For an artist, it’s the perfect summer afternoon: two hours immersed in ceramics, followed by another two hours of drawing, painting, printmaking or sculpture. At the end of each day, the artist’s mind is full of possibilities, while clay dust and ink mingle on the artist’s palms, evidence of artwork recently ushered into the world. This ideal summer vacation experience is available to students in grades 5-9 at Maud Morgan Arts Summer Creative Workshops.

Clay classes focus on a different skill each week, including handbuilding techniques, working on a potter’s wheel, and creating vessels of all kinds—mugs for hot chocolate, bowls for oatmeal, vases for flowers, and unique decorative pieces. Three different drawing classes encourage students to experiment with storytelling through pictures and to develop their own visual language. During other weeks, students can silk-screen images onto unusual surfaces such as wood or fabric, design inflatable creatures with plastic sheeting, capture powerful images through painting or photography, and even cast multiple plaster sculptures of their toes.

In September, students who attend Maud Morgan Arts Summer Creative Workshops will have a fascinating answer to the classic first-day-of-school essay question: what did you do this summer? They will also have beautiful pieces of artwork to remind them of their perfect summer afternoons, and to inspire them to continue their creative journey into the fall.

Summer Creative Arts Workshops for 5th-9th graders run for eight weeks from July 7 through August 29.