Westport, CT -- The Westport Arts Center will offer eight, one-week sessions of fine arts camps with morning classes offered for kids ages 4 - 7 and afternoon classes for kids ages 8 -12.
With everything from mixed media open studios to themed classes delving into graffiti, design and technology, each week-long session will include brand new projects that invite creativity and experimentation while building technical and problem-solving skills. The Arts Center will also continue to offer a week of Special Arts camp, designed for students of differing and special needs.
Partial week or single days of camp are permitted as space allows, allowing opportunities to sample a new medium or skill. Fees will be prorated and registration must be completed three days before the requested date(s).
Lillie Fortino, Westport Arts Center's Director of Education explained, “We listened to both parents and students as we built our Summer Camp schedule. With offerings such as Graphic Novel, Pot To Plant (terrarium building), and iPhone Photography, our unique workshops will keep kids engaged and creative all summer.”
This year’s Summer Camp will be taught by Lillie Fortino and WAC Education Manager Noah Steinman, who both bring extensive arts and design teaching experience to the Arts Center.
To sign up for Summer Camp, or to learn more about themes, instructors, or policies, please visit www.westportartscenter.org or call 203.222-7070 today. Become a member any time to qualify for discounts on camp registration, or sign up a sibling and receive a 10% discount on the second registration. Gift certificates for individual weeks of camp are also available.
Westport Arts Center Summer Camp 2017 Schedule:
Morning camps run from 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM and include a snack; Afternoon camps run from 1:30 – 3:30 PM. In instances where morning and afternoon classes feature the same theme, activities and direction will be designed to be age-appropriate.
Registration fees vary based on materials costs.
June 26 – June 30
Morning (Ages 4-7): Culture Arts
Non-Member $370/WAC Member $345
Your student will travel the world, as they are introduced to a new place and culture each day. From Japanese silk painting to Native American dream catchers, students will be exposed to an array of materials and medias.
Afternoon (Ages 8-12): Graphic Novel
Non-Member $280/WAC Member $255
This course will guide young artists as they design their own characters and illustrate their own stories on professional-standard comic strip storyboards and book covers.
Afternoon: Special Arts (4:00 – 5:00)
Non-Member $80/WAC Member $60
This high-quality arts program is designed for students of differing and special needs who might need additional attention in the classroom. This course offers insight into artistic processes and techniques while promoting self-awareness and self-esteem through projects, fostering critical thinking and creative innovation through adaptive methods.
July 3 – July 7 (Short Week)
Morning (Ages 4-7): Pot To Plant
Non-Member $350/WAC Member $325
Afternoon (Ages 8-12): Pot To Plant
Non-Member $250/WAC Member $225
Whether your student has a green thumb or is addicted to Instagram or Pinterest (or both!), terrariums are trending. Students will build their own terrarium from pot to plant, designing every element along the way.
July 10 – July 14
Morning (Ages 4-7): Printmaking
Non-Member $365/Member $340
Students will spend a week exploring the world of printmaking, as they construct beautiful works of art through relief printing, stamping, and monotype. They will get a feel for the traditional and also experiment with non-traditional stamping materials such as leaves, flowers, and other unexpected items.
Afternoon (Ages 8-12): Spa Week Workshop
Non-Member $275/Member $250
Students will spend a week crafting everything they need to experience their own fun spa day at home. Campers will use non-traditional and non-toxic materials to make bath bombs for the perfect bubble bath, soap, lip balm, accessories and more! No two projects will be the same, allowing students to customize their product with their favorite scents, colors, glitter, and unique packaging.
July 17 – July 21
Morning (Ages 4-7): Magical Masks
Non-Member $360/WAC Member $335
Afternoon (Ages 8-12): Magical Masks
Non-Member $260/WAC Member $235
Does your student dream about transforming into different characters? Do they love reading books, taking on a new character, or even making up a new one? Students will bring three different characters to life as they create completely unique masks following different techniques including clay and Paper Mache.
July 24 – July 28
Morning (Ages 4-7): 3D Arts
Afternoon (Ages 8-12): 3D Arts
Non-Member $265/Member $240
Why work in 2D, when you can work in 3D and literally create art that jumps off the paper? If your student is ready to move beyond traditional drawing and painting, allow them to spend a week creating 3D masterpieces in this non-conventional sculpture class. Students will sculpt with wire, yarn, cardboard, and more.
July 31 – August 4
Morning (Ages 4-7): Meet The Masters
Non-Member $375/WAC Member $350
All the great masters, both traditional and contemporary, have an influence in this fun weeklong art camp! Each day will focus on an art project unique to the style of a different artist. From Picasso to Frida Kahlo, and perhaps even some Van Gogh, students will learn the names and styles while having fun doing it.
Afternoon (Ages 8-12): iPhone Photography
Non-Member $250/WAC Member $225
Our worlds are inundated with technology, and we love to share our lives with others. Our phones are our own personal sidekicks that let us take immediate, hi-resolution images to post to social media. Students will learn how to adjust for light and composition while gaining valuable knowledge from visiting artists.
August 7 – August 11
Morning (Ages 4-7): Summer Studio
Non-Member/$375/WAC Member: $350
Afternoon (Ages 8-12)
Non-Member $275/WAC Member $250
Summer Studio is the Westport Arts Center’s response to the independent young artist who wants choice and freedom. Each day of the weeklong workshop will allow students to choose from two different art projects, so that they can follow whatever their passion is that day. From clay to paint, and everything in between, Summer Studio is the perfect camp session for the young artist who just wants to try it all!
August 14 – August 18
Morning (Ages 4-7): Upcycled Art!
Non-Member $365/WAC Member $340
Students will use found and recycled objects to create 2D and 3D art in this innovative class which will exercise problem-solving skills and flex the imagination. The session will begin with a treasure hunt through WAC’s special collection of eclectic materials to create highly customized and autobiographical pieces of work.
Afternoon (Ages 8-12): Graffiti Book
Non-Member $265/WAC Member $240
Students will begin this week-long session by receiving their own hardcover, 150-page, blank sketchbook to customize. Campers will be visited by artists and designers who will share their knowledge and techniques as they build their graffiti skills, learn different writing styles and drawing styles, and play with design. Includes use of paint markers, permanent markers, colored pencils, and collage.
August 21 – August 25
Morning (Ages 4-7): Tie Dye
Non-Member $385/WAC Member $360
Afternoon (Ages 8-12)
Non-Member $285/WAC Member $260
Students will explore five different methods of tie dying, combining math, pattern, and color theory to create amazing works of wearable, usable art! They will create a collection of t-shirts, pillowcases, and socks, experimenting with different methods of tie dye, exploring pattern and a bit of science, as they progress from simple dying techniques to more advanced methods.
About the Westport Arts Center
The Westport Arts Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting community through the arts, reaches more than 11,000 people annually through outstanding programs in visual arts, arts education, and the performance arts of Chamber music and jazz.
The Westport Arts Center also receives philanthropic support from the Katherine and Howard Aibel Foundation; Artur and Heida Hermanns Holde Foundation, Inc.; AB Bernstein; CBP; Cohen and Wolf, P.C.; Connecticut Cigar Company; Connecticut Office of the Arts; Delamar Southport; DanceSport; Dragone Motor Cars; Fairfield County Bank; Fairfield County's Community Foundation; Finn, Dixon & Herling LLP; Fleishers Craft Butchery; 4th Row Films; GWAY Marketing Gymnasium; Hal Prince Music; the Hall Art Foundation; The Hofstetter Baron Group; J.P. Morgan; Lillian August; the Mitchell’s Family of Stores; Moffly Media; Newman’s Own Foundation; Random Acts; Rosenkranz Foundation; Saugatuck Grain & Grape; Shack Sackler Foundation; Sontag Advisory LLC; Stamford Tent; Sun Hill Foundation; Verde Energy USA, Inc.; Vespa Restaurant; Wells Fargo Advisors; Westport Now; William J. Rosenbloom Charitable Trust; Xerox Foundation; WPKN and WSHU Public Radio Group.
For more information, contact the Westport Arts Center at (203) 222-7070 or www.westportartscenter.org. The Westport Arts Center gallery is open Monday - Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 51 Riverside Avenue, Westport, CT.