Virtual arts and culture Camp cARTwheel returns for after school and Saturday programs.

Three Cincinnati nonprofit organizations, ArtWorks, The Well and Wave Pool, have teamed up again with 40+ Greater Cincinnati artists and organizations to extend Camp cARTwheel, a virtual arts and culture summer camp program, into the 20/21 school year with after school and Saturday programs beginning November 2, 2020.

Camp cARTwheel originator, Stacy Sims of The Well says, “The feedback from summer campers, families, artists and art organizations, ArtWorks teen apprentices and our community partners made it clear that we needed to continue Camp cARTwheel into this challenging school year to continue to foster creativity, play, empathy and and connection.”

At the heart of Camp cARTwheel are Camp Kits that come with art-making activities and supplies. There will be an additional “channel” with videos and supporting documents for those who wish to have a self-guided experience. From dance to mindfulness, from social justice to art in action, Cartwheel Camp Kits will provide a wide diversity in experiences from Greater Cincinnati’s exceptional art organizations and artists.

ArtWorks Youth Apprentice artists will work with Julia Lipovsky, a multidisciplinary artist and community educator living and working in Cincinnati, as Camp Cartwheel Virtual Counselors. Area artists and representatives from collaborating organizations will also be featured on the camp “channel” and as guests at the virtual camps. Camp kits will be assembled by Wave Pool’s Camp Washington maker community who are out of work or lost work due to COVID19.

There are several affordable options from which to choose, ranging from no money at all for free access to Camp cARTwheel Web Channel; $30 per camp kit for social service and arts organizations who wish to serve a group of youth; $60 for a self-guided experience; and between $60 and $120 for up to 12 after school and/or Saturday sessions. Camp cARTwheel after school will again serve youth ages 6-12.

Lipovsky says, “We are so grateful to ArtsWave, the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, our summer camp families and art partners and artists who made the pilot possible and a true delight. We hope to see everyone back with us for the fall, with new collaborations and activities added.”

Summer counselor and ArtWorks Apprentice Maya Holtzman says, “Camp Cartwheel was a great way to get exposure into the professional art world. Being able to learn from many different artists was a great way to offer a safe creative space for kids to have during this pandemic. It is uplifting to see the impact that camp has on the kids every day, and a fun and creative way to teach kids about what it means to be an artist. Aside from learning about art, the campers learned about emotions and mindfulness, which are both important to learn about at a young age. I am grateful to be able to watch the kids grow and learn as artists and to be able to see their personalities reflected in their art.”

A parent highlighted the apprentices efforts best by saying, “My daughter was an attendee of the 6-8 yr old cARTwheel, and I just wanted to congratulate the apprentices on a job well done! My daughter, who was even young for cARTwheel at 5, was interested the entire time and really felt involved. She completed all the projects and was excited to show them to us; a lot of that rests on the preparation and engagement level of the apprentices!”

Participating arts organizations for the summer included Art Academy of Cincinnati, ART HAGS, Art on the Streets, Cincinnati Museum Center, Clifton Cultural Arts Center, Contemporary Arts Center, DanceFix Kids, Democracy & Me from WVXU, Indigo Hippo,, Praise Ekeng and Ijo Ugo Performing Arts,Taft Museum, Siri Imani from TRIIIBE, Visionaries + Voices, WordPlay and the Wyoming Fine Arts Center.

Registration is open through October 15, 2020. For registration and more information, visit ArtWorks Camp cARTwheel’s link. If you wish to purchase kits at cost for your non-profit youth, contact stacy@thewell.world or order here.

About ArtWorks

ArtWorks is an award-winning Greater Cincinnati nonprofit that transforms people and places through investments in creativity. The organization creates jobs for youth, ages 14-21 with the majority from underserved households, providing competitive 21st-century career-readiness skills through mentorship by professional artists. Since 1996, ArtWorks has employed more than 3,600 youth and 3,200 creative professionals, and the organization has completed more than 12,500 public and private art projects that include 190 permanent outdoor murals, contributing to the region’s global reputation as an arts destination. Learn more at ArtWorksCincinnati.org.

About Wave Pool

Wave Pool pairs communities' knowledge of their needs with artists' sense of possibility. They are best known for initiating and supporting artist driven creative place-making projects and exhibiting work that stretches beyond gallery walls through interactive projects that proactively help their neighbors. They often work with partner organizations to tackle tough problems through asset based development and center artist-driven solutions. Learn more at wavepoolgallery.org

About The Well

The programs of The Well, including Mindful Music Moments, City Silence and True Body Project, elegantly combine aspects of mindfulness, arts, social-emotional learning, play, movement and poetry into practices for regular use within schools, hospitals, and communities. We love collaboration so our best work is with others and we are delighted to partner with world-class arts, social service, education and health care providers. Learn more at TheWell.World.

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Camp cARTwheel in the media

Cincy's Interactive After-School Camp cARTwheel Offers Hand-On arts and Culture Activities Led by Online Counselors, CityBeat