The story below is an excerpt from our May/June 2015 issue. For the full story download our FREE iOS app or view our digital edition for FREE today!
The arts are an increasingly strong part of summertime for youth.
Summer camp generally brings up visions of canoes, mosquitoes and archery, but these days they can range from sports of all kinds, reading and writing, music, hiking and, well, just about anything. Among the popular camps in the Roanoke Valley are those dealing with art and theater. Here is a look at four opportunities this summer.
Mill Mountain Theatre
Mill Mountain Theatre has the oldest of the region’s popular camps for the stage and this year’s camps will run June 8-July 10 with week-long, hands-on, performance-based camps for kindergarteners through adults.
The cost ranges between $225 and $275 and like the other camps, scholarships based on need are available. The MMT camps study fundamentals of acting, music theater, dance, audition preparation and technical aspects. Each camp ends with a performance.
Says Education Director Anna Kimmel: “Summer camps at Mill Mountain Theatre are creative, confidence building and rewarding.”
millmountain.org/conservatory, 540-342-5749
Roanoke Childrens Theatre
The goal at RCT, says education director Meghan Griffith is “to show young people a world where imagination soars and creative expression thrives. Our students have spent the summer studying music, dance, voice, movement, character, improv, storytelling, comedy, ensemble work, yoga and theatre production. They have built friendships, gained confidence, developed as artists, created a community, and made some unforgettable summer memories.”
RCT features camps for kids between pre-kindergarten to 18 years of age, most a week long, four hours a day with a production at the end. A few are full-day camps. Costs range from $250-$375 a week, less for registering ahead of time. RCT also has Camp Kaleidescope for special needs children aged 5-12 in late July.
roanokechildrenstheatre.org/academy.html, 540-400-7795
Taubman Museum of Art
The children’s summer camps at the Taubman Museum of Art in downtown Roanoke “offer a multi-sensory arts experience combining music, theatre, games, sketching field trips, story readings with the visual arts in a setting that is inspiring, fun and educational,” says Cindy Peterson, deputy director of education.
Taubman has weeks of camp June through August for ages 5-14, weekdays, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at a cost of $150 a week ($175 for non-members). Discounts are available for groups and there are a few need-based scholarships.
Children tour the galleries learning about the art and artists, learn architecture, sketching and painting and create studio classroom where they use a variety of materials in learning techniques and skills. Their work is shown on the last day of camp.
taubmanmuseum.org, 540-342-5760
Salem Art Center
Jessica Palotas calls the Salem Art Center “the newest and freshest art experience available to Roanokers. If last year is of any indication,” 2015 will prove to be a wonderfully enriching and engaging experience for children first through eighth grade.”
Salem Art Center programs change weekly beginning in mid-June and running through mid-August. Palotas and her husband Joe believe “creative thinking and strong business relationships lead to awesome opportunities like mural painting and Plein Air on location painting in Salem.”
The center also features classes in pottery, tie dye, “drawing on the wild side” and garden art, among others. Camps are mostly half-days Monday through Thursday and prices range $50-$75. There are a few full-day camps.
salemartcenter.com, 540-404-1500