The rainstorm started just as I pulled up to The Burrow and found manager and teacher Kalie Stier and her 4-month-old Hadley inside—cozy and dry and surrounded by art. Stier didn’t tell her two older daughters that she was coming to the studio, otherwise she would have had all three girls in tow. The older two are savvy enough to know that they should jump on any opportunity to hang out at The Burrow—and what kid (or adult) wouldn’t?
The shelves are packed with every imaginable medium and surface for art: paintbrushes and paint, watercolors, chalk, felt tip markers, crayons, glitter, beads, fabric, scissors, glue, charcoal, pencils, paper, canvas, and on and on. It’s an artist’s little Heaven. The name, The Burrow, is apt because the space is inviting and comfortable, a haven for creativity and joy.
Kïrsten Rommes, founder and owner of The Burrow, opened the space in January 2024. With degrees in visual art and elementary education, as well as years of experience teaching at an arts preschool in Seattle, Rommes brings knowledge and innovative enthusiasm to The Burrow. She has two daughters of her own; Kaija is 6, and Tara is 3. Rommes knew from day one of being a mother that she wanted her girls’ natural inclination toward creating art to be nurtured, and not just at home. She realized that what she wanted for them didn’t exist in the Wood River Valley—a refuge that was both a play space and an art school, an alternative or supplement to the many sports and other outdoor activities available for kids and adults in the area.
So, where there was no art school, Rommes created one in the Williams Building on West River Street at 2nd Avenue in Ketchum. Opening the door from a regular hallway into The Burrow feels like entering the Land of Oz, where everything changes from black and white to color. The space is a sanctuary dedicated to curiosity and inspiration. For a child already interested in art, it’s beyond Heaven. But even for the less artistically inclined, The Burrow opens its arms to everyone and allows all children and adults to shine, build confidence, and find their inner Picasso or Matisse.
Rommes has allowed The Burrow to grow and change organically by basing the camps and class times on the needs and desires of the community. She is always mindful of families’ busy schedules and the various local coaches’ and teachers’ practice times, whether for ballet or soccer.
Open Studio
If you don’t have the supplies or the space, or you don’t have it in you to face the clean-up on a rainy or snowy day, The Burrow’s open studio time can offer parents an hour or two of respite and give kids an opportunity to unleash their imaginations and let their artistic talents flourish. The kids have access to everything without being led on a specific project or assignment. It’s their time to find the materials they need to truly express themselves.
The People
Rommes has gathered a talented collective of teachers to impart passion and artistic knowledge to all their students, whether toddlers or grown-ups.
Kalie Mauldin, a watercolor artist and photographer, manages the studio and teaches classes. She studied art at Westmont College and believes that we can all discover who we are through art.
Renee DeBaun is a third-generation artist—her mom and grandmother were wildly creative, and Renee grew up surrounded by individuals expressing themselves through everything from painting to quilting to doily making.
Hayley Vanbragt can’t remember a time when she wasn’t creating art. She made and sold hemp necklaces as a child and gifted her mother with hand-crafted beaded barrettes and eventually ran her own bespoke jewelry company.
Ainsley Nelson hails from Whidbey Island and has always considered creativity to be a guiding force in her life. Her favorite mediums are acrylic painting, ceramics and ink drawing, but she welcomes inspiration in all its forms.
The most popular age groups are the Kit and Fox classes—not surprisingly as those kids (ages 3-8) tend to have boundless energy and enthusiasm and may not be fully committed to organized sports.
The Hoglet sessions are “Mommy and me” style classes, which are casual and offered on Friday mornings. Moms and their babies can drop in, work on an art project, and chat with other moms.
With some of the older groups, Rommes and the other instructors have been able to key in on the tweens’ and teens’ interests in comic book characters and graphic novels and guide them in creating their own characters and heroes in that style.
Summertime offerings include “camps” that run for two hours a day for four days. This summer, The Burrow has hosted Kit Dino Camp, Fox Clay Camp, Fox Creature Camp, Kit Rainbow Camp, and even a Squishmallow Workshop where kids can bring their favorite plush pals to life!
Rommes has done a masterful job of making just about every party or class iteration available to artists of all ages! Guest creatives can arrange private art classes, birthday parties, and adult sip and paint parties. The team at The Burrow will even come to you and create an “in-home art studio” style party for birthdays or any occasion.
What’s to Come
Once school starts, The Burrow will go back to after-school sessions, which are eight-weeks long—one hour per week—and are themed by the medium used (watercolors, for example) or another nature-based art project. For the most part, the clientele in the valley are not city kids who need more outdoor time. These normally very active kids and adults appreciate the slower pace and quiet of the art process in The Burrow.
Rommes and her team are committed to growing and adapting as the needs of the community change. Soon to come to The Burrow is a twice-monthly Parents Night Out when parents can drop off kids for four hours. While mom and dad enjoy a leisurely dinner and drinks, the kids have the chance to express themselves artistically, make friends, and even enjoy pizza and a movie!
Rommes believes that “Art makes children powerful,” and she has given them the space to tap into that power and build confidence and self-esteem.
WHAT’S ON OFFER
The Burrow offers drop-ins, full sessions, camps, special events, class packs, appointments, open studio time, and parties.
Each age group is named after a burrowing creature:
- Hoglet class—ages 1-3
- Kit Class—ages 3-5
- Fox Class—ages 5-8
- Badger class—8-11
- Marten class—ages 12-14
- Wolf Class—ages 15-17
- And the Owl Class—age 18 and older!