Water Street Studios School of Art

Water Street Studios School of Art offers classes where students can explore ceramics, painting, textiles, and the art of physics at a satellite class at Fermi Lab. The program takes place within a larger art community that includes many different types of art experiences for young people.

• Ages: 7–18 years old
• Schedule: Open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 12pm to 4pm.

Water Street Studios School of Art is part of Water Street Studios, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2009, with a shared vision that began in 2007. The organization states that it serves as a welcoming home for self-discovery and expression and a community for artists of all ages, backgrounds, and levels of education, and for those who love art. Its mission states that it champions art and culture that inspires, educates, provokes, heals, and unifies, and that it works to provide artistic opportunities for those who may not have access to them and to spread awareness of the ways art enhances lives. Water Street Studios was awarded “Best Gallery” in 2019 by West Suburban Living Magazine and Kane County Chronicle.

Water Street Studios is described as the art hub of the Fox Valley and a cultural hub that draws, enriches, and supports artists, students, and the art- and culture-loving public from all over the Fox Valley and beyond. It offers community events such as monthly gallery receptions on the second Friday of each month from 6–9 pm with free admission, opportunities to meet the artists, a cash bar, and occasionally live music. The organization offers artist studio residences with 26 artist studios and a shared Ceramics Studio subscription called the ClayLab, and it hosts workshops that can be used for corporate team-building or birthday parties with customizable private-party packages.

Parent and board secretary Bonnie Baumgartner states that her children love the School of Art and that they have taken a variety of classes with instructors she describes as amazing. She reports that Water Street Studios has given them the chance to explore ceramics, painting, textiles, and learn the art of physics at a satellite class at Fermi Lab. Other resident artists and board members describe Water Street Studios as a unique, inclusive place for artists and the community, a collaborative community of talented artists, a kaleidoscope of potential and possibility, a creative, friendly, and supportive environment, and a place where an artist can feel supported and grow their work.

Last updated January 15, 2026.