Craft Alliance has provided arts education and craft experiences to the St. Louis community for nearly 60 years. We are thrilled to embark on another year of creative offerings for St. Louis families. Whether your young artist wants to sculpt with molten glass, learn to weave, or throw on the potter’s wheel, we have a camp for them. Our team of professional teaching artists know how to engage students with new skills while having fun.
We can’t wait to welcome you to our new, expanded location in the Delmar Maker District, where we have updated, larger studio spaces to safely social distance and have fun learning a craft. Summer art camps provide young artists the outlet for exercising both critical and creative thinking through clay, fibers, metal, glass, and more. Our flexible camps fit into your busy summer schedule and are designed to engage youth in learning new and fun studio techniques by making amazing artworks.
Learn to work with a variety of drawing materials to create a wide range of projects. Use pencils, inks, and colored pencils to illustrate buildings, people, animals, plants, and more! Bring your imagination to life as you explore color, line, texture, and perspective!
Explore fibers through fantastic techniques; stitching with colorful threads, tie-dye and fabric painting, and using buttons and beads to embellish! Learn how to join pieces of cloth to create decorative and wearable constructions.
Ink, repeat, ink, REPEAT! From monotypes to block prints, explore a variety of mixed media methods and printmaking tools to create multiple editions of your artwork. Create colorful prints on paper by using paints, inks, found objects, stamps, and relief carvings. Get creative in the Printmaking studio!
Explore hand sewing! Learn how to join pieces of cloth to create soft sculptures, personalized patches, and pillows. Decorate your constructions with simple stitches, felts, buttons, beads, and colorful embroidery threads.
Explore fun ways to build with clay! Create mugs, bowls, sculptures, and tiles. Learn hand building techniques such as coil, slab, and pinch processes. Decorate and texture your clay artworks by using tools and colorful underglazes.
Learn the basics of forming handmade paper, experimenting with color, texture, shaped paper and inclusions. Students will also explore working with three dimensional paper techniques to create paper sculpture.
Round and round we throw! Campers will have fun using the potter’s wheel and gaining new skills in clay; wedging, centering, forming, and even glazing with a colorful palette.
Learn how to tell your own unique story while exploring a variety of bookmaking and printmaking techniques. Create and construct your own colorful artist books.
Create mugs, bowls, sculptures, and tiles. Learn hand building techniques such as coil, slab, and pinch processes. Decorate and texture your clay artworks by using tools and colorful underglazes.
Learn to work with a torch and molten glass to create small sculptural glass objects. Explore a variety of flame working techniques and make beads, sculptures, and animal forms from colorful glass rods.
Use molten metal casting techniques along with fabrication and soldering skills to create small objects from copper and brass. Get ready to fire up the torch and fabricate small sculptures and jewelry!
In the Metal Studio explore the world of wearable art through jewelry and metalsmithing techniques. Learn to rivet, solder, cut, connect, and string together parts! Create wearable and sculptural art using brass, copper, beads, baubles, and found objects, enjoy the exploration of bling!
Explore the art of mosaics using small glass tiles, marbles and found objects to create picture frames, bird houses, and planters in this camp! Learn pattern design and application techniques as you create fun forms, surfaced with multiple ranges of color.
Build with a variety of shapes, animal subjects, and fun patterns to create sculptural, handmade objects. Use techniques like knitting, cutting, pasting, dyeing, casting, and carving to make cool artworks.
Discover how to use a variety of mechanisms and fun shapes to animate your projects! Create using exciting materials like wood, recyclables, corrugated cardboard, and paper to build kinetic sculptures 'krafted' to be movable and fun to play with.
Using a small frame loom and an assortment of colorful yarns, explore the art of tapestry weaving. Learn all about this ancient craft from across the world as you create your own unique projects.
Explore fibers through a variety of techniques--dye, sewing, surface design and embellishments. Learn basic techniques on the sewing machine to turn your materials into decorative and wearable art constructions.
Learn to work with a torch and molten glass to create small, sculptural glass objects. Explore a variety of flame-working techniques and make beads and other small objects created from glass.
Explore techniques to create wearable art through jewelry and metalsmithing techniques. Learn or refine skills needed to rivet, solder, cut, connect together parts! Create wearable and sculptural art using brass, copper, beads, and found objects.
Learn the basics of forming handmade paper, experimenting with color, texture, shaped paper and inclusions. Teens will also explore working with three dimensional paper techniques to create paper sculpture.
Learn the fundamentals of relief printmaking with linoleum blocks--from design, carving, and printing. Using those blocks students will experiment printing on different materials and adding color in non-traditional ways. Students will leave with prints to keep and trade with their friends.
Learn the fundamentals of screenprinting--from design, image development and printing on paper and fabric. Students will use the fundamentals to experiment with non-traditional materials and methods to create unique prints. Students will leave with prints to keep and trade with their friends.
Explore a variety of methods of working in sculpture--from design and concept, to material exploration, and execution of techniques. Students will use techniques like knitting, cutting, pasting, dyeing, casting, and carving to bring their sketches to life.
Teens between the ages of 15 and 18 are encouraged to apply for a limited number of volunteer teen intern positions working with Craft Alliance’s summer camps. Teen interns assist our instructors prepare for camps and assist campers with the projects. Credits can be earned towards one of the Teen Labs during the summer.
Before Care begins at 8:30 am, so please do not bring your camper(s) before 8:30 am. Registration for Before Care is one week only; there is no prorating for partial weeks.
Signed up for a half-day camp, and need some extra (midday) care time? Supervised lunchtime is available 12-12:30 for an additional fee. Please pack a lunch, a snack, and a drink for your camper’s full day.
Pick up is at 4 pm. Please come into the building to pick up your camper. After-Care parents need to sign out their camper each day. Please do not be late; campers who are left in their studio at the end of pick up will be brought to After Care and parents will be charged for After Care. After Care pick up is at 4:30 pm.
What Should my camper wear for camp?
Only close-toed shoes are allowed; no sandals or crocs, please! Students in glass & metals camps should dress in natural fibers, like cotton. Each camper will have a unique arts experience, from learning techniques of clay, glass and metal arts to writing and creating books, wearable art, masks, graphics and more. Please dress your child for fun, and sometimes messy, art experiences!
Do I pack my camper a lunch or snack?
Bring a snack and a water bottle for each camp. Campers will be able to take a monitored break to have a drink and a snack during their camp. This break will take place outside, weather permitting, or in the main corridor, supervised. Lunch care supervison is provided for all day campers, half-day campers can sign up for an additional fee (see the "Care" section). Please be advised; campers should bring a bagged lunch--there is no access to a microwave or refrigerator.
If a camp is full, can I be called if there is a cancellation?
There are waiting lists for camps. Please reach out via email at registrar@craftalliance.org or phone, at 314-725-1177 to join a waitlist. The registrar will contact you if a space becomes available.
Where do I park for pick up and drop off?
There is free parking in the parking lot on the East side of our building or on Delmar Blvd. Additionally, please use the pick-up sign included in your camp acknowledgement email for drop off and pick up. Write camper's last name clearly and hang on passenger side. A camp staff member will escort your camper to and from your vehicle.
Is tuition assistance available?
Tuition assistance is unavailable for 2023 Summer Camps
Policies
Cancellation
Craft Alliance reserves the right to cancel, combine, or reschedule camps/workshops/classes to adjust for enrollment. If Craft Alliance cancels a camp/workshop/class an email notification will be sent to request transfer to another comparable camp or receive a full tuition and studio fee refund.
Withdrawal & Refund
Notice of withdrawal must be sent to grant.benoit@craftalliance.org 14 days prior to the start date in order to a full refund. Craft Alliance will charge a $25 withdrawal fee for any and all withdrawals made earlier than 14 days prior to the start of a camp/workshop/class. Craft Alliance will not refund or credit for camps missed due to illness or health, personal schedule conflict, travel, or other reasons. There is not a schedule to allow for students to make-up or attend missed classes. If your camper is unable to attend a camp day, please contact Craft Alliance immediately at 314.725.1177 ext. 331.
Studio and Classroom Safety
Craft Alliance Summer camps are fun and active. All long hair should be tied back. Campers please dress for fun arts experiences, consider an apron or old shirt. ONLY CLOSE-TOED SHOES ALLOWED.
Ages 10-14 and Teens please bring a long-sleeve cotton shirt and pants for working in the Glass or Metals Studio.
Craft Alliance is equipped with first aid stations and instructors are trained in safety protocols.
Campers should not bring toys or non-essential personal items to camp. Craft Alliance cannot be held responsible for lost or stolen personal items.
Only currently enrolled students may attend classes or camps. Parents are welcome to visit but may not attend children’s camps or classes.
