Morning and Afternoon Available. For all day sign up for both sessions.

Designed for young artists, this camp will immerse participants in a variety of artistic activities, including fine arts and Ceramics. We will explore the natural world around us and take a look at some of our native plant species and use them in craft projects that capture their magic. Whether they're beginners or budding artists, our camp provides a fun, supportive environment for exploration and skill-building. With a mix of individual projects and group activities, every child will leave with a collection of their own artwork and lasting memories.

• We believe art should be accessible to all. Scholarships are available for those who qualify.
• Membership is one of the easiest and most effective ways to support the mission of HYS

Discover the fundamental techniques needed to create expressive and dynamic portraits in the medium of your choice. Through a step-by-step approach, participants will learn to simplify complex forms into manageable shapes while exploring facial anatomy, composition, value, light, and color. Working from observation, students will build confidence creating portraits with depth, structure, and personality. Model fee included in tuition.

Click HERE for a materials list for this course!

• We believe art should be accessible to all. Scholarships are available for those who qualify.
• Membership is one of the easiest and most effective ways to support our mission! Learn more about it's benefits and discounts!

Morning and Afternoon Available. For all day sign up for both sessions.

Designed for young artists, this camp will immerse participants in a variety of artistic activities, including fine arts and ceramics, all inspired by the vibrant world of native streams and the creatures that call them home. Campers will explore the ecosystem around them, learning about the animals and plants that thrive in these habitats, while creating their own artwork based on their discoveries. Whether they're beginners or budding artists, our camp offers a fun, supportive environment for creativity, exploration, and skill-building. With a mix of individual projects and group activities, every child will leave with a collection of their own artwork and lasting memories of their creative journey!

• We believe art should be accessible to all. Scholarships are available for those who qualify.
• Membership is one of the easiest and most effective ways to support the mission of HYS

Morning and Afternoon Available. For all day sign up for both sessions.

Designed for young artists, Sky Explorers invites campers to look up and let their imaginations soar. Through fine art and ceramics projects inspired by the sky above us, campers will explore clouds, weather, birds, and planets. Hands-on activities encourage curiosity about the natural world beyond the ground, blending observation, creativity, and artistic expression.

Whether beginners or budding artists, children will enjoy a fun, supportive environment that fosters creativity, exploration, and skill-building. With a balance of individual projects and collaborative activities, every camper will leave with a collection of original artwork and lasting memories from their sky-high creative journey.

• We believe art should be accessible to all. Scholarships are available for those who qualify.
• Membership is one of the easiest and most effective ways to support the mission of HYS

Embrace your creative side in this Watercolor Free Spirit Workshop, a fun, afternoon designed for every skill level—from those who have never touched a brush to experienced painters seeking a relaxing refresh—this course begins with an interactive demonstration of techniques. You’ll learn how the brush handles, how pigment reacts with water, and the joy of choosing your own color palette. By focusing on essentials rather than complex, time-consuming advanced methods like painting wet on wet, or layering paint, you will enjoy immediate success and creative satisfaction.

Everyone will be able to create a finished project to take home that very day, choosing personalized note cards or a standalone painting. Using a seasonal themed subject or your own reference photo, you’ll dive straight into the painting process.

Beyond the brushwork, you’ll gain professional insight into the critical differences between student and professional-grade paints, papers, and brushes, as well as essential care tips. You’ll leave not only with a finished piece of art but also with the knowledge to continue painting note cards and more at home.

This two-day studio workshop will focus on painting “alla prima” (all at once) as well as developing greater skills of observation, simplification and painting “wet on wet” to create strong “painterly” paintings. The workshop will also discuss techniques to quickly transfer the elements of your reference to the canvas with the goal of creating an artistic painting that accurately relates the important forms of a composition rather than simply copying everything in a photograph.

The first morning of the workshop begins with a discussion of painting basics (from materials to paint handling) and will also address the fundamentals of color, value, edges, perspective and other “practical” elements that make a successful painting. Each day participants will work on a series of timed painting exercises incorporating the techniques discussed while developing their skills of observation, simplification, bold brushwork and painting in a “decisive” and “intentional” manner.  

Each morning of the workshop will include a short painting demo by Dan with an explanation of his process.  Dan will provide plenty of one-on-one individual instruction throughout each day of the workshop.

This workshop is designed for intermediate to advanced painters in both oil and acrylic mediums, however proficiency in basic drawing is required.  Participants will be able to choose from a wide variety of reference photos supplied by the instructor for their painting exercises. 

Click HERE for a materials list for this workshop!

• We believe art should be accessible to all. Scholarships are available for those who qualify.
• Membership is one of the easiest and most effective ways to support our mission! Learn more about it's benefits and discounts!

Use photos of your favorite summer memories (or any other photo of your choice) as inspiration for your newest sketch or painting. Learn how to incorporate your emotions and interpretations of the photo into your sketch rather than simply copy the photo.

Materials: Students may choose what sketch materials to bring. I suggest water-soluble materials like watercolors, gouache, water-soluble crayons, and/or dry sketch materials like pastels, pencils, pens, and so on. My suggested supplies are listed here: Artist Resource List