Westlake Village art studio stirs little imaginations





HAND-ON LEARNING—From left, Kristopher Katz, Taryn O’Connor and Alexa Samuels, fifth-graders at Oak Hills Elementary School in Oak Park, build a water filtration system to replicate something they think Native Americans may have used in the past.

HAND-ON LEARNING—From left, Kristopher Katz, Taryn O’Connor and Alexa Samuels, fifth-graders at Oak Hills Elementary School in Oak Park, build a water filtration system to replicate something they think Native Americans may have used in the past.

Art fosters creativity, collaboration and happiness. It also builds confidence and reduces stress, says Jemma Wildermuth, founder of Westlake Village’s CReATE Studio, where children and adults can explore their artistic abilities without confines.

She started CReATE in her garage in 2008 and moved the business to the First Neighborhood Community Center five years ago.

Her do-it-yourself studio provides a place for unbounded inspiration and creative exploration. Artists have access to a wide variety of recycled and crafty materials—including cardboard, paint, ribbon and plastic bottles— to make masterpieces of all kinds.

“This whole thing started with an inspired idea,” said Wildermuth, a mother of two whose daughters are 17 and 20 years old.

“I wanted to create a space where we use recycled materials in a resourceful way that ignites creativity and also promotes connections as people spend time together away from technology and other distractions,” Wildermuth said, adding that open-ended projects help children to develop their critical thinking skills and solve problems.

The studio was bustling with activity on a recent Friday as fifth-graders from Oak Hills Elementary School in Oak Park worked on class projects in one room while toddlers made Halloween-related crafts in an adjacent room.

“It’s really nice to take a step back and watch what their little minds come up with,” said Jamie Hendrickson of Newbury Park as she watched her 2-year-old daughter Olive making hand stamp art.

“It’s just a great place to come and bring her for an hour where she is free to explore anything she wants to, from painting on the walls to painting with her feet on the floor,” Hendrickson said.

“This space is important to use because it allows students to think creatively, to solve a problem and to design with creativity using a variety of materials and resources that you wouldn’t readily have available at the school,” said Angela Folendorf, a fifth-grade teacher at Oak Hill Elementary.

Folendorf’s students were working on a social studies project, applying what they learned in class to build tools that could have been used by indigenous people. Students discovered that Native Americans were inventors by necessity.

“The big idea for this inquiry unit is how did the resources available in the region affect the way of life of Native Americans? It’s really important that students get to create and use different types of materials to do that,” the teacher said, adding that Wildermuth’s studio allows students to create and interact with the resources around them and not be hindered by the environment, but encouraged by it.

Wildermuth said the studio offers hands-on activities that encourage reasoning. Since projects can require trial and error, they also help children to be more resourceful and patient.

“They push through the challenges and then they feel good about what they did,” she said.

The adult programs are more project-oriented but still invite originality and exploration.

In addition to offering drop-in programs and organized classes and workshops for toddlers, children, teenagers and adults, the studio hosts birthday parties and a summer camp program in partnership with the City of Agoura.

Wildermuth won the 2015 Westlake Village Citizen of the Year Award for her many contributions to the community. She volunteers at Agoura High School and is a member of the city’s cultural Recreation Advisory Board and, not surprisingly, heads the decorating committee for the annual city celebration that takes place in October.

She worked in wardrobe for the film industry and as fashion editor at 805 Living Magazine and then was a stay-at-home mom before she transitioned to the art business realm.

In addition to CReATE Studio, Wildermuth founded a nonprofit called CReATE On Your Campus and works with a handful of schools in the Conejo to help them reuse discarded items in creative, curriculum-based projects.

She also partners with Westlake Village resident Cindy Williams, founder of Girls Club Strong, to host weekly group meetings at her studio for girls in the tween and teen years. The meetings, designed to build girls’ self-esteem and confidence, blend discussion and creativity. The art projects they work on are tied to the discussion topics.

CReATE Studio is in the First Neighborhood Community Center at 31840 Village Center Road, Westlake Village. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, and noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

People can drop in to work on individual projects or make arrangements to book the space for larger groups.

For fees and more information, call (818) 575-9566 or visit www.createstudiofun.com


A SPACE TO PLAY—Jemma Wildermuth, owner of CReATE Studio in Westlake Village, with Tristan, 3, and Dylan Buss, 18 months. The studio offers drop-in programs, organized classes and parties for all ages.

A SPACE TO PLAY—Jemma Wildermuth, owner of CReATE Studio in Westlake Village, with Tristan, 3, and Dylan Buss, 18 months. The studio offers drop-in programs, organized classes and parties for all ages.

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