About the Arts Alive Art School
In 2004, Irene (Reenie) Czys opened the Arts Alive Art School and Studio in the Garnerville Arts Center where she taught Drawing, Watercolor and Acrylic classes and workshops. She also had studio/class locations in the Hopper House in Nyack, in Nanuet, and also at AC Moore, and in Blauvelt. Irene has also taught art workshops at corporate retreats such as IBM, New City Library and Summer Camps.
Prior to starting Arts Alive, Irene worked in Marketing and as a Graphic Designer. She owned two businesses in New City: County Marketing and Graphics Plus from 1985 to 1998. She stopped working full time due to a back injury that prevented her from meeting deadlines, and she started focusing on her love for painting.
Irene wanted to share her love of art and teaching, and decided to open Arts Alive. In talking to potential students, Irene discovered that many local art programs were "sit down and paint" programs where beginner students were mixed in with advanced students and the beginner students felt lost and confused. Irene wanted her programs to be tailored to true beginners so she developed a series of easy-to-follow step-by-step classes and workshops that have helped hundreds of students discover their own artistic abilities. She taught drawing and painting classes from 2004 to 2015.
In 2015 Irene paused her art teaching to pursue her interest in video and photography which she is still involved in today. However, Irene recently wanted to get back to her first love...art...so she has recently opened an Art Gallery in Nyack. She has recently decided to offer some of her Art Classes and Workshops in the gallery.
Irene stated: "One of the saddest things I've heard from my adult and teen students is that an art teacher once told them that 'you will never be able to draw or paint.'
"The problem was that those TEACHERS didn't know how to teach! Clearly, they are in the wrong profession!" I teach an EZ Draw class that teaches anyone to basically be able to draw whatever they can see in just 3 hours! Students revealed amazing drawing skills! And the work my painting students created was truly amazing too!
"It brings me so much personal joy and satisfaction knowing that I helped many students overcome the false narrative injected by inept and frankly, cruel art teachers!"
