This summer there is a colorful palette of art-related classes available for local residents to sink their paintbrushes into.

Whether the medium is painting, printmaking, theater, writing, or fashion designing - just to name a few - children and adults of all ages can let their imaginations run wild and explore their artistic potential.

The Art Spot

For nine weeks this summer, The Art Spot will be hosting weeklong art classes for all ages.

The Art Spot's fully equipped studio, located at 88 Sugar Hollow Road in Danbury, is an oasis for all things creative.

Joanne Hunter, co-founder/artist/director for The Art Spot, said, "It is a safe haven, supportive community where people can explore art without being judged. We have a unique program in that everyone works at their own skill level and moves up from there."

Campers can learn everything from the basic rules of art to how to perfect their specific craft. The Art Spot caters to all experience levels and art styles and supports students to work at their own pace.

"It's about individual exploration," said Ms Hunter. "It's not assumed that anyone has a preconceived level of education about art. There are children and adults that come here to hone their skills, but there are people who will come here who literally have never picked up a paintbrush to paint a painting before."

Classes are not structured as a lecture with students taking notes; instead The Art Spot encourages learning while doing, meaning students will be rolling up their sleeves and getting their hands dirty.

"We'll be talking about art history, museum curation, styles of master artists and specific techniques, and how to work within the art industry," said Ms Hunter. There will also be opportunities to mentor students who are developing their art portfolio.

Activities are designed to be fun, educational, and hand-on, with instructors able to adapt techniques to everyone's personal learning style.

Ms Hunter said, "It's a concentrated allotment of time during a one-week summer camp to really delve into a specific medium or process and really learn it well and enjoy it."

There are several camp options: the 9 am to noon weeklong sessions and 1 pm to 4 pm weeklong sessions cost $200 for a camper, and the full-day sessions from 9 am to 4 pm cost $400 a camper. The full-day sessions are more geared toward using different mediums all day.

Two or more teachers will be instructing the classes and able to give individualized attention to students. Each camp is filled with 12 students, or less, for a small class size.

Ms Hunter says the goal of the classes is not necessarily geared toward the depiction of the image they are creating, but the art of owning the process and being able to do it again years from now.

Some of the specific programs this summer include a camp called Textiles, where students will be taught the techniques of batik, silk painting, and theorem painting; the Mosaic Art class is one of The Art Spot's specialties and students will work with porcelain and ceramic; and the Fine Art Frolics class is for 4- to 7-year-olds to learn basic art skills.

"I think camp should be fun for kids, they should be able to get away from the daily grind - that's a necessity. This is about having fun, enjoying it, and getting to use the right side of their brains, which actually strengthens left side activities. It's also a good break from technology," said Ms Hunter.

The Art Spot is also offering a six-week adult camp for those 18 and older. The sessions will meet Tuesday evenings for two hours. Students will be able to choose a medium - oils, watercolors, acrylics, pastels, charcoal, graphite, drawing, etc - to study during their time at camp.

To learn more about The Art Spot and to register for summer camp, visit artspotinfo.com or call 203-791-8244.

SMART Camp

The Summer Music and Arts (SMART) Camp is going into its 26th year and provides students exiting kindergarten through sixth grade the platform to enjoy a variety of creative art, theater, and science classes.

Director of Adult Continuing Education Elissa Gellis said, "SMART is a unique summer camp; we have an exceptional staff of professional artists and teachers that provide the campers with the opportunity to explore the arts that they might not get in the regular school year, hopefully creating a lifelong love of the arts."

This year, Jewelry Design, Collage and 3-D Art, Creative Writing/Story Telling, Fun with Drums, Creative Cooking, and Theater and Performance Workshops are just some of the classes being offered.

At SMART Camp, children will complete a project that will be shown in the "Showcase of the Arts" exhibit at the end of the program. Parents will be invited to see what their students have created.

SMART Camp has two two-week sessions from 8:30 am to 1 pm, July 3 to July 28. This summer, it will be returning to its original home at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

For Session I, July 3 to July 14 (no classes July 4), the first child enrolled is $309 and $294 for each additional child in the same session. Session II, July 17 to July 28, is $339 for the first child enrolled and $324 for each additional child in the same session.

Parents can enroll their children by filling out the registration form at summersmartcampct.org or by picking up a copy of the Park & Recreation catalog at Newtown elementary schools, the C.H. Booth Library, and the Municipal Center.

Modeling and Fashion Camp

Casablancas Modeling is a new program that the Newtown Parks & Recreation is offering this summer.

Instructor John Casablancas will be teaching children and teenagers, ages 4 through 16, about the world of fashion.

Students will tap into their talents by learning tips for looking like a model and developing their etiquette skills, as well as having positive self-esteem and perfecting who they are inside and out.

Each day's session will have its own theme related to the modeling and fashion industry: Makeover Monday, T-Shirt Tuesday, Wanna Be Famous Wednesday, Time to Say Cheese Thursday, and Fashion Show Friday.

There will even be a professional photo shoot during the camp from which students will each receive a picture.

Casablancas Modeling camp will meet everyday at Reed Intermediate School, 3 Trades Lane, from July 24 to July 7. The 9 am to 4 pm option costs $245 per camper, and the 9 am to noon option costs $135 per camper. T-shirts and craft supplies will be provided.