The Atelier at the Pozez JCC Early Childhood Learning Center came to life in 2010, during a pivotal moment of transformation. The school was evolving from a traditional play-based preschool into one inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, an educational philosophy rooted in the belief that children are capable, curious, and full of potential. A core part of this philosophy is the presence of an Atelier, a workshop space where children explore and express their thinking through a wide array of materials. Alongside it is the Atelierista, an artist who collaborates with educators and children to support this kind of learning.
At the time, I was both a parent at the preschool and a practicing visual artist, deeply connected to the creative process but entirely unfamiliar with what an Atelier could or should be in an early childhood setting. When Amy Brinko, then the director of the ECLC, asked if I’d be willing to work part-time to help create an Atelier space and work with children and materials, I stepped into the role with equal parts excitement and uncertainty. There was no blueprint—just a cart, a cabinet, and the hope that something meaningful could emerge.
What began in the simplest of forms slowly unfolded into something much more. As materials were introduced into classrooms, it became clear that children were ready to engage with them not as craft supplies, but as tools for expression and discovery. Their responses shaped the path forward. When an unused classroom was later offered as a temporary morning space, the Atelier truly began to take root. Over time, it evolved from a borrowed space to a cornerstone of the school’s identity.
What makes the Atelier unique is not only its materials, but its philosophy. Inspired by the idea of the “hundred languages of children,” the Atelier honors the many ways children express themselves, through movement, mark-making, construction, storytelling, sound, and more. It is a space that values process over product, exploration over instruction. Children are not told what to create. Instead, they are offered provocations: What do you notice? What might happen if…? What do you want to say?
The Atelier is not about art in the traditional sense. It’s about thinking with materials, and using them to wonder, question, communicate, and connect. Children might use clay to represent something they’ve observed in the garden, they might explore shadow and transparency using light and acetate or discover the rhythms of mark-making with charcoal and pastels. In this space, materials become languages, and every child is a communicator.
Over the past 15 years, the Atelier has become a place where the voices of children are visible, and where traces of their ideas linger in the marks left behind. The space is shaped by the children who inhabit it, and in turn, it shapes how they come to see themselves as thinkers, makers, and contributors. Today, the Atelier remains a living, breathing part of the school’s identity. It is a place of wonder and possibility—where children are invited to explore the world and their place within it, one material at a time.
The current exhibit at the Bodzin Art Gallery offers a window into this work, showcasing how the Atelier is not a separate enrichment activity, but an embedded and essential part of the school’s curriculum. The images, documentation, and children’s work on display reflect the way materials support deep thinking, emotional expression, and collaborative inquiry. This exhibit honors the many voices of children and the powerful learning that happens when they are given the time, space, and materials to express themselves fully.
