Frequently Asked Questions

Of course!  I started my career as a preschool teacher in a private NAEYC accredited program. This experience laid the foundation for assuring that my teaching methods always follow best practices and are respectful, caring and also fun and engaging!  Currently, I now have over 20 years’ experience in the field of early childhood education (including the AMS Montessori method). My most recent work (of over ten years now) involves working 1:1 with young students who benefit from specialized developmental and emotional support. 

So, where does the art come into this?  I have always had a personal love for art and took college coursework in my twenties in hopes of earning a BFA and teaching degree. Life had other plans for me though (that happens!) and so, I have enjoyed teaching art part-time in private and school-based settings since 2014.  I have worked as a Children's Art Teacher for the Mystic Museum of Art in Mystic, CT and was also very lucky to have been on staff as art teacher (ages 6-9) for the final year of the epic Thames Valley Music School Arts Camp, in Waterford, CT.  Currently, I teach multiple classes for the Lebanon Recreation Department, offering afterschool, weekend and summer class experiences for children ages 3 - 12.  

Oh, in case you are wondering, I have completed college coursework in both the fields of art and education. I hold associate degrees in both Visual Fine Arts and Early Childhood Education from Three Rivers Community College and a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in Arts Management and Children’s Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. 

This is certainly just a short summary of my art education related experiences. Please feel free to ask me any other questions you might have!

 I believe that engaging in artmaking is essential in supporting your child’s healthy development and wellbeing! I also believe that artmaking is about the PROCESS, NOT THE PRODUCT! This means that a student can have a beneficial experience creating art but may not, in the end, generate a visibly pleasing product. This is developmentally appropriate for not only children but also artists of any age! Artmaking is tightly intertwined with our need for emotional well-being. The experience of creating can supply this without our being concerned if the final product will be beautiful or not! In my classes, making art teaches and supports vital skills and we create to create. We are not focused on the appearance of the end results. It is all about the choices we made along the way.  

So, in my classes, I always strive to make artmaking a fun and engaging experience to have but know that sometimes your child might have some difficulties with their project; clay might crack, sculptures may fall, drawings may not come out as envisioned… this is all a part of being an artist and being creative. I provide positive support during these times and assure students that this happens to all great artists sometimes! Learning to be ok with the unknowns of the creative process is a highly valuable skill that not only supports a positive emotional state but also a confidence in the ability to problem solve and be resilient in any setting. My classes are SAFE spaces that are judgement free! It is all about exploration and skill-building, not about judgement of the finished product.

All classes are currently offered through the Lebanon Recreation Department (Lebanon, CT) and are held at local venues and schools. 

Contact information for the Lebanon Recreation Department is:

Lebanon Recreation Department

579 Exeter Rd

Lebanon, CT 06249

Current staff contact:   Sandy Tremblay  

email:  STremblay@lebanonct.gov

phone:  860-642-4085

We currently advertise our upcoming classes on our Facebook pages (Lebanon CT News and Lebanon CT Happenings) and via flyers distributed to local schools and businesses but THE BEST WAY TO STAY INFORMED ABOUT CLASS OFFERINGS IS TO JOIN THE CREATE! EMAIL LIST.  PLEASE EMAIL ME AT MAKEART2DAY@GMAIL.COM and let me know you want me to add your address!  

Contact information for Lisa Viele:

Only email contact is available at this time. If attending a class with me, I do provide (at that time and only for that use) a cell phone number to use for any potential emergency contact needs. Thank you in advance for only using that number for class-related needs!  :)

email:  makeart2day@gmail.com

  Each class has its own topic or theme and unique set of artmaking activities. In general though, no matter what class you come to, your child will be offered the chance to participate in thoughtfully-designed experiences that support the creative process and developmental growth. Our projects engage students in learning one or more art techniques, concepts and/or skills while giving them space to develop their problem solving, imaginative, conceptual and/or developmental abilities. 

Whenever possible, I provide the adults with a summary of what your child has experienced in each class attended. I typically do this at the end of a class because sometimes, we might change artistic direction mid-experience to follow the interests and learning needs of our students.

The average class size depends on the age group and type of art being taught. Generally, classes for younger students have a smaller teacher to student ratio (usually 1:6 at the most) and classes for older students and adults are larger. Please feel free to contact us any time to ask what the class size will be for an upcoming experience!

In my art classes, I introduce specific projects and inspiration pieces to help students enjoy engaging in the artmaking process. Since art is such a vast subject, encompassing MANY styles and techniques, there are times when a certain project may not interest your child. When this happens, I will talk with the student and offer them the opportunity to use the materials available in a way that makes them happy. This may lead to a project result that looks very different from all the other student’s work. 

It is very important to me that students are, first and foremost, enjoying their artmaking experience. Being allowed to create what they want enables this to occur. 

Please let me know if you have any questions about this, or any of my policies. 

  To support students, I demonstrate techniques and material use then allow students the space to explore. If a student experiences a challenge or difficulty, I provide them positive reassurance and ask open-ended questions that allow them the space to find their own solutions to their problems. 

I firmly believe that it is better for a child to puzzle out the solution themselves rather than have an adult give them all the answers to their problems. This gives them the confidence to know they can find answers to their problems and the courage to try again when things get tough (resiliency). These are valuable life skills that can translate to any setting, not just in the art room!

Occasionally, even with open-ended questions and support, students decide to make creative choices that lead to failure. Though, in the end, their project may look disappointing or unfinished, these experiences are actually some of the most valuable ones an artist can have. Artists often learn the most about art when their projects have failed. I always reinforce to students the positives that come out of these situations. 

I strive to have all my students feel safe, respected, and well cared for every time they are in my class! I (and all my assistants) follow best practices and use positive reinforcement/behavior management skills to maintain a safe, productive, and enjoyable environment for all. 

I have the same, clear and straight-forward expectations (rules) for all my classes to provide consistent structure:

1. I Listen

2. I am Safe

3. I am Kind

4. I always do my BEST!

On the first day of class I put pictures of each of these rules up on the wall. I read each expectation and we have a brief, age-appropriate discussion about their meaning. I then ask students ages 3 - 8 to color and sign their name on a “thumbs up” picture and tape it next to the rules if they agree to do their best to follow them. Students ages 8 and up give me their verbal consent to agree to the class expectations.

I always approach expectations in a positive manner. If a student is having difficulty following a guideline, I might first give a general reminder to the group as a whole (NEVER singling out the student having difficulty) such as “I love seeing those safe bodies when we all use our walking feet!”. This usually takes care of any issues we might be having. If, for some reason, this is not helpful though, I will discreetly talk with the student directly, in the room but away from others. Again, this will always be a positive interaction in which I will review the behavior I am looking for and why it is important with the student. If, on rare occasions, the student is unable to follow expectations consistently, I will discuss this with you or the adult with your child. 

Please note that in the art class environment, I cannot accommodate behaviors that are potentially harmful, destructive or that may cause emotional distress to other students.  If your child has exceptional social or emotional needs, please consult with me BEFORE registering them for or sending them to a class. If a student exhibits destructive or disruptive behaviors during a class experience, an adult will be called and asked to pick up the student from class immediately.

Also, I differentiate the artmaking experience to accommodate learners at varied levels of abilities and needs. On rare occasions, I may feel a student is not developmentally ready for a class, despite their physical age. If this is the case, I will discuss this with you or the adult who is with the child to decide collaboratively if you feel your student should remain in the class or not.

Please feel free to ask me any further questions you may have about my behavior policies.

Payment is expected BEFORE class begins, AT LEAST TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE IF POSSIBLE. 

Currently, my art classes are all sponsored by the Lebanon Recreation Department in Lebanon, CT. When you register for a class, you are required to submit payment and complete a registration form with Lebanon Rec. 

Kindly register AT LEAST TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE if possible because I do need to purchase supplies for each class. When I can purchase in advance, I can buy from lower cost vendors. If I must add supplies at the last minute, I need to purchase from local retailers at a higher price. This increases overall costs for future classes. 

Thank you for your cooperation and consideration!

Please make every effort to be on time for class. We try to wait to start until five minutes into our class time to accommodate late arrivals but beyond this, your child might miss valuable information that they will need to be successful in class. 

Pick up is expected when the class is scheduled to end. If an adult is more than 15 minutes late to pick up your child, an additional fee may be charged. 

PLEASE know that sometimes we get MESSY in art class!!! Send your child in OLD CLOTHES and, if wanted, also give them a smock to wear. I make all efforts to use washable materials but I do use acrylic paints which can permanently stain clothing!

YES! We hope every student will bring a water bottle with them to class and a snack or food as wanted. 

Students are allowed to drink and eat at any time they feel they need to. All we ask is that you please CHOOSE PEANUT-FREE food as we have both students and staff that have peanut allergies. THANK YOU!

I try to never send wet artwork home with your child, especially art created with acrylic paints. SOME ART MATERIALS WILL STAIN THE SURFACES IN YOUR VEHICLE (upholstery, carpets, etc.)! 

If your child asks to take home their work while it is still wet, this is at your own risk. Neither I or the Lebanon Recreation Department are responsible for any damage done to your vehicle by art projects. 

If you choose to take wet artwork home, please take all precautions available to you to insure your vehicle interior is not damaged. This includes (but is not limited to) covering surfaces with plastic or other waterproof materials and having artwork in a container or box that will not allow it to slide around while driving.

Please know that I do respect and value you and understand that sometimes life does get in the way of your art class plans! I will make every effort to accommodate requests for refunds or credits but, please understand that, unlike other types of class experiences, your registration commitment triggers costs, including my income and the purchase of multiple art supplies which I cannot be refunded for once I open them for class use. In some cases, I might not be able to refund you or might only be able to extend a partial credit so that I can continue to stay financially balanced and offer more classes in the future! Thank you for your understanding and, as always, please do reach out with any questions or concerns regarding this (or any) policy.