Beacon Art Academy in North Canton Teaches Kids 'Beautiful Paintings'

The art school, part of a national program, offers classes for students and adults to learn art fundamentals and oil painting.

Published on Jan. 30, 2026

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The Beacon Art Academy opened about a year ago in North Canton, Ohio, offering art classes for students and adults. The academy is part of a national program and teaches art fundamentals like shading, shadow, and light, as well as oil painting. The owner, Jim Sponseller, discovered his own passion for art during the COVID-19 pandemic and wants to help others discover their artistic abilities. Students like 8-year-old Aleksej Radmanovic and 11-year-old Emma Bungard are learning to create realistic and colorful oil paintings, with some aspiring to pursue art as a future career.

Why it matters

The Beacon Art Academy provides a creative outlet for students and adults in the North Canton community, helping them develop their artistic skills and potentially discover new career paths. In an era where many schools are cutting back on arts education, the academy fills an important role in nurturing the next generation of artists.

The details

The Beacon Art Academy divides its classes into two age groups: 7 to 11 and 13 to adult. The younger group works with charcoal and pencils, learning shading, shadow, and light, as well as grid-based drawing. The older group paints with oil. Over the course of 20 months, the academy's goal is for students to advance to realistic and colorful oil paintings of a professional quality. The academy is one of several Art Academy Studios locations across the country operating under individual names.

  • The Beacon Art Academy opened about a year ago in North Canton.
  • The academy's goal is for students to advance to professional-quality oil paintings over the course of 20 months.

The players

Beacon Art Academy

An art school that opened about a year ago in North Canton, Ohio, offering classes for students and adults as part of a national program.

Jim Sponseller

The owner of the Beacon Art Academy, who discovered his own passion for art during the COVID-19 pandemic and wants to help others discover their artistic abilities.

Aleksej Radmanovic

An 8-year-old student at the Beacon Art Academy who is learning art fundamentals and hopes to become an artist in the future.

Emma Bungard

An 11-year-old student at the Beacon Art Academy who is learning to create realistic and colorful oil paintings, and is interested in pursuing a career as an illustrator.

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What they’re saying

“I come here to learn. I like art. I started art when I was very little, and I've drawn ever since I was 2 or 3.”

— Aleksej Radmanovic, Student (cantonrep.com)

“It makes me have a big imagination and not think about hard stuff in life.”

— Emma Bungard, Student (cantonrep.com)

The takeaway

The Beacon Art Academy is providing a valuable resource for the North Canton community, nurturing the creative talents of both children and adults and helping them develop their artistic skills. In an era where arts education is often underfunded, the academy's commitment to fostering artistic expression and potential is a welcome addition to the local arts scene.