ESTEVAN - The Estevan Art Gallery Museum is able to host its summer arts camps at their building for the first time since 2019.
The camps have been at capacity since the beginning of June. The first week was July 4-7, and the theme was All About Animals, so the artwork completed by the campers was related to animals.
“People are excited to be able to do stuff in person with no restrictions,” said EAGM programmer Karly Garnier. “So the response has been great. I just wrapped up the first week yesterday (Thursday), and it was wonderful. The kids had lots of fun.”
There is a mix in the structure of the camps, so they are alternating between all-day camps, which run from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and half-day camps the following week.
Garnier, who says she has been offering the camps for at least seven or eight years, said she wanted to have as many different time options as possible for parents.
“I know some people love a full day. Some people prefer a half day if you’re in swimming lessons or things like that,” said Garnier. “We are offering a different structure.”
This year the EAGM has implemented a tiny tot art camp for the last week of July for kids ages three to five. Those are two-hour camps.
“I feel like we have a good cross-section for ages, and different times and lots of different themes.”
Other themes include Let’s get Messy; Mini Masterpieces, in which kids make their own Picasos and Van Goughs, a craft camp, art outdoors camp and Art Around the World, in which they talk about art in other countries.
The final camp is Aug. 16-18.
Participants experiment with different mediums, including painting, collage, sculpting and materials. During Let’s Get Messy, young people painted with water guns and odd objects, while in craft camp, they will tackle do-it-yourself art initiatives.
The EAGM is also offering Art on the Go kits, which were developed during COVID when they couldn’t offer in-person programming. For $5, participants receive an art project in a bag with printed instructions, and the necessary supplies so that it can be taken wherever people go this summer.
“The response for that during COVID (restrictions) was wonderful, and it’s something that we’ve maintained because camps fill up quickly, not everyone gets their spot, and there’s also a big price difference,” said Garnier.
Kits are released weekly on the EAGM’s Facebook page.
Garnier noted they had camps last year, but they were held at Woodlawn Regional Park, which Garnier said was a great partnership. Now they’re back at the EAGM, and it’s wonderful to have kids and families back into the EAGM, where they have the space and materials for making art.
