Summer ART Camps Now Enrolling at Piedmont Arts

Museum offers STEAM-based camps with emphasis on art

Piedmont Arts’ new STEAM-based Summer ART Camps are now enrolling for two sessions in July. 

Campers ages 5 – 7 and 8 – 12 will explore STEAM-driven projects with instructor and Piedmont Arts Education Coordinator Brian Stanley.

STEAM is a push forward to not only include the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and math) in education, but also for the inclusion of the arts, to propel students’ critical thinking skills and their understanding of form and function. STEAM is more than adding an art project, or creating a design mock up, it’s about teaching students to examine the world around them and develop creative ways to solve everyday problems.

“Today’s employers are seeking not only individuals whom excel in the STEM fields,” said Stanley. “But those who know how to brainstorm quickly, creating something from nothing, and that is what adding the ‘A’ in STEM does. It dissolves the separation of disciplines, integrates the soft skills that are enhanced through the arts, like critical thinking, emotional empathy and leadership traits, and reboots the thinking of the great Renaissance artists and scientists.”

Utilizing their previous knowledge of STEM, campers will dive into hands-on problem-based projects that connect STEM to the arts, like printmaking, sculpture, painting and design. 

“Campers can expect to learn, but more importantly they will have fun creating these projects,” said Stanley. “We will experiment together to push everyone’s creativity, create something they will never forget, and more importantly, explore the world around us and make it a more whimsical place to be.”

Summer ART Camp dates:

Summer ART Camp: Ages 5 – 7

July 19 – 22 • 9:30 am – 12 pm each day • Piedmont Arts

$65 Member • $75 Non-member

(Registration Deadline: Friday, July 15 • 12 pm)

Campers ages 5 – 7 will tackle projects like soap making, which showcases the relationship between art and science and how, when the two worlds collaborate, new products can be created that are both useful and fun. Campers will also explore STEAM-driven projects like marble art, finger painting portraits and letter design in this hands-on summer camp.

Summer ART Camp: Ages 8 – 12

July 26 – 29 • 9:30 am – 12 pm each day • Piedmont Arts

$65 Member • $75 Non-member

(Registration Deadline: Friday, July 22 • 12 pm)

Campers ages 8 – 12 will learn the ins and outs of t-shirt printing — from the construction of the silk screen, to the design process, to printing their own t-shirt. Campers will also learn how sculptors use STEAM to create dynamic pieces of art by making a chair using cardboard that will not only be functional, but also a work of art. Campers will also explore STEAM-driven projects like solar-powered moving sculptures and recycled sculptures.

Register for Piedmont Arts Summer ART Camps at the museum, 215 Starling Ave., by calling 276.632.3221 or online here. Advanced registration required.