2024 Youth Summer Camps
Registration is closed for 2024. Check back in early 2025 for information about next year’s camps!
2024 SUMMER CAMP SESSIONS:
- SCULPTURELAND: July 8-12 (Age 11-16)
- OUTSIDE THE (CARDBOARD) BOX: July 15-19 (Age 8-13)
- THE ART OF SURPRISE: July 22-26 (Age 8-13) sold out!
Keep scrolling to read more about each camp session!
DETAILS:
- 12-4PM Monday-Friday
- $225/week
- Snacks & materials provided
Scholarships are available for families with financial need, thanks to generous support from the Hugh J. Andersen Foundation. Please contact Franconia staff at info@franconia.org if you would like scholarship information.
CANCELLATIONS:
- Summer Camp Registration must be cancelled on or before May 1, 2024 in order to receive a full refund.
- Camps cancelled between May 1-June 1 will receive a 50% refund.
- Any cancellations after June 1 will not be eligible for a refund.
If you would like to volunteer with Franconia’s Youth Summer Camps, email sarah@franconia.org
SCULPTURELAND: July 8-12, Ages 11-16
Campers will use Franconia’s sculpture and land as inspiration, and make an installation of their own in the park! Instructor Jillian and campers will explore land art, interactive artwork, and building methods for sculpture, working together to craft an experience for family, friends, and visitors to the park.
Things to expect: playing games, going on walks, sketching, collecting materials, and building something of your own design in the park.
Jillian Gryzlak is a Chicago-based maker of things. She works with ceramics and textiles, builds sculptural costumes, makes props and puppets for theater, and designs immersive installations. Working with a multitude of materials, Jillian’s process is often one of discovery, intuition, and play. Jillian brings this same process of discovery with her when working with youth. Jillian is excited to join Franconia this summer to explore the park and art making with youth.
OUTSIDE THE (CARDBOARD) BOX: July 15-19, Ages 8-13
Over the course of the week campers will explore cardboard beyond the traditional approaches to the material. Activities will focus on a few big ideas: (1) Building BIG with cardboard. (2) Exploring the cardboard continuum; a range of qualities cardboard can take on from leather to wood. (3) Movement and kinetic elements… how can we bring cardboard to life?
What to expect: playing games, sketching, installing a large collaborative sculpture, and making something you can crawl into.
Amber Dohrenwend is a visual artist based in Marquette, Michigan. She constructs post-consumer cardboard sculptures with soft, organic curves and textures. Her work directs viewers’ attention to the vast potential of a humble material that is often overlooked. She typically works with nothing more than cardboard, a pair of scissors and a stapler.
ART OF SURPRISE: July 22-26, Age 8-13
Explore the elements of art through playful experimentation and unexpected surprises. Each day, campers will dive into a different principle of art and explore it by creating collaborative and individual works of art. Great for campers who want to do something new every day!
What to expect: Frankenstein stuffed animals, taking things apart, playful competition, going on walks, and tackling a new project every day.
Harper Steinbach is an artist from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She graduated with a degree in Art History from Seattle Pacific University in 2018 and is currently an Artist in Residence with HCMC as well as The Gathering, a Dementia respite care program. They are a former Artist in Residence at QueerSpace Collective and the recipient of a 2023 Minnesota State Arts Board Creative Support for Individuals Grant. Harper enjoys dry humor, all cheeses, and trying new restaurants. She resides in South Minneapolis with her partner, Jess, and their dog, Goose.
PARENT TESTIMONIALS
“As a parent, I was so impressed with camp, from communication to inclusion, this experience for my daughter was all I was hoping for and more. She came home that first day filling her notebook with ideas! The reception and display of the kids’ work was wonderful.”
“My son had a rough school year, and his sense of belonging was fractured. He lit up at Franconia’s camp–he felt safe enough to express his authentic self, was able to connect with others with ease, and the things he created were encouraged and even admired. Franconia fostered his creativity in a way that significantly boosted his morale.”
“[My son] got three bee stings while at the camp and still claimed it was the best week of his life!”
QUESTIONS AND CONTACT:
If you have any questions about the Youth Summer Camps at Franconia, please contact us at the Franconia office: 651-257-6668 or info@franconia.org.
Location
29836 St. Croix Trail
Shafer, MN 55074
Franconia Sculpture Park resides on the ancestral Dakota lands of the Wahpekute in Mni Sota Makoce, along the St. Croix River which also holds significance by the Ojibwe and other Native peoples. We recognize, support and advocate for all Native nations and will actively center Native voices in our work.
Hours
The grounds of Franconia Sculpture Park are open 365 days a year from 8am-8pm.
The Franconia Commons building is open:
Apr. 15 – Nov. 14:
Everyday, 10am-5pm
Nov. 15 – Apr. 14: Friday-Sunday, 10am-4pm
Closed on National Holidays
