Kids & Family Art Lessons
Looking to get your child and family in fun and engaging art this summer?
Join Missy Arellano at her home studio on Saturdays and Sundays for the months of July and August for private or group art lessons at her home studio in Belmont, MA (5 min walk from 73 bus).
Times are flexible, and Missy will work with families to determine which type of art would benefit your child. Reach out for more information and to schedule a tour today!
Fill out the form below to learn more!
Collage a Record for World Collage Day
Date: Saturday May 9th
Time: 7pm-9pm
Location: Still Life Studios
Collage as a way of living by Regan Golden in MARCH (a journal of art & strategy):
“From an alternative perspective, collage is not merely a visual art technique, but a method of living, thinking, and navigating a fractured world. It is a way to embrace chance and combine disparate, found elements to create a new, often unexpected, meaning” (Golden, 2021).
Come collage on a vinyl record in honor of World Collage Day. Join collage artists Missy Arellano & Emily Caufield for an evening full of cutting, pasting, and vinyl sounds.
Sift through vintage magazines and archives of music ephemera to create your very own vinyl record art.
Help us celebrate collage as a way of living! This event is open to everyone, but is geared toward 18+.
Kid’s Recycled Art Camp @
Still Life Studios
Student Age: 5-8* years
Date: April 20th-24th
Time: 9AM–12PM
Location: Still Life Studios
187 Mount Auburn St Cambridge, MA 02138
Join us at Still Life Studios with local artist Missy Arellano (an EEC Certified teacher) for a five-day morning art camp during April break.
Your camper will be invited to explore their creativity through earth- and nature-inspired projects using recycled and repurposed materials.
Each day, artists will transform everyday items into imaginative creations, while drawing inspiration from the natural world. We will spend a portion of each session creating indoors, while also incorporating outdoor exploration and play into daily lessons.
Daily Schedule: Theme/material-based visual art activity followed by outdoor play and exploration - or - an educational/creative local excursion, pre-approved by parents.
*If you are interested but your child falls outside of this range, feel free fill out the form as we compile a waitlist for ages 9-11.
Through their eyes: Photowalk for kids & caregivers
What does Harvard Square look like through the eyes of children? What do children notice? We’ll give your child a disposable camera and spend an hour walking through Harvard Square, then come back together for a snack and story! Later this Spring, we’ll curate the photographs for an art show for the community at the Harvard KiOSK.
Date: Tuesday, April 21st, 2026
Time: 1pm-3pm
Location: Harvard KiOSK - 0 Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA 02138 (right next to the Harvard T Stop)
Cost: FREE!
Led by Missy Arellano & Ron Grady, two early childhood arts educators who are passionate about getting cameras into children's hands and seeing the world through their creative and playful eyes.
Schedule:
1pm-1:15pm: Meet at the KiOSK
1:15pm-1:45pm: Guided photowalk
1:45pm-2pm: Families can walk on their own around Harvard Square
2pm-2:30pm: Snack and story time with Ron
2:30-3pm: Children are invited to share stories and draw pictures about what they saw on their walks!
*Please note that there are not any bathrooms at the KiOSK and that we will be walking around Harvard Square for about 45 minutes. Please reach out with any questions to art@missyarellano.com
Free Collage & Button Making
Come collage and make a button with community artist Missy Arellano among the art at Nave Gallery's current show We Create Diamonds!
Date: Wednesday April 15th
Time: 6pm-8pm (Drop ins welcome!)
Location: Nave Gallery - 155 Powder House Blvd, Somerville, MA (inside the church)
Cost: FREE
We will look at the art around us and reflect on what "We the People" means to us at this moment when creating our collages and buttons. All materials will be provided! Come with an open heart, leave with some cool art and new friends.
Please note there are stairs outside the church, please reach out to Missy Arellano if you have any questions art@missyarellano.com
Collage a Clock
Date: Monday February 2nd
Time: 6pm-8pm
Location: The Foundry in the Design Lab.
101 Rogers St, Cambridge, MA 02142 in the Point Gallery
During this workshop, we will tune out of the digital world and tune in to the analog. I will be sharing personal collage tips and special collage materials from my collection.
I will bring my record player, so bring your vinyl. Come collage an analog clock and get yourself on track to disconnect from the digital and connect with community. I hope to see you there.
Working with the Foundry has been a wonderful experience. They have a wonderful sliding scale program so that workshops are accessible to all, click on the link below to request discounted tickets in the workshop title write "Introduction to collage - Collage Clocks with Missy."
Community Collage
Date: Saturday, January 17th
Time: 4pm-6pm
Location: The Foundry
101 Rogers St, Cambridge, MA 02142 in the Point Gallery
Come collage in community! Disconnect and tap into your creative side with analog collage.
This event is open to everyone (including families with children). Please RSVP so we can get an accurate count for supplies. The first 10 registrants will get a free print!
Free snacks and tea
Collage Making @
the Carpenter Center
Date: Saturday, December 13th
Time: 2pm-4pm
Location: Carpenter Center Level 3
24 QUINCY STREET CAMBRIDGE, MA 02138
Pollination Themed Collage Making
Free and open to the public — a family-friendly, all-ages maker event in our Level 3 gallery.
We’ll provide all collage materials, along with fresh flowers to press and take home!
Just in time to check out TOURMALINE: LIVES OF A POLLINATOR before it closes on December 21st find more information about the exhibit here.
🌳 Why now:
Because now, more than ever, we need to spend time outside, noticing and caring for the world around us.
Even in the city, nature is everywhere—right in our parks, sidewalks, and backyards.
Being outdoors, creating with our hands, and using art to explore helps spark curiosity, creativity, and a sense of belonging.
🥾 What to Bring:
Water, comfortable walking shoes, and anything your child enjoys exploring with (like a small backpack, magnifying glass, or notebook). Strollers, wagons, and other mobility supports are welcome. We’ll take a short walk to Radcliffe Yard (across the street) to gather natural materials and create together.
🧺 We’ll provide:
Healthy snacks, juice, and water.
(Note: There are no bathrooms in the Yard, but local coffee shops and a portapotty are nearby.)
Contact Information
Please free to contact us with any questions: art@missyarellano.com
Read more about our research and focus at www.missyarellano.com/experiences & www.nanvijhala.in
Nature Art Walk!
🕊️Thank you for finding our experience. We are excited that you are interested in playing with us!
🍂What:
Come join Missy Arellano and Nanvi Jhala for a nature walk and art-making adventure! We’ll collect leaves, sticks, and other little treasures from nature and use them to create beautiful artworks inspired by the outdoors. This experience is FREE and open to everyone!
Where:
Cambridge Common Park Cambridge, MA 02138
🎭Who:
All families are welcome! Activities are designed for children ages 2–5, but we’ll have cozy blankets and books for families with little ones under 2, and older siblings are welcome too.
We love creating spaces for all ages to explore and learn together. Between us, we speak English, Spanish, French, and Hindi.
💫 Why:
We’re artists and educators who love making, imagining, and storytelling with children.
Through play and creativity, we help young explorers connect with nature, materials, and ideas—turning simple moments into discoveries.
We believe art helps children express themselves, ask questions, and see the world in new ways.
Mask Making @ Still Life Studios
Date: October 30th
Time: 6pm-8pm
Location: Still Life Studios
187 Mount Auburn St, Cambridge, MA 02138
Come join me at Still Life Studios for a healing and relaxing evening of mask making. We will use collage and other recycled materials to create masks that reflect our inner and outer selves.
Mask making has been an integral part of my healing and recovery journey. This practice has helped to process PTSD from my pregnancy, as well as past health issues. I find value in the reflection and making, as well as the processing of emotions, once the mask is finished.
I made this mask in the summer while teaching 18 high school students through the @harvard_summer program.
One side is covered in scraps from a California travel magazine, my home, and the other a poem from the @newyorkermag titled "Girlfriends" by @kimaddonizio
"Girlfriends: a journey through time," 2025, collage on mask. You can read "Girlfriends" here: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/07/21/girlfriends-kim-addonizio-poem
Healing Arts Workshop: Mask Making
with Art Soul Clinic
Date: Wednesday, October 22nd
Time: 5pm-7pm
Location: The Foundry
101 Rogers St, Cambridge, MA 02142 in the Point Gallery
Come join Missy & Brenda for a relaxing evening of mask making. We will use collage and other recycled materials to create masks that reflect our inner and outer selves.
Mask making has been an integral part of my healing and recovery journey. This practice has helped to process PTSD from my pregnancy, as well as past health issues.
I find value in reflection and making, as well as in processing emotions, once the mask is finished.
The purpose of Art for All (AfA) is to collaborate with families from diverse communities to facilitate culturally relevant art experiences that resonate with their families' multifaceted identities.
AfA aims to help caregivers feel comfortable and confident teaching their children about art. Families with children from across Cambridge are eligible to participate in bilingual (Spanish & English) art activities in conjunction with art educators from the community.
Through these intergenerational experiences, caregivers will gain tools to support their child’s social emotional learning (SEL) from an early age.
AfA is a FREE five-week in-person workshop series that teaches families SEL concepts through artmaking that is fun, engaging, and culturally relevant at The Foundry in Cambridge , MA in July and August 2025.