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The
long hot days are the perfect time to help your
kids get in touch with their inner artist. Check
out these camps and classes where children of all
ages can learn everything from dance to digital
photography, painting to printmaking.
Two summers ago, we moved to beautiful
Orange County, although at the time, I have
to admit it, didn’t seem so beautiful.
Our rental house was in shambles, our belongings
were stuffed into boxes, and my kids, reeling
from too many changes, were agitated and
anxious. I looked for summer activities to
ease them into their new life. My hope was
that while I searched for a permanent home,
they would make friends and feel more comfortable
in their new community. So, I signed them
up for every camp that had openings: cheerleading
camp, surf camp and soccer. But by the end
of several exhausting weeks, I realized they
needed something more calming.
With a stroke of good luck, I found a flyer
posted at a grocery store for a week-long
art camp. One look at that tattered piece
of paper and I knew I had found exactly what
my kids needed; a peaceful, 3-hour a day
respite, where they could fully focus on
some work and escape the craziness of our
new (and still-changing) life.
For several hours each day, my then 6 and
10-year-old children dipped their hands in
paint, molded gobs of sticky clay and learned
about the Masters, all the while listening
to soothing classical music. When I picked
them up at the end of each class, they were
hopeful and relaxed, something I hadn’t
witnessed in the many months since we first
announced we were moving. It was as if by
manipulating the art materials and creating
masterpieces, they realized we were creating
a new life, one that would actually be okay.
And thus began my love of Art Camp.
I have since found that amidst the many athletic
camps and classes offered in Orange County,
we also have an impressive array of arts
programs; everything from acting and singing,
to dancing and painting. The key is in knowing
where to look.
To make it easy to bring out your child’s
inner artist, we’ve compiled the best
of the best in the county. Some of the long-standing
favorites, like the ever-popular Orange County
Museum of Art classes, have been cancelled.
But there are plenty of other options to
make sure your kids have a fun, creative
and culturally-enriching summer.
 VISUAL ARTS
Do you have an aspiring archaeologist on
your hands? The Bowers Museum in Santa Ana
has one-week-long summer camps aimed at teaching
children the history of ancient civilizations
through art projects. The most popular is
the Egyptian Odyssey. Your young artists
can dig up artifacts, create a princess necklace,
make a papyrus painting, and write their
names in hieroglyphics. The museum offers
three other camps, including From Egypt to
Rome, where kids make a wrapped mummy, a
Greek Theatre Mask, Mosaics, Roman Shields,
plus a number of other history-inspired projects.
• For information about the Kidseum
camps at the Bowers Museum, call (714) 480-1522.
There are art classes, and then there are
art classes. Very few serious artists sign
up to teach children, but Laguna Beach residents
have long known about local artist Joan Corman,
and her excellent art classes for kids. Corman’s
classes are semi-private, so each child is
assured to get a lot of individual attention,
as well as a smattering of art theory. She
has one camp that begins in July and runs
for two weeks. The camp is divided into two
sessions, a drawing and painting portion
and then a ceramic and glazing class. If
your child registers for both (a total of
3 hours a day), you get a substantial discount.
These classes are for more serious artists,
8-years-old and up.
• Call Joan Corman at (949) 494-1815.
Keeping kids happy and occupied during the
long summer months can be difficult, especially
if you are on a budget. So when we heard
about the Fine Arts Center at Irvine’s
Heritage Park and its relatively inexpensive
art camps, we were thrilled. The camp for
teens (ages 12-18) is called “Art-rageous” and
aims at exposing students to everything from
drawing, and painting, to printmaking and
ceramics. The camps are one-week long and
are held throughout the summer. The program
for younger kids (ages 6-11) is even more
comprehensive with art history lessons, art
techniques, drawing, painting, and even drama.
The classes emphasize artwork from different
parts of the world, so the camp-goers learn
a little history, too. The “Arts Camp
Summer” sessions are two-weeks long
and focus on strengthening children’s
creativity and imagination. Students in both
age groups can go for either a full day or
half-day.
• Call the Irvine Fine Arts Center at (949)
724-6880.
 So you think you’ve seen everything
there is to see at the Laguna Beach Sawdust
Festival? Think again. This year the Festival
is trying a new program for kids. Each week,
the children’s booth will have a theme-based
art project for kids ages 8 and under. One
week will focus on bugs, another on desert
creatures, etc. For a small donation (plus
admission to the Festival) kids can paint,
create a mask, make a kite, plus a number
of other fun projects. For older children
(5 and up), the always popular ceramics booth
will be open. The young artisans can, with
the help of an artist, “throw a pot” on
a pottery wheel. Then for adults and children
ages 12 and older, the Sawdust Studio will
have arts and crafts projects that require
more artistic skills. They will be able to
try an old-style printing press, embossing,
sketching, block-printing, and more. The
best part of all, the schedule changes from
day to day and week to week, so if you attend
the Festival several times this summer, your
children will work on different projects
that they can bring home at the end of the
day.
• For a children’s program
schedule, visit www.sawdustfestival.org.
Can you think of one child who doesn’t
love snapping pictures on a camera? Combine
photography techniques with computer technology
for a summer camp that will work both sides
of your child’s brain. The Digital
Photography class at the Discovery Science
Center in Santa Ana is offered for kids ages
10-13. Your young photographer will learn
the basics of digital photography, proven
photography techniques, plus how to edit,
touch up and crop photos like a pro.
• Call the Discovery Science Center at (714)
913-5012 or visit www.discoverycube.org.
For this article, we tried to stay away from
art businesses and instead focus on programs
that were less profit-oriented and more education-based.
But there is one local business that we couldn’t
ignore. My Arts Studio is a small storefront
tucked away in the corner of the Eastbluff
Shopping Center (near Corona Del Mar High
School). The studio opened about a year ago
and has since provided local kids with art
classes in a very colorful, small and intimate
setting. The teachers here are enthusiastic
about art and about kids. What a combination.
This summer they have morning and afternoon
camps for artists of all abilities (up to
11 years of age). The studio’s particular
strength is working with the wee ones. They
instruct in a broad range of materials including
watercolors, pastels, clay, acrylics, and
oil paints.
• Call (949) 717-7878 or visit
www.myartsstudio.com.
 PERFORMING ARTS
Actors of all ages can get a taste of performing
at the South Coast Repertory Theatre’s
Summer Workshop. The workshop offers two
sessions. Third – sixth graders get
an introduction to the building blocks of
theatrical storytelling. Young teens focus
on physical, vocal and character work, while
teenagers use the creative process to explore
basic script work. After kids complete the
workshop, they have the opportunity to enter
the year-round programs, and may eventually
audition for the SCR Players, an advanced
ensemble group which performs each spring.
This program is consistently one of the favorites
among kids and their parents, so sign up
early. Classes begin on July 31.
• Call the South Coast Repertory Theatre
at (714)708-5500 for enrollment information.
The Pacific School of Music’s name
is deceiving. Yes, it has music classes for
kids of all ages, but it also has much more:
acting, art, vocal lessons, instrument jam
sessions and manners classes (which we parents
can never get enough of, right?). The school’s
philosophy is to start the kids early because
studies show art training enhances their
ability to learn and increases their coordination.
Children as young as 3 months old can attend
(of course with the participation of mommy
or daddy). The summer camps are offered at
two locations, one in Costa Mesa and the
other in Orange.
• For a complete schedule of camps call the
Pacific School of Music at (714) 545-1217.
“
School Is Out For Summer” is the name
of the Orange County Performing Arts Center’s
children’s program. The well-acclaimed
center has earned high marks for bringing
sophisticated, high-quality performances
to Orange County and its children’s
program is certainly no different. The Center
will host three programs that teach kids
about various cultures. Children will see
a performance and then will participate in
a related activity: Japanese drumming, Spanish
Flamenco dancing and Native American jewelry
making. It’s a superb way for them
to actively learn about other cultures and
the importance of their art.
• Call the Orange County Performing
Arts Center at (714) 556-2122.
 DANCE
It often takes new dance studios time to
establish a reputation and gain a following,
but that’s certainly not the case with
Focus Dance Center. The Irvine studio opened
less than two years ago and has very quickly
become a studio with one of the most sought
after classes. Parents wait in line for as
long as 3-hours to sign up their darling
dancers for classes (and they all say the
wait is worth it.) The reason? A professional
staff, well-trained teachers, and a beautiful
new studio where young dancers perfect their
steps. The studio held its first Dance Camp
last summer, and because of the rave reviews,
it plans to hold it again in July. In fact
this year, the studio has added another week
because of the camp’s popularity. The
dance camp is designed for dancers of all
abilities and focuses on many types of dance;
Jazz, Ballet, Tap, Lyrical and Hip Hop. Best
of all are the end of the week performances.
You won’t want to miss them. Call ASAP
to reserve your space in the camp (spots
fill up very quickly.)
• Call Focus Dance Center at (949) 737-5151
or visit www.focusdancecenter.com.
The Star Dance Academy (“Summer fun
classes”) in Tustin calls itself a
summer program rather than a camp, but the
format is similar to a camp. The main difference
is that these classes are held in the evenings
(except for Saturday morning classes). The
schedule isn’t for everyone, but it
is ideal for those with other obligations
during the day. The academy has been in business
since 1980 and offers classes in Ballet,
Jazz, Hip Hop and Tap.
• Call the Star Dance Academy at
(714) 731-1006.
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