“Everyone in our family has been involved there at one time or another,” said Elizabeth “Liz” Hamilton, mother of Brooke, 14, Audrey, 10, and Landon, 6. The Hamiltons are one of many families that have joined together for various activities at Maureen Marks Arts. “With COVID, everyone turned to art,” she said. Marks also posted instructional project videos online during the pandemic. “I’m still trying to separate things,” she said. Today, she still conducts classes “doing individual everything” with art supplies. To further adhere to social distancing mandates, Marks split her 2020 summer art camps into two sessions each. Masks were required, as well, and parents of students could no longer enter the building. When it reopened, class sizes were reduced to meet state social distancing mandates. Last year, the business was forced to close entirely from March through June. Like many area venues, COVID-19 and the state’s pandemic orders have been a major challenge. Family paint nights held there are open to ages 8 and up. The facility also offers a variety of public or private art parties and events, as well as several youth camps and “pop-up” events each year. Media instruction ranges from drawing, painting, clay, printmaking, pastel and crafts such as jewelry making. Fall sessions usually attract a total of 120 students in all age groups with a “90% to 95% return rate,” she said. Maureen Marks Arts offers a wide variety of fall and spring classes each year for ages 3 to adult. “My dad wanted me to be an English teacher, but I couldn’t stop making things.” “I’ve been involved with doing art pretty much since birth,” Marks recalled. Four years ago, she renovated her current spacious, bright studio on Sunset Avenue in Lower Paxton from a building that once housed offices. You need to know there are possibilities.”Īfter years of teaching art in area public schools, Marks started teaching in her home, then in West Hanover Township. “Kids need to have that creative part during their development. “Art is important to kids because it’s one of the few subjects that has no right or wrong answers,” she said. Instead, owner Maureen Marks encourages her classes to create. At Maureen Marks Arts in Lower Paxton Township, students aren’t expected to create art perfectly.
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