Bringing Back Summer Art Camps to WAC!
A note from Krista Holt, our Operations & Programs Manager
Students from a past WAC summer class, 2025.
Introducing: 2026 Makers Camp - The Art of Nature
One of the projects I’ve been most excited to work on this year has been bringing summer art camps back to the Watauga Arts Council. It’s been a little while since WAC last hosted camps, and as we’ve been expanding our classes and programs again, it felt like the right time to bring them back. After sitting down earlier this year to start planning, I’m happy to share that WAC will be hosting two sessions of a new summer art camp! Makers Camp: The Art of Nature.
We created this camp to give young artists a chance to explore different creative mediums while drawing inspiration from the natural world around them (thus, the homage to the ‘art of nature’!). As we all know, Boone and the High Country have such a beautiful local environment and pretty landscapes that just about anyone could find inspiration in. We figured that the same beauty is a wonderful starting point for creative exploration for our local young ones.
Camp Details
This summer, we’ll offer two four-day camps, one for each age group. The first session will run June 16-19 for students ages 5 to 7, and the second session will run June 23-26 for students ages 8 to 11. Each camp day will last about 3.5 hours, giving students plenty of time to learn new techniques, experiment with materials, and create projects they can be proud of.
Throughout each week, students will explore a variety of artistic mediums inspired by nature. Younger artists will spend time observing and sketching natural elements, creating landscape paintings, building summery collage scenes, and experimenting with nature printing using leaves and other textures.
The second week will build on similar ideas but with projects designed for slightly older students. These campers will explore drawing from observation, experiment with clay, paint nature-inspired landscapes, and construct mixed-media shadow boxes.
Our Lovely Instructors
One of the best parts of putting this program together has been working with the instructors who will lead the camps. Both Stacey Wilson and Sophia “Phi” Perry joined WAC in 2025 and have already become fantastic additions to our teaching roster. You may have seen them a few times in our recent classes! They each bring their own teaching style and creative approach, and I’m excited for them to take the lead with these camps.
Stacey holds a degree in Clothing & Textiles from Appalachian State University and has taught art to a wide range of age groups across North Carolina. She has been teaching with WAC since last summer and does a wonderful job meeting students where they are while encouraging them to explore their creativity in new ways. Mar. 2026 WAC Summer Art Camps
Phi graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in Art & Visual Culture and a concentration in Arts Management. She has experience teaching students of all ages and excels at creating a welcoming and supportive environment where students feel comfortable experimenting and growing their skills.
Register Today!
If your family is interested in enrolling a young artist this summer, you can learn more and register by clicking the button below! (Or navigate to the “Classes and Community” tab on our website!)
We’re excited to see young artists back in the classroom this summer!
