Summer Camp Themes

One of our favorite parts of summer camps is dreaming up themes and projects for classic themes. Every summer, we review previous themes and choose to keep some and add in new ones. We strive to have new projects but some are just so fun we do them with new groups each summer.   You can find our rotating themes for this summer below!

When we designed our camps, we made the conscious decision to keep camps as small groups so we can use processes and mediums that just aren’t feasible when it’s one teacher with 25-35 students.  When we’re planning our projects, we make sure there’s a variety in the use of art mediums like drawing, painting, sculpture, relief, mixed-media, etc..  Some of our favorites include linoleum cut printmaking, complex cardboard sculptures, wearable art (such as hats and masks) but there are so many more.  

Along with the themes and mediums, we choose books that provide helpful visual inspiration so we can use that instead of examples. This allows for more imagination and creation than recreating something.  A natural plus to this approach is the connections they make multiple times between literacy and visual information.  It’s a great way to sneak in higher level thinking in a playful and fun way!

Our 2nd-6th Grade artists can enjoy the specialty camps & workshops where we really dig into specific mediums and processes.  At USN, we have our classic Drawing & Painting and Sculpture & Mixed Media.   At Sylvan Park Studio, we have Watercolor with our teaching artist Miranda Fuller, Wearable Art with Elle Lawson, Dollhouses with Leighton Bryant and a variety of sewing/textiles workshops with Emma Bradford.

For our younger campers, this year we have some of our favorite classic themes, such as Rainbow, Music City, Life Underground and some new ones including Artists Everywhere and Magic & Mystery.  Enjoy some of our favorite projects from years past and we hope you can join for some of the fun this summer!!