New registration for popular kids’ art club

By Lindsey Turnbull

The National Gallery’s Walkers Art Club has been around for 26 years and has developed into a cornerstone of art education for youngsters in Cayman. Its 2026 registration opens soon, so parents and caregivers should get ready for that all important date of 21st August when they can register kids for the next session.

Maia Muttoo, Head of Programmes at the National Gallery, said the Walkers Art Club remained one of the National Gallery’s most popular and well-loved programmes.

“Registration grows every year. In 2022, we opened four additional classes to accommodate the high demand. There are now three class units for Foundation age (5-7), two for Primary age (8-10, two for Secondary age (11-13), one for teens (14-17) as well as a Primary age unit in Cayman Brac,” she explained.

Each group focuses on projects that are age appropriate and designed to build creative competence over time. Participants explore a wide range of mediums and techniques, including ceramics, painting, life and still drawing, collage, outdoor observational art, patternmaking and more.

“The idea is to introduce children to several different methods of creating so that they can learn new skills, experiment creatively, and find their preferred styles of artmaking through discovery,” Maia advised.

The classes, which are all free, are open to children aged 5 through 17, of all abilities. This includes students from any and all schools across the islands, including home schoolers and distance learners.

“The beauty of this is that the programme is accessible to all, and children have the opportunity to make friends with peers they may not have met otherwise,” she said.

Maia said that children and families often commented on the supportive and safe environment of the classrooms; they also love being able to try new styles of art throughout the year and experiment with their creative voice. Children also enjoyed making regular visits to the exhibition hall, where they can see professional work by Caymanian and Cayman-based artists - providing inspiration and a reminder that art is accessible to all.

Sessions are an hour each week and run throughout the school year with breaks according to the government school calendar. Lessons for the 2026-2027 year begin on 21st September (for confirmed participants), as follows:

- Foundation (5-7 years): Weds, Thurs or Fri 3:30pm-4:30pm

- Primary (8-10 years): Mon or Tues 3:30pm-4:30pm   

- Secondary (11-13 years): Mon or Tues 4:45pm-5:45pm

- Teens (14-17 years): Weds 4:45pm-5:45pm

- Cayman Brac (7-10 years): Friday 3:45pm-4:45pm

These times are subject to change.

“Engaging with the arts is beneficial for young people in many ways, including development of motor-skills, self-expression, empathy, understanding and perspective, pattern-recognition, and encouraging experimentation,” Maia explained. “Children are also exposed to Caymanian, Cayman-based and diasporic artists through the programme, which supports representation and cultural education as they experience Cayman’s culture, history and heritage through visual art. The social aspects of the club provide an encouraging environment through which children can meet other art-lovers and make new friends and positive memories.”

Maia said the National Gallery gives a massive thank you to Walkers, their longtime sponsors, without whom they could not offer this free community programme. A thank you also went to Inclusion Cayman, who support accessibility work in the classroom.

Registration for the 2026-2027 programme year opens on 21 August at 9:00am via the National Gallery website. Due to demand, they are unable to accept any registrations prior to this time and placements are not guaranteed. They typically provide confirmations of placements or waitlist notifications within a week of registration.