Spend your summer looking, learning, and creating at Cranbrook Art Museum!

• Hands-on, minds-on making in an open-ended, fun environment
  • Our camps introduce a variety of materials and concepts—evoking curiosity and honing critical thinking—while encouraging individual creativity and self-expression. We’re all about process, not product. Learn more about why from US News.

• Look at artwork in the museum
  • Create Campers spend lots of time each week in the museum vaults and galleries; looking and learning about contemporary art. Each project is inspired by artworks they can see and interact within the museum. We use these as a jumping-off point to create and design!

• Learn from Artists
  • Our Teaching Artists are experienced artists, designers, and educators! Teaching Artists connect concepts behind artwork in the museum, with age-appropriate projects and techniques. Create Camps teach kids how to observe, interpret, and tap into their creativity!

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CREATE CAMPS SCHEDULE

Create Camps welcome kids entering grades 1-7 in Fall 2026. Camps are split by grade: 1-2, 3-4, 5-7 are each in their own classroom space. 

In-person camps in Cranbrook Art Museum: 9am–3pm daily, Monday-Friday.

LUNCH IS NOT PROVIDED AT THE CRANBROOK ART MUSEUM. Lunch and snacks must be brought from home. All food must be sesame and nut-free!

EXTENDED MORNING CARE AND BUS TRANSPORTATION ARE NOT AVAILABLE.

EXTENDED CARE: Extended afternoon care ONLY is available. Students will walk with staff to the Cranbrook Institute of Science at 3pm and remain there for extended care. Pre-registration is required.

NOTE: Create Camps at Cranbrook Art Museum run separately from Cranbrook Schools camps. Please read the materials carefully.

2026 CAMP OFFERINGS

Brochure with calendar of offerings available here

STEAM Challenge (1-4)

Perfect for our camper’s curious and creative minds! Campers will have opportunities to problem-solve, build, design, and experiment their way through exciting art and design missions that spark innovation and critical thinking. 

1-4 grades: June 15-19

Printmaking

Campers will experiment with a variety of techniques including screen printing, gel plate printing, and other less conventional methods to create unique works of art. Each day offers a new way to experiment with color and design while learning printmaking methods from observing the work of Pop Art pioneers Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein in our collection.  

5-7 grades: June 15-16

Weaving Studio

Get tangled up in creative weaving techniques as we explore traditional loom and basket weaving using some non-traditional materials. Our young makers will build their patterning, materiality, and design skills inspired by the work of Cranbrook’s Studio Loja Saarinen which began weaving production in the 1920s.  

1-2 grades: June 22-26 / 3-4 grades: July 6-10 / 5-7 grades: July 13-17 

Sculpture and Design

Inspired by the work of great designers on Cranbrook’s campus, campers will play with the balance of functional object and sculptural art form in their work. Explore the design process through a variety of materials to find out what you can build with your imagination and your own hands. 

1-2 grades: July 13-17 / 3-4 grades: June 22-26 / 5-7 grades: July 6-10 

Drawing

Campers will sharpen their pencils and imagination as they use a variety of drawing techniques and tools. Through fun prompts and guided practice, this is perfect for artists who love to draw, doodle, and develop their own creative style! 

1-2 grades: July 6-10 / 3-4 grades: July 13-17 / 5-7 grades: June 22-26 

Painting

Study the work of the masters old and new in the museum’s vast collection to create your own painting masterpieces. Learn how to work with a mix of mediums, traditional and experimental techniques, and develop paintings that reflect each unique artist.  

1-2 grades: July 20-24 / 3-4 grades: July 27-31 / 5-7 grades: August 3-7 

Wearable Art

Campers will design and create one-of-a-kind wearable art using materials like metal, beads, wire, clay, and fabric. Each project encourages campers’ creativity and personal expression while drawing inspiration from expert designers in the museum’s collection.

1-2 grades: August 3-7 / 3-4 grades: July 20-24 / 5-7 grades: July 27-31 

Illustration

Bring stories and ideas to life while discovering the art of visual storytelling. Campers will study graphic design work in the collection and build their own worlds through character design, storyboarding, book cover design, and more.  

1-2 grades: July 27-31 / 3-4 grades: August 3-7 / 5-7 grades: July 20-24 

PRICING

Create Camps: $475 per week – includes all material costs. (We are a material-heavy camp!)

DISCOUNTS

• Become an ArtMember today and save on Create Camps!
  • Save $35 on each week of Create Camps ($440 per week)
  • Not a member? Join today!
  • Discounts available to ArtMembers with a Companion+ membership or higher. 

PAYMENT SCHEDULE

A non-refundable enrollment deposit is required at the time of registration (SSP Camps: $50/session; CIS & CAM Camps: $100/session). The remaining camp fees are due as follows:

•  50% of the total fees due by April 1, 2026
• 100% of the total fees due by June 1, 2026

Late payments may result in registrations being canceled. If you choose a Scheduled Payment option at registration, payments will be scheduled to ensure the required amounts are met by the deadlines.

CANCELLATION & REFUND POLICY

All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing via email to Joanna Anderson, Curator of Education (janderson@cranbrook.edu), and are subject to the cancellation policy below.

• Cancellation should not be assumed until confirmed by Cranbrook Art Museum. 
• The enrollment deposit of $100 is non-refundable.
• Written cancellations received before April 1, 2026, will be eligible for a full refund less the enrollment deposit and any payment processing fees.
• Written cancellations received between April 1 and May 31, 2026, will be eligible for a 50% refund of total tuition less the enrollment deposit and any payment processing fees.
• Cancellations received June 1, 2026, or later are not eligible for a refund.

FINANCIAL AID

CAM is committed to keeping camp accessible and affordable for all families. Need-based aid is offered by the museum for individual camp participants. Please contact Crystal Palmer at cpalmer@cranbrook.edu for more information.

Donate now to help extend our scholarship program.

Registeration Opens Soon!  

Questions? Contact Crystal Palmer, Associate Curator of Education at cpalmer@cranbrook.edu.