MAKEart Studios is a small, in-home art studio offering classes and workshops for kids, teens, and adults. Classes are designed to balance clear instruction, strong materials, and time to explore. Students learn drawing, painting, watercolor, mixed media, and design while building skills that grow over time. The studio is intentionally small. Working in a focused group allows for more thoughtful guidance, better materials, and space for each student to develop their own ideas without feeling rushed or overlooked.
This is a place where people learn how to make things - and keep making.
The Pocket Gallery is a small, outdoor exhibition space designed and built by artist and studio owner Heather Klausa, with help from members of the community. Built to bring more public art into the neighborhood, exhibitions rotate and feature both student and professional artists. The gallery is often discovered by chance and returned to with intention.
Art small enough for your pocket · Important enough to share
Heather Klausa is a professional artist and certified art educator. She studied Art Education at the University of Illinois and later completed a second BFA in Painting after time in Verona, Italy. Her work moves between drawing, painting, and mixed media, rooted in observation, material exploration, and a close attention to process.
She founded MAKEart Studios in 2017 and has since worked with hundreds of students across ages and experience levels. Her teaching is built on a balance of clear instruction and creative independence. Students learn how materials behave, how to build skill over time, and how to make choices that are their own. For several years, Heather homeschooled her children, an experience that continues to shape how she teaches. Her approach blends structure with openness, drawing from both Charlotte Mason and Reggio Emilia in a way that feels natural inside the studio.
The result is a space that is calm, focused, and deeply creative.
a place to make art and a place to share it
VISIT · MAKEart Studios and Pocket Gallery are located near downtown Downers Grove, within walking distance of the Tivoli Theatre.
The gallery is always viewable from the outside. (currently off display for repairs)
Studio classes and workshops are available by registration. The studio is open to enrolled students and by appointment for interested artists and families.