The San Francisco Children’s Art Center is a non-profit studio that provides summer and year round courses to the bay area’s youngest aspiring artists. In addition to their regularly scheduled classes, they offer “Big Kid” weekly workshops for those aged 5.5 to 10 years old. Take advantage of a 10% discount for either a sibling or early bird registration. Molly Campbell of the art center recently told SignUpForCamps.com more about this great contribution to the next generation of bay area artists.

Q: Tell us a little about yourself and how you started the camp

A: The San Francisco Children’s Art Center in a non-profit art studio, founded in 1978 in response to dwindling art programs in schools. We have been offering art classes, camps, birthday parties and family workshops in our Fort Mason Center studio for over thirty years. Our mission is to nurture the developmental and artistic growth of children through creative expression and self-guided learning. By encouraging experimentation and discovery in a supportive environment, the Art Center is a place filled with possibilities, where children can collaborate, explore, and grow. In addition to our in-studio programs, we are a non-profit organization that offers outreach to family shelters, community centers, and public preschools, free of charge.

 Q: Are there any special lessons or experiences you are trying to provide during the camp?

A:  The Art Center offers a variety of tools and materials to work with that aren’t always readily available to young children, such as   digital cameras for Photography Mixed Media and kiln-fired clay and glazes for Clay Time. We also take advantage of our unique             location at Fort Mason Center by taking short walking trips to the community garden, visiting the public art and science installations that populate our campus, and observing the historical landmarks and maritime wildlife of the San Francisco Bay.

Q: What surprises/delights the kids (or parents) most about your camp?

A: Because we follow a self-guided approach to art instruction, classes follow children’s interests. While providing instruction in the use of techniques and materials, children are encouraged to explore, tinker, and move at their own pace, rather than being directed to create a pre-conceived end product. This offers greater challenges, and greater opportunities for the sheer delight of the “aha” moment, as students learn to articulate and take pride in their own unique voice. Parents are delighted with what their children create, and often exclaim over the quality of work their children bring home. Parents also love our “drop-in” policy and our pro-rated tuition policy, both of which allow families to easily attend the Art Center while juggling other camps or vacations.