Let your child spend their summer making art at the de Young! Summer Art Camp classes for children ages 6–12 are taught by museum teaching artists. Classes include explorations of the museum’s galleries, studio experiences, and adventures in Golden Gate Park.

Classes take place Monday–Friday, 9 am–3 pm, in the de Young galleries and studios. Our Open Studio aftercare is available from 3–5:30 pm and offers open-structured time in the studio. Children are grouped according to age: 6–7, 8–9, and 10–12 years old.

Summer Art Camp takes place from June 18 through August 10, 2018. Summer Art Camp 2018 is currently sold out.

Weekly Themes

Week 1: June 18–22
Animals and Nature
Campers will experiment with a range of materials to explore animals and their habitats. They will find inspiration both inside and outside the de Young as they study animal themes in the museum’s artworks and in Golden Gate Park.

Week 2: June 25–29
Draw It, Build It
Campers will discover art making that promotes ingenuity and creative problem solving. Time will be spent closely viewing art in the permanent galleries and in the special exhibition Cult of the Machine: Precisionism and American Art.

Week 3: July 9–13
Mess It Up!
Campers will investigate the power of process and learn to forgo the eraser. Campers will investigate the museum’s collection to learn about the different ways in which artists make mistakes, revise, and reflect during the art-making process. Back in the studio, campers will experiment with a range of materials to build their skills and confidence to make mistakes, take risks, and practice.

Week 4: July 16–20
Shaping Stories
Explore the art of storytelling through activities in both the galleries and the art studio. Examining works in the de Young's collections, young artists will explore the essential elements of narrative: what story does each artwork tell? Campers will create visual representations of stories across a range of media.

Week 5: July 23–27
SCULPTacular
Form, connect, bend, and build. Campers will visit a variety of inspiring spaces inside and outside the museum—including the galleries, outdoor sculpture garden, and surrounding park—to investigate the different ways that artists design and create sculpture. In the studio, young artists will experiment with a range of materials to construct their own three-dimensional works.

Week 6: July 30–August 3
Draw, Paint, Print
Works from the de Young’s collection demonstrate the variety of methods artists use in drawing, painting, and printmaking. Projects will encourage campers to experiment and tap into their imagination as they learn the power of process. Young artists will also explore the fundamentals of printmaking, including working in a series.

Week 7: August 6–10
Reuse, Reimagine, Repurpose
Campers will consider how artists combine, reuse, and repurpose materials into art. Campers will investigate the museum’s collections to learn about the diverse materials and methods used by artists, and will harness these inspirations to create their own re-purposed artwork.  

Prices Per Week

Family Members

Day Camp (9 am–3 pm): $360
Open Studio (3–5:30 pm): $157.50

General

Day Camp (9 am–3 pm): $400
Open Studio (3–5:30 pm): $175

The scholarship application period for Summer Art Camp 2018 has closed.

All camp sales are final unless extenuating circumstances arise. No refunds will be processed after April 23, 2018.

Registration Process

Summer Art Camp 2018 is currently sold out. The waiting list is fill. If you are on the list, we will notify you if a spot opens up. Spots are released in the order in which they were added to the waiting list.

Additional Information

Questions? Email families@famsf.org.