Middles (8-12) - Summer Visual Art Camps

Do you love to paint? Stretch your painting skills during this camp week, as we experiment and explore acrylic painting. We’ll get inspired by contemporary artists, learn about landscapes, and play with abstract painting, too! We will introduce different painting techniques and styles to create vibrant artworks.

Does your camper love the animal world? Join us for this week of animal themed art making! Animals have inspired artists since the first cave paintings, and we will let the patterns and textures of animals inspire us to create art in different media in this fun camp.

Bigfoot, mermaids, the Loch Ness monster?? Oh my! Are you fascinated by the weird and wonderful world of these possibly imagined, possibly real, but amazing creatures? Let’s bring them to life together during a magical week of summer camp. We’ll explore the many myths and legends surrounding fabulous cryptid creatures, then design and create a soft sculpture using upcycled materials, yarn wrapping, stitching, and beads.

The ocean creates a beautiful and fascinating habitat for a variety of creatures both in the water and outside. This camp will explore the beauty of the ocean and the living things that call it home. We will be inspired by artists while learning about coral reefs, ocean animals, and land animals that live near the water.

Discover the art of portraiture! Kids will explore techniques for making portraits inspired by famous artists while experimenting with a range of materials, including pencil, paint, collage, and mixed media. With fun projects throughout the week, they’ll learn to capture personality and emotion, all while developing their own artistic style and creating expressive, one–of–a–kind portraits.

In this camp, kids will discover techniques for transforming paper from two–dimensional planes into three–dimensional creations. We will explore all the ways to play with paper–– cut, fold, crumble, wind, rip, and glue! From origami to paper clay, campers will explore a different form of paper art each day.

Pop Art is a movement that celebrates popular culture. In this fun hands on camp, kids will explore and get inspired by artists of this movement, like Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Romero Britto, and Wayne Thiebaud. We will work in 2D and 3D, with projects including painting, printmaking, and sculpture inspired by pop artists.

An introduction to the beauty and artistry of weaving! You’ll start camp by designing a self–portrait to follow as you weave. Then, you’ll build a personal cardboard loom and learn to warp it. Finally, you’ll use your selfportrait as a pattern to practice basic weaving and turn your design into a wonderful, woven portrait of You in Yarn.

Spend the week celebrating your love for pets and animals through art! We’ll be looking at our beloved animals and learning how to incorporate them into our artwork. Campers will focus on learning how to draw their own adorable pet (or the one they want!) while experimenting with different mediums!

Explore the fun of making pottery with pinch, slab and coil techniques—no pottery wheel needed! Learn to build cups, plates and jars and then make them super special as you decorate them with colorful underglazes. All work is fired with food–safe glazes. Look for an email from the Phipps when the pottery is ready for pick up, approximately two weeks after camp. Closed–toed shoes must be worn in the ceramics studio.

Get your hands dirty this summer! Learn about clay and the basic techniques of throwing pottery on the wheel. Create cups and bowls and experiment with different techniques for adding finishing touches to your work. All work will be fired with food–safe glazes. Look for an email from the Phipps when the pottery is ready for pick up, approximately two weeks after camp. Closed–toed shoes must be worn in the ceramics studio.

Join us for this fun, hands–on jewelry–making camp! Kids will learn basic techniques to design and craft their own bracelets, necklaces, and more using colorful beads, charms, and other materials. Perfect for kids interested in creating wearable works of art, this camp encourages imagination, fine motor skills, and self–expression.

What happens when science and art collide? This exciting camp week blends creativity, observation, and plenty of fun! Each day, we’ll explore a new science topic—from physics to botany—and bring it to life through hands–on art projects. Join us for a week of experimenting, designing and building!

Art and Science Lab Part 2

What happens when science and art collide? We’ll continue the fun for another session of Art and Science, featuring all new projects for part 2! This exciting camp week blends creativity, observation, and plenty of fun! Each day, we’ll explore a new science topic—from physics to botany— and bring it to life through hands–on art projects. Join us for a week of experimenting, designing and building!

Campers will create art that moves, spins, or interacts with its environment. All week, we will explore how movement and mechanics can bring creations to life. Using everyday materials like paper, string, and recycled objects, we’ll experiment with balance, motion, and interactivity to build dynamic artworks. This camp combines creativity, engineering, and fun!

Discover the world of textile art! Campers will explore a variety of fiber art techniques, with projects tailored to their interests. From wet felting to weaving to fabric dyeing, each day offers hands–on opportunities to experiment, create, and learn. Perfect for kids who love to work with their hands and explore new materials!

Do you love the outdoors and painting? In this camp, we will combine the two and take our art making outside! We will spend the week observing the beauty that surrounds us here on the banks of the St. Croix River, learning to paint from life and nature, and breaking down the landscape to create quick, expressive paintings. Let’s get outside and get inspired! Campers should dress for the weather.

Get ready to explore the fashion capital of the world! During this camp, we’ll stream a real French fashion show for inspiration, then bring a touch of Paris to life. Design and paint the Eiffel Tower onto chic tote bags, craft your own cardboard camera to capture photos of all the sights and create stylish beaded jewelry perfect for a Parisian outing. At the end of the week, we will work together to create a Paris–themed runway to show off your fabulous creations. Don’t forget to invite your family to the grand finale!

This week in camp, we will discover how sketching and painting work together. Kids will explore how sketching serves as a foundation for painting, experimenting with it as a key first step in the creative process. They’ll learn the basics of color mixing and try out various painting and drawing mediums and techniques to bring their ideas to life.

This camp week, we will look at how artists use circles to create balance, harmony and movement, and experiment with a variety of techniques and materials. Campers will explore spin art techniques, create woven radial patterns on circular looms, and learn about the cultural significance of circular designs like Native American dreamcatchers and Celtic knots.

This fun and colorful camp is all about sweet designs and imaginative projects. We’ll craft squishy bubble gum stress balls, Willy Wonka top hats, playful clay candy pins, and vibrant tie–dye. To top it all off, we will create a candy–themed runway together for our end–of–week fashion show. Be sure to invite your family to celebrate your wonderful creations!

Save those delivery boxes and create amazing art! This camp will develop students’ creativity while creating sculptures and more from everyday recyclables such as delivery boxes, cereal/cracker boxes, paper towel rolls, and more. Students will learn different attachment techniques, strengthen the structure, add color and additional odds and ends to make unique, creative masterpieces you will want to show the whole family.

Create cosplay props and accessories to transform yourself into your favorite character! This step–by–step camp will guide students through the process of using everyday materials and papier mâché to help create a fabulous costume. Get ready to roll up your sleeves, get messy, and learn some great papier mâché sculpture techniques!

Join us for a fun and creative week where campers will learn basic stitching techniques while exploring a variety of materials to create unique projects. We will make small felt creatures, custom bookmarks, design one–of–a–kind fabric patches and sew simple drawstring bags. No sewing experience is necessary!

Be creative, together with your child this summer! Learn about clay and how to throw on the potter’s wheel side by side in the ceramic studio. Create cups and bowls, and experiment with different techniques for adding finishing touches to your work. All work is fired with food–safe glazes. Look for an email from the Phipps when the pottery is ready for pick up, approximately two weeks after camp. Closed–toed shoes must be worn in the ceramics studio.

Fee: $89 per person, adult and child register separately