Who Started This?

The Messy Artist program was created by Donna Bernstein. An early childhood educator and child development specialist, Donna has a Master of Arts degree from Columbia University and over 30 years of teaching experience. She is also a potter who works in her home pottery studio. When her now teenage son was a toddler, Donna wanted to introduce him to the joys of creative art play, but couldn’t find the sort of art class she envisioned. Donna decided to combine her passion for art , her love and children, and her desire for a process-oriented art class for her son to create her own unique art studio; hence The Messy Artist was born. She began in a rented room in St. Stephen’s Church in Millburn in 1999, moved to her own studio space in 2000, and in 2005 moved to her current, larger studio in South Orange.

A.J., 7 years

Ella L., 3 years