• Making paper in youth summer art camp
  • Children painting in youth summer art camp
  • Children in a park on a field trip for youth summer art camp
  • Ceramic tiles made in youth summer art camp
  • Child building a found object sculpture in youth summer art camp

Youth Camps

In KAC’s Summer Art Camps, children ages 5-12 will make discoveries and learn new skills through use of a variety of mediums & techniques that include clay, paper, pencils, pens, markers, crayons, pastels, printmaking inks, and water-based paints. Every week, children will find a new adventure in art led by trained, professional art instructors. Explorations of culture and art history prompt lively, enriching discussions. Students are further encouraged to connect with each other through the process of art critique. Learn, grow, create, and connect in KAC’s Summer Art Camps!

You may also be interested in our regular youth classes, scholarships, or referral discounts.

June 26-30: Laugh Art Loud

LAL! Making art is fun and sometimes funny. Humor us when we say creativity is humorous. You’ll have a great time this week making funny pictures, sculptures, and goodness knows what else with nearly every art material imaginable. You’re going to enjoy making art with us if you like to be even a little bit silly. (Fun fact: Even adult artists like to laugh!) We’ll also get outside to enjoy some summertime sun and fresh air.

Ages 5-7 | Ages 8-12

July 10-14: Drawing Discoveries

Do you draw? Do you WANT to draw? That’s what we doing this week but we’re not just sitting down with stack of paper. Apply drawing techniques to clay, printmaking, animation, and more! Does that sound ridiculous? It’s true! You really will make all kinds of marks and pictures during this fun camp. We’ll also get outside to enjoy some summertime sun and fresh air.

Ages 5-7 | Ages 8-12

July 17-21: Cultural Connections

Are you from Earth? So are most artists! Artists come from all over the globe, even Kirkland. You’ll enjoy traveling the world with 2D and 3D art from several continents and you won’t even need a suitcase. We are going to use all sorts of things to make art: clay, paper, pencils, pens, markers, crayons, pastels, printmaking inks, and water-based paints. That’s what it takes to be a globetrotting artist. We’ll also get outside to enjoy some summertime sun and fresh air.

Ages 5-7 | Ages 8-12

July 24-28: Art Garden Art

Is it a garden of art or art for the garden? Yes! It’s both. This week of camp is bursting with color like a good garden should. We will make big art and small art. Art for your wall, art for your lawn, even art to show off at Kirkland Arts Center. (Yes, we’re proud of our campers and like to show off their work.) It’s a potpouri of mediums, from clay and paint to plastic bottles and marigolds. There’s never a dull moment when you’re an artist! We’ll also get outside to enjoy some summertime sun and fresh air.

Ages 5-7 | Ages 8-12

July 31-August 4: Art Time Machine

From caves to the outer planets, art has traveled through time and space, just like you! We’ll take a journey through thousands of years in five days. Make art like cave dwellers, paint like Leonardo and Donatello (and the other turtles), assemble stuff like Louise Nevelson. We’ll even make art for people in the future! We’ll also get outside during the present day to enjoy some summertime sun and fresh air. Sign up soon, the clock is ticking.

Ages 5-7 | Ages 8-12

August 7-11: Mythical Creatures

Explore pattern, texture, and detail to create characters from your imagination! How many ways can you make a unicorn or bigfoot with clay, paper, pencils, pens, markers, crayons, pastels, ink, and paint? Swim with the mermaids, make mazes with minotaurs and music with satyrs. So many ways to imagine a creature. Famous fake creatures or new ones from your very own mind are all part of the party this week. We’ll also get outside to enjoy some real-life summertime sun and fresh air.

Ages 5-7 | Ages 8-12

View All Youth Art Camps
Camps for Ages 5-7
Camps for Ages 8-12
Teen painting

Teen Intensives

In KAC’s week-long teen intensives, students ages 13 and up will gain foundational skills in ceramics, observational drawing, painting, printmaking, and more. Teens will experiment with traditional and newer materials, discover new techniques with the guidance of experienced professional artists, and build their portfolio in a fun, social environment.

You may also be interested in our regular teen classes, scholarships, or referral discounts. Teens ages 14 and up are also welcome to enroll in our adult classes and workshops.

June 26-30: Drawing People from Head to Toe!

Depict the human face and body like never before! Learn to draw realistic eyes, noses, mouths, ears, and hair, how best to shade these features, plus body proportions and tricky parts like hands and feet.

July 10-14: 2D Portfolio

Prepare for art school with observational drawings and paintings from still lifes, interior perspectives, and live models. Pastels and watercolor will be our primary media.

July 17-21: Clay

Create utilitarian pottery, experiment with malleable clay, and design sculptures. Stimulate your mind and encourage your creativity while learning techniques like coiling, extruding, carving, and slab building.

View All Teen Intensives

Frequently Asked Questions

Will there be outdoor and active time?

Campers will go outdoors often during camp, weather permitting. We’re holding our youth camps at Lakeside Christian Church this year, just across from our main building. LCC has an outdoor courtyard and is close to a number of parks. There will be walks to the parks plus opportunities to play, eat lunch, and sketch outside.

What is the plan for snacks and lunch?

Each camper and teen intensive student should bring a sack lunch each day. The food should be ready to eat and not require heating or special handling. Send along any forks or spoons that are needed. The younger campers will have snack time mid-morning. Please send along a designated snack rather than having your camper raid their lunch.

Do you have a daily schedule?

Break times are fairly flexible depending on the students’ needs, but there will usually be a 15-minute break at 10:30 and an hour to hour-and-a half lunch break which could include a short hike to a park to eat and play.

How many kids will be in each camp?

We cap enrollment at 12 students to make sure everyone gets plenty of individual instruction and attention.

The 2D Portfolio Teen Intensive is held in a smaller classroom and will be capped at 8 students.

How many projects will campers make each week?

Campers will complete around 6-10 projects a week.

What should my camper wear?

Art can be messy. We won’t go wild with the messes but please send your camper to us wearing comfortable clothing that can get dirty. High heels and leisure suits are discouraged. Also, we know that younger kids in particular can get distracted and find themselves needing a change of clothes. If you think this could happen to your camper, please send along spares that we can keep on hand.

My child will turn five (or eight or thirteen) right around the time of the camp. Which one should I choose?

The ages listed for the camps are guidelines. You will know best if your child will work well with a particular age group. We aren’t checking birth certificates.

Where can I park when I drop off and pick up my camper?

This is a good question because for youth camps, you will need to sign your camper in and out each day; dropping them on the street corner won’t work. Lakeside Christian Church has two parking lots on 1st Street that campers, teen intensive students, and families are welcome to use during camp hours. There is a crosswalk to get to the youth camps held at the church on the other side of 7th Avenue and to our main building where teen intensives will be held. Our neighborhood also has ample street parking so you can park directly in front of the church if you’d prefer.

Teens will not need to be signed in and out.

How late does after-care go?

Camp ends at 3:00 pm. We offer extended care for youth camps until 5:00 pm at a cost of $75 per week. If you have other needs (i.e. you only need extended are one day per week or need to leave your camper with us for three days while you summit Rainier) please contact our Education Director at sleary@kirklandartscenter.org or (425) 822-7161 x105

Extended care is not available for our teen intensives.

What is the refund policy?

Please see our detailed refund and withdrawal policy. There is a $20 withdrawal fee when refunds are available. If you purchase the five-camp bundle, we can do a prorated refund on individual weeks within the bundle with 10 days notice but there would be a $20 withdrawal fee for each week.

What kind of discounts are available?

The five-week bundle is a popular choice. You can save up to $200 on camp and after-care for ages 5-12 by registering for all five weeks. We also offer a referral discount and a sibling discount. We do not offer a bundle for the teen intensives but the other discounts are available.

To earn a 10% referral discount on a future class, workshop, or camp, get a new student to register with us and mention that they heard about KAC from you. So if your kiddo has friends that might be interested in joining them for camp, that can add up to significant savings for you!

For sibling discounts, you must call or come in person to register. Camp is full price for your first child, 10% off for your second child, and 5% off for your third.

What happened to the five-week bundle?

Both five-week camp bundles are now closed as our camps have started to fill. If you are interested in enrolling in a camp, we recommend registering sooner rather than later as there are limited spaces remaining. You can see on our registration site how many spots are available in each camp or intensive.

We are not offering a bundle for the teen intensives.

Do you offer scholarships?

Need-based scholarships are available for all of our camps and intensives as well as our regular classes and workshops. Our scholarship application and eligibility information is available here.

Are the camps accessible?

Our youth camps will be held at Lakeside Christian Church. Contact LCC directly for accessibility information.

Due to the historic nature of the KAC building, our teen intensives are not fully accessible. More detailed accessibility information is available here.

Need help registering?

Contact the Education Office at (425) 822-7161 x181 or registrar@kirklandartscenter.org for help with registering, finding a class, or any other questions.

Have an idea for a class?

Find out more about becoming an instructor at KAC here.