DURANGO KIDS Seed Studio Blooms into 12th Year

by Joy Martin

Kids at Durango’s Seed Studio find a greenhouse of possibility, from crafting papier mache dragons to suiting up for an impromptu snowball fight and doing what they do best: being themselves. This summer, the Seed Studio celebrates the power of paint, paper, and imagination as it blooms into its 12th year at the Smiley Building.

“It’s a wild world out there,” said Heidi Craw, Seed Studio director and longtime local art teacher. “It feels basic, but teaching kindness and encouraging collaboration over competition is important. If we can nurture that in the beginning years, we’re on track to help create global citizens. We’re planting those seeds.”

A studio art graduate of Fort Lewis College, Craw has taught art in Durango for more than two decades. She started Seed Studio with a friend in 2011 and has grown myriad art-focused programs, from Seedlings Playshops for pre-k and kinder- garten ages to Art Labs for middle school students. A few times a season, she welcomes adults to participate in workshops.

With a mission grounded in fine-art principles, the nonprofit offers something for everyone, from a three-year-old learning how to hold a paintbrush to a grownup eager to stretch the right side of their brain. Craw and the other teachers share introductions to art methods, techniques, and materials, including Seed’s latest addition, a ceramic kiln for students to practice hand-building with clay.

“We provide the skills, environment, inspiration, and guidance to help ideas come to life,” Craw said. “The root of it is just sharing what you love to do with others. When you do that, it’s received as joy.”

While after-school programs fill a much-needed, affordable niche throughout the school year, Seed’s summer camps are where the magic happens. Kids can choose from Seed’s classic offerings, like Lotus Girls and DEVO, or animated themes like Raptors, Fossils & Fangs, Under the Sea, or Seed + Soil. Seed + Soil sprang up as Seed’s latest partnership with the SOIL Learning Lab at the Riverview Community Gardens.

“Our base is always about unplugging from our devices and checking in with ourselves and other people,” Craw said. “We realize that kids need to root into the present moment and reconnect with dirt.”

Fourteen-year-old Charlee Bourdon participated in Seed’s summer art and yoga program, Lotus Girls, for three years. Besides the calm space created by Seed’s mindful teachers, Bourdon said her best memories are “just hanging out with friends doing art.”

“[Seed Studio] definitely helped me stick with my art, but creativity comes in all different forms,” Bourdon said. “It’s important to keep it with you, even if you don’t pursue art and want to be a scientist or an athlete. If a person keeps their creativity while playing football, for instance, they can come up with good plays.”

“Creativity is the key to problem-solving; when you’re creative, you adapt a lot easier,” Craw said. “Nothing is ‘the norm’ anymore, so our world needs more creative, sensitive thinkers. We need to encourage many different ways to look at things and each other.”

Another integral piece of Seed’s mission is collaborating with other community organizations. Over the last couple of years, Seed has partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Rainbow Youth Center, the Sexual Assault Services Organization of Durango, and The Arc of Southwest Durango, which serves disabled adults in the region.

“Most kids are natural collaborators, but as we age, we’re taught to become more individual thinkers,” Craw reflected. “We’re open to partnering with anyone in the community.”

Craw said it “takes a village” to raise Durango’s kids and is quick to point gratitude toward the source of the nonprofit’s success: the generosity of donors and support from the Community Foundation serving Southwest Colorado. Thanks to these cheerleaders, Craw has successfully applied for grants from La Plata Electric Association, Ballantine Communications, and Durango Friends of the Arts. The City of Durango also plays a role with scholarships made available through the lodgers’ tax. Thanks also to endless support from art lovers in the community, Craw hired three new teachers over the last two years.

“We’re so grateful to our community and our families that have supported us along the way,” Craw said. “We wouldn’t be here without everybody.”

The Seed Studio offers half-day, fullday, and weeklong programs throughout the year. For more information, check out seedstudioart.org.