By Okon Ekpenyong

At Young At Art, students can express themselves freely, showing the world what’s behind smiles, pain, and light. That’s why the owner Karla Young, an art teacher in the Lancaster School District, wanted to ensure students of all skill levels learned the basics and found their creativity and freedom when expressing their authentic selves.

Ohio Governor DeWine’s representative was present today during the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of Young At Art’s new location in Lancaster. The new place is a much larger building with a basement, and it’s at the corner of E Sixth Avenue and Broad Street in Lancaster.

Young at Art provides art lessons for children ages 5 through adulthood taught by a licensed educator or professional artist specializing in various forms of drawing and painting.
” I originally started working with the “children of friends and colleagues,” but because of word of mouth, people started calling for lessons, which led me to find a commercial location,” Young said.

Studies have shown that our Immigrants and refugees also use Art to retain their identity, retain resources, and regain control, which ultimately helps them to know there is a rainbow after a storm. Also, in a study published by Public School Review, students who participate in arts programs outperform their peers significantly. More than 14% of students were proficient in English, 20% in math, 16% in science, and 16% in social studies”, per the report.

And that’s why in December of 2021, she opened Young At Art, LLC on Chestnut Street to continue equipping youngsters and adults with the fundamentals of Art outside school and after working hours. Young is a member of the Ohio Art Education Association.

Mrs. Young is a product of the Lancaster School District and hoped to give back to the community that raised her in some capacity, and she is doing just that. Kerry Rodenbaugh, Carol Buccilla, Jennifer Marsh, Lori Thompson, and Madi Lucas are the other instructors with a wealth of educational experience and a heart to inspire those they teach to bring out their best vision of themselves.

Also available are Canvas painting parties for small groups between 6-14, lasting 2-3 hours, so this is perfect if you need a girls’ night out with friends.
”The website also mentions that it offers traditional splatter experiences, light black splatters, and a splatter experience using washable and non-toxic paint for ages 2-12.”

They offer over 20 classes per week, and Young stated that when they first opened the old location, six instructors were needed to meet the demand.

In Columbus, Ohio, the city mayor Andrew Ginther announced additional funding for summer programming for Columbus youth this morning with Columbus Recreation and Parks Director Bernita Reese and Director Carla Williams-Scott of the Department of Neighborhoods.

In response to our question about summer programs to keep kids active and away from the streets, Young explained that they’d have an hour and a half of painting, plus ten different camps for kids ages five through high school.
”There will be a different theme; some will focus strictly on painting, others have mermaid and dinosaur themes, especially for the younger ones, and they’ll work on paper paint and drawing plus other projects,” she said.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony brought out a Lancaster Chamber of Commerce representative, a member of Governor DeWine’s office, other instructors, and current and past students of Young at Art. During the week, operations run from 5 pm to 8 pm, while Splatter Studio operates from 5 pm to 9 pm on Fridays and 2 pm to 9 pm on Saturdays.

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