Summer Arts Camps at Rhizome, in Takoma! Be creative, learn something new, make new friends, have a blast! These will be small, friendly, relaxed camps facilitated by working artists. The focus will be on creative collaboration and open-minded engagement with the subject matter in a fun, zero-pressure environment. Fees include all materials.
Sliding scale pricing - please pay whatever amount works for your family within the range. The low end of the range is approximately $12/hour plus materials; the high end is ~$18/hour plus materials. We do this so that we can compensate staff fairly for their time and expertise, while keeping things accessible.
There are scholarships available if the cost is a burden - please email us.
Email info@rhizomedc.org with questions.
June 23-27 * 10am-2pm * Hand Puppets * $250-360 * Ages 8-14
Many Puppeteers are people who enjoy a lot of different kinds of art. In this camp we will sculpt, paint, sew, cut, glue, rehearse and perform. We will create characters and then find stories for them. Friends and family will be invited as audience members on the last day.
Instructor: Rachel Gates
[THIS CAMP IS FULL - IF YOU SIGN UP YOU WILL BE ADDED TO A WAITING LIST]
June 30 - July 3 [4 days, M-Th] * 9am-4pm * Inspiring Art [includes Field Trips] * $350-500 * Ages 10-13
Campers will observe selected works of art in museums in Washington, DC, then return to Rhizome to work on their own related projects. They will try out different techniques such as block printing, assemblage or abstract painting, sharing ideas and at times collaborating on projects. Campers will need a prepaid MetroCard and are encouraged to bring their own sketchbooks. Instructor: Caroline MacKinnon
July 7-11 * 9am-noon * Natural Dye Camp * $220-310 * Ages 10-16
Join us for a week-long introduction to natural dye! Campers will get hands-on lessons on natural dye through foraging, eco-printing, and dyeing their own camp shirts. Instructor: Fatima Janneh
July 7-11 * 12:30-4:30pm * Electronic Music Camp * $240-360 * Ages 10-16+
Learn to create electronic music. Open to all levels of experience, including none. Camp will be structured around a daily song challenge - for example, construct a beat out of sounds you record on site. A laptop and headphones will be necessary - please let us know if you need us to provide. Beginners will download a free trial version of Ableton Live and start with the basics; more experienced musicians can use other software if preferred and will be supported at the level they’re at. Instructor: Chris Helzer
NOTE for July 7-11:
Morning camp participants will be able to stay through lunch to attend the afternoon camp.
July 14-18 * 9am-4pm * Summer Art Experiments * $420-600 * Ages 8-11
Campers will explore various materials, drawing from the season and our environment for inspiration. They may make found-object faces after gathering materials outside, sun prints on a clear day, or melted watercolor paintings on a rainy one. Campers will play collaborative art games like pass the portrait, as well as build on their own individual projects throughout the week. Experiments will include traditional art materials like oil pastels, ink or charcoal, as well as more unconventional mark makers such as grass or sticks from the yard. We will look at subjects in the summer light to spark ideas and make new things - the rainbows in a sprinkler or soap bubbles floating past. Instructor: Caroline MacKinnon
July 21-25 * 9am-4pm * Printed Matter * $420-600 * Ages 9-12
Campers will explore basic printmaking techniques such as monoprints, collagraphy and stamps. They will also self-publish their own zines and chapbooks and try different layouts and bindings. A camp for young writers and artists alike, they will read and talk about different art books – and make their own! Instructor: Caroline MacKinnon
July 28 - August 1 * 10am-2pm * Rod Puppets * $250-360 * Ages 8-14
Many Puppeteers are people who enjoy a lot of different kinds of art. In this camp we will sculpt, paint, sew, cut, glue, rehearse and perform. We will create characters and then find stories for them. Friends and family will be invited as audience members on the last day. Instructor: Rachel Gates
August 4-8 * 1-4pm * Quilling and Other Paper Fun * $180-270 * Ages 8-14
A full week of paper play and creation, we’ll cover paper quilling basics, pattern ideation to 3D creation, and some experimenting with color vs monochromatic. Most days of class will have a prompt or two where everyone can learn some basics to complete a project and receive help/guidance as desired. There will also be plenty of material for open crafting for those who have other ideas or just need a break from a group activity. We’ll be working first with torn paper for sunsets/gradients, cutting specific shapes for a large 3D Sun/Bloom, and then getting into quilling patterns and specific shapes. Expect much paper joy to follow you home! We’ll have a good range of ages and all levels of skill are welcome - projects are well suited to scale to fit everyone’s needs for focus and concentration. Instructor: Ashley Chiang
August 18-22 * 12:30-4pm * Summer Playyyyyyyy!!!!! Camp * $210-300 * Ages 8-12
Last week of summer before school starts. Let's cram it all in: water balloons, sno cones, daisy chains, comic books, picnics, rock skipping in Sligo Creek, DIY obstacle course, Capture The Flag Through the Sprinkler, lemonade stands, choose your own adventure books, making ice cream, board games, hopscotch, marbles, lazing on the Rhizome lawn with sunglasses and toe nail polish... End summer with a bang! Instructors: Emily Ellerbe & Anna Josephson
About the facilitators:
Ashley Chiang is a paper artist who folds, sculpts, and coils paper into intricate 3-dimensional designs. She travels to show her work and teach classes and workshops nationwide. For more than a decade, she has also been an unschooling parent, with another ten-ish years to go!
Emily Ellerbe is a writer, teacher, homeschooling parent, co-creator of cooperative groups, and an aspirant to playful living.
Rachel Anthonisen Gates is an award winning puppeteer who founded Rhizome Puppet Lab, now in its fourth year. She is also an educator for MCPS (Stonegate Elementary School), and a parent in Takoma Park, Maryland.
Chris Helzer is a telecommunications engineer and amateur electronic musician. In addition to occasionally teaching courses in the workplace, he has taught physics and computer programming in a homeschool cooperative, and enjoys sharing his enthusiasm for various subjects with his students. He facilitates Rhizome’s Youth Electronic Music Lab every other Sunday.
Fatima Janneh is a Gambian American fiber and textiles artist. Based in DC, she works primarily with natural dye and is an avid knitter. Currently teaching dye workshops and selling at markets around the city.
Anna Josephson is a homeschooling parent in the District. She teaches academic writing and composition at the University of Maryland. She grew up in Alaska, where she received Socratic seminar education starting at age 12. She is a published author currently shopping her first novel.
Caroline MacKinnon is a parent, artist and educator who lives in Takoma Park, MD. She teaches ceramics classes to children and adults at the Takoma Park Community Center. She also holds art workshops for small groups in area schools and has previously run arts camps at Rhizome. She likes meeting people, making art, and collecting things.