Frequently Asked Questions

What is Art Explorium?
Art Explorium is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide a community art center to nurture the creative potential in children.

Where is Art Explorium located?
Our studio is conveniently located in Kaimuki, Honolulu, at 1142 Koko Head Avenue. There is ample street parking and a metered parking lot behind our studio.

What is Open Studio?
Open Studio is all about exploration and creativity. During Open Studio hours, children come in and choose from various art activities. We set up several different Art Stations which we usually change each Wednesday. During Open Studio children get to drop in and choose from various art activities (they are welcome to try one or all of the Art Stations). While Open Studio is not a formal instructional class, our staff is on hand to provide ideas, materials and guidance in a relaxed and fun setting. To try our Open Studio art activities, just drop in during our Open Studio hours (no reservation is necessary). We ask that parents stay with their children during Open Studio hours.

We also sometimes feature “Guest Artists�? during Open Studio hours. When a Guest Artist is in the studio, he or she will provide guidance in one specific art activity such as a holiday craft, painting, drawing, making mosaics, etc.

What Art Stations do you offer during Open Studio?
Because Art Explorium tries to be an environmentally friendly organization, we always offer a “Trash to Treasure�? station where children can create artwork out of used items such as corks, bottle caps, fabric scraps, used keys, buttons, etc. We also have a white board, chalk board wall, and magnet wall to add to the creative experience.

In addition, we offer a variety of rotating Art Stations so that our guests can try out different art activities each time they come in. We usually change two of the stations each week. When you come in, possible Art Stations include painting, drawing, mosaic-making, printmaking, creative building, collage, decoupage and more. We also often provide stations related to holidays (for example, ornament-making during Christmas, card-making for Valentine’s Day, etc.).

When are Open Studio Hours?
You can find our Open Studio hours on the Calendar page of our web site.

What ages can go to Open Studio? Is there a minimum age?
All ages are welcome (adults too)! Some of the Art Stations might be a bit challenging for toddlers but there is always something fun and creative for them to do.

How long can we stay during Open Studio?
During Open Studio we are generally open for a 3 hour block of time and you are welcome to stay as long as you want during that time! In our experience, most children stay focused on art activities around 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

Is adult supervision required during Open Studio?
Yes. We ask that all adults who come in supervise their children and help by making sure to leave the Art Stations neat for our other guests.

How much does Open Studio cost? Who is charged?
We currently charge $5 per person for Open Studio. If adults are simply helping their children we do not charge them, but if adults decide to participate in art activities we ask that they also pay the $5 fee. We do not charge children under 18 months.

Is there a membership or do we just pay each time we come to Open Studio?
We do not currently have a membership program, so our guests pay each time they come to Open Studio.

Do you sell gift certificates?
Yes.

Aside from Open Studio, what does Art Explorium offer?
Art Explorium offers Art Workshops on a variety of topics including Watercolor Painting, Printmaking, Felting, and more! We are also currently available for Special Events such as Birthday Parties, Celebrations, and school or group Field Trips, which provide a unique opportunity to incorporate sustainability and innovative design thinking concepts into the curriculum.

Do you take donations of reusable items and art supplies for art materials?
Yes, we love donations of materials and try our best to use them. Please see our Donate Stuff page for more information on what we can and cannot accept.

How can I keep in touch with what’s happening at Art Explorium?
In addition to our web site, Art Explorium is on , , and . Finally, we have an that we send out periodically to keep our friends informed about upcoming events.

Other questions? Please email us at .