Key West The Newspaper

Youth aged 10-16 can join in on the cultural immersion fun while engaging their passion for the arts and the environment with Key West Art & Historical Society’s ArtCamp!, beginning June 12th through June 30th with three sessions: Teen Fossil Camp June 12– June 16, Pinhole Photography Camp: Technique June 19- June 23, and Pinhole Photography Camp: Creating a Body of Work June 26-June 30.

The Teen Fossil Camp guides students in learning how to sculpt and cast bones working with tools in clay, plaster, and sand, with an educational focus on science, math and critical thinking.  The Teen Pinhole Photography Camp sessions explore the physics of light, mechanics of the pinhole camera and elements of chemistry while gaining a foundation of art, design and the creative process through the world of film photography. These sessions encourage teens and the more mature pre-teen to creativity, empowerment, and educational excellence.

The Society’s ArtCamp! program, in operation for over thirty years and one of the oldest children’s summer camps in the Keys, marks the organization’s commitment to the many youth programming and educational initiatives that aim to “inspire a greater sense of place and historical understanding,” says KWAHS Executive Director Michael Gieda.

ArtCamp! weekly sessions for children and teens run the creative gamut to touch upon a variety of art, culture and the humanities to get children thinking, moving and making: Claymation; Pirate Camp; Teen Fossil Camp; Sand Sculpting Camp; Pinhole Photography for Teens- Technique; Pinhole Photography for Teens- Creating a Body of Work; Wrecker’s Camp; Mask Making Camp; The Key Deer, the Rooster, and the Dolphin Camp; Praising the Palm Camp; Roller Coaster Camp; Summer Theatre Camp; and Mission Control Camp.

Campers also have the experience of exploring Fort East Martello, an enclosed Civil War-era fort stewarded by Key West Art & Historical Society and the location for the weekly camp sessions.  Each week will have auxiliary activities and excursions pertaining to the specific sessions, including field trips to local museums, nearby beaches and gardens—all highlighting the abundant history and cultural assets of our islands while encouraging and expanding students in their knowledge of their local community.

ArtCamp! runs from 9:00AM to 4:00PM, Monday – Friday, with a varying fee depending on the camp, with a discount for Society members. Included are all supplies, light snacks and weekly Friday pizza parties. Detailed descriptions of the Teen Camps and all of the ArtCamp!  sessions and registration information can be found at KWAHS.ORG/LEARN  or by calling Adele Williams at 305-295-6616, extension 115. Your museums.  Your community.  It takes an island.