About Us!
Smart About Art is the brainchild of art educator, Michelle Parven. When her own children were young, she could not find an engaging, art history based enrichment class for them, so she decided to start one herself. In 2008, Smart About Art was born!
Michelle is a beloved and award-winning local art teacher with over two decades in education. She is passionate about Art History and uses the elements of art and principles of design to guide her curriculum. in her spare time, she volunteers at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and is a community partner with the Natick Center Cultural Council. When she is not teaching or creating, you can often find her walking, practicing yoga or with her nose in a book.
We offer fun and creative hands-on classes with an art historical focus. All classes are intentionally small to allow for individualized attention and support creativity. Each session brings fresh projects, artists, genre and media, no two are alike and classes are offered for multiple age groups during the school year.Smart About Art also offers mini-camps each summer, occasional vacation camps, and is also available for parties, school groups, and troops. We are also excited to offer adult art nights from time to time, since art is for everyone!
Be sure to join our mailing list and check our socials for the latest offerings, so you never miss out on the fun!
Testimonial
"Mrs. Parven is one of my children's favorite teachers. She allows them to realize their inner artist and express their uniqueness in each piece that they create. As an adult, I have also loved the classes she presents. It's full of laughs, color, and encouragement where a night out turns into a masterpiece made alongside friends."
-Rachel V.
Testimonial
"Smart About Art is all fun projects with Mrs. Parven. My favorite was painting the flower vases. She lets us create something fun, colorful and amazing every week!" -Emma, age 7
Testimonial
"Michelle is a wonderful instructor to both kids and adults. My children have both enjoyed her art classes. She provides a fun, creative outlet and they came home so proud of their work.
I was also excited when she started offering adult classes. I have taken a couple with friends, one who was intimidated to try, but came home asking if we could join more! The classes are relaxing but also really fun, filled with laughter and new learning. Michelle has such a wonderful way of teaching that makes art accessible to everyone and I highly recommend classes with her! "
-Melissa A
Testimonial
"Mrs. Parven brings her gift of bridging her knowledge and love for art to applying it to her instruction in creative and fun ways. Her themes are always unique and provide an accessible way for kids and adults to enjoy creating!"
-Katie L.
Testimonial
"I loved Mrs. Parven's art classes because she would teach us the back story about the artist and the piece of art we were going to do. She would let us be creative in our artwork and we did really fun projects. She is also so nice!" -Luke, age 9