Focus on Anna Banana
/By Alison Garback
Anne Freeman, beloved art teacher and owner of Anna Banana Arts & Crafts at 3270 S St NW.
If you’ve ever driven down S Street between Wisconsin and 32nd Street, you have surely noticed the adorable blue-and-yellow sign that hangs above the most charming little studio that houses Anna Banana Arts & Crafts, run by Anne Freeman. Anne was gracious enough to answer some questions about how she ended up teaching art to many of our neighborhood kids, including my three “animals/angels.” As a non-artistic parent, I am incredibly grateful to Anne for not only teaching my children how to create their own masterpieces, but also teaching them about great works of art and the artists who created them.
Like many parents in our corner of DC, I could go on and one about the wonders of Anna Banana, but Anne is far more eloquent than I.
What is your background, as it relates to art? Art has always been a part of my life. I started drawing and painting at a very young age. Freshman year of college I took art history and fell in love with learning about art through the ages. I graduated with a degree in art history. Then I found my second love, working in the art gallery world. I was an art dealer for 20 years working in various high-end galleries in DC.
Why did you start Anna Banana? Anna Banana was the brainchild built out of necessity. In 2009, I was laid off from my directorship of a Georgetown art gallery. The housing market had crashed and people just stopped buying nonessentials—like art. I came up with the name Anna Banana Arts & Crafts and started going to people’s homes to teach their little ones art. It is the perfect combination for me—allowing me to be creative and sharing my joy of art with children. I taught art for a year at Chevy Chase Baptist Church nursery school where I learned how to teach art in a classroom setting.
How long have you been in business? I have been in business now for 11 years and love every minute of teaching art to children aged 2–8 years old. Each year I teach between 200–300 children. It is such a joy to teach children: they are bright, honest, funny, and inquisitive. I love their freedom of expression, funny sense of humor, and the purity of their hearts. They keep me feeling hopeful!
How did you select your space? One day in 2012, I was driving through Georgetown on S Street and saw the most adorable space, the old Miller and Arney antique dealer’s “back space” where they housed their antiques. Great space! North facing, big windows, perfect light for artists, bathroom (complete with child-sized sink), and utility room, everything I needed to open an art studio space! The art studio found me, which in turn solidified my destiny to open an art studio.
Could you share a little bit about your teaching methods? My art history background, years of working in art galleries, and being an artist at heart, I teach a well-rounded and comprehensive art class for the children. I like to expose the children to different mediums, both known and unknown artists, and artistic techniques. I present the material in an age-appropriate manner, and we have fun together! Most of the artists that the children learn about have artwork right here in DC at one of our fabulous free art galleries. An extra bonus!
