Registration is open for the Arts for Lawrence summer art camp, an annual event for more than a decade that offers visual and performing arts activities for kids.
Arts for Lawrence Program Manager Lecia Floyd said the camp started when the nonprofit organization was in its first small space on Franklin Road, before it moved to its expanded facility on Otis Avenue.
“We’d have, I don’t know, seven or eight kids,” she said. “It was in a garage. It was hot. But it was great. They would do ceramics and drumming and all kinds of fun stuff. And so, over the years we’ve grown.”
Arts for Lawrence now offers four week-long camps to up to 50 kids per week. Each week has its own theme, but the days are structured the same, with mornings dedicated to visual art programs at the Visual Arts Center.
Morning activities can include any kind of visual art, Floyd said.
“Last year, one of the days they did pendulum painting, which was so neat,” she said. “We created this pendulum, poked a hole in a cup and they got to swing it back and forth. That’s pretty messy. I have pictures of some of the kids with stained hands or, you know, stuff on their shirt. We say, if you come home from our camp and you’re clean, you probably didn’t have fun.”
The campers get a break at midday for lunch, which is included, and to run around in the outdoor Cultural Campus, which includes a set of musical swings. They spend the afternoon with performing arts programs at the Theater at the Fort.
“We bring in different performing arts partners to work with the kids,” Floyd said. “This year, the first week, we’re partnering with the Indiana Drama Club, and they’re going to work with the kids on theater and put together a short production.”
Each Friday, that week’s camp ends with a short performance the kids learned, which is open to the community, followed by an art show to display the visual art they created.
“It’s a whirlwind, but it’s great,” Floyd said. “The kids love it. They go to camp from ages 6 to 12 and we have a couple of kids that are aging out this year. They’ve been with us since they were 6 or 7 years old.”
Kids can sign up for multiple weeks, she said, and registration will remain open as long as there are spots available. The cost is $175 per week. Scholarships are available for those who qualify.
For more and to register, visit artsforlawrence.org.
