Campers have been having a great week during the Take Flight session. We’ve been having lots of fun learning about birds, creating bird inspired art, and exploring the sanctuary. During the week, campers loved our visit from the internationally renowned Caterpillar Lab from Keene, New Hampshire, and printmaking workshop with the amazing Sherrie York. Here are the top moments from the week:
Tag Archives: Mass Audubon Summer Camp
Printmaking with Sherrie York at the Wild at Art Summer Camp
Excitement permeated through the Wild at Art Summer Camp on Thursday July 17 because artist Sherrie York, an internationally renowned printmaker, stopped by and taught all the campers a little about the art of printmaking.
Since this was during the Take Flight week, all the campers made prints that were inspired by the different textures of bird feathers. Each group of campers started off in our fantastic exhibition “The Birds of Trinidad and Tobago” and looked at the different types of feathers found on the different birds. Next, they created a relief print on foam board and then created ink prints. Check out all the fun.
Campers with Sherrie York checking out the different types of feathers
Creating Relief Prints
Creating Prints
The Finished Product!
Connecting with art and nature: Top moments from the Natural Connections week at the Wild at Art Camp
We had an amazing first week at our Wild at Art Camp. Our theme was Natural Connections and the campers learned and created art focused on the web that connects plants and animals.
Moment #1: The Caterpillar Lab
Moment #2: Creating marbled paper (sumagashi) and birch tree paintings
Moment #3: Using found materials to build an eight foot wide eagles nest
Moment #4: Collecting natural materials for art
Collecting natural materials for art projects
Collecting natural materials for art projects
Moment #5: Warming up with charcoal before some awesome art projects
Our teaching artist, Katie Buchanan, and camper Cora warming up for the art activity with charcoal
Camper David and Liam having fun drawing with charcoal
Moment #6: Getting up close with dragonflies and other critters in the meadow
Sean Kent, the Wild at Art Camp director, shows camper Janek, Handel, Cooper, and Thomas, a dragonfly from the meadow.
Camper Janek, Cooper, and Thomas catching critters in the meadow
Moment #7: Creating art everywhere, even on the sidewalk
Moment #8: Watercolors using water from our pond full of tadpoles
Moment #9: Going behind the scenes in the art museum and creating Charlie Harper Inspired art based on their up close tour
See the world differently: Earthworks week at the Wild at Art Summer Camp
During the Earthworks camp session from August 3 – 7, campers will experience the natural world in new ways by creating landscape art with natural materials. Each camper will engage with their natural environment in many creative activities guided by caring and well-trained camp counselors. Find out more about the Wild at Art camp and download the camp brochure.
Camper creating landscape art with pine cones and other natural materials
Campers will use nature as their canvas and create inspiring works of art. During the Earthworks week, campers will
- Have lots of fun planning and building with natural materials throughout the nature sanctuary
- Develop their problem solving skills while designing and creating their works of art
- Expand their creativity and vision
- Develop friendships and increase their confidence by creating landscape art
Sign up today for the Earthworks Camp Session
This camp week is inspired by landscape artists, including Andy Goldsworthy and Robert Smithson, whose artwork you can see below.
Learn more about landscape artist Andy Goldsworthy:
Andy Goldsworthy’s ‘Slate Cone’ in Edinburgh Botanic Gardens, UK
Spiral Jetty, By Landscape Artist Robert Smithson.
Spiral Jetty, Great Salt Lake, Utah, Artist: Robert Stimpson. CC-BY-SA-2.0
Spiral Jetty, Great Salt Lake, Utah, Artist: Robert Stimpson. CC-BY-SA-2.0
Ready to be inspired and amazed? The Caterpillar Lab is coming to the Wild at Art Summer Camp
The Caterpillar Lab is Coming!!!
We have exciting news for this summer’s Wild at Art Camp…The award winning, innovative, engaging, and awe-inspiring Caterpillar Lab is coming to camp during the Natural Connections 1 (July 6 to 10) and Taking Flight (July 13 to 17) week.
By incorporating a visit from the Caterpillar Lab with the Wild at Art Camp experience, campers will have a strong foundation to experience powerful moments of discovery throughout the year in their own backyards and daily life. In addition, this experience should infuse them with the confidence to create and express themselves more confidently through art. Only a few spots remain, so sign up today so that camper in your life won’t miss out!
During each week, the Caterpillar Lab will allow campers to get up close and personal with many different species of native caterpillars and learn about their adaptations.
Mother and daughter at a live caterpillar show seeing a cecropia moth caterpillar for the first time. © Samuel Jaffe.
Campers will:
- Learn more about many fascinating species of native caterpillars
- Discover native caterpillars at the wildlife sanctuary and at home
- Create art inspired by these amazing natural creatures
- Become excited about discovering their natural world and sharing it with others
Week 1: Natural Connections (July 6 to July 10)
For the first week, campers will learn about how these caterpillars interact with plants, like how the monarch caterpillar is able to consume milkweed and turn the toxins in the milkweed into a defensive weapon.
Week 2: Taking Flight (July 13 to July 17)
For the second week, campers will learn how caterpillars are adapted against birds. Because, unless they are “told otherwise”, birds view caterpillars as big, juicy snacks. For example, the caterpillars of the spicebush swallowtail butterfly look likes snakes, which is an adaptation that scares birds and saves the caterpillar from being lunch. We have lots of spicebush in the wildlife sanctuary and are optimistic that campers will be able to find these caterpillars on the property.
Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar
Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar. Creative Commons License.
Do you know a creative kid or a nature detective…then open up a world of exploration, imagination, and investigation this summer by signing them up for the Wild at Art Summer Camp in Canton.