Tinker Art Studio
Our Philosophy
Tinker Art Studio is multidimensional. Through our doors you will find a working studio, children and adults enjoying learning and creating during class time, students' artwork on display, and an inviting space to spend time.
Functional, Comfortable, and Inspiring Space
Both children and adults work best in a space that serves it's purpose functionally, but focuses on a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing environment. These combined elements inspire us to create to our fullest potential. At Tinker we feel that surrounding ourselves in a beautiful, artful, and inspiring space leads to enhanced creativity, calm, and comfort within our walls. Much of the furniture and fixtures you find in our studio are handmade, repurposed, and sculpturally inspired. Our orange and white shelving, front desk, and orange benches were handmade by Bob Niccum (co-founder Lisa’s father) in his Fort Collins studio and right here at Tinker. The front room was built by Christie (co-founder and owner) and Jonathan (teacher and do-it-all-Tinkerer) using repurposed doors and other materials from Boulder’s Resource Yard, bamboo stalks from Christie’s family farm in NC, and ceramic embellishments by Christie. We take care and pride in all aspects of our business, and hope you enjoy your Tinker time as much as we do!
Our studio has floor to ceiling north facing windows for plenty of bright sunlight. Our environment is also created for a natural and authentic working experience. During class, materials are distributed in handmade bamboo cups. Children sit on handmade wooden benches made by a local carpenter or high quality artist's stools while they work at sturdy wooden tables.
Authentic and High Quality Materials
We believe in giving children and adults access to high quality materials, and we provide only such materials in our classes. All of the products we use are non-toxic and age appropriate. In addition, we strive to provide access to a variety of authentic materials and techniques which children and adults might not have the opportunity to experience elsewhere. While we provide comfortable cotton aprons, please wear and/or encourage your child to wear clothes that will be okay having a few artistic embellishments.
Small Classes
We know the importance and power of just the right class size—large enough for students to interact with and learn from one another, but small enough for individual teacher attention. At Tinker we keep small children's classes with an average student-teacher ratio of 8:1 and a maximum of 16 students in a class. We also believe in teaching excellence. Be sure to check out our staff page to learn more about our highly qualified teachers.