Carson City's Messy Kids Art School expands, opens new doors June 2 in Downtown Carson City
Submitted by Kelsey Penrose on Thu, 05/25/2023 - 10:45am
Event Date:
June 2, 2023 (All day)
This past December, Haley Albarran opened the Messy Kids Art School in a little room in the Miller Wellness Center building on Telegraph St., but only a few months later, she had outgrown the space, and will now be expanding into the Carson Square building which houses the Carson City Visitor's Center and ReMax at the corner of Curry and Washington Streets in downtown Carson City.
Messy Kids Art School was created for all ages, but especially for little makers of preschool age. Now, in the larger space, dedicated areas will be created for babies, older children, and even tweens and teens!
Within the space, Albarran is building a computer lounge for parents with free WiFi and coffee so they can work (or relax!) while little ones play.
Currently, construction is underway to build a permanent play structure within the school for fun, safe, all-year play, along with moveable imaginative play structures.
Summer Art Camp for ages 5-12 is also planned for the space beginning June 6.
Each week offers a new camp with a theme, so students can pick and choose based on their interests, or choose all to expand their knowledge.
The first camp's theme is STEM Explore from June 6-8. Other camp themes include Magical Mermaids, Dinosaur World, Space Camp, Dollhouse Design, Castle Creation, Fidgets and Some, and a special Fashion Camp for Teens and Tweens.
Many businesses and individuals from the community have already offered help to Albarran to help her achieve her vision in the new space, and she hopes to partner with even more local businesses in the future.
"In this town, you turn around and someone is there offering their help," Albarran said. "It's really amazing."
One major expansion is in the class offerings by age group, and the total number of classes offered.
"We're so excited to offer classes for older kids and teens," Albarran said. "So far, we have six different teachers with expertise in a number of art mediums to share with students."
The teen class teacher has over 15 years experience as a youth counselor and is verified through Red Cross First Aid, which means she'll also be hosting babysitting classes and CPR classes for teens.
However, in order for those classes to happen, the school is seeking donations of dummies, AED machines, and more to be able to instruct students on proper techniques and uses.
Volunteers in the classroom and the school are both welcome, especially teens who love art and want to share their passions with younger students.
The Messy Kids Art School will be hosting their soft opening Friday, June 2 at their new location, 716 N. Carson Street, Suite 110 which will be celebrated with open play for children, a raffle, refreshments, and more!
As Albarran is a small business owner, she is funding the business on her own, and a GoFundMe has been arranged to offset construction and moving costs. If you'd like to donate, please visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/messy-kids-art-school-new-community-space
To learn more about Messy Kids Art School, see our previous reporting here or visit https://messykidsartschool.as.me/
