Nehemiah's Art taught and created by Penny Fregeau
The Mission of Nehemiah's Art: 1.) To TEACH creative problem solving in an atmosphere of affirmation and respect. 2.) To DISCOVER and ENCOURAGE the unique God-given gifts of each person and BUILD confidence. 3.) To EMPOWER individuals by developing fine craftsmanship skills and artistic excellence. The Vision for Nehemiah's Art Gallery and Stu
dio: The "brick and mortar" (actually redwood and brick) campus sits on the main boulevard in a small Northern California town. The building has had a long history of families and uses, including a care home in the late '60s or '70s. It's a painted redwood beauty - well, that is, a diamond-in-the-rough beauty - with fantastic potential. "Nehemiah's Art" houses a studio/gallery and onsite classes as well as online virtual courses. Current class videos can be seen on YouTube under Nehemiah's Art https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8ZFPIas5M3MQTP3M665BBQ. My dream is that Nehemiah's would not only continue to be a gathering place of creatives with classes & workshops for adults, teens, and children but expand in some strategic areas. In the future, I hope to see Nehemiah's Art become a more diverse Art School with offerings of multiple hand skills with gifted teachers building knowledge and realized potential into the lives of others. I envision this studio and gallery to be a potential hub of creative expression and development in this community. By studying the arts, we learn how to visually express our thoughts and ideas, and we learn problem-solving skills and a heightened appreciation of the beauty in nature that is often right in front of our eyes! From that sense of wonder, we can discover the connection between the glorious beauty in the world and the One who gave it for our enjoyment. Creativity indeed is a good and gracious gift from our Great Creator God, and in observing and studying the world, He made there are great fulfillment and joy. In addition to the traditional studio classes, I would like to add a couple more areas of emphasis soon. In July through September, Humboldt County has some of the most astounding weather and epic beauty. Nehemiah's would like to host Adult Artist Fellowship Paint Days, where we gather outside to paint individual canvases yet enjoy the comradery of others in our local artist community. What an enriching time of friendship and exchange of ideas this could become! What kind of name is "Nehemiah," and what is the connection to an art studio? Nehemiah is a Biblical name, and it means "God is compassionate." In a child's version of the Bible, it means "God wipes our tears." With that thought in mind, another part of this dream would be to offer "Roses & Thorns" classes - for adults and another for teens. The imagery is that life is both beautiful and hurtful. Grief and other life hurts can be described as thorns in our hearts. These classes would focus on working through a rough patch in life through expressing one's thoughts through art and a means for sharing one's story with a small group of participants in a faith-based artistic environment. There may be opportunities for both the giving of class scholarships and the receiving of class scholarships in the future. While much of this vision has yet to be realized, I am thrilled to see how far it has come from its humble beginnings. I am grateful to the outstanding students and parents of students who have been a part of this story. I am also thankful for the encouraging words, "likes" and "shares" that has helped Nehemiah's Art move forward. Family and friends, thank you from the bottom of my heart!
