Artisan Institute of Barbering, Cosmetology and Esthetics teaches the next generation of Native stylists

SKIATOOK, Oklv. – The Artisan Institute of Barbering, Cosmetology and Esthetics is a Mvskoke-owned beauty school. This institution teaches a variety of services and helps lead students into career fields related to beauty and barbering. The institute offers interest-free tuition payments, and works with many local tribes due to the fact that many of its students are tribal citizens. It is accredited by the Oklahoma State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering.

The owner of the Artisan Institute of Barbering, Cosmetology and Esthetic, Chayelynn Moore (Mvskoke), started this business when the Covid-19 Pandemic began. During the beginning stages of the public health crisis, she started working at retirement homes in Tulsa, where she enjoyed working with elders. After the Covid-19 pandemic started to fade, Moore applied for a loan, which exceeded the amount she had initially anticipated it to be. Later she applied for another loan through the Mvskoke Loan Fund, which helped cover additional expenses and allowed the school to start enrolling students.

Moore is the first person in her family to enter the cosmetology field. Growing up Moore was a curly-haired child whose mother had straight hair. Due to her mother’s unfamiliarity with curly hair, Moore often received haircuts and styles that were not to her liking. Moore found herself cutting her own hair from time to time, as well as her friends’ and Barbie dolls’. Laughingly Moore recounted that this would land her in trouble, however she asserts it was simply just trial and error.

When it was time to pick a career Moore went to Clary Sage College for cosmetology in Tulsa and later graduated from Tulsa Technology Center with her master instructor license. “I wanted to teach because I could still be in the industry and I could still enjoy it. Then I could help impart that knowledge to the future generations too,” Moore said.

Moore enjoys utilizing color theory, or the concept of how colors interact with each other. She uses these concepts with hair, skin and nails. Additionally she also enjoys providing skin care and waxing. “I think the biggest reward is seeing someone’s face when you get done with whatever treatment you’re doing to them and they’re happy, that’s probably the best part,” Moore said. She also teaches cosmetology, barbering and esthetician. 

“I feel like this industry as a whole is really good for people who may not sit still at a desk very well, I have ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), so for me I spent many years not knowing that because it was a late adult diagnosis. I’m used to moving and I like helping people. So that’s rewarding for me to be up and moving and helping people,” Moore said.

The institute typically enrolls 6-8 esthetician students, ten cosmetologist/barber students, nail technicians and student instructors. The cosmetology and barbering programs typically take between 12 to 18 months to complete, the esthetician program takes six months to complete. Day shifts last from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., night shifts last from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. According to Moore, these times were selected in order to be as accommodating as possible for students with children.

According to Moore, prospective students interested in enrolling in the school must be at least 16 years old with an 8th grade reading proficiency.

Moore wants her school to be affordable. The school provides interest-free tuition and works with local tribes for financial support. Tribal citizens from the Osage, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Delaware and Cherokee Nations currently attend as students. She tries to be as flexible as possible when it comes to charging tuition payments, a hurdle she has had to overcome in the past.

“I ended up having to take out $24,000 in student loans to go to a big school in Tulsa after trying to attend tech and just things not working out,” Moore said. “So as a result of my experiences with not being able to take financial aid, but not being able to really afford to pay for it out of pocket, then having $1,000 dollars of student loan debt, I’ve tried to make it very affordable. Moore said.

Family Inspired

Growing up Moore’s aunt was also a business owner who managed multiple daycares. The success of that business inspired Moore to start her own.

Moore is happy that she is able to provide for her family, including her niece and nephew. Through her career as a business owner she wants to set a good example for her nine year old daughter. “I want her to see that as a woman you can do this and you can be a business owner and you can be an entrepreneur, you can set goals and you can achieve them,” Moore said.

The school’s overall goal is to help others to get out there and support themselves. According to Moore it is possible to make six figures in the industry, however she views her work as an opportunity to serve others. Her hope is that her students would enter cosmetology as a way to make an honest living, build a career they enjoy, as well as serve others.

“I think what I enjoy the most is when my students graduate and then they either land in a shop where they want to land, which usually they all have job offers before they graduate or my favorite thing is when they open their own space, which has happened a lot. Their success helps me build my success,” Moore said.

Moore’s advice for future students interested in enrolling in cosmetology school is to get out and seek the school that feels like the right fit. Most schools offer a day where prospective students can shadow and see what working in cosmetology is like. “It’s really good to get into the culture and the environment and see how everybody works together and how they function. Because the right school for you might not be the right school for the next person,” Moore said.

The Artisan Institute’s sister school recently held its grand opening in Tulsa and can be found at 8343 South Memorial Dr. According to Moore, there are plans to open a third location in Bartlesville. The school is also seeking certification to teach massage therapy.

For further information, contact the school by either text or phone call at 918-237-9437. They can also be reached by email, artisaninstituteok@gmail.com. The Artisan Institute can also be followed on Facebook.