The Art Experience

It's that time of year again! Dream Cruise week is here, and YES, we’re OPEN! 🎨

In years past, The Art Experience closed during Dream Cruise week, so we wanted to make sure everyone knows you can still come create with us!

🎨 Open Studio Hours This Week:
Tuesday: 12:30–5 PM
Wednesday: 12:30–5 PM
Thursday: 12:30–5 PM
Friday: CLOSED
Sunday: 12:30–3 PM

Cruise on by and spend some time creating with us! ❤️

📍 175 S. Saginaw St. #109, Downtown Pontiac

We're looking for our next Art Therapy Intern! 🎨

Are you currently in a graduate Art Therapy program and looking for an internship to complete your clinical hours?

At The Art Experience, you'll work alongside a Registered Art Therapist while gaining hands-on experience in a community-based setting. Our interns have the opportunity to work with children, teens, adults, older adults, and individuals with a wide range of abilities, diagnoses, and life experiences. You'll be part of a team that believes in the power of art to create connection, build confidence, and strengthen community.

For more than 30 years, The Art Experience has been serving the Pontiac community, and we'd love to welcome someone who is excited to learn, grow, and make a difference.

If this sounds like a good fit, or if you'd just like to learn more, please reach out to Lisa at [email protected].

Know someone who might be interested? We'd appreciate you sharing this post! 💙🎨

🖍️ Help Us Fill the Studio with Creativity!

Back-to-school season is here, and while you're taking advantage of all the great school supply sales, would you consider picking up an extra item or two for The Art Experience?

From glue sticks and watercolor paints to scissors, markers, sketch pads, and more, these everyday supplies help make it possible for children, adults, families, and individuals of all abilities to create, connect, and belong in our studio.

Every donation—big or small—goes directly into the hands of the artists we serve, and we couldn't do it without the support of our amazing community.

📍 Donations can be dropped off:
Tuesday–Thursday | 12:30–5:00 PM
The Art Experience
175 S. Saginaw St., Suite 109
Pontiac, MI 48342

Thank you for helping us keep creativity accessible to everyone. ❤️🎨

Last Call! Join Us for Our Fiber Arts Summer Camp Session

There's still time to register—but don't wait! Our Fiber Arts Summer Camp for ages 10–14 starts Monday.

Campers will spend the week exploring a variety of fiber arts techniques, creating unique projects, learning new skills, and making friends in a fun, welcoming, and creative environment. Whether they're new to fiber arts or already love to create, this camp is a great opportunity to try something new!

📅 July 27–31
🕙 Monday–Friday | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

🎟️ Register today:
https://theartexperience.networkforgood.com/events/100283-2026-summer-camp

💙 Scholarships are available! To learn more, please contact Liz at [email protected].

Join us for a week of creativity, connection, and hands-on fun. We can't wait to create with you this summer! 🎨✨

Thank you for your patience while we worked to make our studio a more comfortable place to create this summer. Our new air conditioning units are in, the studio is cool, and we're excited to welcome everyone back!

Whether you're looking for a fun family activity, a creative night out, or just a relaxing place to unwind, Open Studio is ready for you.

🖌 Only $6 per person (all ages!)
No experience needed. Just drop in, get creative, and enjoy making art in a cool, welcoming space.

Open Studio Hours
🎨 Tuesday–Thursday | 12:30–5:00 PM
🎨 Friday | 6:00–9:00 PM
🎨 Sunday | 12:30–3:30 PM

We hope you'll stop by, get creative, and enjoy spending some time with us this week! 💙🎨

FRIDAY UPDATE: Open Studio will remain closed this evening from 6-9pm. We will reopen this Sunday, July 19th from 12:30-3:30pm.

Due to the continued extreme heat and out of concern for the health and safety of our artists, staff, volunteers, and guests, Open Studio will be closed this week - Tuesday (7/14), Wednesday (7/15) and Thursday (7/16).

The good news? 🎉 We're excited to share that two brand-new air conditioning units will be installed this coming weekend! This investment will help keep our studio cooler, more comfortable, and ready for all the creativity the rest of the summer has in store.

We know these closures can be disappointing, and we truly appreciate your patience and understanding as we make these important improvements to our space.

We can't wait to welcome everyone back into a cooler studio next week!

Thank you for supporting The Art Experience. ❤️🎨

☀️ Summer Camp continues at The Art Experience! 🎨

Looking for a creative way to wrap up July? We still have space in our upcoming summer camp sessions!

🌞 Ages 5–9 | Week 3: Sun
📅 July 20–24 | 10:00 AM–12:00 PM
Young artists will explore the magic of sunshine through hands-on projects, including beautiful sun prints, with a new creative adventure every day!

🧶 Ages 10–14 | Week 4: Fiber Arts
📅 July 27–31 | 10:00 AM–12:00 PM
Older campers will dive into the colorful world of fiber arts, creating unique woven pieces and experimenting with fun textile techniques throughout the week.

✨ Every camp week includes:
🎨 New art projects every day
🍕 Pizza party & tie-dye on Friday
👩‍🎨 Small class sizes and a welcoming, creative environment for all experience levels

🔗 Register today:
https://theartexperience.networkforgood.com/events/100283-2026-summer-camp

💙 We believe every child should have the opportunity to create. If cost is a barrier, please contact us to learn about our camp scholarship opportunities at [email protected].

We can't wait to create with you this summer! 🎨☀️

🇺🇸 Happy Fourth of July from all of us at The Art Experience!

Today we’re celebrating creativity, community, and the freedom to express ourselves. We hope your day is filled with laughter, time with loved ones, and a little inspiration along the way.

Have a safe and happy Independence Day! ❤️🤍💙🎨

☀️ Open Studio will be closed Thursday, July 2 and Friday, July 3 due to the excessive heat.

Thank you for your understanding. Stay cool, and we’ll see you back in the studio soon! 🎨💙

Art + BBQ… sounds like the perfect day! 🎨🔥

Stop by The Art Experience to get creative, then head just down the street to our new neighbors at Smokehouse Ed's who celebrated their grand opening last week!

We also want to give a special thank you to Smokehouse Ed’s for being such an incredible supporter of The Art Experience. Their generosity and enthusiasm for our mission meant so much during our 30th Anniversary Gala, and we’re grateful to have them as part of our downtown community.

If you’re in the neighborhood, be sure to stop by and show them some love. Congratulations on your grand opening—we’re excited to have you just around the corner! ❤️