As a kid, Claire Willett needed a refuge like the St. Croix ArtBarn in Osceola, Wis. Sports culture pervaded when she was growing up, but that didn’t click. “I needed to feed the creative side of my brain,” she says. Now the ArtBarn children’s coordinator, Willett has volunteered at the 115-year-old barn-turned-studio for 12 of its 20 years. She teaches kids to paint (a heated annex to the barn permits painting in the winter), and she guides them in theater—180 seats from an old movie theater fill one end of the barn for summer performances. As it changes directors and develops a stronger online presence, the ArtBarn hopes to fill 2017 with more painting and clay classes.
Painting classes cost about $15; clay classes around $25. Summer theater program is $80 (includes $35 ArtBarn membership). Ages and prices vary, so check online for more info.
