Hyde Park Art Center – Creativity Camp

Hyde Park Art Center’s Creativity Camp is a vibrant summer arts program designed for children ages 4-13 (Rising Pre-K through Rising 8th Grade), running from June 8 through August 21, 2026, Monday through Friday from 9am to 3pm. Located at 5020 S Cornell Avenue in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood, the camp provides unparalleled access to Chicago’s rich artistic community through hands-on creativity and professional artist instruction.

The camp offers two main program tracks: Mixed Media Camps for Rising Pre-K through Rising 5th Grade, which are two-week programs exploring various visual and performing arts; and Special Topics Camps for Rising 6th through Rising 8th Grade, which are one-week intensive courses focused on specific mediums or themes. Each day blends visual arts (9am-12pm) including painting, drawing, sculpting, and sewing, with performance arts (12pm-3pm) featuring interactive magic tricks, puppet shows, plays, and short videos.

Creativity Camp is led by professional teaching artists based in Chicago’s robust artistic community, who bring both educational expertise and active creative practices to their instruction. Teaching artists are assisted by Creativity Camp Teen Assistants, emerging youth artists who serve as camp leaders. Campers benefit from curator tours, opportunities to meet exhibiting artists, and projects inspired by the Hyde Park Art Center’s current exhibitions and murals.

Mixed Media Camp sessions run in two-week blocks (with one one-week session at the start), while Special Topics Camps offer focused one-week intensives in subjects like Play With Clay, Photography Beyond Your Phone, Why Are You SEW Mad (sewing), Stop Motion Animation, Zine Creations, and more. Each session features unique themes and projects, allowing students to enroll in multiple sessions throughout the summer.

The camp provides optional aftercare from 3-5pm for an additional fee, led by teaching artists with teen assistant support. Activities during aftercare include small art projects, games, and outdoor play, with snacks provided. Aftercare registration must be completed at least two weeks prior to camp start and is limited in availability.