Campers will learn about an early photographic technique called “cyanotype” which is used to create vibrant cyan-blue prints.

AM Section: Cyanotype on Fabric

The morning section will focus on cyanotype printing on textiles using natural and found materials to create patterns and designs. Campers will have an opportunity to create printed fabrics or articles of clothing. The week will culminate in the creation of a piece of textile art such as a wall hanging, pillow, or garment.

PM Section: Cyanotype on Paper

The afternoon section will focus on cyanotype printing on paper using natural and found materials to create patterns and designs. Campers will also have the opportunity to create cyanotype prints using original drawings and photographs. The week will culminate in the creation of a hand/bound sketchbook with a cyanotype printed cover and pages, or the creation of unique printed stationary.

*(Image Source: https://www.gathered.how/arts-crafts/guide-to-cyanotype-printing/)

Campers will learn about local pollinators and pollinator/plant relationships through observation, visual art, study and design/build projects.

AM Section: Observation and Drawing

Campers will learn about pollinators through observation in local community gardens and parks. We will develop skills of observational drawing to illustrate these relationships in hand-bound field notebooks. We will visit Duke Gardens with a special focus on the pollinator houses. Camp will culminate in the completion of field notebooks to document our artwork and research.

PM Section: Designing and Building

Campers will learn about pollinators, with a special focus on the conditions they need to survive and thrive. Campers will learn about current threats to pollinators, and efforts to protect them. Camp will culminate in the creation of hand-made pollinator houses campers can take to their own homes at the end of camp.

*(Image source: https://www.farmersalmanac.com/where-to-hang-a-bee-house)

Campers will learn about the amazing world of comics and zines with a focus on independent and self-published artworks.

AM Section: COMICS

Campers will dive into creating characters, scenes, and storylines through a welcoming intro to comics (suitable to artists of all levels from absolute beginner to expert cartoonist). The course will involve collaborative drawing projects, the creation of personal “diary” comics, and exploration of creative comic layouts inspired by the work of contemporary artists in this field. A professional comic artist will visit to share their experience with creating and publishing their work. The course will culminate in the creation of a short booklet-style comic book.

PM Section: ZINES

Campers will dive into the extraordinary history and contemporary resurgence of the zine! (short for magazine). We will experiment with collage, “found poetry”, and creative writing in order to create our own original zines on the topics of our choice. We will also visit the zine collection at the Sallie Bingham center at Duke University. The class will culminate in the DIY publishing and sharing of our zines! :)

*(Image Source: https://www.dbnbooks.com/zines)

Campers will learn about the history and contemporary use of printmaking and create their own original works.

AM Section: Printmaking on Paper

Campers will learn about the history of printmaking as a tool used by activists and artists all over the world. We will look at contemporary examples of printmaking, and create original work using the medium of linoleum block printing. Camp will culminate in the creation of a series of original posters or artworks by each camper.

PM Section: Printmaking on Fabric

Campers will learn the technique of linoleum block printing to print original designs onto fabric/garments of their choice. Campers will also learn about the history of textile design/textile patterns and create their own original interlocking patterns to print on fabric (for the math nerds out there, these are also known as tessellations!). Camp will culminate in the creation of a small bag or wall-hanging artwork created using printmaking on fabric.

*(Image Source: https://www.essdee.co.uk/learn-how-to-lino-print-onto-fabric/)

Campers will learn about the history and contemporary use of textiles in art and craft applications and create their own original works.

AM Section: EMBROIDERY

Campers will learn about the history of embroidery as an art and craft form and learn how to create a wide range of decorative stitches. Campers will also learn about how embroidery is an increasingly popular technique used in contemporary art as a form of “drawing” with thread. Camp will culminate in the creation of an embroidered garment, bag, or original artwork.

PM Section: QUILTING

Campers will learn about the history of quilting as an art and craft form and about its use by contemporary artists. Campers will learn the basics of quilt making (including both hand-sewing and intro to sewing on the machine) and will create a small quilt block, decorative pillow, or small quilted bag as the culmination of the camp.

*(Artwork above “Dreams So Real” by textile artist Sheena Liam-Zacharevic, source: https://www.timesnewromance.net/embroidery)

Campers will learn about the history and contemporary use of puppetry in cultures throughout the world with a focus on contemporary puppetry.

*(Billy studied community arts with a focus on puppet theater during their undergraduate degree in Montreal and has designed, built, and performed with puppets ranging from shadow puppets, to hand puppets, to enormous monster puppets requiring multiple operators! )

AM Section: Shadow Puppets

Campers will learn about the history of shadow puppets including an introduction to the history of Wayang, classical Javanense (Indoneisian) puppet drama. Campers will also learn about contemporary artists who use the art form of shadow puppetry. Students will learn to create complex jointed puppets, and will collaborate to create characters and storyline. Camp will culminate in the performance of an original shadow puppet play.

PM Section: Hand Puppets

Campers will learn about the history of hand puppets, with an exploration of contemporary puppetry arts. Campers will design and create an original character in the form of a hand-puppet. Campers will collaborate to create an original theater performance as the culmination of the class.

*(Artwork pictured above is a hand puppet created by artist Paul Klee for his son Felix, featured in the book “Paul Klee: Hand Puppets”. Image source: https://graphicdesigncanberra.wordpress.com/2014/04/30/paul-klees-hand-puppets/)

This camp will include outings to local museums and galleries alongside hands-on projects in which students can experiment with contemporary art practices. Students will have a chance to make a mixed-media artwork or art installation that will be shared at the end of the week. Guest speakers (via zoom or in person, depending on availability) will meet with students to talk about life as a professional artist and what that entails and answer questions.

*Both AM and PM sections will involve a combination of outings, artist visits, and hands-on art making, but the AM and PM sections will be distinct (visit different locations, different guest artists, etc.) so that the morning and afternoon sections will complement each other.

*(Artwork above: "Architectural Forest" by artist Nick Cave, 2011. Materials: bamboo, wood, wire, plastic beads, acrylic paint, screws, fluorescent lights, color filter gels, and vinyl, 136 x 372 x 192 in. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. © Nick Cave, Photo: James Prinz Photography.

Image source: https://www.msmuseumart.org/exhibition/nick-cave-feat/)

Campers will learn about artist books, an art form in which artists may transform existing books to create new visual art works, or create one-of-a-kind original books which incorporate many different artistic media and techniques.

AM Section: Exploring Bookmaking Techniques

Campers will learn about the amazing world of artist-books and explore book making techniques through hands-on application including the creation of accordion books, pocket books & tunnel books (3 unique bookmaking styles). Camp will culminate in a small original artist book designed by each camper.

PM Section: Focus on Bookbinding

Campers will create a hand-bound artist-book with a selection of fine art papers using a Coptic Stitch Binding technique. Once they have bound their book, students will collage, draw and paint in their book to make a unique work of art.

*(Image source: https://www.skillshare.com/en/blog/guide-coptic-stitches-and-book-binding/)

Campers will learn about creative practice through observational drawing (drawing from life) and working creatively in a sketchbook.

AM Section: Focus on Observational Drawing

Campers will spend time in nearby local parks and community spaces noticing what draws their attention visually, and learning how to draw from life with a range of art materials through a series of guided drawing exercises. This camp will support students who want to create “realistic” drawings. Camp will culminate in a more fully developed final drawing of chosen subject matter with the support of the instructor.

PM Section: Focus on Creative Sketch booking

Unlike the focus on observation or “realistic” drawing skills of the AM section, the afternoon section will focus on how we can creatively interpret what we see. Campers will notice what draws their attention in various settings (such as nearby parks and cafes) and will follow creative drawing and writing prompts which encourage them to interpret what they see. Sketchbooks will be full of found poetry, comics, sketches, doodles and collages by the end of the week. The afternoon section will be focused on exploring creative ways to observe and engage with the world through open-ended creative experimentation.

*(Artwork above from book “Creature: Paintings, Drawings, and Reflections” by Shaun Tan.

Image Source: https://www.shauntan.net/creature-book-1

Image Description from source: “The endpaper illustrations for Creature are a compilation of sketchbook doodles from over the years, which largely inspired the idea of this collection.” )