Illuminate! Creative Arts Studio opened its door in October of 2014. At the time we were operating as “Ike and Tine’s Dance and Fitness Center” in conjunction with what is now Shiloh Fitness, part of the Global Spheres Center. We had our first Spring Recital that year with a modest 33 dance students. It was the beginning of the beginning. There were no music or art classes and only one adult acting class at that point. The entire studio team consisted of Ms. Valerie, Ms. Celestine, and Mr. Jonathan.
Our second year in 2015/2016 saw a small growth in our faculty as well as our student base when we added Ms. Sarah to our dance department, and offered our first “Experiencing the Arts” (ETA) class which allowed us to open the door for our future music and art departments. We ended the year with 55 students participating in our spring recital.
The 2016/2017 season was our third year. While we were still at the beginning of building Illuminate!, we made great strides in establishing our foundation. We had a studio team of 11, close to 200 students and offered music, theatre, dance, and art.
The 2017/2018 season brought us 287 students who registered in our various departments. We continued to grow and provide a safe and affordable place for children and adults in the local community to explore a variety of creative gifts.
The 2018/2019 season was filled with excitement as we opened the doors to our newly expanded location at the Global Spheres Center Building. We made use of four brand new studio rooms, a waiting area for parents and siblings, a full reception desk area, as well as a large multi-purpose room!
The 2019/2020 season brought an ending we would have never expected, but we were grateful for the 450 students who God brought to us that year. While our summer camp schedule was wiped away, we worked hard to create and produce a new online branch to Illuminate in addition to our onsite program that began to open the door for Illuminate to reach students all over the globe.
As we began planning for our eighth season, we knew the Lord was preparing us for a major shift within the structure of the studio. During the fall of 2021, we began enrolling students in our Training Programs as well as continuing Foundational level classes in all department. Our Training Program students spend multiple hours a week truly training to confidently express themselves on a multitude of platforms in their respective art forms. Our Training Program students spend time throughout the week praying, worshipping, and learning how to give their best expression to the Lord, first.
Dr. Charles D. Pierce is the founder of Illuminate! Creative Arts Studio. He and his wife, Pam, have created and cultivated a true sense of family and community here at the Global Spheres Center. GSC is home to several international ministries, local businesses, a community gym, and Illuminate! Creative Arts Studio. Chuck and Pam are passionate about seeing all generations collaborate in creating an atmosphere of expression – including movement, sound, art, and theatre. Their belief is that the arts should be accessible to all regardless of a person’s financial situation or geographical location. They have created and are building a place that makes this a reality for many in our community and around the globe.
Our vision at Illuminate! Creative Arts Studio is to create a place where artists are welcomed and encouraged to express themselves, strengthen their God given gifts, and pursue their dreams. We encourage a disciplined focus and pursuit of excellence in the arts as we teach our students to use their art form. Our goal is to foster an atmosphere of creativity where we are free to study different forms of artistic expression which not only develop our students but give them tools they can use throughout life. We recognize that artistic expression has the capacity to bring freedom to those experiencing it – and we desire to provide a place for all to experience that freedom. Our studio is designed not only to reach our community, but communities all over the world, as we continually build together artists of all ages who can create, collaborate, support and uplift one another. We believe that all creativity is given by God and our hope is that you will find your expression of worship as you develop your artistic expression!