Summer camps are back at the NIC
Kids at our summer camps explore creativity in ways they might never have thought about before. Some will spray paint murals, explore art and engineering through time or film spooky movies.
Spots are still available so far for several camps throughout the summer. You can find out more and register kids aged 7-15 at our front desk or online at https://thenic.org/2022-summercamps/. For the “Back in Time” and “Saw it on Social Media” camps, you’ll need to register at The Science Zone or at this link: http://www.thesciencezone.org/summer-camps.html.
Members receive a camp discount, and you can become a member via our website or phone. For any questions about the camps and registration, please call the NIC at 235-5247.
Parents are always looking for enrichment activities for kids in the summer, and the camps pack these longer days with fun and learning, curator of education Miller said.
“These camps are designed for kids who are great at art and kids who don’t maybe consider themselves great at art,” Michelle said. “We try to make it easy and accessible for all levels of interest and talent, so you don’t have to be an artist to come to an art camp at the Nic. You’re going to have fun no matter what, and you’re definitely going to learn some new skills.”
“And maybe discover a hidden talent,” art instructor Kelsy Lempka said.
Variety of topics
Two of our camps are back by popular demand. The “Art of Horror Vol. 2” camp July 18-22 for ages 11-15 will again explore how horror has inspired art forms. These daring campers learn how to build suspense and for a finale screen their own mini horror movies they created. The “Street Art Vol. 2” camp July 18-22 gives kids aged 11-15 a chance to learn spray painting techniques with local artist Chris Ruegsegger plus create their own large paintings. These two camps fill up every year, so make sure to sign up soon.
“Color Me Crazy” Aug 15-19 is a new, unique camp that our teachers expect to be very popular, Kelsy said. Kids aged 7-10 or 11-15 will learn about color theory and how color interacts with light. They’ll even experiment with bright neon colors and see them glow under black light,” Michelle said.
“Another exciting new camp is called “Saw it on Social Media” with The Science Zone. Kids can find out which online life hacks, art projects and science experiments really work, according to our website. They’ll even replicate some projects of popular artists on Instagram and TikTok, Michelle said.
The other camp with the Science Zone, “Back in Time,” explores ancient engineering feats like Machu Picchu and Roman Aqueducts, and kids “explore how engineering, inventing, and art are connected now and throughout history,” according to the website.
Kids will be introduced to artists through time, create their own “cave painting” and even learn how paint was made, Kelsy said.
“We’re going to go outside on a nature walk and see if they can find some things they want to try to use as a paintbrush or whatever, and see what happens,” she said.
Summer days, new experiences
The museum’s educators designed summer camps full of activities kids always love and projects with art supplies they’ve probably never used before. The extra time in summer camps bring opportunity for bigger and more complex projects than may be possible in the NIC’s regular classes or at school, Kelsy said.
Kids get to work with supplies they don’t get to work with anywhere else, because they can be time-consuming and expensive, Michelle said.
“So it’s very fun to get some new, exciting supplies in their hands that they’ve never before experienced,” Michelle said.
Spray paint is always a big draw for instance. In other camps, kids can try different kinds of clay. Some weave fabrics or paint on cloth. They can try marbling painting techniques.
Our teachers tie the camp projects to museum exhibitions and take kids on tours through the galleries.
“Our biggest goal, for me anyway, is to create lifelong museum goers and lovers – having them have good memories of the Nicolaysen art museum and always want to come back,” Michelle said. “We always try to get them into the galleries and get them looking and talking about art.”
Sometimes parents tell Michelle that their kids became obsessed with an art technique they did at camp, and now they’re still creating at home.
“That makes me super happy because I’m like, “Cool, we just created a little artist. They found their thing.”
