Testimonials
What people are saying:
My 10-year-old daughter attended Middletown Art Academy for a 3-week summer camp session in 2017 and will attend in 2018 for another session. We especially liked the fact that the group was small; the students get to know each other and also get one-on-one time with Mrs. Rusa, who is extremely talented in encouraging students’ abilities. My daughter especially liked working with different media, learning new techniques and taking short trips to paint en plein air, see an art exhibit or have frozen yogurt. The session had a lot of variety so my daughter was never bored; at the end of the session, she was proud of how much she had learned and improved. Mrs. Rusa really helped her to develop and have confidence in her “style” and abilities.
a month ago–
For the duration of my time teaching oil and drawing at Middletown Art Academy, I had a fantastic time, and I will miss it dearly. <3 I have instructed at several other studios- but among them, I found MAA to be one of the most organized, happy, and beautiful places to teach in. Students who come to MAA can’t wait to come to class for the fun, and the development of their skills. Students are dedicated and talented, and encouraging to their fellows, and the staff and faculty are amazing people to work with. These images are oil paintings by students ages 9-13. These were their first paintings; any one willing to learn can become skilled artists at MAA!
Coren Liang
Students are learning different styles and mediums as well as encouraged to focus and develop their social self at The Middletown Art Academy. Headmistress Rusa introduces them to each medium with an open assignment allowing for individual creativity through personal expression. She explains in words, physically demonstrates, and exemplifies on paper how to use a particular technique or techniques; vocabulary is taught, questions answered and participation is expected and encouraged once a child is comfortable. The pride expressed by the children is a direct reflection of not only the child but of the teaching methods and confidence instilled and/or nourished within her studio. The aura within the class is of definitive respect of each other and adults while at the same time thoroughly enjoying their personal expressiveness. I was/am very impressed by Ms Rusa’s interaction with the children, she sets a standard of excellence both in their artwork (which is amazing) and also in their interactions with one another and herself as their teacher. This kind of professional and serious introduction of our five year old last year to different types of drawing/painting mediums and such positive social teachings brought us right back to her studio to sign up again this year, and our daughter is thrill
My daughter took two semesters with the Art Academy. I have done one social art night with her. I highly recommend Rusa’s classes. My daughter developed as an artist, learned foundation skills needed to advance at a pace that kept her interested. She could see her own progress and was excited to experiment with various media. Rusa expects students to apply themselves and is a serious teacher. This is not a babysitting class. It also enhanced the work my daughter was doing in her school art classes. Using your “art brain” helps you develop your “math and science brain”. The Middletown Art Academy is a great place to develop your art brain!
I’ve attended a couple of art nights at the Middletown Art Academy and both were exceptional! One time, I went with a group of friends– Rusa and her colleague helped us through the whole process of making paintings from beginning to end. There were tons of supplies, plus wine and snacks. Yay! We had the best time!
Another time I went with a group of families with young kids. We all made paintings — each individual had the chance to create a painting. We all had a really great experience. I highly recommend it!
My 10 year old daughter took a semester of fine art classes at the Middletown Art Academy in early 2014. Headmistress Rusa is truly a professional, skilled educator of fine art who understands how to nurture and bring out the best in children while making it fun. She has appropriately high expectations which allowed my daughter to be challenged without becoming frustrated. I would recommend her to any parent that would like to foster an appreciation of art in their child while bringing out their children’s own unique abilities.
I attended a Middletown Art Academy class. It was a one night paint a portrait of your pet, and have a glass of wine kind of class. I loved it. I came home with something I was proud to hang on the wall and I had a blast doing it. Rusa was fantastic. Dina Pratt was the featured artist instructor and she was amazing. I learned, had fun and met great people. What better way to spend an evening. Can’t wait to attend the next one.
My 6-year-old daughter just finished her first semester at Middletown Art Academy and we couldn’t be happier with the instruction. This is a place where children and adults can truly nurture their talent under the skilled guidance of Miss Rusa. We’ve participated in other art programs, but we were always underwhelmed by the amateur nature of the projects (basic drawing with crayons, childlike arts and crafts). My daughter has–in a short time–developed essential skills at the Academy. I have been amazed to see the work she has produced with Miss Rusa. I feel my daughter has been encouraged to push her own creative limits and she has gained confidence during the process. I highly recommend the Academy for those serious about honing their artistic talent.
My boys attended a series of classes with Rusa and I was very impressed with Rusa’s ability to challenge them both in how they approached each project and the variety of artistic tools offered to create each piece. These classes were structured and Rusa had high expectations for all of her students while she also offers a very inviting space with both music, healthy snacks and a passion for what she does. I would definitely sign the boys up again.
Fantastic experience for my daughter who was able to attend an all inclusive introduction to art. These were weekly sessions in which she would be introduced to different medias of art. The introduction also included hands on, creative masterpieces which were showcased at the ‘art show’ at then end of the session. Would totally do this again for my entire family including myself!
MY family has had a great experience. Rusa is a thoughtful teacher and has pushed my young daughter to create works that seemed to me far beyond her ability. But they weren’t! If you’re looking for a serious class, this is for you. If you just want a fun crafty creative class, maybe no. Rusa has a structured environment and runs a well controlled class. My daughter has really enjoyed it and I’ve been impressed with the results.
This was the first set of art classes my daughter has taken and really enjoyed the experience. Headmistress Rusa was great to work with and really took the time to teach my daughter how to grow and expand her artistic skills. She customizes her teaching to each child’s ability and will tailor the assignments accordingly. We could see a huge difference from the first art class to the last, 12 weeks later. We will definitely be back.
