Summer Camps
WCA Children's Summer Camps
2023 Summer Camps
Thank you to Our Sponsors!
Marilee and Bill Russell
Tracy Hopkins
Winnsboro Community Foundation
Becky Pickett
First National Bank
We had an incredible summer camp program this year. Seeing so many new faces as well as some of our summer camp veterans made for an enriching few weeks. We thank our sponsors who enabled us to make these camps accessible for all interested children. Our 2023 camp sponsors are Marilee and Bill Russell, Winnsboro Community Foundation, First National Bank, and Becky Pickett. We would also like to thank everyone who participated and those of you who entrusted us with providing full curricula for your children.
We began this ambitious program with two Marilee’z Kidzz on Stage camps including a Beginner Drama Camp and our flagship Musical Theater Camp. Our younger thespians worked with Sheila Brown and performed her original play entitled, “Stone Soup,” while our older actors took us on a journey through some musical theater classics with the show “Broadway Beat.” Directors Gale Gilbert and Caleb Burkhalter led the way and helped to bring the magic of Broadway to Winnsboro. We would like to thank lead sponsors Marilee and Bill Russell who have generously continued to sponsor our drama camps and did so again this year.
We began the first of our four Grahame Hopkins Art Camps at the beginning of June with our Crafty Creators and Canvas Kids programs. Colors and creativity flew as we learned about Keith Haring, splatter painted, created mosaics, glazed ceramics, crafted puppets, and even made yoga abstract art! Our Master Makers camp and Active Artists art camps gave our students the opportunities to work with a diverse collection of mediums and stretch their artistic muscles. A special thank you goes to the Winnsboro Community Foundation for its continued support and sponsorship of our art camps.
The return of our Children’s Music Camp allowed us to dust off our rhythm sticks and melodicas to create a little children’s band. We learned about rhythms, melody, harmony, pitch, and much more. Everyone who attended will no doubt never get “Do, Re, Mi” out of their heads.
Thank you again to all of our parents, campers, volunteers, teachers and sponsors who made this summer’s camps such an incredible and rewarding experience. We look forward to seeing you again soon!
2022 Summer Camps
Marilee’Z KidZZ on Stage: Children’s Theater Camps
Beginner Drama Camp Ages 6 – 8: June 6 – 10
The campers learned their lines, prepared props and costumes, made arts and crafts, and learned about the importance of community spaces like parks and gardens with Stacey Finley, the director of Winnsboro Parks and Recreation. The little actors performed a play based on the children’s book, City Green. A special thank you to director Chris Foster and her volunteer, Gail Peterson.
Musical Theater Camp Ages 9 – 12: June 13 – 24
The campers learned about every part of the musical theater process – auditioning, music, choreography, acting, costumes, backdrop, props, and more. The campers performed Bremen Town Jam! for friends, family, and the community June 24 and 25. The performances were free and open to the public. A huge thank you to directors Gale Gilbert and Matthew Mahaffey, our sponsors Marilee and Bill Russell, our campers and their families, and all who came to the performances to support them!
Grahame Hopkins Art Camps
In each art camp, campers do a variety of projects in different mediums including painting, ceramics, sculpture, drawing, fiber arts, and more. Each camp also includes two yoga storytime sessions that spark creativity and imagination! At the end of the week, friends and family are welcome to an art show so that campers can show what they made that week in camp. Each art camp is 9 am – 1:30 pm at the Winnsboro Depot. Art camps are not possible without the help of our many guest instructors, volunteers, and sponsors!
Art Adventurers (Ages 10 – 12): June 6 – 10
Crafty Creators (Ages 6 – 7): June 13 – 17
Canvas Kids (Ages 6 – 7): June 20 – 24
Master Makers (Ages 13+): June 27 – July 1
Active Artists (Ages 8 – 9): July 18 – 22
Children’s Intensive Ceramics Classes
New this year are two children’s ceramics classes for ages 9 – 12. Students learn a variety of techniques including pinch, coil, and slab building. Each class will also include a follow-up day for glazing. Classes are 10 am – 12 pm at 212 Market St.
Ceramics Class 1: June 20 – 24
Ceramics Class 2: July 18 – 22
2021 Summer Camps
WCA had some busy summer campers in 2021 hard at work learning about a variety of art forms! We kicked off the summer with a two-week theater improv camp where campers practiced valuable skills in communication, creativity, and expression. Along with the theater improv camp we also had two separate art camps for ages six to nine and then an art camp for ages 10 to 12 and an art camp for ages 13 and older. Popular classes at the art camps were fiber arts, ceramics, painting, and yoga! Take a look at the pictures below to see all the fun we had!
The summer ended with the ever-popular musical theater camp, directed by Gale Gilbert who will be assisted by Shelley Aubrey and Matthew Mahaffey. Marilee’Z KidZZ on Stage performed “Don’t Count Your Chickens Until They Cry Wolf.”
Camps would not be possible without our sponsors, instructors, volunteers, WCA staff, and families. Thank you so much! We are especially grateful to these sponsors:
Marilee and Bill Russell
Winnsboro Community Foundation/Grahame Hopkins Art Fund
First National Bank
Sherry Dugan
Preston Morton
Becky Pickett
Karla Chapman Stevens
2020 Camps
Musical Theater Camp
June 15 - July 24, 2020
Ages 10 - 17
Marilee’Z KidZZ are on for the summer! Because of the pandemic, last year’s camp had options for both virtual and socially-distanced small groups. Campers learned about all aspects of musical theatre while working together to write a script and a collection of songs. Instead of a stage production, the group worked with a videographer to record a video which could be shared with family and friends. Tuition was $150 for the six weeks, and scholarships were available.
This camp was funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
2019 Camps
Art Camp
The art camp, for ages 6 to 10, enjoyed working with various instructors as they explored different media in the visual arts, including sculpture, fired clay, painting color theory/color wheel and mosaics.
Music Camp
Kaeza Fearn instructed campers with a week-long total immersion program into a wide range of fun and creative musical activities including singing, percussion games, making your own instruments and even learning how to play the melodica. The camp featured some special musical guests and the children shared their own talent in a musical sampler at the end of the week.
Maryann Miller Beginning Drama Camp
This one-week drama camp for young children prepared them for a performance at the end of the week. The focus was on being kind to the animals and the environment. They made the props, costumes and learned the basics of acting and learning their lines.
Musical Theatre Camp "Marilee'Z KidZZ on Stage"
This special camp structure allowed kids to write an original script and songs which they performed on stage for family and friends. George Gagliardi participates each year with original music. New in 2019 was the addition of Michael Moore as Artistic Director.