Our Story
About
How we got our start
Joshua and Claire have taken art classes together since high school. The St. Joseph High School art teacher at the time, Ted Wise, encouraged their creativity. Claire also studied under a variety of teachers including Sandy Coffin, Nancy Bandy, & Ellie Poirrier.
Early Experiences
Claire taught with Ellie Poirrier for a few years immediately following high school and that experience fueled her love of art education. She also taught art at Victoria Christian School in 2007 and K-7 art at New Summit Charter Academy from 2018-2020. She also taught with Manhattan Art Program in 2008 and was inspired by their mission of turning trash into art. Claire assisted Sally Pryor in founding the Texana Center for the Arts and learned a lot from that experience.
Joshua Santellana – Animation
Joshua began animating in 2012 and met with Nickelodeon producers to pitch his cartoon in 2014. Since then, he continues to animate and has designed an excellent animation program for the students. He has also entered Film Festivals across the country and has been nominated for Best Animation.
Arts in Medicine at MD Anderson
During JJ Santellana’s cancer treatment at MD Anderson, their entire family bonded through the Arts in Medicine program and their love for art only grew from there. Claire also had the honor of serving on the Arts in Medicine board at MD Anderson.
Art to Finish Studio – Colorado
In 2018, they opened Art to Finish Studio, LLC which enabled them to teach art across Colorado Springs, CO and the surrounding area. They created new programs that are still thriving in CO and worked directly with Pikes Peak Library District, Falcon Homeschool Academy, and Classical Conversations.
Crossroads initiatives – Art Community outreach
Claire also worked with Cottonwood Center for the Arts and was able to take that experience to work with Main Street Program and curate the Downtown Victoria Art Walk in Victoria, TX. Claire had the honor of working as the Children’s Director of The Nave Museum in 2020/2021. In 2008, Claire served as the Children’s Director at Victoria Art League. In 2020/2021, she served as Vice President and she is currently serving as President.
Crossroads Art house
The innovative design of Crossroads Art House is heavily influenced by all of the artistic experiences the Santellana’s have had. The Crossroads Art House concept was also developed by observing art studios across the country.
Being artists themselves, owners Claire Santellana & Joshua Santellana Sr. dreamed of a place where creatives could freely create and meet other artists. They also wanted a place that promoted art for fun as well as art for education.
We’ve helped with various community projects including a mural project at The Texas Zoo in 2009 and a collaborative chandelier placed in the Victoria, TX City Hall in 2022. We plan to offer patrons continued opportunities for collaborative art projects in the future.
We believe in the power of art! Art can increase concentration, improve motor skills, promote emotional well being, build self confidence, and more. Whether you want to bring people together for a team building experience, paint for fun, or are a career artist, Crossroads Art House has a place for you.
Our classes in the Crossroads include programming at Children’s Discovery Museum of the Golden Crescent, Brenda Briggs YMCA, Crossroads Christian School, Victoria Art League, and Port Lavaca Art Guild. We can create customized programming for your organization that aligns with your mission. Examples include lessons that align with the Classical Conversations curriculum, Classical Method lessons, Waldorf style lessons, and STEAM programming.
Art for fun concepts include trying new media, painting a pre-made piece of clay, painting on a canvas, mosaics, and more. Art for education includes a variety of classes including drawing, painting, clay hand-building, throwing on the wheel, sewing, animation, and Adobe Creative Suite just to name a few. We are also excited to launch our online programs in 2023.
the Team
Meet Everyone
At Crossroads Art House, we pride ourselves in our well-trained staff. Customer service is our priority to ensure you have an enriching art experience.
Claire Santellana
Owner/Instructor
Joshua Santellana Sr.
owner/instructor
Jacquie Grissom
instructor
Shei solis
Instructor
TESTIMONIALs
What our amazing customers think
The art party experience was amazing! The party was well organized with different creative activities for the children and adults. I highly recommend if you are looking for a fun and unique party idea here in the crossroads.
Our Mission
We believe in cultivating artistic situations that build confidence, improve resiliency, and engage problem solving skills, through positive & inspiring recreational, educational, and professional experiences for all ages.
Our Vision
To provide access to enriching & inspiring art experiences for all ages.
Possibilities to achieve our vision & mission are endless but include create for fun activities (mosaics, pre-made pottery, pre-drawn canvases), art parties, collaborative art projects, in person & online classes for all ages, collaborative art parties, wall murals, art shows, curation of Downtown Victoria Art Walk, and art contests.
