Summer Art Camp at Art Center Sarasota!
Through August 21
Young artists ages six and up explore their creativity during 12 weekly sessions.
(Sarasota, FL) Art Center Sarasota welcomes young artists to use their imagination and creativity during two summer camps. Creative Kids camp is for youth ages 6 to 10. Emerging Artists camp is for pre-teen and teens ages 11 and older. The weekly themed sessions run through August 21. Camp hours are 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. Before- and after-care is offered at no extra charge. Fees are $210 a week for Art Center Sarasota members; $260 a week for non-members. A $15 sibling discount is offered. Fees include all supplies and a t-shirt. Camp sessions are at Art Center Sarasota, 707 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. For more information and to register, call 941-366-0585 or visit www.artsarasota.org/summercamp.
According to Lisa Berger, Art Center Sarasota’s executive director, both camps offer young people the opportunity to create art that is unique to them. “Our goal is to spark the imagination of young artists, allowing them to express their creativity through a variety of media.” She explains that each week is themed to include educational components along with “fun projects that are inspired by what they have learned. Campers work on long and short projects in both two- and three-dimensional media. At the end of the week, they present their creations in a gallery reception for family and friends. It’s a big boost to the young artist’s self-confidence to see their works displayed publically and receive positive feedback.” Berger adds that the teachers are all professional art instructors who are themselves artists.
“Many of our campers from past years are now aging out of the younger groups but want to continue coming to the center for instruction,” says Elizabeth Goodwill, Art Center Sarasota’s education director. “This year we created the Emerging Artists camp for the older students. They work on the same themes as the Creative Kids camp but they have their own classroom and do more sophisticated projects, requiring a higher skill level. This addition has worked very well and we’ve been able to serve a greater number of students.”
About Art Center Sarasota
Art Center Sarasota was the first arts and cultural institution in Sarasota. It was founded in 1926 as the “Sarasota Art Association” by Marcia Rader, the art supervisor for the Sarasota County schools district. In the early years, the group met monthly and sponsored exhibits in rented facilities. The Association was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in 1943 and has been in its current location in the Sarasota Bayfront Cultural District since 1949. Art Center Sarasota is now a membership-based organization that offers curated and juried exhibitions, adult and youth education programs, outreach initiatives for underserved youth, and culturally related public programming. Art Center Sarasota’s mission is to provide Sarasota with opportunities for creative expression and art appreciation through art education, exhibitions and cultural programs. www.artsarasota.org.
