Studio 7
708 North 1st Street
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401
612-376-0381
nancy@studio7mn.com
Studio 7 was established in 1991. It was started, and continues to be located in the fine arts studio of painter Nancy Kahlow-Curtis. The studio is located in the Itasca building near the Mississippi River in downtown
The School Year Program
Studio 7 offers a fine arts program for students aged 7 to 17. The program focuses on the development of technical skills, as well as the creative expansion of individual ideas, through the ardent study of nature and form.
Learning in a studio environment, rather than a classroom, is a very old idea. As a child, Leonardo Da Vinci began his studies in the studio of Andrea del Verrocchio. Being brought at a young age to study in an artist’s studio was an experience which comprised the artistic foundation of almost every historical painting master. The belief was that art students should begin young and be taken seriously. It is a belief those of us at Studio 7 share.
Parents who bring their children to Studio 7 typically do so because their child has exhibited a true passion for drawing. Drawing is almost always the first method of expression because it is the only medium easily accessed within a child’s environment (it’s not hard to find a pencil and a piece of paper).
The Studio 7 program begins in September and ends with our annual Student Exhibition in June. Classes are 2 ½ hours long and each group meets once a week. Registration begins in February.
The program at Studio 7 explores many mediums and opens up many new forms of expression for students. Painting is our most popular unit - we do it twice, 7 weeks in the fall and eight weeks in the spring. We start the year with drawing, still life, landscape, and the human figure. Mask making, clay sculpture, and print making are our winter units.
Eighty percent of all students return the following year and many students stay and work in the studio until they graduate from high school. This creates an excellent learning environment. There is a sense of community at Studio 7. Parents begin to know one another and students make friendships that span over years. My assistants and I are able to work with students in a unique way because we actually know our students. We have watched them develop and have participated in their artistic growth over long periods of time. The result is an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect.
The Summer Program
During the summer, there is an art program that is separate from the school year program. I offer four, one-week painting and drawing camps. Each week runs from Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm.
Students begin the day with breakfast in the studio. Then, the early morning is dedicated to working on the composition of their choice. Each day, from 10:30am-12:30pm, students paint or draw outside at different landscape locations. After lunch, we swim at different lakes and pools around the Twin Cities. After swimming, we visit galleries and museums. We return to the studio in the late afternoon, have a snack, and then students have more studio time to work on their pieces.
Summer groups are kept very small and accompanied by myself and an assistant. Many students come from out of state to participate in this program.
Registration
Registration begins in February for both the school year and summer classes. The sessions fill quickly and it is a good idea to register early. The summer registration form is on this website under summer sessions, at the bottom of the main page. This form can be filled out and sent to the studio with the tuition payment for immediate summer registration. Summer session spots are not held without payment. If you would like a registration form for the school year program please contact the studio and the form will be sent directly. Please call Nancy at 612-376-0381 for more information.
Biography
Nancy Kahlow-Curtis has a degree in Child Development. Her Fine Arts Degree is from the Art Program at the