As the founder and CEO of the early childhood art studio First Encounters, LLC in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Dr. Kathy Danko-McGhee has dedicated her career to nurturing infants’ and young children’s innate artistic abilities. First Encounters provides babies and toddlers unique opportunities to actively engage with art, giving them sensory-rich, developmentally appropriate experiences that foster visual literacy and early learning skills.
Empowering Young Minds Through Creativity
Dr. Danko-McGhee’s fascination with young children’s responses to art began years ago when she taught summer art classes to toddlers and preschoolers at a local church, culminating in mini-art shows that amazed parents and community members. She continued nurturing her children’s artistic development at home and during museum visits around the world while traveling, noticing how an early introduction to art paid dividends in their awareness and appreciation.
Her interest in studying child development and art education eventually led Dr. Danko-McGhee to earn a Ph.D. with a focus on art education and early childhood. And become a university professor, allowing her to delve deeper into research on early childhood aesthetic preferences and experiences. She spent over a decade studying how 3-5-year-olds respond to and interact with art, publishing books and articles on the topic.
However, she still had unanswered questions, particularly about infants and art. Dr. Danko-McGhee explains, “When I thought I got to the point of feeling like I knew everything about early learners, I hadn’t. I left out the youngest children, ages 0-18 months, and wondered, ‘What kind of art do they like? Do they even like art? If so, how would I know?’” This initiated a new phase of global research into babies’ aesthetic tastes and reactions to imagery, with Dr. Danko-McGhee traveling to Australia, New Zealand, England, and Romania to conduct her observations
After this enriching sabbatical, Dr. Danko-McGhee took on an ideal role as Director of Education at the Toledo Museum of Art. She explains, “It was the perfect arena to study little children as they looked at art. I spent much time there, and, for a short time, I taught my university classes in the museum’s Family Center after the museum closed for the day. It was perfect because I could take my students up to the galleries to discuss various artworks and how to engage little children.”
In this position, Dr. Danko-McGhee spearheaded groundbreaking museum programming for young visitors, including the creation of the first-ever Baby Tours in the galleries. Despite initial hesitation from the museum director about allowing infants amongst precious artworks, she convinced him. “I went straight away to the director. I had an idea. We need to have a tour just for babies, I told him. After several weeks of being a nuisance, he finally surrendered. I was victorious, but I got strict orders no strollers allowed in the galleries,” Dr. Danko McGhee recalls. The tours became an immediate success and caught the attention of cultural institutions across the country, eager to implement her research-backed approaches.
Translating Research into Practice
After over three decades in higher education and museum education, Dr. Danko-McGhee was ready to build on her work by opening her specialized art studio for babies through toddlers. First Encounters provides an enriching environment engineered entirely around young children’s developmental needs, sparking their innate curiosity and embedding foundational learning habits.
Dr. Danko-McGhee explains her motivation for starting First Encounters: “I left 24 years in higher education and 8 years as an elementary art teacher so that I could spend my time where the magic is, with young children. I created my company, First Encounters, LLC., where I provide quality art-viewing and art-making experiences for babies, toddlers, twos, and threes to nurture early literacy and language skills, along with developing essential cognitive, social, emotional, and multi-sensory skills.”
The studio offers interactive sessions where infants and toddlers can discover and touch art installations specially curated based on visual qualities Dr. Danko-McGhee’s research shows young children are drawn to. Caregivers learn techniques and vocabulary to enrich these encounters. Toddlers have open-ended creative time to freely experience different artistic media.
First Encounters translates decades of scientific investigation on early brain development and education into practical, play-based programming. Dr. Danko-McGhee shares, “Little children are not allowed to touch the art in a museum setting, nor is the art placed at a height that they can see. But these challenges are resolved in my studio. It is a space for children to explore and enjoy art.”
Paying it Forward
Besides growing First Encounters, Dr. Danko-McGhee continues to pay forward her specialized knowledge by partnering with community organizations serving disadvantaged children. She notes, “When the opportunity arises, I accept opportunities to work outside of the studio with marginalized communities. In the past, I provided art and literacy experiences for babies at Baby University in Toledo, Ohio. This is an economically challenged community where children fall behind and are not ready for kindergarten.”
Dr. Danko-McGhee has also distributed free Baby Art Kits to underserved areas of Los Angeles. She reflects, “I am always looking for ways to give back to the community using art as a vehicle.” This commitment to access and equity aligns with First Encounters’ mission to foster every child’s innate creativity during the most crucial developmental windows.
Research Laying the Foundation
Dr. Danko-McGhee has produced essential scholarly contributions advancing the understanding of young children’s artistic development. Her 2000 book The Aesthetic Preferences of Young Children detailed her studies on 2–3-year-olds’ responses to visual imagery, providing guidance for developmentally appropriate toys, picture books, and learning environments.
Her subsequent work, The Impact of Early Art Experiences on Literacy Development (2007), explored the vital connections between early art experiences and building literacy skills, offering advice to parents and teachers seeking to embed art across learning domains.
After her international sabbatical researching infants and aesthetics, Dr. Danko-McGhee published numerous articles on the topic. This work culminates in her newly released book Viewing Art with Babies (2023), providing theoretical grounding and practical techniques for facilitating engaging, enriching museum and classroom art appreciation activities targeting the 0–18-month age range.
Through these publications and others, Dr. Danko-McGhee has established guidelines and evidence advancing best practices in early childhood arts education across settings. Her work has influenced cross-disciplinary learning frameworks as well as museum programming both in the United States and globally.
Now recognized as a global leader in early childhood art education after decades of university research, museum work, speaking engagements, and publications, Dr. Danko-McGhee continues making pioneering strides with First Encounters. She transformed a passion project into a fledgling company, making tangible impacts in her local community.
First Encounters brings to life the latest neuroscience, showing how hands-on, play-based art experiences in infants and young children build cognitive, emotional, and social skills with lifelong benefits. As the business grows, Dr. Danko-McGhee aims to expand her reach, working with more marginalized communities while shining light on the incredible capabilities hidden within our littlest learners.
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