When Kids Create: The Enduring Impact of Art & Design Education

Let’s talk about kids, art, curiosity, and confidence! This panel discussion features parents and caregivers of students at Harbor Creative Arts, a children’s art studio located in North Kingstown, as they highlight the positive, enduring impact of art education on their children and families. They will share how art classes and the culture of the studio have had a lasting, growing impact on their children, and also on their families. Rachel Armentano, owner and founder of Harbor Creative Arts, will lead the discussion, encouraging voices of the parents on the panel as well as sharing the studio story and the Harbor Creative Arts model for authentic art and design education that attracts and fulfills the needs of all kinds of families and children. The conversation will showcase how arts programming goes beyond art and design skills, additionally cultivating social and emotional development for toddler to tweens, family resource support, leadership opportunities for young artists, and community connection through the arts. Harbor Creative Arts was established during Covid and the studio has grown tremendously in three years. The panelists are excited to share their stories, and Harbor Creative Arts is thrilled to welcome guests to their newly remodeled studio space and to experience the warm, welcoming studio culture first hand. A studio tour of the interior space and the outdoor creative play space called HCA Outside will be offered after the presentation.

Rachel Armentano

Rachel Armentano is an art teacher, teacher’s teacher, artist, designer + mama of two living in beautiful Rhode Island.

Twenty years of teaching art in schools, museums, and beyond, mixed with her dedication to public programming and community involvement, led Rachel to open Harbor Creative Arts.

She was awarded 2015 Rhode Island Middle School Art Educator of the year by Rhode Island Art Education Association during her 7 years teaching art for grades 6-9 at Rocky Hill Country Day School in East Greenwich, RI.