Children’s Fine Art Classes

Founded in 1925, Children’s Fine Art Classes (CFAC) provides intensive studio art experiences for talented and motivated students, ages 9-18. The program offers concentrated studies in drawing and painting; art history; critical reflection; and aesthetics. To ensure that every deserving student can participate, tuition is not charged. A modest administrative fee is paid by those who can afford to do so.

If you’re interested in signing a child up for CFAC courses at Portland Museum, keep an eye here on our website, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and sign up for our mailing list. We will announce when sign-ups for the next semester have opened!

Since the beginning of the year, the Portland Museum has been proudly hosting Louisville Visual Art’s Children’s Fine Art Classes (CFAC), featuring a group of ten to fifteen kids, mostly from the neighborhood but some from as far away as Shelbyville.

Their teacher is Elite Waller, who is thrilled to be involved with LVA and the Portland Museum and has her own personal ties to the art organization and the neighborhood.

“I feel like it’s all coming full circle,” Elite said. “My grandmother lived in Portland, and I also attended CFAC classes. I can’t believe I’m teaching art in my old neighborhood. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to have a career in art.”

Elite earned her BA in studio art at the University of Louisville, with a focus on painting. She worked at Maupin Elementary for a year and enjoyed working with the children. She draws on her studies to help children learn the fundamentals of making art and is often surprised at how compelling their creations are.

“I love working with the youth,” she said. “I’m big on arts development for kids. I like to see what they can do and help them see that they’re already great artists.”

She and the kids love the space at the museum, including the yard outside when they get the “zoomies” and need to move around and get some air. Elite plans out activities for each two-hour session, focusing on the basic elements of art like lines, shapes and learning how to shade. They’ve also started putting portfolios together and experimenting with mixed media, such as combining watercolors and pastels to come up with something totally different.

Elite also works at the Cressman Center Galleries downtown and is currently in the Master of Arts Critical and Curatorial program at UofL, hoping to graduate in 2025. She has studio space at the UofL Hite Art Institute building on Rowan Street in Portland and also plans to get involved more with sculpture and woodworking in the future.