Since 2006, Chris Huffman, owner of Paint Your Own Studio, her staff and volunteers have sparked the creativity of young generations during the annual summer art camp.
At this camp, Huffman said children are urged to set their creative minds free, resulting in many experiencing that ‘ah ha’ moment, which opens more doors to the creative parts of their minds.
“Every time I have a young or new child participate in the camp, it excites me,” Huffman said. “All of the older kids have been to the camp year after year and are still finding creative ways to mix paint and create masterpieces that only an experienced imagination could create. Meanwhile, the younger kids are on the brink of unleashing their creativity that’s not yet been tapped.”
Huffman said the camp is unique in that the kids are not pushed to be creative. Rather, the camp provides an atmosphere for the children to discover their own creativity, making the experience more meaningful.
Everything made at the summer art camp is for memory-sake, she said, and at the end of the day, each kid is excited to show their parents what they made during camp.
“That’s the highlight for me, seeing the happiness on not just the kids’ faces but the families’ too,” Huffman said.
When Huffman started the camp in 2006, a couple of children found their life’s passion in art. To this day, those kids have continued to express their creativity by pursuing a college degree in art, which Huffman said is the best part of her job.
“It’s amazing what a camp like this can do to help kids find their true calling in life. Those kids tell me about how they still have the creations they made during this camp in their college dorms. That really touches my heart,” she said.
It’s those stories that reassure Huffman the camp is helping kids discover how to use their ingenuity outside of the art studio.
During the camp, kids explore a variety of art, from customizing hand-picked sculptures with water-paintings to using other paints like acrylics.
“The main part about the camp is that we let the kids discover their own creativity. The only thing we do is provide the materials and a blank canvas for them to have fun with,” Huffman said.
Also, the children have sporadic breaks where they go outside and play while they wait for the paint to dry. These activities include swinging at the playground, playing baseball, balloon pong and more.
The Summer Art Camp at Paint Your Own Studio is open to children from kindergarten to high school and has two sessions, one from June 19-21 and the other from July 17-19 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Those interested can either register for the full three days or just one day. Early registration, which can be done two weeks prior to the camp, is $30 for one day and $90 for three. Day of registration is $35 for one day and $105 for three. Registration can be done online at paintyourownstiduio.com or by calling 601-329-9211.