Summer Art Camp for Kids Ages 5-14

Celebrate Art, Creativity, and Friendship

Camp 2024 dates: June 24 - August 9, 2024

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Check the registration website to see current status of camps availability. Some camps may be full. 

Scroll down to see Camp 2024 schedule by age group. 

Summer Art Camp offers weekly artistic adventures and celebrations of creativity, friendship, and fun. Campers enjoy art making of all kinds in a safe, accessible environment with highly skilled instructors.

A variety of thematic camps are designed for different age groups and involve painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, comics, and mixed-media projects in the historic studios of the oldest art school and museum in the United States.

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Review Camp refund policy in Youth and Family Programs Policies and Procedures before registering.

Each week of camp has a theme, and you can register for a specific week or for the whole summer, whatever works best for your family. Sessions also include age-appropriate creative play and rest times, reading and storytelling, and socializing. Campers visit museum galleries for tours led by art educators, and occasionally take walks to the nearby park (weather permitting). Every Friday, campers prepare for an Art Exhibition where their work from throughout the week is on view and family and friends of the campers are invited to the exhibition.

Email artcamp@pafa.org or call 215-972-2054 if you have any questions.

Support for Summer Camp at PAFA is provided by the Hassel Foundation.

Art Camp 2024 Overview Schedule and themes by age group After Camp Club Additional Information Daily Schedule Scholarships

Art Camp 2024

Dates:  June 24-August 09 | Mon-Fri

Time: 9am - 3pm. Early drop off is at 8:30 am. We are unable to provide child care before 8:30 am.

Ages: 5-6 | 7-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 

Comics' Camps for ages 11-14

Location: PAFA’s Historic Landmark Building. 128 N. Broad Street

PAFA is easily accessible by public transportation. For information, driving directions and parking information please go to Visit page. 

Cost: $400 per week

  • PAFA Family Level Members $340 per week. (You must be an active member throughout the camp period. Renew or Become a Member Now). 
  • Multi-Camp discount: Register for 3 or more weeks of camp at one time and get $10 off per camp (great deal for sibling campers!) Please note, later additions to camp registration do not qualify for the discount. 
  • Payment plan is available.

Art Camp 2024 Schedule by Age Group

REGISTER NOW!

Check the registration website to see current status of camps availability. Some could be full. 

 

Ages 5-6

  
1Artist Garden6/24/2024Get inspired by the “Artists as Cultivators” exhibition and create your own artistic garden where anything can grow; you only have to imagine it!  
2Art Explorers7/1/2024Discover a variety of art-making techniques, while learning new artistic and social skills. Let us draw, paint, collage, and sculpt, make friends, and have fun. 
3Animal Kingdom7/8/2024Draw, paint and sculpt furry, feathery, and scaly creatures! Animals large and small will feature as subjects all week. Roaring, squeaking, barking, and quacking are welcome while we make wild, and wildly creative artworks. 
4Color Wonders7/15/2024Get creative AND get messy as you discover the multiple qualities of color! Invent insane color combinations and make phenomenal, unique art projects. 
5Under the Sea7/22/2024Cool off and dive down deep into the world of sea creatures. Have fun with ocean-themed art and creative play. 
6Movie Adventures7/29/2024Make this week a Movies-inspired art adventure! Express yourself and create fantastic art inspired by your favorite movies and shows! 
7Imaginarium8/5/2024Unleash your imagination and let it lead you to creating the most outstandingly impossible artworks and thingamajigs fathomable. c

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Ages 7-8

  
1Sculptural Creations6/24/2024Get creative with surprising tools and materials as well as traditional methods of sculpture! Learn cool sculpting tips and tricks to help you make your best, most exciting, 3-D projects. 
2Paint Extravaganza7/1/2024Develop the ins and outs of painting as you propel your creativity! Invent and play with surprising color combinations. Use them to make a rainbow’s worth of art projects. 
3Magic Academy7/8/2024Calling all wizards-in-training to create enchanting creatures and master illusions. Make any spellbound artwork imaginable.  Have fun, make friends, and explore the magical world of art. 
4Art Adventures7/15/2024Embrace adventurous art-making, inspired by the world around you! Make paintings, prints and sculptures from unexpected materials, found objects, toys, shells, flowers and more! 
5Art Detectives7/22/2024Put on your detective’s hat and grab your magnifying glass as you uncover the secrets and solve the mysteries of PAFA's historic museum.  
6Superheroes7/29/2024Create a multiverse of fantastic art inspired by your favorite movies, comic characters or games. Design your own superheroes and share their stories with new camp friends. 
7Mix and Match8/5/2024Jazz-up ordinary objects and materials into one-of-a-kind treasures and unique works of art. DIY recyclers welcome! 

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Ages 9-11

  
1Intro To Drawing6/24/2024Turn your doodles into artworks! Learn to draw human figures, animals, and nature, creating scenes from both observation and imagination. 
2Intro to Comics7/1/2024Learn about the artistic tradition of comic books. Develop your cartoon drawing skills while creating your own heroes and villains to design an eye-catching cover for your own comic book. 
3Experimental Art7/8/2024Experiment with materials, tools, and techniques of art-making to create exciting and unexpected artworks. 
4Intro to Animation 7/15/2024Bring your drawings to life! Discover a variety of animation techniques using both PAFA’s state-of-the-art digital facilities and more traditional methods of animation.  
5Intro to Sculpture7/22/2024Explore the unique qualities of sculptural art learning a variety of techniques, foundational principles, types of materials, and a wide range of approaches.   
6Science of Art7/29/2024Explore how art and science work together as you learn to make beautiful illustrations, designs and diagrams. Dive into a variety of art media, deepen your knowledge of color theory, and investigate the nature of perception. 
7Intro to Painting8/5/2024Embark on a creative journey into the art of painting. Learn about tools, basic color-mixing, composition, and form. Try your hand with acrylics, watercolors, as well as tempera paints. 

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Ages 12-14

  
1Art Foundations6/24/2024Develop your foundational skills in traditional art-making methods and explore some experimental techniques, while strengthening and diversifying your skills and use of materials.  
2Drawing7/1/2024Learn to draw like a master with techniques that focus on light, contour, texture, and figure drawing in PAFA’s historic Cast Hall. 
3Animation7/8/2024Discover essential animation skills and uncover some secrets as you collaborate with other campers in bringing original artwork to life. 
4Mixed Media7/15/2024Dive into a variety of art-making tools and techniques and nurture your creativity to make art beyond pencils on paper. 
5Painting7/22/2024Advance your painting skills and learn techniques in acrylic paint engaging with still-life, interiors, abstraction, portraits, and other subjects. 
6Sculptural Explorations7/29/2024Dig into fundamental methods of 3D art and create a variety of sculptural projects using clay, wood, found objects and recycled materials.
7Printing 1018/5/2024Stamp, carve, and print as you explore the many ways to transfer images, from traditional block printing to experimental one-of-a-kind methods you can replicate at home.

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Ages 11-14

  
1Foundations of Comics7/8/2024Uncover the basics of cartoon drawing in comic books, including anatomy, 3D shapes, and perspective. Master principles of character development and design - tools you need to create a dynamic comic book. 
2Graphic Novel 1017/15/2024Join the generation of artists telling visual stories. Explore character development and storyboarding while visualizing your own story with innovative layout styles and drawing techniques. 
3Comics and Illustration7/22/2024Hone your comic and illustration art making skills, while improving your drawing techniques and discovering the ins and outs of character development, comics creation, poster design, and more. 
4Comics and Beyond7/29/2024Expand your comic drawing skills and discover a wide range of tools and must-know concepts for creating dynamic and exciting sequential artwork.

After Camp Club

While camp is over,  adventures continue in the after camp club. Register for the full week or for a selected days, in advance or the day of. 

Time: 3:00pm-5:30pm.

Cost: $150 per week. Single day registration - $35 per day.

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Art Camp Adventures

3 kids looking at paitings on the museum wall
Visiting the Museum galleries
older campers sitting around camp tables
Making art in camp 10-14
younger campers making collage
Making art in camp 6-9
Camper in red shirt painting
Just another day in art camp
older campers listening to a museum guide
Visiting Special Exhibition on a tour with Museum Educator
child showing his collage
Artist in the making
4 children working on an art project
Making art, making friends
group of campers sketching in the museum
Museum drawing session, sketching in the galleries
Drawing by a camper
The Art of Drawing camp - portrait by Alice
child showing his scratch-art
Exploring different media - the fun of scratch-art
campers behind easels paiting landscape
The Art of Paiting Camp. Painting in Bob Ross' style
tables arranged in circle with art projects on them
The Art of Mythology Camp - Mythological Creatures Dinner
camper near artworks on an easel
The final camp exhibition
group of children in the Cast Hall
Older Campers visiting Younger campers Final Exhibition, in the Cast Hall

Additional Information

Masks: Optional

Lunch and Snacks

  • A mid-morning nut-free snack is provided.

  • Campers bring their own lunches every day; PLEASE supply nut-free lunches. Note, we are not able to refrigerate or heat lunches. Please label your camper’s lunch bag with their name.

Water: Campers bring their own water bottles. Camp staff will supply filtered water to refill the bottles.

Supplies: All supplies are provided for each camp.

Monday: Campers check into their camps on Monday mornings between 8:30 and 9am. A brief introduction and orientation to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts takes place, and campers tour the buildings with their individual camps.

Wacky Wednesdays: Fun themed up day!

Friday Exhibition: As always, the campers will stage an End of Week Camp Exhibition.

Clothing: Art camp may get messy! Please dress appropriately. Staff will make every effort to keep campers neat and clean, but campers should wear clothing that can get dirty. Also, campers may want to bring a sweater or sweatshirt in case they feel cold in the museum.

Lost and Found: There will be a Lost and Found kept in the Camp Office. PLEASE LABEL YOUR CHILD’S BELONGINGS WITH THEIR NAME! Please email artcamp@pafa.org or call 215-972-2054 if you need assistance in finding a lost item and/or to arrange the pickup. All items must be picked up before September 1, otherwise they will be discarded.

Daily Schedule

Monday

8:30-9:00- Arrival and Check in

9:00-9:30 - Orientation and Camp tour for campers

9:30 – 10:15 Session 1

10:15 -10:30 Snack Break

10:30 – 12:00 Session 2

12:00 – 1:00 Lunch

1:15 – 3:00 Session 3

3:00 – 3:15 Dismissal

Tuesday – Thursday

8:30 – 9:00 Drop Off

9:00 – 10:15 Session 1

10:15 -10:30 Snack Break

10:30 – 12:00 Session 2

12:00– 1:00 Lunch

1:15 – 3:00 Session 3

3:00 – 3:15 Dismissal

Friday

8:30 – 9:00 Drop Off

9:00 – 10:15 Session 1

10:15 -10:30 Snack Break

10:30 – 12:00 Session 2

12:00– 1:00 Lunch

1:15 - 2:00   Session 3: Exhibition Preparation

2:15–2:30 – Week-at-a-Glance camp highlights slideshow at the Auditorium.

2:30–3:00 – Camp exhibition in the Cast Hall studios.

2:55–3:15 –  Artwork pick up and dismissal (we ask not to remove your camper’s artwork before 2:55pm so all families can enjoy the show)

Scholarships - Waiting List only!

PLEASE NOTE THAT PRESENTLY, SCHOLARSHIPS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE. You may still fill out the application and join the waiting list. We will notify you if more funds become available. Thank you for your understanding.

It is our sincere desire that no child be denied the opportunity to attend camp because of financial difficulties. Thanks to our generous donors, PAFA is able to offer a limited number of scholarships that could be applied for one week of camp, and cover up to 75% of the tuition. One scholarship per child. You will be expected to pay a $100 deposit at the time of the registration. 

The decision is based on the following criteria:

  • Financial need
  • Age (must be 5-14 years old)
  • Commitment to attend the program at PAFA
  • Availability

SUBMIT SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION - You may still fill out the application. We will notify you if more funds become available.

Please allow at least 3 weeks for processing. DO NOT REGISTER PRIOR to receiving a scholarship notification letter as the scholarship cannot be applied retrospectively. Scholarship camp registration must be separate from any additional camps. You will be expected to pay a $100 deposit at the time of the registration. Scholarship camp registration must be separate from any additional camps. 

Support for Summer Camp at PAFA is provided by the Hassel Foundation.


Contact Us

PAFA offers programs for artists and art lovers of all ages and skill levels who want to learn about and make art.