Here are the particulars about our summer program for kids. It is very exciting, well-organized and expanded in hours over 50% from last year’s successful program. Basically, we have set the program up for two age groups: grades one, two and three, and then a second group for grades four, five, and six. Join “kewl” instructors like Andy Lum, Cynthia Welle, Katie Schmitt, Erica Ness, April Rypka, Jennifer Simpson-Dahl, Paul Christianson, Katie Wall, and more for a productive and FUN experience. Each week long class costs $80 with an additional $10 material fee, and each Saturday class costs $15 plus a $5 material fee. You can register in person at The Art Store in downtown Northfield, by phone by calling 507-645-2555, or by mailing to ArtOrg, 200 Division Street (riverside entrance), Northfield, MN 55057. Remember that registrations are only held if you have paid.

We are holding SIX WEEKS of classes throughout the summer, and each week runs Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The younger age group runs from 9:30 to 11:30 and the older age group runs from 1:00 to 3:00.

In addition, TEN SATURDAYS will also have special classes. 9:00 am to 10:30 am for grades one, two, and three; and from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm for grades four, five and six.

Each class can be registered for independently. Here are the topics:

SIX WEEK LONG CLASSES:

June 19-22: morning (A1) and afternoon (B1) session
Pop-Art: Learn about the Pop-art movement as you discover the work of Claus Oldenburg and Andy Warhol. Make over-sized sculptures; plunge into printmaking, and design portraits. Katie Schmitt

June 26-29: morning (A2) and afternoon (B2) session
Early Tribes: Cynthia will be researching early native tribes from Mexico and South America to get art ideas for this class. Collage using traditional items is just one of the activities planned. (Please note that this is a bilingual English / Spanish class!) Cynthia Welle

July 10-13: morning (A3) and afternoon (B3) session
Multiculturism & Multimedia: We will look at and use as a resource work from Africa, Asia, South America, or the Pacific Islands. Even our snacks will reflect the area of study. Erica Ness

July 17-20: morning session only (A4)
Write and Illustrate a Book: Using a collection of fabulous picture books as a starting point, we will create a rough draft, ‘story board’, make illustrations, add text, and bind our own stories. Jennifer Simpson-Dahl

July 17-20: afternoon session only (B4)
Body Parts: Faces, hands, and feet all have been easy subjects for artists. Come and use drawing, painting, cut paper, and collage to express yourself. Connie Halpern

August 7-10: morning (A5) and afternoon (B5) session
Mobiles: Do you like to tinker? Learn how American artist Alexander Calder turned his love for tinkering into art in motion. Make mobiles, draw with wire, and create a circus scene inspired by Calder. Katie Schmitt

August 14-17: morning session only (A6)
Puppet-making: We’ll use a favorite story to get us started, create puppets, and put on a show. Jennifer Simpson-Dahl

August 14-17: afternoon session only (B6)
Mask-making: Animals will be our jump off point. With different paper techniques we will make masks. Look for real, semi-real, or mystical creatures at the end of the session. Katie Wahl

TEN SATURDAY CLASSES

June 17: first 9:00-10:30 (A7) and second 11:00-12:30 (B7) session
Abstract Expressionism: Using paints, kids will experiment with color, composition, and form. We’ll start by getting ideas from famous artists and their work. Paul Christianson

June 24: first 9:00-10:30 (A8) and second 11:00-12:30 (B8) session
Drawing Flowers: Drawing what you see is a challenge! Using colored pencils students will learn to use their eye to create a drawing of a flower. Paul Christianson

July 1 and July 8: (sign up for both Saturdays) first 9:00-10:30 (A9) and second 11:00-12:30 (B9) session
Relief Printing: Animals will be our theme – we’ll explore the process of relief printmaking. Andy Lum

July 15: first 9:00-10:30 (A10) and second 11:00-12:30 (B10) session
Memory Landscapes: Painting will be our medium. Using memory we will reproduce a familiar landscape. Examples will get the process started. Paul Christianson

July 22 and July 29: (sign up for both Saturdays) first 9:00-10:30 (A11) and second 11:00-12:30 (B11) session
A 2-day Clay Special: Coil building and pinching are a couple of techniques we’ll experiment with and then paint our creations. April Rypka

August 5: first 9:00-10:30 (A12) and second 11:00-12:30 (B12) session
Masquerade: Uncover the magic of masks! Design masks that express your emotions and creativity. Learn about masks from other cultures and how to build masks using a variety of materials. Katie Schmitt

August 12: first 9:00-10:30 (A13) and second 11:00-12:30 (B13) session
Color: Learn what color can do. Using paint we’ll see how different colors affect us in different ways. April Rypka

August 19: first 9:00-10:30 (A14) and second 11:00-12:30 (B14) session
It’s a Bug’s Life: Summer is here and so are the bugs! Create large-scale creepy, crawly insects that are big enough to scare away those pesky mosquitoes. Learn about scale and proportion in art while discovering the insect world. Katie Schmitt