Art may be dying out in the school system, but it is alive and well in the community.

Lisa Grant, owner of Art at Heart, 1915 Mission 66, offers art lessons for students after school on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for second through sixth graders and Thursdays for Jr. high and high school students.

“Occasionally I’ll do first grade if they have potential and passion. I’ll see if they can stay focused,” she said.

Grant is not absolutely set on an age or grade limit as long as the student has an interest.

She likes small classes with no more than 15 students so that they can help with everyone’s skill level.

One girl has done it for six years, Grant said, and she loves it.

In her class she teaches them a lot of techniques.

“All these kids want to do it, and so I make it as reasonable as I can,” she said.

She usually has a lesson plan, but she allows the students to do what they want.

“Some of hem just have a day where they want to paint,” she said.

Grant thinks it also serves as an outlet for some students. She has made an impact on not just students from the district.

She has one student who is homeschooled, and her parents said their daughter’s whole outlook on life changed.

They think that the ability to socialize and hone her skills boosted her self-esteem.

Nnot all parents take art seriously.

“They think it’s just extra, but it helps on problem solving and fine motor skills,” Grant said.

Students in her classes can work on their science fair projects. She said she doesn’t do the work for them, but she will help and allows them to use any materials she has.

Third-grader TJ Turner, 8, said he started in kindergarten.

“I like coming here because I can make art out of clay and do melt-a-bead and just have fun,” he said.

He said his parents love the art he brings home and they sell some of his work.

Grant graduated from Mississippi College with her Master’s in Elementary Education.

“Art is my passion,” she said.

As the Fine Arts department head at Vicksburg High School, she teaches Honors Ceramics and Honors Studio along will all of the Ceramic II classes.

She said she got a teaching degree just in case she wanted to be a teacher.

“I’ve been teaching art for 33 years,” she said.

Art is her passion.

“I do it for the kids, and I do it for myself too. It’s all about meeting the needs of the kids,” she said.

She has owned her business, Art at Heart, since 2009 and loves it.

“It’s fun, and one day when I retire, I’ll just do this,” she said.

For the year-long class, there is a sign up fee and material fee for $50 and a monthly fee of $60.

“It’s about $15 a lesson,” she said.

She also offers a one-week art summer art camp during the summer.

Some students from Tallulah come because they aren’t’ offered art classes in school.

She also has a class of no more than five students on Wednesdays at 5:15-6:15 for her very serious art students.