Above, second-graders Brynlee and Kayla, first-grader Zellie and third-grader Selah work on seasonal paintings during the after-school block at Fruit Loops.
Above, second-graders Brynlee and Kayla, first-grader Zellie and third-grader Selah work on seasonal paintings during the after-school block at Fruit Loops.
When you walk into Fruit Loops Art Center, you can immediately see and feel the imagination and creativity that only a child can express. What might look like two boxes that have been colored with markers are a rocketship and a tank. The dioramas hung on the wall come together to make a haunted house.
From the cubbies full of supplies to the designated room just for painting — its walls splattered with paint — it’s a perfect space for creating, which is exactly what owners Grace Poulsen and Emily Manning were hoping for when they started Fruit Loops in November 2021.
After signing on the space, Poulsen and Manning started renovations. They had to rip out all of the carpet and build the “Paint Room,” a nice contained space where kids could paint to their hearts’ content without fear of making a mess. They also renovated the little washroom to have more storage and to be a great space for kids to clean themselves up after their hard work of creating.
Fruit Loops Owners Grace Poulsen (right) and Emily Manning pose for a photo in the art center.
Alana Lackner photo
Though their opening was pushed back by the snowstorm in January 2022, they were able to open April 1. Though it’s only been six months, the business has already grown and changed quite a bit.
“I think the initial idea was that it would be a family creating space,” Manning said. “So we didn’t really have plans to do any programs. And then we fairly quickly pivoted and started doing programs.”
They currently have four art programs: Toddler art, Pre-K art, homeschool art club, and after-school art club.
A lot of what they create in the space is child-led, Poulsen said, with projects arising from what the kids are interested in and feel like making.
Fruit Loops’ paint room provides kids a space to get messy.
Alana Lackner photo
“Sometimes we’ll ask at the beginning of club, ‘What are you interested in?’” she said. “Sometimes I like to do that because it gets it out of their system. It doesn’t mean we’re going to do it, but it’s like, just let’s say all the things we’d like to do. And then we’ll start to figure it out.”
The haunted house idea came from a kid, Poulsen said, and it was an instant hint. She’s often impressed by the creativity of the kids, she said.
Besides their program, Fruit Loops also does “open studio” on the weekend, where families can come in and create together.
“Open studio is all about gathering and coming together as families and friends and just utilizing the space in an explorative and creative way,” Manning said.
Fruit Loops Art Center is located at 416 Oak St. in Hood River. For times and dates of open studio, or information about the current art programs, visit fruitloopsart.com.
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