“Art is for EVERYONE, not just the elusive few that were ‘born with it’. You were created to create.” — Monica Foye
The Art Garage: A Teaching Studio
It all started with 6 kids around my kitchen table. I wanted to teach my boys about art and give them an opportunity to get a little messy and figured it would be more fun with a few friends. Word got out. More of their friends wanted to join in the fun. We soon outgrew my kitchen and moved to the only other place that was safe to sling paint: the garage. That’s where our name came from! Kids would come over to our house and ask, “Ms Monica, when can we go in your art garage?” My passion for teaching art grew along with the number of little people coming to be taught. Before I knew it, we had 40+ kids coming to my house every week. That’s when we thought we might be onto something. My husband and I started thinking: should we just go on having longer waiting lists or do we take a scary leap of faith? Well, we cashed in our chips, both figuratively and literally, and I’m so glad we did.
Nowadays our studio is filled with happy sounds of earnest artists learning and growing and creating. The floors are splattered with every medium you can imagine and the walls are covered in our colorful creations- all evidence that our students are finding their voice and embracing a love for creating beautiful things. Sometimes I look around and want to pinch myself. I found a career that I never knew I always wanted. It started around a kitchen table. My hope is that The Art Garage will always feel like home. My goal would be that all feel welcomed and encouraged to start their own creative journey here.
There is a Creator in all of us.
— Monica Foye (owner of The Art Garage)
Art Retreats
This isn’t your average art retreat. During our time, you’ll live in Italian fairy-tale village or a restorative cabin in the North Carolina Mountains. With Monica, you will see, do, and try your hand at art. Whether you were born with a paintbrush in your hand or have never touched a canvas, this is the perfect experience for the artist at heart who is curious about new ways to think and create.