About Art House Art Studio
We believe everyone is creative. Not just some people. Not just the ones who went to art school or grew up with a paintbrush in their hand.
Everyone. The child who says they cannot draw. The adult who bought art supplies and never opened them. The teenager who stopped trying because someone told them they were not good enough.
Art House Art Studio in New Bern exists for everyone. We guide, we encourage, and we get out of the way.
Our story
Art House Art Studio began the way most good things do — with a conviction and very little else. Christy Casciello started Art House in New Bern to build something different. Word spread from parent to parent, family to family. No advertising or social media campaigns. Just through children who could not stop talking about being there.
The business faced real challenges along the way. But the community that had grown around Art House would not let it disappear. And when the right partner appeared — Jennifer Haskins, artist, educator, and milliner — and the right space became available on Pollock Street in the heart of downtown New Bern, the next chapter wrote itself.
Today’s Art House Art Studio is something bigger than either partner could have built alone. An art studio and a creative cafe. Classes for children and camps that sell out. Drop-in creative sessions for adults and families who never thought of themselves as artists. A community space where making things brings people together.
The people behind Art House Art Studio
Christy Casciello — Co-Founder & Art Director
Christy has been teaching art for over 30 years and has never once believed that creativity is a gift only some people have. She grew up in Richmond, Virginia, earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University with a concentration in Art Education, and spent the years that followed teaching in museums, private schools, and community studios across the country.
Her experience running youth and family programs at the Dayton Art Institute and teaching art K through 5th grade at The Epiphany School of Global Studies in New Bern gave her a deep understanding of how children learn, grow, and surprise themselves when they are given the freedom to create.
At Art House, Christy’s approach is simple. She gives students the tools, the materials, and the encouragement — and then she trusts them to figure it out. The results, as anyone who has attended an Art House Art Show will tell you, are extraordinary.
Jennifer Haskins — Co-Founder & Creative Director
Jennifer Haskins is a NC native who grew up in Jacksonville and has spent her career at the intersection of art, education, and making things by hand.
She studied art education at UNC Asheville and spent ten years teaching art in public schools from preschool through ninth grade — long enough to know exactly what happens to a child’s relationship with creativity when they are given genuine freedom to explore it.
Jennifer also developed a parallel passion for millinery — the art of designing and making hats. In just eight years she has built a practice that has taken her from craft fairs to custom commissions, and her hats have been featured in local publications and worn by clients across the Southeast.
When Jennifer and Christy met, they quickly discovered they shared the same conviction — that creativity is not a luxury or a talent, but a fundamental human capacity that deserves a proper place to grow. Now they are designing an experience that welcomes everyone from the first-time visitor to the seasoned maker.
Our Teaching Team
Art House classes are led by a small team of experienced educators who share the same belief in creative freedom that Christy and Jennifer bring to everything they do.
Emily Maunz
Emily grew up in upstate New York and holds a degree in elementary and special education from SUNY Geneseo along with a master’s degree in early childhood education. She has taught preschool and kindergarten and worked as a nanny, and her favorite part of teaching has always been watching a child’s face when they master something new. Emily believes learning should bring joy to people of all ages — and it shows in every class she leads. She relocated to New Bern in 2022 with her husband Tom and their daughters Kaitlyn and Ceci.
Come and see what we are building
Whether you are looking for the right class for your child, a creative outlet for yourself, or simply a place to sit down and make something on a Thursday afternoon — Art House Art Studio is the place. Come and find us at 507 Pollock Street in downtown New Bern. We would love to meet you.
Questions? Call or send us a message from the Contact page.
Don’t forget that Art House Art Studio will be part of the monthly Art Walk event, presented by Craven Arts Council and New Bern artists.