In this new program for 10- to 12-year-olds, participants will be invited to explore a wide range of artistic mediums, including painting, illustration, printmaking, sculpture, model making, and textile art. In continuity with our flagship programs for 4- to 9-year-olds, preteens will also be introduced to an artist of the week, allowing them to engage with an artistic practice in a more mature and in-depth way.

Each day, they will create and experiment with a project inspired by the works of the week’s featured artist, while participating in playful cultural mediation activities that help them discover these iconic creators. A weekly drawing class will further strengthen their technical skills and sense of observation.

Every week, the group will take part in an outing to a Montreal museum related to the featured artist’s practice. Possible destinations include the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Architecture, or the Museum of Contemporary Art. A local artist represented in our boutique will also meet with the children to share their artistic approach and experience.

The week will be punctuated with free time at La Fontaine Park or atop Mount Royal, where participants can enjoy time together, sketch in their notebooks, or simply take in Montreal’s natural surroundings.

They will leave with multiple artworks, meaningful experiences, enriching artistic references, and new friends, ready to keep exploring their creativity long after the camp ends.

This week, preteens will explore the textile and narrative universe of Małgorzata Mirga-Tas, a contemporary Polish artist and a member of the Romani community. A feminist and activist, she represented Poland at the Venice Biennale in 2022. Her monumental tapestries and patchworks tell the story of her people, celebrate Romani culture, and blend spiritual influences, Catholic symbols, and astral motifs.

Inspired by her technique, participants will explore textile art, drawing, and sewing to create their own fabric works. Sewing and embroidery workshops will allow them to leave with their own mini-tapestries crafted throughout the week.

A cultural mediation session will introduce the artist’s work, the history of the Venice Biennale, and the significance of textile art within art history and contemporary practices. To deepen their experience, the group will visit the McCord Museum to discover its impressive textile collection.

This week encourages participants to explore art as a way to tell personal and collective stories, to honor memory and creativity, and to experiment with drawing, volume, and materials.