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 work of one of the world’s most renowned Japanese artists: Hokusai. A master printmaker, highly respected during his lifetime and profoundly influential in the West from the 18th century to today, he is also considered one of the major inspirations behind the manga drawing style that is so popular today.

His technique, refined, expressive, and graceful, tells the story of Japan during the Edo period and illustrates the daily life of the people of his time. His prints also depict creatures, monsters, and spirits from Japanese folklore, giving his work a mysterious, poetic, and imaginative dimension.

Inspired by his artistic approach, participants will practice drawing, Indian ink, and screen printing. A cultural mediation session will introduce Hokusai’s life and work, traditional Japanese art, and its significant influence on Western visual culture. To deepen their understanding, the group will also visit the Museum of Fine Arts.

This week invites participants to explore traditional art, understand how it has shaped today’s popular culture, appreciate a rich history and cultural heritage, and experiment with a variety of drawing, coloring, and printmaking techniques.