It’s hot and summer is long. Kids can easily fall into the summer doldrums.
Parents know it and kids know it.
Bristol Borough’s Penelope Fox Art this year is working to keep local kids busy and their creative juices flowing by offering a Summer Art Camp.
The art studio launched in 2013 by local resident Jina Dierolf ramped up its offerings this summer by designing a weekly camp that runs through August 16 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Penelope Fox Art studio in the Canal Works building on Canal Street.
The upcoming weeks offer a focus on art projects with themes including upcycling, science, exploration, seeing the world, and print and pop. Each week will include various projects that use different medias that allow campers ages 8 to 11 to be creative.
Jeanette Frey, who works during the school year as a public school teacher, leads the summer camp in the comfortable and clean art studio. On a recent afternoon, she was working with campers to create painted sculptures that were made of sand and molded into their forms by campers.
For Frey, hosting the summer camp that is solely focused on the arts is something she enjoys. At a time when schools have cut back on art education programs, the summer camp can provide a creative outlet for kids.
“They’re just not being exposed to art as much anymore,” she said. “So much is test focused in school and this camp allows kids to be creative and discover.”
Some of the advantages are that the Penelope Fox Summer Art Camp’s class sizes are small and that allows for campers to have a more personalized experience. The campers also have the flexibility to work at their own pace, skill level, and ability set.
The campers have the chance to use a variety of different methods to make their projects, including the opportunity to take them home to display once they are finished.
Campbell, 9, said the camp has been a great experience so far and he has enjoyed the projects.
“It’s really nice because I have not tried art very much,” he said, adding he has been able to draw, paint, and be generally creative.
Gwen, 9, said she “likes all the art projects because we get to make things and see them finished.”
Frey said one thing she enjoys is seeing the campers get to creative and flex their artistic abilities while discovering new ones they were not aware they had before attending the camp.
Aside from the summer camp, Penelope Fox Art offers round-the-year classes for kids, teens, and adults of all skill levels. The studio also offers classes for special needs kids, and the ever-popular paint and sip parties.
Penelope Fox Art founder Jina Dierolf said she worked as a graphic designer before stepping into the world of operating an art studio. She explored her artistic ability by self-exploration and self-teaching.
The Summer Art Camp costs $200 per week and supplies for projects are included at no extra cost. Parents can sign their kids up on a weekly basis, and there is a 20 percent discount for siblings or friends who attend.
To learn more and to sign up for Summer Art Camp, click here.
(267) 307-0096 | 10 Canal Street Bristol, PA 19007 | ‘Like’ Penelope Fox Art on Facebook