Dear families,

It is with a heavy heart that I announce the closing of The Marvegos Fine Art School after 27 years of building the creative confidence of children in the Bay Area. Many families have passed through our doors, often with children confident in their art making abilities and many with children starting out lacking that confidence. We hope we have made a positive difference in your lives.

We have enjoyed being part of your child(ren)’s growth. To all we have had the pleasure to work with and to the many families who have had Marvegos in your lives from Art Exploration to Advanced Exploration, we are family and I don’t even know how to begin to say goodbye. We love you and thank you for your support over the years.

The many beautiful memories I and our staff have to recall from the wonderful and often hilarious things kids share, their perspective on their own art, the art exhibits, video interviews with students, the wonder in the marvelous way children grow and express themselves as they grow, our favorite projects, the joy of creation, the many joyful faces, the excitement when kids feel proud of the work they created, the studio – a space where we can all be who we are in artmaking. We will miss ALL OF IT.

Thank you, too, to our school affiliates, with One World Montessori, who took a chance on this fledgling art school 27 years ago. Casa di Mir Montessori whose leadership is so Marvegos and made us feel extra connected by attending our annual art exhibits, Saint Andrews, Nueva School, Montessori of Fremont, Mission Valley Montessori, Crescent Montessori, Main Street Montessori, Synapse School, Phillips Brooks, Helios New School and Coastline Christian School. So many joyful years you have given us.

The legacy of The Marvegos lives on in our students and in our staff who learned the Marvegos way of teaching art to children. In the words of one former Marvegos teacher, “Once you learn how to teach art The Marvegos Way, you’re spoiled from teaching any other way because it’s the only way that makes sense.” Some of our staff will likely move in a direction away from teaching, but many will continue serving in this way.

Finally I cannot thank our staff enough. It’s clear we are family. It took each of you to build the Marvegos community. The relationships you helped Marvegos build with the families in the community, made Marvegos larger than just the nearby art school. We were a force. The best art school in the Bay! Thank you!

Our closing will leave our staff of close to 20 artists unemployed. Eva Van, 11 year Marvegos veteran, wants to keep this philosophy alive through online classes. Several Marvegos teachers will be able to continue working when this new venture is launched. In addition, Marvegos Online students can continue their studies online with us. Please donate to this GoFundMe to help make this a reality.

Thank you to everyone who has extended their warm wishes and generous offerings. The community we built is strong and we look forward to connecting again in one form or another.

I’d like to sign off with, Art is a living thing. Live art, Live well.

Regards,

Rita Young

Director, The Marvegos Fine Art School