Explore, Create, and Imagine this Summer
Our Summer Art Immersion program, designed for artists ages 5-11*, provides a wonderful opportunity for students to learn new artistic techniques and explore the collections.
In addition to completing special themed projects, participants will tour the Museum’s exhibitions, explore the grounds, and make friends with peers from around the region.
2026 Summer Art Immersion Dates
July 6 – August 7, 2026
Monday – Friday, 9 am – 12:30 pm
Registration is open!
Cost
-
$200
-
$225
Scholarships are available for New London residents and those who have expressed financial need. Please email Sophia at [email protected] to inquire about those options before registering.
Program discounts available for families with multiple children and/or multi-session participation.
Sessions
July 6-10 (ages 5-7) │ 9 am – 12:30 pm
Art Imagined and Reimagined
Where do artists find inspiration? Just about everywhere! Learn about how art from different places, time periods, and styles sparks new ideas for artists today. Along the way, participants will discover works from our collection and experiment with a variety of materials to make their own inspired creations. Get ready to look closely, think creatively, and bring your imagination to life.
July 13-17 (ages 8-11) │ 9 am – 12:30 pm
Portraits and Personalities
From self-portraits to selfies, historic group portraits to abstract faces, discover creative ways artists portray people! Participants will explore how artists represent themselves and others through different styles of portraiture. They’ll experiment with materials and techniques to create their own portraits and learn how art can capture personality, mood, and imagination.
July 20-24 (ages 5-7) │ 9 am – 12:30 pm
Splish, Splash, and Splat
Dive into the world of art through your senses! Participants will experiment with color, explore exciting textures, find inspiration in sounds, and even create are you can smell! Through playful projects, young artists will discover new ways to experience art while letting their creativity run wild.
July 27- 31 (ages 8-11) │ 9 am – 12:30 pm
Shape Up!
Get into shape with art! Participants will explore the building blocks of design by playing with shapes of all kinds. How do geometric and organic shapes work together? When does a flat shape become a 3D form? Through hands-on projects, they will experiment, build, and create while discovering how shapes transform into works of art.
August 3-7, ages 8-11 │ 9 am – 12:30 pm
Special Session!
The Mystery of the Spanish Sisters
What mysteries might be hiding inside a painting? Local author Adam Shaughnessy invites young adventurers to find out. Inspired by the exhibition A Tin Can on a String: Conversations from the Collection, Shaughnessy has created an original interactive mystery based on Abram Poole’s Spanish Sisters (1925–28). Over the course of the week, participants will become the heroes of the story, solving puzzles, uncovering clues, and playing games as they explore the artwork and the museum’s collection in new ways.
Registration
and Policies
Registration
Advanced registration is required. Registration for each session will close when the session reaches capacity or one week before its start date, whichever comes first. After submitting the online registration form, you will receive an invoice within one week to complete your payment.Scholarships are available for New London residents and those who have expressed financial need. Please email Sophia at [email protected] to inquire about those options before registering.
Program discounts available for families with multiple children and/or multi-session participation.
Policies and Refunds
- *5-year-olds must have completed kindergarten.
- A full refund is given if requested by email at least two (2) weeks before the first day of your summer art immersion session.
Snacks
- Snacks are provided by the Museum.
- If your child brings their own snack, it must be nut-free.
- Please pack a reusable water bottle each day.
What to Wear
- Participants should wear comfortable, closed-toed shoes and clothing that can get dirty. Dress for mess!
- Wear or pack light layers.
- We bring participants outside for snack time and for some art projects.
- We try and stay in the shade, but we strongly recommend sending your child with sun protection. Students will have time to reapply sunscreen if needed.
- Outdoor activities will be canceled if there is a heat warning or other weather alert.
Questions?
Please email Sophia Gipstein Scirico, Learning and Engagement Coordinator, at [email protected].