Last year, the Dixon Gallery and Gardens provided a week long, free of cost, summer camp for children in the East Memphis area. This year’s Dixon Summer Camp is even more of a community collaboration -- the nonprofit created new partnerships to put on the camp during a time of renovation at their facility.
In 2015 the Dixon is undergoing an intense renovation process in its galleries and has limited classroom and studio space. In order to continue the Dixon Camp project, the museum decided to offer camp at another venue, and found an ideal partner in the Department of Art at the University of Memphis.
The University generously offered its facilities and studios at no charge, giving the Dixon camp a new home and a great opportunity. From June 22nd to July 3rd, the 2015 Dixon Art Camp will take place in the facilities of the University of Memphis. A total of 120 children grades 1st through 8th and a selected group of museum and art educators, with local artists, and a team of high school students (from Overton High School for the Creative and Performing Arts) will learn about print making, sculpture and painting.
The camp is free for the children, including field trips, lunches, snacks, supplies, and some transportation.
The camp has been offered to students in Shelby County Schools within the Dixon’s zip code, 38117, and its bordering neighborhood 38111. This year, Campus School students are also participating, due to the camp using the university’s campus and facilities. Camp organizers chose schools to give the children in the local neighborhood an experience in the arts, while exposing them to and making them comfortable in places like museums and universities.
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