AMA 2020 SUMMER ART CAMPS

To Our Campers and Parents,

In response to COVID-19, we have adjusted our summer art camp season. We will offer four Camp in the Box online camps from Memorial Day week through June 19.
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For sessions starting June 22, 2020, in person camps will take place at the Albany Museum of  Art with limited enrollment and following strict CDC guidelines.

This is one of those times in life when certainty about anything is in high demand but short supply. All we can do is pay attention and make responsible decisions.

Because of the uncertainty, we shall refund any camp tuition if desired. Or, we can transfer those funds to the new camp format, the art boxes. You let us know what works for you and we are happy to oblige.

Our hopes are that we will begin our camps in person at the museum by late June, along with the potential reopening of the museum itself. The lack of decisiveness is merely a reflection of the uncertainty of our world. I hope, however, that it is helpful to you in your thinking.

Be safe. We miss you all,

Andy Wulf, Executive Director
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Annie Vanoteghem, Director of Education and Public Programming

ART CAMPS IN THE BOX
Camps for weeks May 25-June 16

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The following four camps are designed for k4-5th grade campers, and will take place in a socially distanced format (however, any family is welcome to join in on the fun!) 

Pinterest: May 25-29
 
We'll be doing all those crazy projects that kids love and want to do, inspired by the popular website.

Artful Abstraction: June 1-5 

Learn to be a part of one of arts most influential movements: abstract expressionism. Spend the entire week learning, understanding and practicing this fine art using various mediums. Campers will walk away with several masterpieces inspired by artists like Jackson Pollock, Piet Mondrian, and Picasso. Build, paint, sculpt, sketch... how many ways can you create?
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Meditative Art: June 8-12 
 
Creating works of art is a wonderful way to practice meditation and discovering your inner calm and breath. This week, campers will experience the tranquil side of art through a combination of peaceful art making, meditation, yoga, sound experiences and creative play.

Fantastical & Magical: June 15-19 

Enjoy a full week of creative fantasy worlds! Campers will let their imaginations run wild as they travel into magical and mythological worlds filled with unique characters, creatures, dragons, fairies, superheroes and more. Campers will design their own characters and creatures, then draw and paint them. They'll even create creatures out of clay! And don't forget the wands, swords, and lasers; participants will use mixed media to create amazing accessories. Escape the ordinary in this fun camp! 

What is Summer Camp in a Box?
Summer Art Camp in a Box is a tactile way for your children to enjoy summer art camp from home. The AMA will provide your child with a box full of engaging activities and lessons that brings art camp home to them. The box will be divided into five days, with two main projects a day.

Each week’s activities will tie into the theme of that week. Each week will also have a closed Facebook group for parents to join that is unique to their session. In this group, campers will be able to follow along with their art teachers, interact with other campers, and post photos of their projects. These groups will be closed and by invitation only, meaning only those who are part of the camp and AMA staff will have access to them. Security of these groups will be closely monitored. 

How and when do we get our box?
Summer Art Camp in a Box will be ready for pick up at the Albany Museum of Art’s front door the Friday before camp begins between the hours of 3 pm and 5:30 pm. A masked and gloved AMA staff member will provide you with your box in a quick and sanitary fashion. 

What will the daily schedule be? 
We will be following a loose schedule for those of you who are able and wish to follow along on our closed Facebook group. (All of these are optional)

10 am: Morning welcome and day overview from AMA staff via Facebook Live. This can be watched live or replayed at any other time. 

10:30 am: First project, campers can take all morning to work on their first project. When they finish, they can post photos of their projects on the group page. 

1 pm: Guest art teacher interaction on Facebook Live or pre-recorded video. This could be a demonstration of one of their art projects, a story reading, or fun activity! This can be watched live or replayed at any other time.

1:30 pm: Second project, campers can take the rest of the afternoon to work on their second project and then post photos on the group page. 

4 pm: Facebook Live video recapping with the campers and ending the day. 

How much do we have to participate? 
Each camper can participate as much or as little as they like! Parents are welcome to purchase the box without enrolling their child on the group page or interacting with other campers. Instructions for the projects will be provided.  Campers are not required to follow any timeline or schedule. If they are able to, it would be wonderful to have the group on the same path! 

What does it cost? 
AMA members full box: $50 
Non-members full box: $60

The Full Box will contain everything you will need for the projects (including glue sticks, scissors, markers, etc.), written instructions and access to our online content.

AMA members basic box: $30
Non-members basic box: $40 

The Basic Box will contain most of the supplies necessary for each project (only excluding basic materials such as glue sticks, scissors, markers, etc.), written instructions and access to our online content. ​

ART CAMPS AT THE MUSEUM
Camps for weeks June 22-July 20

Time Travel
June 22-26 | 9 am - 4 pm
Full days are $160 for AMA members, $180 for future members; Half days are $90 for AMA members, $100 for future members. 

Campers K-5th grade will travel back in time to the Stone Age to discover the Lascaux Cave paintings! Then they'll fast-forward through time and make stops in the Greek and Hellenistic age, the Middle Ages, The Renaissance, Baroque, Impressionistic period, The Dada Movement, and Postmodernism! We will end with a trip to the future as we imagine what art will look like in the years to come. 

Fashion Forward
Instructor: Heather Ashberry
June 22-26 | 9 am - 4 pm
$190 for AMA members, $210 for future members

For middle and high schoolers, this hands-on class will be taught by Heather Ashberry, of Beatrice Wormwood. Students will get a crash course in fashion design.  In the words of Tim Gunn, learn how to “make it work” in this unconventional fashion design class! Through fun and challenging projects, students will become familiar with a variety of textiles and develop drawing and problem-solving skills. They will explore pattern, form and function through a series of projects, including fabric printing, weaving, dying, and block printing.  The class will culminate in a display of each student’s piece on Friday from 3-5 pm.  Students will be required to provide some supplies.

Tour de Cuisine Culinary Camp (3 day camp)
Instructor: Chef Todd White
June 29-July 1 | 8 am - noon 
$75 for AMA members, $95 for future members.

​Georgia Grown Chef Todd White will lead your adventurous eater or chef-in-training through a culinary world tour.  Campers in grades 1-5 will learn about different cuisines, make simple recipes, and try new things, Chef will show students how exciting food can be!

Artrepreneurs
July 13-17 | 9 am - 4 pm 
Full days are $160 for AMA members, $180 for future members; Half days are $90 for AMA members, $100 for future members.

For the business-minded kid in grades 1-5 who loves art, campers will devise and execute their art-related business over the week.  Activities will include creating a personal business card, logo, and creative products for the business.

Advanced Fashion
Instructor: Heather Ashberry
July 13-17 | 9 am - 4 pm
$190 for AMA members, $210 for future member

NOTE: Campers must have taken a basic fashion art camp to register for this camp.

​For middle and high schoolers, this hands-on class will be taught by Heather Ashberry, of Beatrice Wormwood. Students will get a crash course in fashion design.  In the words of Tim Gunn, learn how to “make it work” in this unconventional fashion design class! Through fun and challenging projects, students will become familiar with a variety of textiles and develop drawing and problem-solving skills. They will explore pattern, form and function through a series of projects, including fabric printing, weaving, dying, and block printing.  The class will culminate in a display of each student’s piece on Friday from 3-5 pm.  Students will be required to provide some supplies.

Drawing Portfolio
Instructor: Quadre Curry-Wilkerson
July 20-24 | 9 am - 3pm
$190 for AMA members, $210 for future members.

This camp is designed for middle and high school students in growing their drawing portfolios, learning new techniques, and gaining valuable skill in their work. 

Littles Camp
July 20-24 | 9 am - noon 
$90 AMA members, $100 future members  

Bring your 2- to 4-year-old preschoolers to their first summer camp at the AMA! Kids will explore different mediums, play, and be free to find their creative sides with AMA staff in a safe and comfortable environment.
The AMA will continue to monitor the status of the pandemic and how it might impact summer art camps. Georgia’s Governor is considering the date by which the state will begin the process of slowly opening up. The medical experts in the President’s Administration have talked about the three phases of opening up, and museums were cited in these phases. But if we have all learned anything during this event, it is that everything changes every day.

As we make our decisions, the AMA will be guided by two principles.

We must provide a safe environment for our campers, our staff, and our families. We will be guided by directives from the CDC (from whom new guidelines are expected in early May), from the federal government, from state and local government. The AMA will not make up its own policies regarding these critical health and safety issues. We will rely on the science and the directives of experts.

And we understand that camp is not something that easily conforms to social distancing. We are in the people and human interaction industry. At camp we work together at tables. We sit together for lunch and have outdoor play together. Summer camp is about community and interacting, both of which rely on a degree of physical closeness. And yet, as the first of our camps get nearer on the calendar, we have made a calculated modification to the first four weeks of art camps, with the plan that it will not detract from the camp experience, it will only alter it temporarily for health and safety purposes. We believe most families understand some modifications will be necessary as we move forward with the remainder of our summer camp sessions.