Summer camp that actually feeds your kid’s creativity
Boutique art journaling - only 8 spots per session
Questions? Jump to FAQ ⇓
Where preteens create freely, express fully, and leave feeling like themselves
Dates:
Summer 2027 - Dates Released in March!
Ages:
9–12 (8 and 13 year olds welcome too)
Location:
Monday–Thursday: Downtown Phoenix - 115 W McDowell Rd
Friday: Phoenix Art Museum - 1625 N Central Ave
Hours:
Monday through Thursday from 9am – 2pm & Friday from 10am - 2pm
Max 8 students per session
$350 per week / Deposit option available
Paying with ESA funds? Use code ESA at checkout. Upon registration, you will receive an invoice to use for ClassWallet. Your spot is not held until we receive confirmation that the ClassWallet invoice was submitted.
This is not your typical art camp. Big things are happening inside preteens, hormonally, emotionally, and socially. They’re figuring out who they are, navigating friendships, and growing up in a world that never slows down, and sometimes talking about it is just too hard. I help preteens find tools to process big emotions through creative expression, a way to say something without words. But we also just have fun, because the whole point is to make art feel exciting again, not intimidating. It’s not about being perfect or being an artist. That belief is exactly what stops most kids from creating at all. The focus is always process over perfection.
Each day, campers explore new techniques and then choose whether to bring it into a layered journal page or a release for whatever they’re feeling that day. The next morning, after some grounding, we reflect on the day before with optional sharing. Along the way, they discover their own creative instincts and build real connection with each other in a small, home-like studio space.
Each week includes a bonus take-home craft project, and ends with a field trip to the Phoenix Art Museum, where campers discover that what they made belongs in the world of art too.
The tools they learn here don’t stay in the studio. These are simple, intuitive exercises they can return to on their own whenever things feel like too much. Every camper gets their own art journal to use all week and take home at the end.
New this fall: Creative Enrichment Sessions
The same art-making process as our summer camps, built into a weekly rhythm. Homeschool and afterschool sessions starting this October.
A Typical Day:
9:00–9:30: Arrive and settle in gently. We ease into the day with calming practices, then reflect on what we created the day before, what it felt like, what it meant, with sharing always optional
9:30–10:30: First creative exploration. Guided techniques in watercolor, collage, ink, and more. No experience needed, just curiosity.
10:30–11:00: Continued exploration & creative work, with snacks available anytime they need a break.
11:00–12:30: Second creative exploration plus an optional separate weekly craft project.
12:30–1:00: Lunch break with a show campers vote on together. Please pack a lunch
1:00–2:00: More time to dive deeper into today’s techniques or the weekly take-home craft, camper’s choice.
2:00–2:15: Clean up and wrap up the day.
Throughout the day expect spontaneous dance party breaks with a curated music playlist built by campers and somatic art-making moments woven in whenever the energy calls for it. Some days will have open studio time where campers follow their own creative instincts. Every week brings something different.
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CREATIVITY
Your child will explore a range of art techniques and develop their own unique creative voice by trusting their instincts and expressing what’s authentically theirs. No experience needed. No perfection expected.
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GROUNDING
Every session begins with gentle movement and grounding practices to help your child arrive, slow down, and regulate emotions before creating. We create from a calm and present place.
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CONNECTION
Kids become part of a small intimate community of 8 where every voice matters and every creation is celebrated. They’ll also connect with themselves through guided journaling prompts.
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GROWTH
Beyond art skills, your child builds confidence, emotional awareness, and lifelong tools for self expression, including a personal art journal they take home to keep creating.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Camp runs from 9:00am – 2:00pm Monday through Thursday and 10:00am - 2:00pm on Fridays
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Please send your child with:
A water bottle
A packed lunch (nut-free please)
Extra water will be available on-site.
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Camp will be held in a private studio space in downtown Phoenix with on-site parking.
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Parents/guardians are required to sign their child in and out each day to ensure safety and smooth transitions.
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On the final day, students will meet at Phoenix Art Museum for a special field trip experience.
Parents will drop off and pick up directly at the museum
Students should bring a packed lunch and water
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No prior experience is needed. This camp is designed for all skill levels, with a focus on exploration, creativity, and self-expression.
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This is not formal therapy. However, the experience is intentionally designed to support emotional expression, self-awareness, and confidence through creative practices.
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This camp is especially supportive for children who:
Enjoy being creative or want to explore art in a new way
Benefit from a calm, structured environment
Are sensitive, expressive, or imaginative
Struggle with perfectionism or confidence
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Each week is limited to 8 students to maintain a boutique, personalized experience.
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Yes! I’m an approved vendor through Arizona’s ESA program, and I accept payments via ClassWallet.
For more information, click here.
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Full tuition of $350 is due at registration. Cancellations made 7 or more days before session start receive a full refund minus a $50 cancellation fee. Cancellations less than 7 days before are non-refundable. Sessions are transferable to another available date with 7 days notice.
Questions About Camp? I’d love to help.
Please fill out the form and I’ll get back to you within 24 hours.