Summer is hands-down my favorite season. While there are obvious reasons including warmer weather, a break from school, or the smell of fried food drifting out of a stand at the Wisconsin Valley Fair, the real reason summer is the superior season can be summed up in two words: summer camp. As a child, there was always something magical about spending a week away from home; immersed in nature and surrounded by new friends. Whether we were roasting marshmallows, spending hours in the lake, or adventuring through the woods, the days were filled with a certain happiness that just can’t be found on a normal summer day.
Emily (second from the left) and her Girl Scout troop at Camp Birch Trails in 2002.
Although summer camp for adults doesn’t quite exist yet, each summer, the Museum opens its doors to budding artists to recreate a tiny piece of that summer camp magic. While there are no campfires, hours in the lake, or adventures through the woods, there is a unique opportunity to allow children, ages 5 – 8 and 9 – 12, two dedicated days each week to be fully immersed in hands-on making. This week, our first group of participants, ages 5 – 8, took time to make connections with the current exhibition Women Reframe American Landscape by examining historic and contemporary artists and the processes they use.
Summer Art Session participants working on a collaborative snake sculpture.
Anna Atkins, the first person to publish a book illustrated with pictures called cyanotypes, and Christo and Jeanne Claude, environmental artists focused on large scale works located in public spaces, were our inspirations as we created cyanotypes, mosaic planters, Model Magic monsters, and a large-scale collaborative work inspired by Wisconsin wildlife. With one more session lined up next week for ages 9 – 12, the Museum will be buzzing with young artists exploring and creating through two- and three-dimensional processes.
Summer Art Session participants making cyanotypes with found objects from the sculpture garden.
While I will continue to pine for summers filled with nights by the campfire, sun-soaked moments by the water, and the magic of a schedule where there isn’t a care in the world, my joy for summer and summer camp will continue through the Museum’s summer art sessions. If you hear me shouting camp songs through the sculpture garden, just know there is magic afoot as I try to make the next generation love summer just as much as I do.
Three Summer Art Session participants with “painty hands” after creating a sculpture together.
