About
As public schools cut art education programs, children are finding it increasingly difficult to tap into their creativity. Instead of creativity flourishing, it is being suppressed with regulated projects and simple crafts in order to comply with downsized curriculums.
The mission of Playful Palette is to counter this effect by helping to raise generations of children that value the creativity, the passion, and the power of art.
About the Founder
Joel Gwidt, founder of Playful Palette, utilizes his expertise in both art and early childhood development to create a unique learning environment. With more than 10 years of experience working with children in an educational environment, Joel has found that they learn best through active participation, thought-provoking subjects, and creative projects.
Joel holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in painting and a minor in sculpture and art history from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. His art has been displayed in New York City, London, and throughout Wisconsin and the Kansas City Metro Area. He is an active
participant of the “Now Showing Program” sponsored by The Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City, and he shows regularly at other events and galleries in the area.
See his work at
About Our Philosophy
One thing we have to be reminded of is that art is a discipline much like learning to play an
instrument or sport. It can be fun, but it does take practice and discipline along with a basic
understanding of artistic principles.
Many students, parents, and teachers look at art class as just a fun time to make pretty
pictures. We are taught to let the children "be creative" and do whatever they want in art. This
may be fun for kids for a while, but it leads to a loss of interest and an eventual feeling that
they never had the talent to draw or paint.
Playful Palette hopes to escape this mentality and give children a solid art foundation to
advance upon.
So Why Learn Art?
Art classes don't just benefit creativity. They can help build confidence, commitment,
patience, and a sense of accomplishment. The creative process also can have a relaxing
and comforting affect on children.
The fine arts can also help children academically. During a research experiment through the
National Endowment of the Arts and the Department of Health and Human Services, children
were split into two groups. One group had a curriculum with art, while the other had a
curriculum without art. The results of the study showed that students who had programs in
art, along with their other courses, fared much better academically than students who were
deprived of art.
"Children who possess broad background knowledge, especially in fine arts, learn new
things more readily than those that lack it."
Pollee Freier, teacher and speaker