As a college student, Michele Holcomb started out majoring in art education and psychology, on a path to use her passion for art to inspire and help others. But, as it often does, life unexpectedly happened and changed her plans: before she could get her degree, she fell in love, married and started a family with her husband, Brian. Yet, as a stay-at-home mom of four, she has found a unique way to reconnect with her love of art and bring others along on her journey.
For the past seven years or so, Holcomb has taught structured art classes to her friends’ and neighbors’ children. Employing various media, from paints to pencils to paper collages, each class or multi-class series is based around a theme like “the circus,” “the city’ or comic book art. At the end of each class series, she hosts an art show in her garage and home to showcase her students’ work.
Holcomb offered her first class for free, but now charges a modest fee to cover the cost of supplies.
“I love seeing young kids with no fear, just jumping in and getting dirty with their art,” she says. “I think there's a part of that in all of us, a part of us that really enjoys making something.”
A popular program
It all started about seven years ago, when Michele offered to teach art lessons to a friend’s five homeschooled children. Pretty soon, word spread about Michele’s gift for art instruction and she found herself inundated with requests.
So, she began creating hour-long lessons, first-come, first-serve. Classes have varied in size from 6 to 20 kids, aged 1 year old to teens. Depending on her personal schedule, sometimes she would offer a four- or six-Saturday session set during the school year or a week-long class during summer break. This year, she is only offering summer classes, in order to devote more time to her own busy kids (ages 14, 12, 8 and 6).
“My kids love to take her classes,” says Jacey Davis, mother of five (three of whom have studied with Michele). “Her projects are so meaningful and different than anything we do at home or school.”
Forever Grateful’
Allie Heroux, a 2011 grad of Maple Grove High School, was one of Michele’s first students. Currently an art major at Brigham Young University, Allie says she might not have nurtured her artistic drive if it weren’t for Michele.
“Her art lessons made a huge impact on me,” Heroux says. “I was always interested in art growing up, but it is hard to delve into that discipline without some sort of education in technique and art history. I will always be grateful for her passion, dedication and willingness to help me learn and improve.”
Allie’s mom, Becky, has no doubt that Michele helped shape her daughter’s career path.
“Without Michele, I can guarantee this would not be Allie's major in college,” Becky Heroux says. “Michele brought out the best in Allie and she thrived with Michele guiding her. We will forever be grateful.”
Supporting their spirits
Holcomb teaches because she enjoys it, but says she also hopes to instill a lifelong sense of adventure in her students.
“When kids are younger, they just need an opportunity to play with art materials. As kids get older, they start to get a little more self critical. That's when it's important for them to know they aren't bad at art.” Holcomb explains. “We don't say, ‘oh you didn't figure out multiplication tables on your own? You must be bad at math.’ So why do we sometimes think that with art?”
& Learn more about Michele’s classes on her blog, nutchele.blogspot.com.
