K-12 Art Curriculum & Consulting

Hello! I’m DeAnna Nellist. I’ve created and taught art lessons to thousands of kids and teens over the years — first as a volunteer Art Docent for 10 years in my kids’ public schools, and then since 2017 in my own business, Stay Creative Studios, which offers a wide range of art classes for youth. I’ve witnessed firsthand the awesome power of art to help kids in so many ways!

My goal is to provide an easy and cost-efficient way for schools and districts to offer amazing art lessons that teach a combination of art history, artistic concepts, and hands-on projects. Whether schools are using paid staff or enlisting volunteer art liaisons and/or docents to help teach art, I want to give them an easy-to-follow plan and provide support!

Our program includes:

  • 4 Membership Level Options: District, School, Classroom, or Homeschool Teacher.

  • Online Access Codes: Your entity will receive a special code to log into the Stay Creative Curriculum Portal that can be used by as many teachers/volunteers as you need. Simply provide the code to your teacher/volunteers; each individual will create their own log-in credentials and can use any personal email address and password they wish, making access incredibly easy.

    • We’ll send you the list of all accounts using your code once/year for scrubbing.

  • Online Access to All Curriculum on Any Device: Once logged in via desktop, tablet or phone, your teachers/volunteers will see ALL of our Curriculum Paths, and can access any Lessons they’d like.

  • Media & Downloads: Each lesson includes downloadable + printable materials for the teacher/volunteer, a supplies list, and many lessons also feature student-ready video lessons as well. The teacher/volunteer can use the video to help them teach, or, if they prefer, can show the video to the students.

  • 3 Curriculum Paths of 9 Lessons each: Our Lessons offer a combination of history, art concepts, and hands-on project time, with suggested grade-level modifications. Here are the 3 Curriculum Paths:

    • Art Essentials: Visual art concepts such as color, lines, space, shape, texture, balance, movement, proportion, and variety.

    • Creating with the Classics: Art Masters such as Van Gogh, Matisse, Monet, O’Keefe, and more.

    • Creating Contemporary Art: Study of contemporary art, plus getting creative with textiles, edible art, recycled art, basic sculpture, collage, and more.

  • Flexible Lessons: Teachers/volunteers don’t have to stick to one curriculum; they can mix and match how they want (or their district/school can set a plan; see below).

  • Easy Supply Lists: Downloadable + printable budget-friendly Supply Lists with suggested merchants.

  • New and refreshed lessons every year: We add and refresh curriculum plans and individual lessons, and also consider special requests.

  • Consulting & Ongoing Support for Your Teachers/Volunteers: In addition to a live Zoom (or in-person) Kick-Off Meeting every year, we offer ongoing support via email and phone with our team.

  • Easy Pricing Model:

    • Districts and Whole High Schools should contact us at info@staycreativestudios.net for customized pricing … but we will match (or beat) quotes from other suppliers!

    • For Whole School or Individual Classroom pricing (including Charter-based schools), we offer a very competitive and simple model of an annual price/enrolled student of $3/student/year. Compared to other organizations that charge $230/class, this is an amazing price! We also offer price breaks at 200+ students.

    • For individual homeschool families, we charge $240/year per family.

Add Ons:

  • Branded & Customized District/School Membership Area: You’ll have your own branded and customized space, so, for example, if your school wants to prescribe a Curriculum Path, we can hide the other Paths.

  • Branded & Customized District/School Online Gallery: You’ll have your own branded and customized online, public gallery of your students’ works that they can share with family and friends.

  • In-Person Consulting: We’re based in Northern California and can travel within Placer, Sacramento, and Nevada counties for in-person support.

  • Fundraising Art Show: We’ll consult and advise on how to create an annual “Art Show” where families can “buy” their kids’ art while donating to the school.

  • Fundraising Art Products: Send us images of your students’ artwork and we’ll set up a dedicated online fundraising store to sell their art-on-products to family and friends. Products include mugs, water bottles, t-shirts, mousepads, and stickers.