Perkins Offers Summer Arts Camp

For 25 years, Perkins Center for the Arts has been offering children a summer of art.

This year will be no different as Perkins will hold four, two-week sessions centered on this year’s theme: Imagination Encircles the World.

Each session will include visual artists and performing artists. Children will work in different mediums including painting, clay, paper mache, theater, dance and drama.

“This will be a full, well-rounded experience,” said Kate Popelak, education associate at Perkins.

The camp is for ages 5 to 11. Sessions will be offered from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday, June 27-July 8, July 11- 22, July 25-Aug. 5 and Aug. 8-19 at Perkins Center for the Arts in Moorestown. There are also full-day options available. A final performance exhibition and barbecue will be held the last day of each session.

Professional, working artists who have creative careers in addition to being teachers will teach classes, said Popelak.

“The camp is hands-on,” said Popelak. “Kids will get an opportunity to work with artists who know the medium. It is an opportunity for kids to grow artistically.”

And there will be plenty of different things to try.

“Kids will get to dabble and play around in a comfortable setting,” Popelak said. “It’s about self-discovery; an opportunity for them to figure out what they’re into.”

Each session will have campers broken into groups of four based on age. There is a maximum of 18 campers per group. Each group will have one counselor and one counselor-in-training as well as the teaching-artist.

The camp will also be providing scholarships to 116 children from Camden.

“The children in Camden are our neighbors,” said assistant director Diane Felcyn. “It’s hard for them to discover South Jersey. This program provides a whole day for them.”

Campers will have arts in the morning and spend the afternoon at the Y.

“This is a safe environment for them,” said Felcyn. “They have a summer experience and they make friends. Barriers disappear when you’re sitting next to each other at camp.”

The scholarship program is made possible by donations, Felcyn said. The center needs to raise $12,000 to fund scholarships for the 116 campers.

According to Felcyn, there are several levels of donation:

• $50 provides drinks snacks and lunch for three campers for each day of one session
• $150 provides one camper with a half scholarship to attend one session
• $300 provides one camper with a full scholarship to attend one session
• $400 provides one camper with a full scholarship and transportation for one session
• $600 provides two campers with scholarships to attend one session
• $800 provides two campers with scholarships to attend one session

For more information about the camp, visit Perkins Center for the Arts website.