Our Program Manager

Rae Finlayson is completing her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from California State University, Fullerton, where she skillfully cultivates a strong passion for classical painting and drawing. Her love of fine art is rivaled only by the joy she finds in teaching children. Miss Rae absolutely lights up while teaching with co-teacher Diana, and we couldn't be happier to have her running the show. ​
A Message From Rae
The Bright Artists truly do appreciate the opportunity and are excited to come to class every week. Kids constantly ask “can you come back tomorrow?”, not wanting to leave class at the end.  One student named Angel would say “I love Bright Artists” every time before I helped him. I had quite a few sweethearts at the different schools. A lot of these kids do not have any art supplies at home and really love trying new things like oil pastel and layering the different colored pencils. I’ve seen so much progress in my student’s drawing skills and their ability to see the 3 tones and complex color throughout the session. More and more of my students are excited to sketch at home and show me their work. I am looking forward to getting back to the classes in the coming sessions!
Best,
Rae Finlayson
Program Manager

The 2017 Artwork-Into Products Winter Fundraiser Was a Resounding Success!
Each winter holiday season, we run a major fundraiser where parents from individual art studios can have their children's artwork adorn high quality gifts.  With help from individual donors, these  winter fundraisers, run through Orange County studios,  have raised enough to run our entire program during the school year.  We are working toward the goal of doubling our reach, so we were thrilled that we have also been lucky to receive participation from art studios in Los Angeles and the California coast!  The combined total for winter's fundraisers came to over $3,564 to go directly toward hands-on classroom teaching of fine art techniques.  

​Soon, our studios will offer gifts to give for Mother's and Father's Day.  Contact us  if you'd like to turn a child's artwork into a beautiful gift.  Proceeds will go directly to building our program in the coming year. .  Click Here to see what products are available. Thank you, everyone!

Examples of some of the items you can create with your art!

    Questions? Contact Us! 

Support Comes in the Form of Design!

We are extraordinarily lucky to be the recipients of a generous donation  from the uniquely creative charity, Elusan, Inc., which exists exclusively to provide graphic design and printing services to non-profit organizations. This such a  particularly valuable service because attractive and abundant printed materials promote a clean image, which is essential to fundraising.  However, it's difficult to for us, internally, to bring ourselves to allocate many donor funds to our image, when we work to be conscious of every possible dollar going directly to help kids in the classroom.  This windfall of support will allow us to move forward beyond our wildest expectations for the next several years to come, while maximizing our ability to serve our kiddos.   All of us at Bright Artists send much gratitude to Dawn at Elusen Inc.!
Some of the AMAZING 2015/16 Bright Artists show off their work!

Thank you for your generosity!

We would like to extend an especially warm thank you to the many families who have included Bright Artists in their 2015 charitable gifts.  Thanks to you, two extra sessions have been made possible.  Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.
Maya Sheklow, granddaughter of Ed and Sher Warren,  generously selected Bright Artists as the recipient of funds she raised through her Bat Mitzvah.  We are touched and profoundly honored that Maya has chosen to brighten the lives of children she does not know, through the joy of creating fine art, through our wonderful program.  Thank you, Maya!

We have also received generous donations from individuals, families, and a generous girl scout troop. Always, our hearts are warmed and by these kind, selfless gifts, and we are encouraged, inspired, and empowered to bring the joy of creating fine art to as many children as we can.
One of our Bright Artists, age 9, soooo proud of his Halloween themed work! We are certainly proud of him, too. 

Many Thanks to UUCF Trunk-or-Treaters!

A big thank you to the Unitarian Universalist congregation in Fullerton for its support of Bright Artists at their first annual Trunk or Treat event on October 28, 2017 .  At this lively event, little ghosts and ghouls raised over $800 to benefit kids in our community.  Bright Artists was there with spooky mini-classes for participants. The board and all of us at Bright Artists deeply thanks director Rachel White and everyone at UUCF for their generosity.

​Right, top and center: Costumed children enjoy mini-art classes to benefit Bright Artists.  
Below: Our Board President, Hilary Key, who attended the event, poses with the trophy for Best Decorated Trunk.

Our Curriculum Receives a Motif Award! 

Ed and Sher Warren, founding Bright Artists board members who have generously donated the use of their world-class curriculum to our nonprofit, have recently accepted a Disney Motif Award, honoring their life’s work in developing their program!   Thirty  years in development, their curriculum, specializing in children’s fine art instruction, fuels private studios and enrichment classes throughout California and Washington state, serving over 4000 students per week.  Billed as “the nation’s highest, most prestigious youth advocacy award', the Motif Awards have honored Walt Disney, Charles Schultz, Fred Rogers, and Theodore Geisel, among many other American and international humanitarians and children’s advocates.  We are proud to use curriculum so time-tested, true, and now, recognized on the world stage.  Bravo!
Ed and Sher, together with contributor and friend to Bright Artists, Pam Wright (center), at the Motif Awards Ceremony  stage,  Walt Disney Concert Hall, on September 11, 2016. 

After a Successful, First Year, We Are Excited to Expand for This School Year!

After a successful year of three 8-week sessions for 16 or more kids at Walt Disney Elementary,  we are excited to report that we will be continuing there during the 2016/17 school year, as well as starting classes in the Placentia-Yorba Linda School District's CASA after school program!  We will start teaching at Ruby Drive Elementary in the fall, with plans to start at Ruby Drive Elementary for the winter session!

Last year, the sense of excitement and wonder from the kids was clear, and these 9-year-olds focused exceptionally well, learning to make shapes with light lines as their first lesson.  After the class, one young lady exclaimed,  " One hour felt like 5 minutes! It's like we were in a time machine to the future!" This kid was  in the "zone", where artists use "right brain" thinking to notice shapes, lines, color, texture and tone, rather than verbal thinking; time flies when artists are at work. This state of mind is also inherently relaxing, a benefit to anyone.  By the end of the year, teachers reported that kids were drawing much more independently, with more efficiency and attention to detail, loving it all the while.  They learned a checklist of measuring tools they can take with them anywhere, and we wish them well!

Onward and upward! We look forward to meeting the next batch of Bright Artists! Thank you for your support!

Thank you, Volunteers!

Many thanks to our studio students, both in high school, Halie and Ryanne, for helping so much with our program during the 2015/16 school year. If you know of an Orange County teen who would like to use community service hours to help kids to connect to the artist within themselves, let us know!

Our Program

We use the time-honored Warren curriculum and methodology, used and enjoyed by thousands of children in elite studio and enrichment programs throughout California and Washington State for nearly 30 years. This method requires teacher training, which can often be provided by local art studios to Bright Artists, free of charge.  Curriculum includes skill-based lessons using markers, color pencils, oil pastels, watercolors and more.