Children's art classes currently enrolling for:

Winter Session

Summer Arts

Registration for Summer Arts 2025 opens January 2nd!

Summer Arts is a fine-art program consisting of weekly classes with two, three-hour classes per day, organized by grade, accommodating children from grades K- 8. These extended duration classes allow for immersive experiences and learning which expands beyond the studio. In addition to classes, there are four unique features of Summer Arts which augment learning; Creative Challenge Period, student portfolio, museum tours, and student exhibitions.

Summer Arts 2025: Celebrations

We often celebrate big things in big ways like holding a parade or building a monument. But every day also holds many small moments worth celebrating. This summer we will remember, imagine and learn about the variety of things we celebrate- and how we can express all of this through creating amazing art.

Photograph of a group of students outside holding with yellow bags. The girl on the right is wearing one of the bags around her torso.

Photograph of a humanoid creature covered in brown and black fur and blue and teal feathers.

Photograph of a seating area with artwork hanging from a railing.

New this year! Take advantage of a 10% discount on Summer Arts classes by purchasing a Danforth Museum membership.

We understand that children vary in their development widely from grade to grade, and offer classes open to a grade range so parents/guardians may select which class best aligns with their child’s developmental level. Please choose either the grade your child will complete in June 2025, or the grade your child will enter in September 2025.

Classes marked “Wait List” are currently full, but accepting wait list registrations in case of cancellations. Classes marked “Full” have reached max capacity for those on the wait list. Please reach out to us via email if you have any questions, danforthartschool@framingham.edu.

Session number + Dates

Instructor(s)

Class

Level

Price

Now Available! Gift Certificates for art classes may be purchased through the Register for Classes Link.

Child's painting with curving stripes of blue, red, black, and purple with stenciled 'LOVE' in diagonally across the center with hearts to the far right top.

Display of seven hanging sticks with strings attaching various clay shaped objects to each one.

Photograph of a group of young students painting a chair with blues and greens.

Important Information for Workshops and Summer Arts

My child is going into Kindergarten, will a full day be too long?

We get this question a lot. At Danforth, we spend a lot of time in consideration of the special requirements of our youngest artists and have modified the daily schedule for their classes to allow time for moving bodies, using the restroom, getting fresh air and taking breaks. They have their own dedicated studio with appropriately sized furniture, bookcases stocked with books and activities for self-directed quiet time. Our instructors are experienced with artistic development for this age group and design lessons and projects to promote experimentation and personal creative expression. Trained studio assistants are also on hand in the studio to support a fun and comforting learning experience for everyone.

Are supplies included in Summer Arts?

Yes! Danforth provides everything your child needs to have fun experimenting while creating exceptional artwork. We feel it is important to teach fine art using the correct tools and (non-toxic) supplies so children understand from the start how materials are supposed to look and work. School staff are happy to chat with you about art supplies in the event you are interested in creating an at-home art studio for your family, but for Summer Arts, you don’t need to buy a thing!

Will my child visit the art museum during Summer Arts?

Every student who attends Summer Arts participates in a tour of the museum exhibitions as part of their study at the Danforth. Our tours include discussion about the art and artists featured in the galleries, giving students opportunities to share their perspectives of what they are viewing.

What is the weekly portfolio?

The weekly portfolio is both a practice and an actual large folder. All students are given this folder each week to keep preliminary sketches as well as finished work. We encourage students to reflect on their progress during the week but also after they finish Summer Arts, and keeping their ongoing work in a portfolio promotes a respect for the process in addition to the finished product.

What is the student exhibition?

Our Friday Student Exhibition is an important and well-loved feature of Summer Arts which captures the incredible successes of students in each studio from the week’s immersive study. Our Studio Assistants work carefully with instructors to design and install these exhibits of student work complete with explanatory labels describing the project objectives and inspiration. We invite families into our studios on Friday afternoons to view the student exhibition. This practice reinforces the importance of craftsmanship for the student as they look forward to showing their work at the end of the week (although exhibiting work is not the only goal of making art).

We also use the exhibition as a way of promoting literacy in speaking about artwork, methods, materials and techniques and to understanding that there is a relationship between a viewer and the artwork that is created.

What is the Creative Challenge Period?

We developed the Creative Challenge Period to help build community among the whole school during lunch break. The various activities we offer are fun, open-ended challenges which allow mixed peer groups to invent creative solutions in a collaborative setting. The CCP takes place outside, weather permitting with each mixed peer group coordinated by one of our trained Studio Assistants. This year, during CCP, we will maintain cohort groups in order to maximize covid safety.

Can we register for partial week?

No, we design our program to be a progressive and immersive experience for students so that each day builds upon ideas learned previously. Students create a portfolio of work during the week which is presented on Fridays during a special art exhibition.

We registered for a workshop/class but now we can’t come. Can we get a refund?

We understand this happens sometimes. Please call the school as soon as possible if you need to cancel a registration. Cancellations received at least 2 weeks prior to start date will receive a full refund less a $25 cancellation fee. No refund will be issued after this time except in the case of emergencies. Please note that if a registration has been transferred from a class, it cannot be cancelled, but will be issued a credit less a $25 cancellation fee.

What are your student behavior expectations?

Please see our student behavior expectations here.

My child has some learning differences. How can I share them with the art school staff and teachers?

Danforth school staff and instructors can typically work with all students who register for our programs, and knowing about any differences ahead of time allows everyone to make necessary adjustments to our approaches. If you’d like to contact us about your child for any reason, please email either the art school manager, Chandra Taylor or the art school director, Noelle Fournier.