The Creative Director and Co-Founder of art-design shop Grey Area talks about growing up in the arts and her new cause, ProjectArt.

As a kid, the art bug first bit when…
Having an artist for a dad, we were always making stuff. And in camp, arts and crafts and ceramics were my jam. Not that I was all that talented… but it didn’t matter, it was fun!

And my very first art love was…
William Kentridge, age 14. I loved how you could see his process in the work. It was so dramatic and powerful to me.

Lesson I learned from my mom [art collector Beth DeWoody] about art…
Collect for love.

In a nutshell, ProjectArt is…
An organization effectively bringing after-school arts programs to public libraries in neighborhoods where arts programming has been cut from the public schools.

I became involved when…
I met its pioneer Adarsh Alphons at a dinner at the Maysles’ home. The whole night was amazing, but one of the best takeaways was meeting Adarsh, who introduced me to the organization with a visit to one of the classes.

And I’m passionate about this cause because…
I love how effective it is. Creativity is essential in my life — I would implode without it — so the thought that arts education is being denied to so many children is truly upsetting. Arts eduction teaches you how to think outside of the box, to problem-solve creatively and to connect to your instincts — all very useful tools whether one becomes an artist or not.

To instill an early interest in the arts with your own kids at home…
I plan to have a fully stocked crafting room, for myself and my kids. Fun art projects can’t be beat.

Favorite New York spots for kids to see great art…
PS1 is definitely a favorite — I love seeing art in less expected contexts like schools. (Shout out to the Spring/Break Art Show and Cutlog, both fairs which operate out of old schools downtown.) I love the big open and modernist spaces that museums outside the cities can afford, like at Dia:Beacon and the Parrish. But I also enjoy a traditional setting as well, like you’ll find at Neue Galerie or the Met.

Favorite art festivals around the world…
Do biennials count? I love biennials. I haven’t been to that many but love the Venice, the Whitney Museum and Cuba biennials.

Emerging artists I’m keeping my eye on…
My eye is looking in a million places, I feel like a bug…

Next up for Grey Area…
Design fairs, yoga in art places and some fun summer plans out East. Collabs all around!