$150 • July 14-17
Ages 5-10
Day 1: The Secret Skeleton Wire Armatures & Dynamic Figures Every great statue has a secret! Today, we learn about the armature—the "skeleton" that holds a sculpture up. Using bendable wire and foil, students will build a poseable frame of a person, animal, or imaginary creature. We’ll focus on balance and "center of gravity" to make sure our figures can stand, jump, or dance without falling over.
Day 2: Building the "Skin" Paper Clay & Form-Making Now that our skeletons are built, it’s time to add the "muscles" and "skin." We will introduce Paper Clay, a lightweight and magical material that is easy for small hands to mold. Students will learn how to "bulk out" their wire frames and use sculpting tools to add fine details like fur, scales, or facial expressions. We’ll focus on texture and how to make a 3D surface look interesting from every single angle.
Day 3: The "Found Object" Challenge Assemblage & Creative Upcycling Can a bottle cap become a robot's eye? Can a cardboard tube become a castle tower? Today is all about Assemblage—the art of making sculptures from "found objects." Students will dive into a treasure trove of recycled materials to build a complex 3D composition. We’ll practice using different "joining" techniques (like tabs, slots, and safe adhesives) to connect mismatched parts into one cohesive masterpiece.
Day 4: Color, Character, & Composition Final Details & The Sculpture Garden In our final session, we bring our sculptures to life with color! We’ll use acrylics or metallic paints to give our clay and found-object pieces a professional finish. Once the "paint is dry," we will arrange our work into a Pop-Up Sculpture Garden. Students will practice "curating" their art, deciding how to display their pieces so they tell a story to anyone who walks by.