BECCA MARTIN-BROWN
bmartin@nwadg.com
It’s been a tradition in these pages to offer a list of summer opportunities for kids. This year’s classes and events are most often available in a virtual format. But there is still plenty to do to beat the summer doldrums!
Washington County
Fayetteville
Mallory Harris (center) pretends to paint a painting during a previous Broadway Now Musical Theater Camp at Arts Live Theatre in Fayetteville. Starting June 15, online camps for all ages will be offered to eliminate coronavirus concerns.
(The Free Weekly/David Gottschalk)
Arts Live Theatre
818 N. Sang Ave.
521-4932
www.artslivetheatre.com
“Arts Live Theatre’s virtual and online options for classes, workshops, camps and productions give young artists an opportunity to participate in several projects and create original content,” says Mark Landon Smith, the nonprofit’s executive director. “ALT is grateful to have a dedicated staff who are collaborating on content and ideas including some exciting programming.
“The rewards have been in learning new technology; we have been able to provide additional opportunities for young artists not only in the region, but throughout the country,” he adds. “We are currently producing an online musical, and we have audition submissions throughout the state and beyond. And our original narrative YouTube series, ‘Quaranqueens’ and the upcoming ‘Louanne Kitterman’s Quarateen Sweet Sixteen,’ and several other shows, we are able to give young artists a national and international platform while teaching production and acting.”
June 15-19 — Spotlight Musical Theatre: Students will learn the rehearsal process and will perform an original musical which will be recorded and released for all to enjoy. Grades K-2. 9-9:45 a.m.
June 15-19 — Curtain Up Musical Theatre: Theatre: Students will learn the rehearsal process and will perform a selection of Broadway songs and dances which will be recorded and released for all to enjoy. Grades 2-4. 10:30-11:30 a.m.
June 15-19 — Stories About Us: Students will write their own stories and create a devised performance piece to be recorded then released. Grades 6-12. 1-2:30 p.m.
June 22-26 — Broadway Now Musical Theatre: Students will perform music and choreography from current Broadway musicals, and a performance will be recorded and released. Grades 5-8. 9-10 a.m.
June 22-26 — Broadway Today Musical Theatre: Students will perform music and choreography from current Broadway musicals, and a performance will be recorded and released. Grades 8-12. 1-2:30 p.m.
July 6-10 — Create-A-Play: Students will learn the rehearsal process and will perform a play they’ve created. Grades K-1. 9-10:30 a.m.
July 6-10 — Create-A-Play: Students will learn the rehearsal process and will perform a play they’ve created. Grades 2-4. 10:30 a.m.-noon.
July 6-10 — Harry Potter Magic Theatre: Create a magical world where imagination comes alive and take part in a public performance the final day of camp. Grades 5-8. 1-4 p.m.
July 27-31 — Disney Musical Theatre: Students will learn the rehearsal process and will perform a selection of Disney hits at the end of the week. Grades K-2. 9-10:30 a.m.
July 27-31 — Encore Musical Theatre: Students will learn the rehearsal process and will perform a selection of Broadway songs and dances at the end of the week. Grades 2-4. 10:30 a.m.-noon.
July 27-31 — Musical Theatre & Comedy Improv: Theatre games and the basics of comedy improv with a performance the final day of camp. Grades 5-8. 1-4 p.m.
Aug. 3-7 — Let’s Make a Movie: Students will work together to make their own short film, which will be posted on the ALT website and YouTube channel. Grades 5-7. 1-4 p.m.
Aug. 3-7 — Let’s Make a Movie: Students will work together to make their own short film, which will be posted on the ALT website and YouTube channel. Grades 8-12. 1-4 p.m.
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Community Creative Center
June Murray, a volunteer at the Community Creative Center in Fayetteville, leans over to assist Corey Thompson during a pre-coronavirus visit by Decatur students. The CCC is offering virtual summer art camps starting June 8.
(The Free Weekly/J.T. Wampler)
505 W. Spring St., Fayetteville
571-2706
www.communitycreativecenter.org
Email jessica@communitycreativecenter.org.
This year, the Community Creative Center is offering the same great fun — a full week of hands-on arts adventures exploring art in the world around us — virtually on Zoom.
All art supplies are included in the camp fee. Each week’s box of supplies will be ready for curbside pick-up at CCC the weekend before camp begins.
Students can register for morning, afternoon or both camps.
June 8-12 — Virtual Summer Art Camp I: Painting, drawing, sculpting and more. Ages 6-9 OR 10-14. 9-11 a.m. OR 2-4 p.m.
June 15-19 — Virtual Summer Art Camp II: Painting, drawing, sculpting and more. Ages 6-9 OR 10-14. 9-11 a.m. OR 2-4 p.m.
June 22-26 — Virtual Summer Art Camp III: Painting, drawing, sculpting and more. Ages 6-9 OR 10-14. 9-11 a.m. OR 2-4 p.m.
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The Art Experience
Best known for its gigantic puppets, the Art Experience also offers an art therapy group for teenage girls. Summer openings are available.
(The Free Weekly/J.T. Wampler)
2227 N. College Ave.
442-0557
theartexp.org
The Art Experience has openings in its art therapy group for teenage girls. For more information, email Jo Ann Kaminsky at joannkaminsky@joannkaminsky.com.
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Walton Arts Center
495 W. Dickson St.
443-5600
waltonartscenter.org.
“We usually have an intern program during the summer for high schoolers, but won’t this year because we are still not at the office,” says WAC spokeswoman Jennifer Wilson. “We’ve also done some comedy camps in the past but did not have one planned for this season.”
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Mount Sequoyah Center
150 N. Skyline Drive
443-4531
mountsequoyah.org
“We are finalizing our in-person camps and activities right now, [and] I am planning to offer some virtual options as well as some kits for kids and parents that can be picked up and taken home,” says spokeswoman Emily Gentry. Email her at Emily.gentry@mountsequoyah.org.
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SPRINGDALE
Arts Center of the Ozarks
Judy Costello, education manager at the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, describes how early settlers in Northwest Arkansas made food during a pre-coronavirus visit by students from The New School in Fayetteville. While the museum remains closed due to covid-19 concerns, summer camps will be offered online.
(The Free Weekly/Andy Shupe)
214 S. Main St.
751-5441
www.acozarks.org
No classes are scheduled at this time.
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Shiloh Museum of Ozark History
118 W. Johnson Ave.
750-8165
shilohmuseum.org
Registration is under way for the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History’s virtual online summer camps for children. The theme is “The History of Transportation in Northwest Arkansas,” with a focus on railroads, resorts, roads and air travel.
June 15-19 — Camp I: Ages 7-10. 9-11:30 a.m.
July 13-17 — Camp II: Ages 11-14. 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Thanks to a generous donor, the camps are free of charge, but space is limited. To register, call 750-8165 or email Education Manager Judy Costello at jcostello@springdalear.gov.
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The Jones Center
922 E. Emma Ave.
756-8090
thejonescenter.net
The Jones Center is offering a variety of recreational opportunities via the internet. Among them are a 30-day Lego challenge; a DIY obstacle course; an at-home gymnastics class; activities to connect with nature; and a learn-to-ride bike guide.
Find out more at thejonescenter.net.
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Benton County
Rogers
Rogers Historical Museum
313 S. Second St., Rogers
621-1154
rogershistoricalmuseum.org
Kid’s Craft Corner has become a virtual event for the summer.
The next monthly KCC will be at 2 p.m. June 20. Museum staff will be giving a brief history about stained glass windows and then making a sun catcher. Since the program is virtual, says Museum Director Serena Barnett, “we’re calling it ‘AT HOME Kid’s Craft Corner’ and encouraging everyone who’s participating to share photos of their finished crafts with us with #rhmathome.”
“Folks will be able to register their kids — limit to five per family, please — on the museum’s website by June 18, pick up their kits at the museum on June 19 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and then join us on Facebook beginning at 2 p.m. on June 20 to follow along with our video,” she explains.
The “take and make“ kits include instructions and the materials needed to make the craft (with the exception of scissors, glue, markers/crayons).
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Bentonville
Trike Theatre
Rachel Bland, a teaching artist with Trike Theatre, works with Bridget Davis of Bella Vista on a choreography exercise during a previous day camp in Bentonville. To alleviate covid-19 concerns, the theater will offer online camps for children of all ages starting June 22.
(The Free Weekly/Ben Goff)
209 NE 2nd St., Bentonville
464-5084
www.triketheatre.org
“Trike Theatre is committed to providing access and theater opportunities to cultivate creativity for our young people,” says spokeswoman Allison Crum. “In order to support efforts to contain the spread of covid-19 during this time, Trike Academy created Trike iCademy, where virtual camps and classes are taught by our teaching artists and integrate video as well as off-line activities to continue to teach, explore and create theater with and for our young people.
“Our goals,” Crum says, “are to have fun, continue to build community among our young artists, and provide a space where our young artists can grow in their theater pursuits.”
And, she adds, “our virtual classes and camps provide a broader reach not only to Northwest Arkansas, but [they] open doors to working with young artists around the U.S., which is really exciting. At Trike, we prefer in-person connection, so while virtual classes remove those opportunities, our teaching artists have found new, innovative ways to see, learn and do theater.”
June 22-26 — A Midsummer Night’s Quarantine: Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a magical forest? Come find out as Trike explores a “quarantine” version of one of Shakespeare’s most iconic comedies, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The week will end with a special live virtual performance. Grades 3-6. 9 a.m.-noon.
June 22-26 — A Midsummer Night’s Quarantine: Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a magical forest? Come find out as Trike explores a “quarantine” version of one of Shakespeare’s most iconic comedies, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The week will end with a special live virtual performance. Grades 7-12. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
June 29-July 3 — Production Camp: Bad Ideas for Television Shows: A ragtag collection of would-be producers show up in droves to submit ideas for a network’s next big hit. The week will end with a special live virtual performance. Grades 3-8. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
July 6-10 — A Whole New World: Join Trike’s teaching artists as we guide you through designing, creating, and building a world of your very own. Grades Pre-K to K. 9 a.m.-noon.
July 6-10 — A Whole New World: Join Trike’s teaching artists as we guide you through designing, creating, and building a world of your very own. Grades 1-2. 1-4 p.m.
July 27-31 — Harry Potter Camp: Use theatre skills to explore potions, magical creatures, spells, and wand making. Grades 3-8. 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Aug. 3-7 — You Kill Monsters: A D&D Storytelling Experience: Join the resident DM as they take you on a weeklong Dungeons & Dragons style campaign while reading scenes from the D&D inspired play “She Kills Monsters.” Grades 7-12. 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
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Scott Family Amazeum
Lauren Blass watches son Bennett of Rogers play with toy trains during the “Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails” exhibit at the Scott Family Amazeum in Bentonville. While closed due to covid-19 concerns, the Amazeum will offer online summer camps beginning this month.
(The Free Weekly/Ben Goff)
1009 Museum Way, Bentonville
696-9280
www.amazeum.com
All of the Amazeum’s camps will be virtual in June and July. Materials will be shipped to campers’ homes prior to the start of each camp so they have everything they need for an interactive, hands-on, Amazeum-style camp experience. Screen time will be limited to short check-ins with campers each day giving them plenty of time to explore, discover, wonder and play.
Sign up at https://www.amazeum.org/programs/camps/summer-camps/
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Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
NWA Democrat-Gazette/CHARLIE KAIJO Palmer Boggs, 4, (from left) and Scarlett Boggs, 7, of Paragould work on a craft, Sunday, December 29, 2019 at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville.
Art Instructor Kim Ly lead an art camp where participants created crafts using a tape resist canvas method, a common art method used in abstract painting. They created shapes and lines using tape, applying it to the canvas and painting around it to create designs. Crystal Bridges will host a New Year’s Eve event on Monday from 11 am to 3 pm. Winter Break Wonders will go on until January 3rd.
600 Museum Way, Bentonville
418-5700
www.crystalbridges.org
Join Crystal Bridges staff for an hour of connection through artmaking at the weekly CB Sketchbook Club. In each session, participants will explore a different prompt provided by museum art instructors. Sketchbooks offer the freedom to experiment with materials, themes, techniques and to record the things that inspire you. Take some time before the event to sketch in response to the prompt, then come to the event ready to share your work. Feel free to use whatever materials you have at hand, from a quick sketch on a napkin to a watercolor painting in your journal.
Classes meet at 6:30 p.m. every Wednesday and are for all ages. Find out more at https://crystalbridges.org/calendar.
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Go Online!
Summer Fun
Is Everywhere
Social distancing requirements make it tricky for kids to attend summer camp — unless those camps are online! And if they are, they can be anywhere. Organizations across the country are offering virtual summer camps that cover a variety of wide-ranging interests — and some of them are even free of charge.
Storystudio Chicago
https://www.storystudiochicago.org/
This Chicago-based organization offers weeklong writing workshops for students from 5th to 12th grades. Instructors include published authors, writing experts and “active players in Chicago’s literary scene.” $295.
Camp Wonderopolis
https://camp.wonderopolis.org/
Maker experiments make interactive STEM and literacy-building instruction engaging to kids of all ages. Free.
iD Tech
https://www.idtech.com/
Coding, game development and robotics classes will please your tech savvy student from ages 5-19. At $299 for most classes, tuition is high, but siblings and friends get access to the classes as well, and class sizes are kept to a maximum of five students. $299.
Met Opera Global Summer Camp
https://www.metopera.org/discover/education/global-summer-camp/home/
During this eight-week program, campers will discover a new opera through hands-on activities and other fun learning prompts, watch the opera, and share their work with a global community of young opera fans. Free.
Camp Kinda
https://campkinda.org/
Camp Kinda offers kids from grades K-3 around three to four hours of educational activities a day, all connected by a weekly theme. Free.
MakerCamp
https://makercamp.com/
The founders of the Maker Movement offer a summer’s worth of summer projects for crafty kids. Free.
The Bronx Zoo Wildlife Camp Online
https://bronxzoo.com/learn/children-and-family-programs/wildlife-camp-online
Animal loving kids — grades K through 8 — can get an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at animals and exhibits as they participate in science and conservation actions. $250; $75 for each additional sibling.
Columbus Zoo Zookids
https://columbuszoo.org
This virtual summer camp includes daily, two-hour live interaction with camp counselors and downloadable family activities. $100.
— Lara Jo Hightower
lhightower@nwadg.com
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