Camp Kala Calendar- For Reference Only
2023 Camp Calendar
Week 1: June 5-9 / Paint & Draw Your World! / Ages: 6-11
Let’s draw the people and animals you see and imagine out in the world! We will make our own sketchbooks and use contour and gesture drawing techniques to capture the human and animal worlds. We will learn about proportions and how to build animals out of shapes. During the week young artists will use watercolor, acrylic paint, and collage to create unique textures and make expressive images that explore the real and imagined living world.
Week 2: June 12-16/ Sculptural Play/ Ages: 6-11
Explore concepts and techniques of sculpture using cardboard, paper, paper-mâché, clay, found objects, and more! During the week, young artists will play with scale, line shape, texture, and color to create sculptures from observation and imagination inspired by people, animals, and nature. From the real to the fantastical, discover the endless fun of 3D artmaking!
Week 3: June 20-23 / Adventures in Comics! / Ages: 6-11
Join us for a 4-day week full of comics, characters, and visual storytelling! Using mixed media, such as crayons, pens, ink with a brush, and even watercolor, participants will create characters and take them on adventures to unknown places in the wildlands of their imagination. We will play with sound effects, expressions, movement, and backgrounds. How many panels does it take to tell a joke? How many for an outer space adventure? How does a camera angle affect the drama? We will take inspiration from some of the characters and creators of our favorite comics to create our own stories.
Week 3: Digital Photography: Making with Light / Ages: 11-17
Experiment with digital photography and notice the environment around you. We will learn the fundamentals of taking, processing and editing photos with digital software. Participants will develop a unique style by learning to manually set their camera and use composition to strengthen their images. Participants will learn to become more comfortable with using their digital cameras and develop a personal view of the places and spaces around them.
For this class, participants will need a digital camera, either a point-and-shoot camera or a DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera with photography modes and exposure settings. Make sure you have a memory card, battery, and charger. If you need access to a digital camera, Kala has a limited number for class use. Please contact youtharts@kala.org in advance to ensure availability.
Week 4: June 26-30 / Drawing from Life: Expression Through Seeing / Ages: 11-17
Practice different drawing techniques in a fun studio environment. We will explore the way that drawing can reflect our individual perspective, through careful observation and exploration of mark-making. Learn about line quality, form, tone, negative space, and composition while drawing from observation and reference using a variety of drawing media. Projects will include linear perspective study, still life, portraits, the figure (with a live model), landscapes, and personal narrative. We will look at local and contemporary artists and consider how representation can also be a means of expression. Join us as we explore our individual drawing voices!
(CANCELED) Week X: July 3 – 7 / Collaborative Creativity: Mixed Media Mapping / Ages: 6-11
What does a map mean to you? In this 3-day camp, campers will create a collaborative mapping project that explores our environment, and how we connect to people, places, and things that are important to us. Using a variety of media such as oil pastels, acrylic paint, color pencils, collage, and frottage (rubbings), young artists will make drawings and paintings inspired by individual and shared experiences/memories, play, movement, and the continuous experimentation of artmaking techniques and materials. Let’s create collaboratively!
Week 5: July 10-14 / Acrylic Painting: Fantasy in the Frame / Ages: 11-17
Learn the basics of painting (with a twist) as we develop our own imaginative and fantastical characters to bring to life with acrylic paint! We will move from paper to 3D forms to the canvas as we explore color theory, still life painting, creating physical references for paintings, and more. Through a mixed media approach, participants will work on their observational drawing/painting skills and challenge their notions of image-making as they move through both 2D and 3D art. All levels are welcome!
Week 6: July 17- 21 / Teen Comics Lab: Panels and Perspectives / Ages: 11-17
Calling all rising comic artists! During this one-week intensive, we will explore writing, storyboarding, illustrating, and laying out a visual narrative from start to finish. Participants will take inspiration from prominent styles of comic artists as well as animators around the world who have shaped the creative landscape as we know it. At the closing of the program, participants will have a unique comic zine or hand-drawn storyboard highlighting their creativity and new storytelling abilities.
Week 7: July 24-28 / Fabric Fun and Colorful Creations! / Ages: 6-11
Let’s look at animals, nature, and artists as inspiration for colorful works on fabric! Explore color, shape, pattern, and texture to create fun projects such as your own painted soft sculpture, indigo-dyed batik backpack fabric, weaving, and a mixed-media wearable art piece that tells a story. We’ll learn about textiles and simple artmaking techniques using paint, ink, glue, fabric markers, and more. Create unique long-lasting works of art, including collaborative artworks with other campers, and continue the summer expressing yourself unlimitedly!
Week 7: July 24-28 / Silkscreen: A Painterly Approach / Ages: 11-17
Learn both the basics of silkscreen printing and explore the experimental nature of painting to create unique prints on paper! In this class, we’ll let go of the set idea of a “finished project” and open ourselves to the journey of experimental painting and printing. Create prints in a supportive, creative, collaborative environment and get to know Kala’s historic printmaking studio. Building from foundations of color, shape, texture, mark-making, and depth, students will build layers of silkscreen and mixed media for surprising results.
Week 8: July 31- Aug 4 / Imaginative Puppets for Storytellers / Ages: 6-11
Join us as we bring our stories to life through puppetry! Puppetry allows us to stretch our imagination, and to be builders, writers, designers, performers, and illustrators all at once. Together, we will spend the week building colorful, new puppet characters and their stories. Participants will work mostly with paper and explore other materials such as recycled materials, fabric, and found objects. Through material exploration, building techniques, and design choices, we will learn how to tell stories and create our own expansive worlds in a whole new way.
2022 Camp Calendar
Week 1: June 6-10 / Fun Fabric Art Creations / Ages: 6-11
Description: Let’s look at animals, nature, and people as inspiration for colorful works on fabric! Explore color, shape, pattern, and texture to create fun projects such as your own soft sculpture, batik fabric, and a patterned wall hanging or tote bag. We’ll practice drawing from life and images, and learn about textiles and simple artmaking techniques using paint, ink, glue, fabric markers, and more. Create unique works of art, including your own functional wearable art, and start the summer expressing yourself unlimitedly!
Week 2: June 13 – 17 / The Comics Lab: Adventures in Visual Storytelling / Ages: 6-11
Description: Join us for a week full of comics, characters, and visual storytelling! Using mixed media, such as crayons, pens, ink with a brush, and even watercolor, participants will create characters and take them on adventures to unknown places in the wildlands of their imagination. We will play with sound effects, expressions, movement, and backgrounds. How many panels does it take to tell a joke? How many for a love story? How does a camera angle affect the drama? We will take inspiration from some of the characters and creators of our favorite comics to create our own stories.
Week 3: June 20 – 24 / Paper Puppet Paradise / Ages: 6-11
Description: Bring your stories to life through puppetry! Puppetry allows us to be builders, writers, designers, performers, and illustrators all at once. In this week of collaborative exploration, we’ll be storytelling and creating illustrations to bring to life. Using recycled materials, mixed media, paper, and a variety of drawing and painting tools, participants will create a new, never before seen story! Together, we will experiment with materials, building techniques, design choices, and story-making. Let’s build paper puppets, scenery, and a short show that we can film!
Week 3: June 20 – 24 / Silkscreen: Protest Anything! / Ages: 11-17
Description: In this experimental workshop, we will explore the DIY world of multiples through silkscreen. Participants learn the basics of silkscreen through two print projects, focusing on functional possibilities in print. Youth will develop and print a one-color logo project (branding) where participants can bring in their own items to print. The class culminates in a multiple-color protest poster, where participants use print to express their point of view and participate in a print exchange with other youth artists.
Week 4: June 27 – July 1 / Drawing From Life: Expression through Seeing / Ages: 11-17
Description: Practice different drawing techniques in a fun, studio environment. We will explore the way that drawing can reflect our individual perspective, through careful observation and exploration of mark-making. Learn about line quality, form, tone, negative space, and composition while drawing from observation and reference using a variety of drawing media. Projects will include linear perspective study, still life, portraits, the figure (with a live model), landscapes, and personal narrative. We will look at local and contemporary artists and consider how representation can also be a means of expression. Join this class and explore your drawing voice!
Week 5: July 5 – July 8 / Collaborative Creativity: Art-in-Motion / Ages: 6-11
Description: Working across various media such as painting, drawing, sculpture, and installation, young artists will create a collaborative installation with kinetic elements. Throughout the week, we will explore abstract and representational forms and themes inspired by the natural environment, soundscapes, and our bodies. Paying close attention to the act of creating and associated physical movement, we will incorporate moving parts and pieces in our creations. From mobiles to self-portraits, we will experiment with diverse art materials such as recyclable materials, repurposed objects, paint, paper, fabric, wire, and teamwork! Let’s imagine the possibilities of making art in motion!
Week 6: July 11 – July 15 / Oodles of Doodles: Cartooning, Comics, and Zines / Ages: 11-17
Description: Experiment with storytelling and cartooning through comics! We will learn the process of creating our own comics from start to finish with original characters and narratives. The class will progress through ideation, storyboarding, sketching, inking, lettering, and coloring. Participants will learn how to access their personal drawing style through fun cartooning activities and tell stories using visual narratives pioneered by artists like Lynda Barry and Ivan Brunetti.
Week 7: July 18 – July 22 / Sculptural Play / Ages: 6-11
Description: Explore concepts and techniques of a sculptural practice using cardboard, papier-mâché , clay, nature, and more! During the week, young artists will play with scale, line shape, texture, and color to create sculptures from observation and the imagination inspired by people, animals, and nature. As a class, we will also work collaboratively on a life-size painted cardboard sculpture. From the real to the fantastical, discover the endless fun of sculpture!
Week 7: July 18 – July 22 / Urban Photography: The Camera & Landscape / Ages: 11-17
Description: Learn about the variety of styles of photography that encompass the camera and the landscape it photographs. Photography genres such as street photography, architecture photography, environmental photography, documentary, and photojournalism will be introduced, as we discuss artists and activists who use the camera as their unique creative tool. Throughout the week, youth will engage in outdoor “Inspo Walks” for inspiration as we observe and capture the local landscape through the camera lens. Youth artists will be encouraged to explore their creativity and experiment with styles as they learn the technical and conceptual aspects of photography including framing and composition. At the Digital Arts Lab at Kala, participants will be introduced to photo editing applications as we discuss and learn how to review and manipulate digital images for various purposes.
Week 8: July 25 – July 29 / Acrylic Painting: Endless Possibilities / Ages: 11-17
Description: This summer, we will dedicate a whole week to getting intimately familiar with acrylic paint and exploring the many different ways it can be used. We will look at some great master painters as well as diverse contemporary artists as references. Importantly, we will consider composition, color theory, subject matter, and different textures and layers one can achieve with acrylic, from translucent watercolor-like layers, to flat graphic color, and to thick impasto-like textures. We will practice painting from observation (including plein air), reference images and items of choice, and a live model to create several artworks by the end of the class. Do you mix your paint on the palette or the canvas? For that matter, do you paint on canvas, board, or paper? What’s the right brush for which task? End your summer with a deeper knowledge of acrylic painting techniques and concepts.
2021 Camp Calendar
In Person Camps:
Week 1: June 7-11 / Globe Trotters: An Artmaking Journey Around the World / Ages: 5-11
Description: Take a trip around the world this summer! Create projects inspired by the vibrant arts and cultures across the globe. Participants will explore traditional art-making techniques such as ceramics, weaving, and printmaking. Expand your knowledge and have fun through hands-on projects with clay, textiles, paint, and more!
Week 2: June 14 – 18./ Finding Your Voice: Comics & Storytelling / Ages: 5-11
Description: Draw your own story! Campers will dive in to developing their own voice as an artist and get comfortable using a sketchbook as a tool to support that voice. Using mixed media, such as crayons, pens, and found objects, students will develop a sketchbook that is packed with personality and stands on its own as a work of art.
Week 3: June 21 – 25 / Mixed Media Summer Madness! / Ages: 5-11
Description: Explore color, shape, pattern, and texture using mixed media such as paint, collage, graphite, and sculpture to actively investigate the world around you! Create mixed media work inspired by artists throughout history, including contemporary artists. Have fun creating abstract and representational objects, places, human and animal forms, and experiment with diverse materials to express your ideas unlimitedly!
Week 3: June 21 – 25 / Street Photography: Snapshots of Our Community / Ages: 11-17
Description: Explore your community and city through the art of street photography. Street photography is the practice of capturing the people and spaces around you in a spontaneous and exciting way. Expand your ideas about framing, composition, and making everyday moments beautiful, all while walking around the neighborhood!
Week 4: June 28 – July 2 / Teen Studio Workshop: Drawing and Painting from Life / Ages: 11-17
Description: Practice different drawing and painting techniques in a fun, studio environment. Learn about line quality, form, color, negative space and composition while drawing from observation and reference. Students will have a chance to improve technical and representational skills through a variety of subjects such as still life, a live model, natural and urban landscape and each other. We will look at local and contemporary artists and consider how representation can also be a means of expression.
Week 5: July 6 – July 9 / Tuning In: The Kala Youth Podcast Project / Ages: 11-17
Description: Join the youth podcast crew! In this class, engage with the world around you by tuning into the sound/s in the surrounding environment.
Gain experience conceptualizing, narrating, and structuring a podcast. Learn how to operate a sound recorder, and experiment with best practices for recording sounds professionally. You will learn about and record different kinds of sounds: ambience, sound events, voiceover, and interviews. Choose one or a few recordings to create into a final podcast to share by the end of the week.
Week 5: July 6 – July 9 / Roadmap to Graphic Novels: A Comic Workshop / Ages: 11-17
Description: Turn your drawings into an adventure! Campers will be introduced to the process of creating a graphic novel from the ground up. As a class we’ll use our favorite stories and characters to inspire worlds of our own, write a script, and bring those stories to life as finished comic pages. Students will learn how to utilize techniques like composition, pacing, and ‘sound’ effects to equip them with everything they need to make comics of any length at home, regardless of technical skill/experience.
Week 6: July 12 – July 16 / Wild, Wild Life: Exploring the Animal Planet! / Ages: 5-11
Description: Join in on the fun as we explore animals and their habitats across the planet! Take a closer look at natural environments from under the sea to tropical rainforests, and meet the animals that live there. Students will use eco-friendly art materials such as recyclable materials, repurposed objects, and natural resources.
Week 7: July 19 – July 23 / Beyond Ink + Paper: Experimental Screenprinting / Ages: 11-17
Description: In this workshop, participants will learn and practice the fundamentals of screenprinting. After getting some experience with one-color and multiple color printing on paper, you will get an opportunity to use alternative mediums and techniques on surfaces other than paper to create a unique, experimental project that can be wearable, shareable, collaborative, or exist as its own installation piece. What if we made our own “ink” with fruit juices? Can you print on plastic or glass? How can we push the boundaries of traditional printmaking? Bring your ideas to the studio, and let’s find out!
Week 8: July 26 – July 30 / Creative Painting & Sculpture: Shaping Our World / Ages: 5-11
Description: Explore concepts and techniques of painting and sculpture working with clay, plaster, and more. Play with scale, line, shapes, textures, and color to create painted sculptures from observation and the imagination inspired by people, animals, and nature. From the real to the fantastical, discover the endless fun of sculpture and watch them come to life!
Camp Kala On- Line Camps:
Week 4: June 28 – July 2 / Mixed Media Summer Madness / Ages: 5-11
Description: Explore color, shape, pattern, and texture using mixed media such as paint, collage, graphite, and sculpture to actively investigate the world around you! Create mixed media work inspired by artists throughout history, including contemporary artists. Have fun creating abstract and representational objects, places, human and animal forms, and experiment with diverse materials to express your ideas unlimitedly!