Gothenburg art offers students enrichment through one-day camps

Registration is open, and K-6 elementary art teacher Jami Stortenbecker said, “Art camp provides students who are not interested in sports with something to participate in” during the summer.

“I initially brought the art camp idea to my former colleague, Kara Libich, as we were discussing the rising costs of art supplies,” Stortenbecker said. “We brainstormed the possibilities and found that including an elementary art camp in the summer would benefit future purchases for materials in the art room.”

“I wanted to create a camp to keep kids involved in the arts over the summer,” she said.

Gothenburg summer art camp started as a four-day camp in 2019. Camp was not held in the summer of 2020 due to the pandemic, but Stortenbecker said, “We have been going strong since.”

In 2023, parents started asking Stortenbecker about including kindergartners in the camp, which initially was only for grades 1-6.

Stortenbecker said she “loved the idea” and restructured the art camp into what it is now. 

This year, the Gothenburg art camp will consist of a series of one-day camps June 8-11. Grades will be separated, making classroom sizes more manageable.

Camp sessions will be about two hours, and students can sign up for different time sessions, allowing Stortenbecker to take on more students and parents to find a time that works with their schedules. 

“When the art camp first started, our numbers were insane!" Stortenbecker said. "I had to establish a capacity because a four-day camp became exhausting due to the large class sizes. Now, with the two-hour time slots, I just want to fill a room, obviously comfortably, with students.”

So far, more than 80 campers have registered. Registration is open through May 15, and capacity is limited to 20 students per session.

Registration is $15 per student. 

Kindergarten has two sessions June 8 from 9-11 a.m. or 1-3 p.m.

Grades 1-2 have three sessions June 9 from 9-11 a.m., noon-2 p.m. or 2-4 p.m.

Grades 3-4 have three sessions June 10 from 9-11 a.m., noon-2 p.m. or 2-4 p.m.

Grades 5-6 have two sessions June 11 from 9-11 a.m. or 1-3 p.m.  

“I promote the camp using the social media platform, but the elementary music concerts usually occur right when registration opens,” said Stortenbecker. “I am thankful that Mrs. Erica Wieseler, our elementary music teacher, allows me to take a few brief minutes before practices to promote the summer art opportunity."

Students may get a registration form from the elementary art room or from the elementary secretary.

"Our elementary secretary, Gwen Gundell, does an amazing job communicating with parents and sharing information about art camp via Thrillshare," Stortenbecker said. "A shoutout also goes to the elementary staff! They help promote this fun opportunity to their students and parents.” 

Stortenbecker said, “I am very thankful to be teaching in a school where my colleagues find ways to assist, whether it is the students or me, when it comes to art camp.

"I hope to continue the elementary art camp going forward.”

Grade levels for art camp are determined by the most recent grade a student has completed. Stortenbecker said she is not opposed to having students from other school districts or home schools attend.

“We try to create projects that we would not complete in class,” said Stortenbecker when asked what art camp students would be working on this summer. “Those projects might be too messy or too costly."

Recently, she started basing her art projects on a specific theme — an idea she got from teaching classes at UNK Loper Launch.

This year's themes are: kindergarten, rain forest; grades 1-2, light; grades 3-4, foods; and grades 5-6, printmaking.

Stortenbecker said, “Art provides students with a unique perspective in which it is OK to make mistakes. I want a student to leave my classroom with a finished project and a sense of 'I did this, and I am proud!'"  

To register for Gothenburg’s summer art camp, call Dudley Elementary School, 308-537-3651.