Kalaa Art & Design Summer Programs
Kalaa Art & Design Studio, 4125 Mohr Ave, Suite A/ M, Pleasanton, CA 94566
About
Kalaa Art & Design Summer Programs offers Summer Half-Day Camps that include activities such as drawing, painting, canvas painting, birdhouse painting, salt painting, finger painting, blow painting, clay craft, paper craft, block printing, and creative mixed-media projects. The Art & Craft Camp for Young Champs includes projects like creating clay animals, coil pots, mini clay foods, imaginative sculptures, and story art. Additional options include a Canvas Painting Workshop with landscape, still life, animal, and genre (storytelling) painting, a Folk Art Workshop featuring Madhubani, Warli Art, Kalighat painting, Mughal miniature, and Mandala art, as well as Fashion Design & Crochet Camps that cover embroideries, machine sewing, applique work, crochet, hand embroidery, and fashion design skills such as fashion illustration, paper pattern making, and draping.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: Summer Half-Day Camps with a weekly creative schedule that runs every week in June; Canvas Painting Workshop categories run for one full week (9 hours total); the crochet program is divided into two distinct, week-long sessions
The Fashion Design & Crochet Camp and related workshops include cutting and stitching in a fabric art context, applique, quilted pieces, and a Summer Camp Appliqué & Quilt Workshop described as a hands-on way for kids to explore fabric art. Crochet sessions cover slip knots, chaining, single crochet, and projects such as a coaster, Boho Mesh Tote, summer tops, plushy, and granny square bottoms, and the crochet program can be joined for one week for basics or both weeks for a more immersive experience. The Fashion Design Orientation Course is presented as an introduction to fashion design, and the Fashion Design & Crochet Camp is described as building a strong foundation of fashion-centered skills while building portfolios.
The program states a mission to give children a head start in artistic skills, confidence, and self-expression. Instruction is led by expert instructors, including Alison, a visual art graduate of Southern Oregon University with experience as a California credentialed teacher, and Ms. Nidhi, who is described in testimonials as an amazing artist, wonderful teacher, and very patient with young students. The leadership team includes Alison Halford, visual artist, Dr. Nidhi L Sharda, educator, and Ms. Nidhi, an art teacher referenced in multiple parent and student testimonials.
Parents report that Kalaa Art feels like a second home for one child who explored different mediums and types of art, and another parent notes that their child has attended classes for about a year with noticeable improvement in drawing, adoption of new concepts, and visualization. A student testimonial credits Ms. Nidhi’s guidance and critiques, especially in acrylic painting, with helping them become aware of and apply to art competitions and events, and states that under her tutelage they received 1st place awards in the Alameda County Fair. Several parents mention that small group classes still include personal attention, that Ms. Nidhi is well aware of each student’s skill level, and that classes continued online during the pandemic while maintaining content and quality.
The studio highlights small group classes with personal guidance, expert instructors and portfolio support, student exhibitions and showcases, and a creative, inspiring environment. All materials for the sessions are provided by the studio, and a small snack is provided between sessions. For logistics, payment may be made by cash, check, or online via Zelle, Venmo, or Google Pay; fees for missed classes are not refundable, and makeup can be provided during regular sessions with one normal class for each day missed. Families are asked to ensure children have had a good meal before class, students are asked to wear masks if they have a common cold or cough, and a hand sanitizer dispenser is available with a suggestion that everyone sanitize their hands at the start and end of class.
In terms of community involvement, one parent describes how Ms. Nidhi agreed without hesitation to offer her services for free for a fundraising campaign, creating themed sessions with different types of color for kids who attended through the fundraiser, and notes that every parent felt their children learned a lot in a short time.
Last updated August 8, 2026.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: Summer Half-Day Camps with a weekly creative schedule that runs every week in June; Canvas Painting Workshop categories run for one full week (9 hours total); the crochet program is divided into two distinct, week-long sessions
The Fashion Design & Crochet Camp and related workshops include cutting and stitching in a fabric art context, applique, quilted pieces, and a Summer Camp Appliqué & Quilt Workshop described as a hands-on way for kids to explore fabric art. Crochet sessions cover slip knots, chaining, single crochet, and projects such as a coaster, Boho Mesh Tote, summer tops, plushy, and granny square bottoms, and the crochet program can be joined for one week for basics or both weeks for a more immersive experience. The Fashion Design Orientation Course is presented as an introduction to fashion design, and the Fashion Design & Crochet Camp is described as building a strong foundation of fashion-centered skills while building portfolios.
The program states a mission to give children a head start in artistic skills, confidence, and self-expression. Instruction is led by expert instructors, including Alison, a visual art graduate of Southern Oregon University with experience as a California credentialed teacher, and Ms. Nidhi, who is described in testimonials as an amazing artist, wonderful teacher, and very patient with young students. The leadership team includes Alison Halford, visual artist, Dr. Nidhi L Sharda, educator, and Ms. Nidhi, an art teacher referenced in multiple parent and student testimonials.
Parents report that Kalaa Art feels like a second home for one child who explored different mediums and types of art, and another parent notes that their child has attended classes for about a year with noticeable improvement in drawing, adoption of new concepts, and visualization. A student testimonial credits Ms. Nidhi’s guidance and critiques, especially in acrylic painting, with helping them become aware of and apply to art competitions and events, and states that under her tutelage they received 1st place awards in the Alameda County Fair. Several parents mention that small group classes still include personal attention, that Ms. Nidhi is well aware of each student’s skill level, and that classes continued online during the pandemic while maintaining content and quality.
The studio highlights small group classes with personal guidance, expert instructors and portfolio support, student exhibitions and showcases, and a creative, inspiring environment. All materials for the sessions are provided by the studio, and a small snack is provided between sessions. For logistics, payment may be made by cash, check, or online via Zelle, Venmo, or Google Pay; fees for missed classes are not refundable, and makeup can be provided during regular sessions with one normal class for each day missed. Families are asked to ensure children have had a good meal before class, students are asked to wear masks if they have a common cold or cough, and a hand sanitizer dispenser is available with a suggestion that everyone sanitize their hands at the start and end of class.
In terms of community involvement, one parent describes how Ms. Nidhi agreed without hesitation to offer her services for free for a fundraising campaign, creating themed sessions with different types of color for kids who attended through the fundraiser, and notes that every parent felt their children learned a lot in a short time.
Last updated August 8, 2026.
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