up, the people who started it really care about art and how it affects people. They are good people and I wanted to make sure that the outlet our daughter had was available to other kids.”
Establishing a Children’s Art Classes location in Hanover has taken a great deal of teamwork and dedication. With a combination of experience and commitment, the Peters’ each offer what it takes to launch and run a successful business. Opening their doors with just six students in 2023, CAC now has over 100 students in only two years. Such growth can only happen when every person involved is motivated and empowered by their work.
Emily Peters comes from a large family of 12 children, taught preschool, and is very involved in her four children’s various organizations and activities. “Emily has a passion for teaching,” Rob says, “Her strength is in relating to the kids. She gets right down to their level and connects with them.” For the Peters’, art is very much a family affair as their three daughters also enjoy helping with the Children’s Art Classes birthday parties and events. In addition to the Peters family, The Children’s Art Classes center is kept in motion by art experts and teachers Paula Stapleton and Carolyn Russo.
Paula Stapleton, known to students and staff as “Ms. Stapes”, is an expert in Visual Arts and has been teaching for over 26 years. A graduate of Massachusetts College of Art, she earned a B.F.A. and a M. Ed from Boston College. Stapleton also taught grades K-12 in multiple schools and Art Center settings throughout the area for over 20 years. Peters has nothing but high praise for Stapleton, “Ms. Stapes is amazing. She is so experienced and knowledgeable but she also knows how to keep things in line. She is all structure and organization and talent.”
In addition to Stapleton, Carolyn Russo comes with the perfect additional qualities to balance things out in the business. Russo began her career in corporate print and digital graphic design. Through volunteer projects, educational activities, and hands-on art experiences with her own children she discovered her love of teaching art and this inspired her to pursue a career as an art teacher. She is now an elementary school art teacher in Hanover in addition to teaching for Children’s Art Classes. “Ms. Russo is smart, has a lot of artistic talent, and she is so sweet with the kids,” says Peters.
The team of Children’s Art Classes is an ideal combination of creative passion meeting expertise and structure. Starting as young as age four, CAC offers unique and progressive art education up to age 18. The classes offered at CAC explore over 40 types of art medium and provide one of the largest selections of children’s art classes from Boston to the South Shore. Class sizes are capped appropriately per age group to keep the instruction as individualized and meaningful as possible. CAC classes not only keep their students busy, but they give them a solid foundation in the arts that can be built upon as they advance through the progressive programs and curriculum -each building upon the foundation of the previous level.
The Tiny Hands Program starts students as young as three or four years old with sensory art mediums such as clay and torn paper sculptures and other small projects that build fine motor skills. There is also exploration with painting with purpose and learning basic artistic foundations and concepts. Equal to learning about art, CAC also emphasizes that it’s okay to take risks, make mistakes, and try again. Peters recalls watching Stapleton being able to teach the youngest students about the rather complex subject of artistic emphasis with a simple chalkboard drawing. “She just drew a tiny house and a big man and after asking kids questions about what they saw she was able to get them all to understand artistic emphasis in a few minutes,” Peters recalls.
Once a basic foundation in art is established via the Tiny Hands program, students have the opportunity to advance to Intro to Art (ages 5-6), Beginning Art (ages 7-8), Art 1 (ages 9+), and Art 2 (anyone who has completed Art 1). Students who continue in class advancement have the unique and beneficial opportunity to build a personalized art portfolio. “Our students can add to their portfolio over the years and if they want to go to art school later on, they can show their artistic progression over the years and schools really like that,” Peters points out. “Not every student has to go into art as a career, but we can give them that foundation at CAC.”
In addition to helping students establish a foundation of art education and building a portfolio, CAC recently provided the incredible opportunity for their students to showcase their work in a professional art show. In partnership with Frame Center in Hanover, CAC put on an art show with curations of their student’s pieces framed by Frame Center and displayed in the art gallery. One piece per student was allowed and the event drew over 300 people in attendance. The art was judged by professional judges and a “Best in Show” was awarded. The money raised went to the local organization, Hope Floats. Peters says, “It was really neat to see the kids feeling so good about their work and to see their family and friends come support their passion. It was a bonus that we were also able to work with other local businesses to do this.”
The Peters’ commitment to making a difference in the community through art education is not just confined to the classrooms of CAC or an art gallery. Children’s Art Classes is now providing scholarship opportunities for local schools. Participating district or three-school co-ops can receive one full year of free art education at the CAC Hanover studio. Every school within that district or co-op can also receive a one-month scholarship for their students. In return, schools and PTOs/PTAs are asked to simply share the scholarship opportunity with families within their districts and include information about CAC Hanover. To qualify, students must be enrolled in a current K-12 program with one of the CAC’s Partnered School districts (or three-school co-op). They also must have the ability to stay seated and follow direction for 1hr 15min in a structured classroom environment and have a passion for art. “We wanted to provide even more opportunities for kids to get an art education and the scholarship program does just that,” says Peters. “Art is for everyone -even if you are more into sports, or haven’t done much art, you can find something in art that will benefit you.”
When asked about his personal mission statement with Children’s Art Classes, Peters has no trouble answering. “Perhaps I am selfish for this, but doing this -helping in this way in my community and giving kids the chance to learn about and express themselves through art -it makes me feel good. I love helping people and making a difference. We have started to see the growth in our first students now a few years later and it is really fulfilling. Positive feedback fuels me and we are seeing so many positive effects in the community because of CAC. It feels like the world is really lacking in positivity and we need nice moments in life more than ever. I feel like that is something we are doing well with this. We are positively impacting our local kids and that is why I am in this.”
It will be no surprise, but no less wonderful to see, the many students positively impacted by CAC years from now. The Peters’ will, no doubt, continue to provide the safe and conducive place -the blank canvas, if you will, for kids to learn about and pour out a little of themselves. In doing so they will find that in all their created and varied colors, mediums, and textures, they are the real masterpieces.