Founded in 2008 by artist and Central Pennsylvania Native Meghan Walter, SPLAT, which stands for Spirited People Learning Artfulness Together, first opened its doors in a small 500-square-foot space in Palmyra, Pennsylvania (in the Paramount Sports Complex).
Meghan Whalter
The idea behind the business was to open a creative space where students and children could find the inner artists within themselves while simultaneously developing their sense of creativity.
Walter said that as a mother of four boys, she took some time off between obtaining her degrees/working professionally and starting SPLAT Family Art Studio to raise her sons. However, as they grew, she missed helping children find their creative spirit.
“I started the studio because I had really missed that creative interaction with children, and my experiences in the business grew to include adults and working with the whole family, and it’s wonderful work.”
“SPLAT Family Art Studio” is a Hershey-based art workshop that seeks to shine brightly within the community as a beacon of the arts and be an open place where children can explore their creative identities.
Founded in 2008 by artist and Central Pennsylvania native Meghan Walter, SPLAT, which stands for Spirited People Learning Artfulness Together, first opened its doors in a small 500-square-foot space in Palmyra, Pennsylvania (in the Paramount Sports Complex).
The idea behind the business was to open a creative space where students and children could find the artists within themselves while simultaneously developing their sense of creativity.
Walter said that as a mother of four boys, she took some time off between obtaining her degrees/working professionally and starting SPLAT Family Art Studio to raise her sons. However, as they grew, she missed helping children find their creative spirit.
Splat Family Art Studio Art
“I started the studio because I had really missed that creative interaction with children, and my experiences in the business grew to include adults and working with the whole family, and it’s wonderful work.”
Walter’s educational background is rooted deeply in art, which contributed to her opening SPLAT. Walter said, “I have three degrees. I started with going to school to become a graphic artist, and I worked for 18 months in the industry, and I didn’t find that to be a very creative environment. So, I went back to school and obtained my degree in art education, and while I was working for seven years, I earned my master’s degree in art education.”
Walter said that SPLAT hosts a variety of art camps and classes for children, adults, and families. SPLAT focuses on utilizing the arts for both educational and entertainment purposes.
While many of SPLAT’s programs are specifically geared towards children (ranging from three years old through high school ages), one opportunity they have for adults is a monthly “TGIF 21 Plus craft night” where adults 21 years old or older can bring in snacks and beverages while completing art projects and crafts together. SPLAT offers three different art project workshops during this time.
Splat Family Art Studio Art
SPLAT also hosts a monthly family night out on the second Sunday of the month (called Second Sunday Family Fun Day), where families can buy art bundles and complete art projects together.
Walter said that SPLAT spent its first four years at the Paramount location, where she worked in collaboration with the sports complex to teach art classes to pre-school students, host birthday parties, conduct classes, and hold camps.
SPLAT Family Art Studio eventually moved into downtown Annville in 2012 and recently moved to its current home in Hershey, PA, in 2020.
Today, in addition to having regular open hours (which can be found on the website, SPLAT Family Art Studio hosts programs and events year-round, each of which is uniquely designed and allows children to explore the world of art in new ways.
During the school year, Walter said SPLAT hosts three 10-week-long programs (30 weeks total), each of which is organized differently from the last. Walter said that each time she hosts a program, they change it so that the children constantly have new creative opportunities.
Splat Family Art Studio Art
In describing one of her weekly programs, Walter said, “On Thursday evenings, I have ‘Learning to Think Like an Artist’, which is to encourage the 6-10-year-olds about creative decision making and about how an artist thinks.”
Students of SPLAT Family Art Studio also have the opportunity to experience special art-centric field trips where they get to learn about local art and experience the different ways art is integrated into the world around them.
In the past, students have had opportunities to visit local art galleries, marketing/graphic design studios, art-centric stores, and local historical sites that showcase one-of-a-kind pieces.
In a recent class, students had the opportunity to work with one another to develop a community mural and learn about the mural development process from the municipal perspective, including visiting their local township building and reviewing the existing codes on mural development.
Walter said that while the mural will likely only be completed next year, her students are preparing to propose their mural before the township board next month (at the time of publication) for review.
Additionally, in the summer, SPLAT hosts four-week long summer camp programs in which students start and come away from the camp with a finished art project.
Walter said, “One of my tags is ‘cultivating creative confidence.’ It’s about connecting kids with their creative confidence because one of the things that I have learned from my observations of children is if you ask them to tell you the story about the picture they have drawn, they will be driven to hone their ‘hands-on skill set’ so that it better conveys the message that they want it to.”
Walter ended by saying she believes the success SPLAT Family Art Studio has been able to obtain over the past 15 years can be attributed to the families, students, and family of staff who have worked to make the business what it is.
SPLAT Family Art Studio hosts an annual open house for members of the community in March of every year. For more information or to enroll in classes, you can visit splatfamilyart.com, or to keep up with SPLAT, you can visit them on Facebook or Instagram under SPLAT Studio or Youtube via SPLAT Family Art Studio.
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Author: Alisher Aminov
