This summer, young adventurers embarked on a thrilling journey of creativity and hands-on learning at Camp Create, using The Printing Museum’s well-equipped book arts studios. With weekly themes that brought imagination to life, this exceptional visual arts summer camp was an opportunity for kids to explore, create, and be inspired. 

Exploring a Unique Camp Experience

Camp Create was different than other summer camps in that it offered:

1. Hands-on Learning: Campers engaged with professional book arts equipment and dived into numerous techniques to craft their own prints, bind their own books, tell a story, and make their own paper. 
2. Guided Discovery: With professional artist mentors, campers received expert guidance, nurturing their skills and imagination while learning critical steps in advancing their image making and story-telling skills. 
3. Blending Past and Present: Camp Create seamlessly merged traditional artmaking methods with contemporary tools, connecting the past to the present. 
4. Fostering Collaboration: The camp cultivated a sense of community, encouraging campers to collaborate on projects and forge lasting friendships. 
5. Nurturing Creativity: Regardless of the weekly theme or technique being introduced, campers were empowered to express themselves creatively and teachers supported individual interests

A Glimpse into the Weekly Themes

Each week, Camp Create revolved around a unique STEAM-inspired theme, adding a layer of excitement and focus to the camp: 

• Week 1: Printmaking A to Z. From screen-printing t-shirts to printing from LEGOS^TM, campers explored the many ways printmakers today generate images. . 
• Week 2: Space Travel. Campers explored outer space through art! Every project gave campers insight into our understanding and experience of our universe. 
• Week 3: Zine Week. Campers explored the fast-paced world of making zines. They learned how to develop their own stories, create illustrations, and explore the many different tools that zine-makers use to produce their tales. 
• Week 4: Myth and Fantasy. Campers brought fantastical worlds and creatures to life,  using their imagination, paint, presses, paper, lasers, and more. 
• Week 5: Build a Book. Campers learned about and experimented with different book structures, from the basics of a pamphlet stitch to a leather-bound volume. They even learned how to make their own paper.  
• Week 6: Nature Printing. Campers gained a unique view into the secret life of plants and animals by learning the varied techniques and tools that artists use to print directly from objects found in nature.  
• Week 7: Urban Art. Since Houston is the city of murals, campers created many murals throughout the week exploring the different tools used by urban artists, including stencils, wheat-paste-up, and paint.

A Journey of Lasting Impact

Camp Create was more than a mere summer camp; it was an opportunity for young minds to discover their potential, make lifelong friends, and learn in an engaging environment. For parents, it was a chance to provide their children with a distinctive blend of history, art, and innovation. Though the camp has concluded, its influence lives on. The skills honed, the bonds formed, and the creative seeds sown will continue to thrive.  

A special thanks to the teachers: Melissa Wendt and Lorenzo Juarez; guest artists: Missy Bosch, Kathy Gurwell, Megan Harvey, Gaby Hurtado-Ramos, Kill Joy, Julie Massey, Janet Reynolds, and Jessica Snow; volunteers: Judy Hess and Maren Svoboda who made Camp Create possible.

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If you’ve scrolled this far, we were hoping you would consider taking the step of supporting the The Printing Museum.

The Printing Museum is a special place. We are the only community-driven center in the region where visitors can explore the 5,000+ year heritage of human communication and practice all of the book arts disciplines under one roof. Our supporters keep us independent and our programs accessible to an ever-growing community of artisans.

If you can, please consider supporting us with a one-time gift for as little as $10, or even better, supporting us every month with a recurring gift. Thank you!