Philly's biggest free art class returns this summer for its sixth year, as nonprofit CraftNOW once again partners with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation to provide more than 10,000 hours of free craft instruction to 6,000 children across the city.
From July 6 to Aug. 14, the CraftNOW Create program will offer free arts and crafts instruction for children across Greater Philadelphia through partnerships with local artists, museums and cultural organizations.
Since launching in 2020, the program has served more than 20,000 children across Philadelphia and continues to grow, with this year's camps expanding to a record 133 participating sites.
CraftNOW Create's summer camps begin July 6 and will feature activities led by organizations including The Clay Studio, DesignPhiladelphia, Museum for Art in Wood, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia's Magic Gardens, among many more.
This year, CraftNOW will partner with the Philadelphia Museum of Art to provide take-home art kits with supplies and free museum passes for each student and up to five family members. Crafting kits will be distributed to campers at each of the 133 participating recreation centers.
After launching in 2020, the CraftNOW Create program expanded in 2022 to include craft-intensive gap week camps held during the two weeks between the end of school and August. During the gap weeks, CraftNOW partners visit two participating recreation centers, offering multi-day sessions of art instruction and taking youth on tours of the city’s most renowned galleries. Up to 30 children between the ages of 6 to 12 are eligible to register tuition-free.
Before the main summer camps begin, CraftNOW will host two weeks of gap week programming in June and early July. From June 22 to 26, Elmwood Park’s James Finnegan Playground and Yorktown’s Dendy Recreation Center will host the gap week art camps, while the second gap week will be hosted at Clearview’s Eastwick Regional Playground and Oxford Circle’s Tarken Recreation Center from June 29 to July 3.
“Seeing the CraftNOW Create Summer Camp program return for its sixth year is incredibly meaningful because it reflects what our organization is all about: making art accessible to every neighborhood and inspiring the next generation of makers,” said Elissa Topol, board chair of CraftNOW. “By providing free, hands-on craft education, museum access, and opportunities for creative exploration, we are helping young people discover their voices, their confidence, and the power of artistic expression.”
For a complete list of craft activities and more information, visit craftnowphila.org.
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