Welcome!

Hello!
My name is Nathalie VanBalen and I am an artist and educator. In addition to teaching at the University School of Nashville, Watkins College of Art, Design & Film, and The Frist, I am very excited to offer one-of-a-kind art camps in my home! The purple house provides an intimate, flexible environment. Small groups of children have fun creating stop motion animations, videos, books, puppets, and other dynamic artworks.

Our unique projects:
-promote a playful exploration of materials
-allow space for each child’s interpretation and imagination
-challenge kids to think critically about the world around them
-encourage kids to engage with and learn from each other

TESTIMONY

“The stop-motion camp was a wonderful week of sheer creativity and fun, and the movies the kids made were inspiring. Luca has been taking pictures and making movies ever since.  I can’t recommend this experience highly enough.“  -Helmut Smith

“Ella had a fantastic time at camp. She said it was her very favorite of all the camps she went to- and that is high, high praise.” -Kathryn Barnett

“How thrilling to see my anxious, shy Elena tackle a speaking role in a movie she helped to make. The safe, encouraging space Nathalie provided these kids to create within was a great gift to them and to us parents.” -Joe Shepherd

“Nathalie’s stop-motion animation camp was our daughters’ favorite camp of the summer. It was the perfect combination of creativity and summer fun with the fabulous Miss Nathalie!” -Susan Foxman

“The camps that Nathalie directed were carefully designed for the specific mix of the children’s ages and personalities. She puts a lot of thought and effort into preparing the sessions, while still staying flexible and open to the ideas and suggestions that the children generate during the day. The other great strength of the camps is that Nathalie possesses the gift of communicating effectively with children of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. She is able to listen respectfully to them while maintaining her role as the adult leader/teacher. The result is that a community is created, in which each child’s participation is fundamental to the success of the whole. Nathalie is a gifted artist in multiple media. She provides a strong role model and many personal contributions in this regard, while focusing on each child’s creative expression and growth. She also has a gentle sense of humor and a purple house!” -Joyce Johnson

—

—

Please browse the WHO, WHAT, and WHERE pages to learn more about my summer camps. Feel free to contact me at nathalie.vanbalen@gmail.com or (740) 739-3469 for more information / to join my mailing list.

—