FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 5, 2008
CONTACT: Lois Matus
lois@kellermonart.com
817-808-4125
Alison Cooke
alison.cooke@southernland.com
615-778-1206
Nationally Renowned Art School Opens Doors at
Arthouse – Keller’s Newest Mixed-Use Community
Ribbon Cutting to Be Held March 6th at 4:30PM
KELLER, TX – Nationally acclaimed fine art school, Monart, will open its doors for the first time in the State of Texas on March 6, 2008 in Keller Town Center. Monart has leased space in Arthouse, a dynamic new mixed-use community developed by Southern Land Company which recently opened in Keller in the fall of 2007. Monart is Arthouse’s first commercial tenant.
The opening, which is hosted by the Keller Chamber of Commerce and Lois Matus, director of the Monart in Keller, will take place at Arthouse on March 6, at 4:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
Founded by Mona Brookes in 1979, Monart School of the Arts is based on a revolutionary instructional drawing program that has been taught to students and teachers alike. Brookes is widely recognized as a true innovator in the field of art education and a leading expert in art’s therapeutic application for children and young adults.
This Montessori-friendly drawing program breaks objects down into five basic elements of shape and helps students learn that drawing is a teachable subject in which anyone can be successful. Now this education is available for the first time in the Dallas-Ft Worth area.
“I am so happy to be opening my doors in such a unique place,” said Lois Matus, director and owner of the Monart School of Art franchise in Keller. “The setting here is like nothing else in Keller and will prove to be a place of discovery for all. I am so excited to see art grow in this community.”
Leading educators recognize Monart as a teaching system that helps students to focus and concentrate, make decisions, solve problems, sequence and develop hand-eye coordination.
”We are thrilled to have Monart School of Art as our first tenant,” said Beth Thompson, VP of multi-family for Southern Land Company. “We feel this school helps enhance the culture we are trying to deliver with this project.”
According to Harvard University, “Monart broadens our conception of learning in the arts and suggests ways in which the arts can contribute productively to the mastery of other disciplines.”
About Monart
Students as young as three and a half will be able to learn to draw and paint. Classes for all ages, including adult, will be offered in a varied class offering. In this non-competitive environment, students are given a lot of exposure, detailed instruction on how to use art materials, guidance on how to pick projects, permission to draw from pictures and photos as well as live objects, and the freedom to explore any style they want. Monart gives enough structure to ensure accomplishment and enough freedom to allow for individuality and creative expression. For further information, go to www.kellermonart.com.
About Arthouse
Arthouse opened its marketing center in September 2007, focusing on a design that was in sync with the innovative look and feel of the residences and retail space. Arthouse is a mixed-use lifestyle housing retail, residential and commercial spaces unified in one development where each component artfully coexists with the other. The buildings’ architecture complements the existing Keller Town Center, but brings an artistic flair with walls of glass and mixed mediums not typically found in this area. Arthouse boasts interiors with visual interest and architectural elements that support and enhance the lifestyles of the diverse individuals choosing to live and work here. Apartments and retail space are ready for lease now. More information can be found at www.arthousekeller.com or by visiting the on-site leasing center located in Keller Town Center.
About Southern Land Company
Southern Land Company is based in Franklin, Tennessee, 15 miles south of downtown Nashville. It is a full service development firm with more than 335 employees between the Tennessee and Texas offices. The company employs architects, landscape architects, homebuilders, town planners, engineers, heavy construction professionals, marketing and sales teams, horticulturalists, and a broad scope of community development professionals. The private firm was founded 21 years ago by the current CEO, Timothy W. Downey. To learn more about Southern Land Company, visit www.southernland.com.
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