About
Children’s Art Studio Richmond offers free art classes and other arts-based classes for young children. The program also includes outdoor sketching and painting workshops. Children use a variety of materials and activities that let them explore art in different ways, including painting and working with prints and sculptures featured in the “Worlds Imagined by Children” Virtual Exhibition (May 18–July 20, 2025).
• Ages: 2–5 years old
• Price: The Children’s Art Studio Richmond provides free, quality arts-based classes to low-income children regardless of background or abilities.
The Children’s Art Studio Richmond provides free, quality arts-based classes to low-income children regardless of background or abilities and is grounded in the belief that the arts create a more just and equitable society and act as a driver for economic change. The program states that all children should have access to quality arts education and the chance to express themselves through art, and it recognizes the importance of inclusive environments that celebrate children’s perspectives, talents, and cultures. It emphasizes a child-centered approach to teaching art, cooperation, self-help, self-discipline, and assuming responsibility for the use of materials, and it involves children collaborating and learning from each other.
The leadership team includes Maria as Founder and Director, Adriana Paniagua as Program Specialist, Alexina Rojas as Early Childhood Educator and Advisor, and Evelyn Santos as Executive Director of the Richmond Museum of History & Culture and a program partner. Maria is a graduate of the Art Academy of Cincinnati and served for 10 years as full-time English faculty at Los Medanos College. Adriana is an early childhood educator with over a decade of experience in art education and program development, with experience in family engagement, bilingual communication in English and Spanish, and a practical understanding of the Reggio Emilia approach. Alexina has served as Director of the West County First 5 Center for over 16 years, has a Master’s in Educational Administration, and serves as the lead early childhood subject matter expert for this project.
Children’s Art Studio Richmond / Taller de Arte Para Niños Richmond is fiscally sponsored by Independent Arts & Media, a nonprofit focused on building community through media and the arts. The program serves low-income families, people of color, immigrant communities, and young people in the Richmond, California community, and it partners with West County First 5 and Vallejo First 5 to serve First 5 families at those sites. It involves local artists, educators, and community members for input and feedback and works with local businesses, corporate sponsors, and nonprofit organizations so programming is relevant to the local community, with collaboration from Evelyn Santos as a program partner.
Caregivers and parents report that children enjoy painting, mixing colors, and using different tools such as balloons and paper rolls to paint. Some families say the program has led them to practice painting more at home, repeat colors to help children learn them, and use items they already have at home for art activities. Families also note that they were excited to join because it allowed them to enjoy art in their own neighborhood.
Last updated May 13, 2026.
• Ages: 2–5 years old
• Price: The Children’s Art Studio Richmond provides free, quality arts-based classes to low-income children regardless of background or abilities.
The Children’s Art Studio Richmond provides free, quality arts-based classes to low-income children regardless of background or abilities and is grounded in the belief that the arts create a more just and equitable society and act as a driver for economic change. The program states that all children should have access to quality arts education and the chance to express themselves through art, and it recognizes the importance of inclusive environments that celebrate children’s perspectives, talents, and cultures. It emphasizes a child-centered approach to teaching art, cooperation, self-help, self-discipline, and assuming responsibility for the use of materials, and it involves children collaborating and learning from each other.
The leadership team includes Maria as Founder and Director, Adriana Paniagua as Program Specialist, Alexina Rojas as Early Childhood Educator and Advisor, and Evelyn Santos as Executive Director of the Richmond Museum of History & Culture and a program partner. Maria is a graduate of the Art Academy of Cincinnati and served for 10 years as full-time English faculty at Los Medanos College. Adriana is an early childhood educator with over a decade of experience in art education and program development, with experience in family engagement, bilingual communication in English and Spanish, and a practical understanding of the Reggio Emilia approach. Alexina has served as Director of the West County First 5 Center for over 16 years, has a Master’s in Educational Administration, and serves as the lead early childhood subject matter expert for this project.
Children’s Art Studio Richmond / Taller de Arte Para Niños Richmond is fiscally sponsored by Independent Arts & Media, a nonprofit focused on building community through media and the arts. The program serves low-income families, people of color, immigrant communities, and young people in the Richmond, California community, and it partners with West County First 5 and Vallejo First 5 to serve First 5 families at those sites. It involves local artists, educators, and community members for input and feedback and works with local businesses, corporate sponsors, and nonprofit organizations so programming is relevant to the local community, with collaboration from Evelyn Santos as a program partner.
Caregivers and parents report that children enjoy painting, mixing colors, and using different tools such as balloons and paper rolls to paint. Some families say the program has led them to practice painting more at home, repeat colors to help children learn them, and use items they already have at home for art activities. Families also note that they were excited to join because it allowed them to enjoy art in their own neighborhood.
Last updated May 13, 2026.
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