Tens of thousands of students have received art lessons through the Art Academy’s Community Education program since the first courses were offered in 1972. Classes led by professional artists have given teens and adults the chance to learn visual arts at different skill levels without committing to a degree program. Art for Kids, introduced in 1985, gives kids ages 5-12 a Saturday art class just like the Saturday morning museum classes taught by Academy students that inspired young John Ruthven and others. Today, Community Education (CE) programs reach 7,500 students a year through art and design classes, Camp Art Academy, Portfolio Prep for high school students headed to art school, and outreach programs for schools. Started in the mid-1990s and funded largely by Procter & Gamble, the outreach program provides art-based lessons to Greater Cincinnati schools that stress art integration through hands-on projects centered in abstract concepts relating to mathematics, science, and languages, such as using wax encaustic to demonstrate the molten and cooling layers of lava. CE is also the affiliate of the Regional Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Community Education is a key component in the Art Academy’s engagement with people and neighborhoods.
