- All summer mini-camps meet Tuesday through Friday from 10a.m. to 12:30p.m.
- Location is at the historic Howland Cultural Center at 477 Main street in Beacon
- Cost is $150 per student, per class which includes all materials and fees
- Mixed age classes are designed for ages 6-11 yr; Older kid classes are for age 9 & up. (Mature 5 year olds who have completed Kindergarten will be considered for mixed age classes)
- Students will take a daily snack break in the garden, where they can stretch their legs, socialize, and play.
- Current health guidelines issued by New York State will be followed and updated prior to the first meeting.
Summer Mini-Camps
Week 1: Ready, Set, Paint!
July 5-8 (This week is FULL)
How can thousands of artists paint a flower and the outcome is unique every time? Each brush stroke and color choice contributes to the artist’s own personal vision. Creating for pleasure is an essential part of childhood, and there is nothing more satisfying and fulfilling for kids than to be allowed to express themselves freely and without judgment. We’ll experiment with color mixing, new ways of applying paint, and learn how to compose our paintings to reflect our own ideas of artistic expression. (Mixed Ages)
Week 2: Clay Fairy Houses
July 12-15 (This week is FULL)
With summer right around the corner, we’ll shift our focus to art we can appreciate outdoors and in the garden! We’ll learn basic clay techniques such as coil and slab construction, as well as decorative surface treatments. Then, we’ll design and build fairy houses, toad abodes, and other unique structures to give shelter to our small friends in the garden, both real and imagined. All pieces will be fired and glazed. (Mixed Ages)
Week 3: Clay for Older Kids
July 19-22 (This week is FULL)
Geared toward older kids (9-13), students will learn clay basics including coil, pinch, and slab construction, as well as various surface decoration techniques. The focus this week will be designing and creating a set of mugs, cups, or goblets for everyone to bring home and share in their daily kitchen. A good drink needs a good cup, don’t you think? All pieces will be fired and finished with non-toxic glazes.
Week 4: Mixed Media & Collage
August 9-12
This week students will be immersed in a variety of art mediums, including collage, painting, printmaking, and more. They will select from different prompts such as color, shape, pattern, or subject, and chose materials to combine together that inspire them in creating highly unique and original works of art. (Mixed Ages)
Week 5: Clay Planters
August 16-19 (This week is FULL)
Students will watch their clay skills bloom this week as they create their own unique ceramic planters. Using sculpting, slab construction, texturing, and carving, they will design beautiful containers for growing plants and flowers. All creations will be glazed and fired, and students will all get to take home a beautiful plant of their own to grow in one of their unique pots! (Mixed Ages)
Week 6: Tiny Treasures
August 23-26 (This week is FULL)
Learn how to make amazing miniatures such as furniture, food, and room accessories out of everyday objects like bottle caps, buttons, felt, beads & more. The finished creations can be displayed just as they are or they can be incorporated into a diorama style environment made by them. Will they make their dream house? A mini cafe? A tiny pet playhouse? It’s so much fun to share ideas and see the amazing ideas everyone comes up with. There’s no end to the creativity this week! (Mixed Ages)