Art Explorium celebrates grand opening in Kaimuki

Creative Inking

Little known fact: we can predict the future. And in the future, your child is the next Picasso.

Go ahead and laugh. But the last time your little one got hold of the colored markers, it looked like a rainbow exploded in the living room (clearly, he's already leaving his mark).

Help him reach his destiny by way of Art Explorium, an open studio designed to give keiki of all ages the freedom to do pretty much anything and everything when it comes to art.

Sure, it's got the usual paints, markers, and colored pencils, but we suspect he'll be drawn to the three main art stations filled with projects that encourage keiki to think outside the box: throwing paint onto a spinning paper in vibrant splashes of color, using watered down glue to decoupage collages, mixing oil-based paint and water to create swirling dyes.

Keiki photos by Art Explorium.

Then there are the Trash to Treasure activities, designed around materials donated by local businesses, like building birdhouses out of spare Styrofoam containers or making necklaces out of discarded keys. He can take his finished masterpieces home or proudly display them in studio.

On hand to nuture your budding young artist (if he needs it) are founders Taiji and Naoko Terasaki, who created Art Explorium to fuel the creative endeavors of their own two children. You'll be there too, since all keiki must be accompanied by an adult. While he's off creating his next chef-d'oeuvre, you can admire the center's artistic touches, like the floor-to-ceiling mosaic made out of donated tiles and the gorgeous back counter showcasing intricate layers of reclaimed wood.

If your child gets bored with the art stations, he can always scrawl over the chalkboard wall. Or the low hanging dry erase board. Or the bathroom.

Consider it the perfect canvas for his Blue Period.

Art Explorium celebrates its grand opening tonight from 6-9 p.m. at 1142 Koko Head Ave. Guests are invited to enjoy light refreshments, dress up and pose for a photo booth and draw self portraits. The center is open Mondays and Thursdays from 9 a.m.-noon and 2-5 p.m., and Wednesdays and Fridays from 2-5 p.m. at an introductory rate of $5 per person. For more information, call (808) 312-4316 or visit ArtExplorium.org.