OUR CREATIVE WORKSHOPS
Who
The founder of Art LAB Workshops is Julia Mandle, a NYC professional artist and art teacher known in Amsterdam for her students’ school-wide exhibitions "Klik" of digital black & white photography at the elementary schools of Ijburg (Laterna Magica and Montessori Steigereiland). Reviewed in several articles, the exhibitions astonished many viewers by the ability of the children and professional quality of the presented artwork.
Julia Mandle has a Master's degree in Fine Art and a Bachelor's degree in Art History with special honors. She believes in making art accessible to all ages and abilities. She comes from a family of artists including two generations of painters. Like Julia, her grandmother also founded her own small-scale arts program in her home atelier. Julia's father was the director of the prestigious American arts academy, the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Each year Mandle encourages her students to enter into International Art Competitions. Each year one or more of her young students have won and placed in each competition, including at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam!
Mandle's own artwork is conceptual, ranging widely in material and is exhibited internationally. For more information about her artwork, visit: www.JuliaMandleArt.com
What
Mandle strives to teach the children her unique approach of making art "from the inside out" and also "from outside in." Each class begins with fun warm-up exercises using sketching to help the children come into contact with their emotional world. The second part of class is focused around creating a main project, often inspired by a special technique. She enthusiastically conveys the stories and symbols of historical and contemporary art work to her students, making the classroom a welcoming, engaging and enriching place.
During class, children are free to talk and socialise with each other. Each class concludes with a reflection period when each child has a chance to give constructive feedback to one another. During the lesson, Mandle plays music to emphasize aspects of each lesson and children are welcome to jump up and dance.
To see what happens each week in the ateliers of Art Lab Amsterdam, visit & follow our Instagram page.