Creativity Camp
Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Avenue, Chicago, IL 60615
About
Creativity Camp includes activities such as painting, drawing, sculpting, sewing, ceramics, natural dye, digital photography, puppet making, and small art projects. Campers also take part in interactive magic tricks, puppet shows, plays, short videos, stop motion, and audio storytelling, along with games, outdoor play, and field trips. In Mixed Media Camps, campers focus on visual art media in the mornings and performing art techniques in the afternoons, and Special Topics Camps are arts intensives focused on specific media or themes.
• Ages: 4–13 years old
• Schedule: June 8–August 21, Monday–Friday, with two-week Mixed Media Camps (except Session 1, which is one week) and one-week Special Topics Camps
• Price: After-Care is $100/week
Creativity Camp is designed for kids ages 4–13 years old (Rising Pre-K–Rising 8th Grade), and campers are grouped by grade ranges: Rising PreK–Rising 1st Grade, Rising 2nd–3rd, Rising 4th–5th, and Rising 6th–8th. Campers engage in visual arts in the morning and create performances in the afternoon, and each session has different themes and projects that allow students to experience many art forms. Campers visit galleries and create artwork inspired by artists on display, and curator tours and meeting artists are included in each session.
The program is led by professional artists in multimedia studios, with recognized teaching artists and educators based in Chicago’s artistic community. Teaching artists lead camp sessions that draw on their professional education experience and creative and artistic practices, and they are assisted by emerging youth artists known as Creativity Camp Teen Assistants. Aftercare runs Monday–Friday from 3pm–5pm, is led and supervised by a Teaching Artist with support from Teen Assistant(s), and must be pre-registered at least two weeks before the start of a camp session; spots are limited, late pick-ups cannot be accommodated, and families are asked to arrive promptly at 5pm. Aftercare no longer offers a daily or drop-in option, and for camp families with more than one registered camper, After Care weeks must be registered on separate accounts.
Campers must have prior experience in a full-day academic setting and be able to independently use the restroom, and age limits are firm and set for the safety and enjoyment of campers and staff. The registration system does not allow registration for the same listing twice, and siblings in the same camp group must be registered via separate accounts. For camp families with more than one registered camper, After Care weeks must be registered on separate accounts, and if the aftercare program is full, additional registrations cannot be accommodated.
Hyde Park Art Center’s mission is to stimulate and sustain the visual arts in Chicago and has been doing so since 1939, with an 86-year history grounded in values of creativity, bold thinking, inclusivity, and connection. The organization offers access to Chicago’s artistic community through teaching artists and educators based in that community, current exhibitions and murals that campers can engage with, curator tours, and opportunities to meet artists in each session. Outreach programs in historically underserved neighborhoods bring the visual arts to Chicago youth, their teachers, and their families, and programs bring artists from around the world to create and collaborate in Chicago. The leadership team includes Co-Executive Directors Jen Tremblay Chambers and Aaron Rodgers; Mariela Acuña, Director of Exhibitions & Residency; Mike Nourse, Director of Education; Eric Thompson, Director of Development; and Devon L. Hall, Director of Finance. An Art Center participant has said, “It’s not just about art, it’s about connecting people to one another through art.”
Last updated July 30, 2026.
• Ages: 4–13 years old
• Schedule: June 8–August 21, Monday–Friday, with two-week Mixed Media Camps (except Session 1, which is one week) and one-week Special Topics Camps
• Price: After-Care is $100/week
Creativity Camp is designed for kids ages 4–13 years old (Rising Pre-K–Rising 8th Grade), and campers are grouped by grade ranges: Rising PreK–Rising 1st Grade, Rising 2nd–3rd, Rising 4th–5th, and Rising 6th–8th. Campers engage in visual arts in the morning and create performances in the afternoon, and each session has different themes and projects that allow students to experience many art forms. Campers visit galleries and create artwork inspired by artists on display, and curator tours and meeting artists are included in each session.
The program is led by professional artists in multimedia studios, with recognized teaching artists and educators based in Chicago’s artistic community. Teaching artists lead camp sessions that draw on their professional education experience and creative and artistic practices, and they are assisted by emerging youth artists known as Creativity Camp Teen Assistants. Aftercare runs Monday–Friday from 3pm–5pm, is led and supervised by a Teaching Artist with support from Teen Assistant(s), and must be pre-registered at least two weeks before the start of a camp session; spots are limited, late pick-ups cannot be accommodated, and families are asked to arrive promptly at 5pm. Aftercare no longer offers a daily or drop-in option, and for camp families with more than one registered camper, After Care weeks must be registered on separate accounts.
Campers must have prior experience in a full-day academic setting and be able to independently use the restroom, and age limits are firm and set for the safety and enjoyment of campers and staff. The registration system does not allow registration for the same listing twice, and siblings in the same camp group must be registered via separate accounts. For camp families with more than one registered camper, After Care weeks must be registered on separate accounts, and if the aftercare program is full, additional registrations cannot be accommodated.
Hyde Park Art Center’s mission is to stimulate and sustain the visual arts in Chicago and has been doing so since 1939, with an 86-year history grounded in values of creativity, bold thinking, inclusivity, and connection. The organization offers access to Chicago’s artistic community through teaching artists and educators based in that community, current exhibitions and murals that campers can engage with, curator tours, and opportunities to meet artists in each session. Outreach programs in historically underserved neighborhoods bring the visual arts to Chicago youth, their teachers, and their families, and programs bring artists from around the world to create and collaborate in Chicago. The leadership team includes Co-Executive Directors Jen Tremblay Chambers and Aaron Rodgers; Mariela Acuña, Director of Exhibitions & Residency; Mike Nourse, Director of Education; Eric Thompson, Director of Development; and Devon L. Hall, Director of Finance. An Art Center participant has said, “It’s not just about art, it’s about connecting people to one another through art.”
Last updated July 30, 2026.
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