Summer campers will find inspiration everywhere during programs from the Meadows Museum at SMU, as well as have a chance to make masterpieces of their own.
The museum is offering two unique, weeklong summer camp experiences focused on creativity and self-expression for rising fourth through eighth graders: Sensational Sculptures and Printmaking Palooza.
Sensational Sculptures is scheduled for June 1 to 5, and Printmaking Palooza will occur from June 22 to 26. Both camps will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The price of each camp ranges from $125 to $200. Participants receive discounts if they are children of Meadows Museum members at the individual level or above, or of SMU students, faculty, or staff.
Laura Mancini, Assistant Director of Education at the SMU Meadows Museum, said the camps are designed to give students authentic artistic experiences rather than simple arts-and-crafts lessons.
“Our summer camps are immersive process-based art experiences,” she said. “Instead of following a step-by-step craft project, everyone makes their own thing. They explore their own ideas, experiment with materials, and develop their own creative voice.”
One reason the museum camps stand out is the opportunity for students to work inside an art museum. Campers can study exhibitions up close, learn from professional artists, and even go behind the scenes to view artwork normally kept out of public display.
“We get to look at and learn directly from the objects and exhibitions and artists in ways that you can’t do if you’re not in the museum,” Mancini explained.
The sculpture camp also includes a special partnership with artist and professor Emily Budd at the Meadows School of the Arts. Students will participate in a collaborative art project and experience an aluminum pour at the university’s foundry.
Museum staff say affordability and accessibility are also key priorities. With support from the Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust, the camps remain more affordable than many comparable summer programs, and scholarships are offered each year to help families participate.
Whether chiseling, carving, or screen printing, students are encouraged to think creatively, solve problems, and discover new passions that could shape their futures.
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