Key West The Newspaper

Registration is still open for this summer’s ArtCamp! at Fort East Martello’s Imagination Institute, a camp for children aged 5-12. The program celebrates Key West’s rich artistic history and natural landscape over a series of nine weeks beginning June 13 and running through August 12.

The camp, in operation for over thirty years, marks Key West Art & Historical Society’s commitment to the youth programming and educational initiatives that aim to inspire a greater sense of place and historical understanding about our island home.

“Engaging programs that address the history and culture of our island archipelago have provided the impetus for nine fun-packed weeks of children’s summer camp activities,” says Society Education Director Adele Williams.

The weekly sessions run the creative gamut to touch upon a variety of art, culture and the humanities to get children thinking, moving and making. Each session will be led by a team of instructors made up of talented artists, teachers, and historians with extensive experience working with children. While the Roller Coaster Camp, Sand Sculpting Camp, and Pirate Camp have already filled, there are still spaces in: Journey through the Mediums. The Study of an Artist, Proto Creations, Native American Craftsman, The Key is to Paint, Cuban Percussion and Art, and Mario Sanchez Intaglios.

In addition to the weekly themed curriculum, there will also be room for natural, open-ended play, with outdoor play stations, water play, a dress-up area, and giant building blocks and Rigamagig from Imagination Playground. Campers will also have the experience of exploring Fort East Martello (South Roosevelt Boulevard), an enclosed Civil War-era fort and museum stewarded by Key West Art & Historical Society, which is 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 and is $200 per session for members and $225 a week for non members. Included are all supplies, light snacks, and weekly Friday pizza parties. Detailed descriptions of the various sessions and registration information can be found at KWAHS.ORG/LEARN or by calling Adele Williams, Director of Education at 305.295.6616 extension 115. Your museums. Your community. It takes an island.