Questions? Summer Art Camp has it's own phone number: 215.248.0559
Allens Lane Art Center's Summer Art Camp welcomes campers from all over the area, ages5 - 12 to come and join in the fun. Our Summer Art Camp offers a unique blend of arts and athletic activities that gives each child a fun and memorable summer experience. The camp employs sports specialists as well as professional artists and art teachers to help our campers in the numerous activities we offer.We believe that it is just as important to exercise the mind as it is the body (especially during the summer) so we make sure to take advantage of our unique campus in the middle of Fairmount Park.
Each week campers spend time in our art studios, dance studios and theater as they learn from our team of well qualified professionals as well as spend time outside enjoying our open fields, playgrounds, tennis and basketball courts. Additionally, campers are taken on weekly field trips to area arts and cultural institutions as well as bi-weekly swimming sessions (Roxborough Y). During the fourth and eighth week of camp, campers put on a gallery exhibition in our art gallery and a performance in our theater for family and friends. It's what art camp is all about! For the parents/guardians, a newsletter is sent home each week to keep you informed of upcoming activities. We've also got our own youtube channel that lets parents see what fun and activites our kids are up to. Campers bring their own lunch (we do not refrigerate). Snacks are provided during PM extended hours.
Dates & Hours
Parent Orientation: Sunday, June 2 , 2013
3:00 - 4:00pm
*Pre-Camp Dates: June 17 - 21, 2013
Camp Dates: June 24 - August 16, 2013 There will be no camp on Thursday, July 4th. Camp will resume on Friday, July 5th.
Regular Camp Hours: 8:30am – 3:30pm
We also offer additional AM and PM hours (at an extra charge) to accommodate you.
AM Extended Hours: 7:30am – 8:30am
PM Extended Hours: 3:30pm – 6:00pm
* Pre-Camp is a week of camp (scaled-down version) that is designed for campers who may have an early end to their school year. Pre-Camp is discounted from the regular camp because there are no field-trips or swimming but does include extended hours.
Photo: Each year, campers create a new mural that hangs in our center for the entire year.
Open House
Please join us on Sunday, May 19, 2013 from 11:00am - 2:00pm.
Our Open Houses allow parents/guardians a chance to see the facility, meet the Camp Director, ask questions about our Summer Art Camp, and make registrations. Many first time campers find it useful to see the facility before attending so they know where they will be going once camp starts.
Camp Health Form - All parents must fill this out and return it prior to the start of their child's start of camp.
Activities
Our Summer Art Camp follows our mission of making the arts accessible to our entire community by giving our campers exposure to a wide variety of the arts and culture coupled with sports and play.
Arts and Culture
Campers attend classes in clay, painting & drawing, crafts, circus arts, dance, voice and theater - campers get to pick a favorite and take additional special classes in what they like.
Campers perform two theatrical shows (week 4,8)
Campers exhibit their artwork in our art gallery
Weekly field trips to exciting regional arts and cultural sites (see examples below)
Special weekly performances by invited artists (musicians, storytellers, etc..)
Sports and Play
Swimming twice per week at an off-site location (Wednesdays with instruction and Fridays Pool Games at the Roxborough Y). Swim is well supervised.
Playground, basketball and tennis courts with instruction.
A variety of indoor and outdoor cooperative games (weather permitting).
Fun activities for creative kids.
Crazy dress up and theme days.
Special rainy day activities.
Weekly Field Trips (2012 examples)
Longwood Gardens
Camden Aquarium
African American Museum
The Philadelphia Cleft Club
Upper Darby Performing Arts Center
Spiral Q Puppet Theater
The Mann Youth Concert Series
Arnolds Family Fun Center
C.I.T. Program
The Counselor-In-Training program for teens entering 9th through 12th grade has always been a special part of our camp. The deadline to apply is March 1.
Jr. & Sr. Counselors
Counselors - All campers are grouped by age, with a leadership team of three counselors per group (we strive for a ratio of 1 counselor for every 6 campers). All camp staff are selected for their maturity, responsibility, experience and sensitive understanding of children. Art, ceramics, dance and drama are taught by professionals. Many teach classes at Allens Lane Art Center throughout the year. Red Cross certified instructors supervise swimming activities. Additionally, all counselors attend a mandatory CPR class (taught by the Red Cross).
Employment Opportunity:Allens Lane Art Center invites applications for Junior and Senior counselors each year for our Summer Art Camp. Deadline is March 1.
Camp Staff
Director - Sherry Ashton
A love of the arts has always played an important role in Ms. Ashton life. She started her professional career in the performing arts as a dancer and went on to become an actor, teacher and choreographer. She had principle parts in several movies, toured internationally with a dance revue and did a short national tour with a children's theater ensemble. She has belonged to several dance and theater companies, the most notable being the 127 th Street Repertoire in New York City. She taught classes for and directed several Summer Arts Enrichment Programs, along with the ongoing year long programs.
Assistant Director - Susanna Horn
Susanna studied Art History and Psychology in Italy. She worked as a manager in an Art Gallery in Rome for about 8 years with responsibilities of preparing, and organizing the monthly shows, receptions, invitations and catalogs of the shows. She instructed the employees on the setting up cleaning, and all the preparations for the shows. Correspondence and contact with the artists and the transportation companies, inventory, print and small work of art on paper inventory and sales.
After marrying and moving to the United States, she taught Italian at Berlitz and Drexel University. Susanna then went on to work at the Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential for 10 years as a teacher. She taught toddlers through 14 year olds in a variety of subjects as well as oversaw the production of the annual Shakespeare play at the Evan Thomas Institutes. Susanna has also worked as an interpreter and translator in a clinic that treated disabled and brain injured children and adults. She trained as a clinician, taking medical histories and doing evaluations. In this role she taught parents and family members programs and methods to improve the intellectual, communication, manual, and social abilities. She also worked as an interpreter for the institutes non-English speaking families. She loves cooking and teaches classes on how to prepare real Italian dishes.
A love of the arts has always played an important role in Ms. Ashton life. She started her professional career in the performing arts as a dancer and went on to become an actor, teacher and choreographer. She had principle parts in several movies, toured internationally with a dance revue and did a short national tour with a children's theater ensemble. She has belonged to several dance and theater companies, the most notable being the 127 th Street Repertoire in New York City. She taught classes for and directed several Summer Arts Enrichment Programs, along with the ongoing year long programs.