About The Program

This summer, the New Bedford Art Museum invites young artists to take part in an 8 week creative experience designed for exploration, skill building, and artistic discovery.

Makers Playground: Summer Art Program is structured as eight individual weekly sessions, each available for separate enrollment. Families can register for one week or multiple weeks, with each session offering a unique theme and experience.

Students will explore drawing, painting, mixed media, digital illustration, and clay while engaging directly with the Museum’s exhibitions and the surrounding arts community. iPads are provided so students can learn and create using Procreate alongside traditional materials.

Each week includes a guided walking field trip to a local cultural or historic site where students sketch, observe, and collect inspiration from real world environments. These experiences will include visits to nearby museums, galleries, public art, libraries, waterfront spaces, and historic landmarks such as the New Bedford Glass Museum and the Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum.

Walking field trips and observational exercises encourage students to think like artists by observing, analyzing, and responding to the world around them.

Clay will be offered as a rotating feature across select weeks depending on studio availability.

By the end of each week, students will have completed multiple finished pieces, explored new materials and techniques, and strengthened their creative confidence in a supportive and engaging environment.