My first-grade son has a knack for drawing. His favorite subject in school is art.

You bet I’ve signed him up for an art summer camp at Joslyn Art Museum to feed that love of his.

I’ve partnered with Joslyn Art Museum to tell you about their fantastic lineup of summer camps because, you guys, they’re great. My son didn’t really want to leave each day and he took so much joy out of showing me what he’s been working on. Andy Smith, Studio Programs Manager, provided a lot of details that you’ll find helpful when considering a Joslyn summer camp.

What makes Joslyn camps unique

Location. First, obviously, it’s pretty unique to have a camp inside an art museum. Students create with inspiration and guidance from the artists, media and techniques found there. So, they spend time in the gallery learning about the art-making experience and tools, and then also spend ample studio time.

Themes. A lot of camps focus on art fundamentals–paintings, drawing, sculpture and printmaking–and they tend to be the most popular. I was eyeing drawing for my kiddo, and it was already filled. Other camps draw from exhibitions and galleries in the museum, like several camps that will draw from a “Bijoux Parisien: French Jewelry from the Petit Palais, Paris.” Check the camp list here and register ASAP if you see one you think your child would like.

Age range. Very few summer camp have options for as great of an age range as Joslyn Art Museum. In addition to camps for ages 4-5, 6-8, and 9-12 the museum offers teen camps in ceramics, printmaking, drawing, painting, and alternative art. If your kid has found his or her passion, they can spend many summers happily pursuing it.

Unique partnerships. This summer, Joslyn Art Museum has partnered with the Union for Contemporary Art, 2423 N. 24th St., a fully equipped artists co-op just down the street from the museum. This is where teens will go for their summer camps. Another partnership is between the museum and The Rose, where kids ages 9-14 work on theater design.

Holiday week mini-camps. Joslyn Art Museum offers one-day camps focused on an art fundamental during Fourth of July week. The bad news: Each day is full right now. You can add your child’s name to a waitlist, though.

What’s a typical camp day?

Joslyn Art Museum summer camps are half-days, which you can combine the morning and afternoon to make a full day of camp (full day campers get to have supervised lunch in the outdoors sculpture garden). A typical half-day involves most of the time creating art in the studio, with some time spent in the galleries and in discussions about artworks and artists to provide context for the studio challenges that day. There’s a snack break halfway through camp each day. Artists have to eat, you know. Full-day campers need to bring a sack lunch.

Ready For Joslyn Art Museum Summer Camp?

Where: Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge St.

Cost: Camps for ages 4-5, $60 per camp for members and $70 general public (2-hour camps, no snacks); camps for ages 6-8 and 9-12, $80 per camp for members and $100 per camp for general public; camps for teens, $100 per camp for members and $120 per camp for general public (ceramics camps for teens is $200 and $240, respectively).

Register: Online at joslyn.org

 

Disclosure: I received a complimentary camp registration in compensation for writing this post. All opinions expressed in the post are mine, as are the typos.

 

Liked this post?

Get more posts like this delivered straight to your inbox twice a month. Subscribe to the FREE e-newsletter sharing giveaways, new posts and updates to popular posts like this one! Subscribe here.