What we do:

We are an all ages art studio located in Aptos, CA and now around the world! We offer virtual and

small, in-person groups. In-person classes are organized at the directors discretion and posted as available.

Here you will find a range of virtual classes for all ages with lots of personal interaction and a positive, non-competitive environment. 

Art Factory instructors bring cross curricular experience to art education, using art as a medium to explore everything from history to mathematics to science. With an emphasis on art history, technique and creative expression, students will develop or expand their art practice. Use our classes to enrich your child’s education or for your own creative retreat.

©2020 Art Factory

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Staff​

Yvette Contois; Founder/Director and Art Instructor

With an early love for Art and Art Education, Yvette began her formal education in Philadelphia, starting as a high school student attending Moore College of Art. She went on to receive her Degree in Visual Communications & Graphic Design at The Art Institute of Philadelphia and soon after, received her BFA & K-12 Art Teaching Certification from Rosemont College, PA.

Yvette has been giving art lessons to adults & children since 1990. Her guiding passion is bringing art into the lives of her students. You will also find her teaching at the Cabrillo College Extension and at Santa Cruz Montessori. When not in the studio/classroom, Yvette continues her freelance career as a technical illustrator and commercial artist. The Art Factory has been Yvette’s creative vision, long before it opened in the Spring of 2009. She enjoys the studio’s continual growth and looks forward to the future expansion of its programs, to serve more of our county’s youth, teen and adult community.

Danielle Lewis; Art Instructor

​Danielle is graduating from Cabrillo Community College with three degrees in Studio Art, Liberal Arts and Science and Art History. She will be working towards getting her bachelors degree so she can become a highschool art teacher. She has her photography in multiple books and has been selling her whimsical ceramic chickens in the gallery A Sense of Place in Fresno. She has always had a passion to learn about art and art history and loves sharing her knowledge with others. “I love that moment when I see a kid's face light up when they see their creation come to life.”

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Jason Matthews

Jason is a self-taught character artist with an academic background in Studio Art. His experience includes a broad variety of creative formats, including caricature art, graphic design, and photography. He continues to hone his skills and expand his portfolio while pursuing a career in the animation industry. In the meantime, he enjoys guiding our aspiring young artists through the luminous world of drawing and illustration. He recognizes the potential of a healthy imagination and the importance of artistic freedom, and he emphatically weaves these ideologies into his teachings.

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Olivia Ronan; Fiber Arts Instructor

Olivia Ronan is a local fiber artist, creative mender, plant enthusiast and holds a BFA in Art from University of California Santa Cruz.

She discovered embroidery while studying Art at UCSC and instantly connected to  the meditative and versatile nature of the craft. The act of stitching is a deliberate process which helps her slow down, reflect, and appreciate the intricacy of the world around her.

As a teacher, she loves sharing her passion for embroidery with students of all ages, encouraging self expression and creativity through the art of needle craft.

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