Museum Youth Camps
MAC camps are based on the concept that young people benefit from hands-on learning experiences. Camp activities stimulate creativity, refine artistic skill, and inspire wonder for the natural world through scientific exploration. Each camp includes time in the galleries with one of our Museum Educators.
Summer Camps 2025
The MAC’s summer camps are designed for young learners to benefit from hands-on learning experiences. We strive to encourage creativity, refine artistic skill, and inspire wonder for the natural world through scientific exploration. Each camp includes a tour of the museum from one of our educators.
Day Camps are $50 per day for non-members, and $45 per day for members.
Drop-off for camp begins at 8:45am at the Admissions level of the museum. Early drop-off or late pick-up can be arranged from 8am-5pm at an additional cost of $12 per hour. Email education@northwestmuseum.org to arrange this service.
Art Adventures! Art Camp for grades 1 - 5
Tuesday – Friday July 15 - 18
9:00am – 2:00pm
$50 non-members, $45 members
Get creative! Enjoy working with a variety of 2D and 3D techniques and materials to produce unique artwork. Get hands-on with printmaking, clay, painting, freeform sculpture, leather, beading and more. Register for 1 day, or for all!
Register for Wednesday, July 16
Register for Thursday, July 17
Full STEAM Ahead! STEAM for Grades 1 - 8
Grades 1 -5: Tuesday – Friday July 22 -25
Grades 6 -8: Tuesday – Friday July 29 – August 1
9:00am – 2:00pm
$50 non-members, $45 members
Make art, build electronics, and explore nature! Themes are the same each week, but the difficulty of each week’s STEAM challenges will be catered to student’s grade level. Build your ideal summer camp experience by signing up for one day, or for all!
Tuesday: Pixel Art & Printmaking
Come create 2D & 3D pixel art creations and prints inspired by some of your favorite classic and current kid-friendly video games! We'll be working with legos, pix brix, perler beads and more to bring your designs to life!
Register for ‘Pixel Art and Printmaking’: Grade School
Register for ‘Pixel Art and Printmaking’: Middle School
Wednesday: Nature Art Camp
Explore where art, STEM, and nature collide! Campers will create their own art from recycled and foraged materials, explore the power of the sun, and experiment with tessellations in a day filled with nature-based STEAM challenges.
Register for Nature Art Camp” Grade School
Register for Nature Art Camp: Middle School
Thursday: Rube Goldberg's Marvelous Machines
Ever wondered what you can do with the odds and ends laying around your house? Design and build a Rube Goldberg Machine of course! Learn more about the man behind the marvelous machines, build one of your own, step back, and watch the chain reaction unfold.
Register for ‘Rube Goldberg’s Marvelous Machines: Grade School
Register for ‘Rube Goldberg’s Marvelous Machines: Middle School
Friday: Circuit Crafts
Unleash your creativity while learning the fundamentals of circuits! Using household items like paper, playdough, and recycled materials we'll bring your conductive creations to life with batteries, lights, and motors.
Register for ‘Circuit Crafts’: Grade School
Register for ‘Circuit Crafts’: Middle School
MAC to Basics: Art Camp for grades 6-8
Tuesday – Friday, August 5 - 8
9:00am – 2:00pm
$50 members, $45 non-members
In this middle-grade art camp, students will master the basics of art. Campers will learn new techniques for sketching, screen-printing, collage art, Plateau basket weaving, and more presented alongside fun and engaging art history lessons over 4 themed days.
Tuesday: Continuing the Craft: American Indian Art
Learn the basics of traditional American Indian forms of art with a modern spin, such as making bracelets with looms and how to weave a sallybag. Learn firsthand how these traditional art forms stay alive today!
Register for ‘Continuing the Craft’
Wednesday: Crafting Chaos
This will be a day of pure arts and craft chaos as we make altoid tin wallets, bookmarks, and collages that reflect your unique personality.
Thursday: Dynamic Drawing
Hone in your fine arts skills as you learn techniques for shading, dynamic posing, balancing proportions, two point perspective, and more in this fine arts crash course.
Register for ‘Dynamic Drawing’
Friday: Press to Impress
Focus on using different printmaking techniques throughout the day, such as monoprints, block prints, screen prints, collagraphs, and more! Students will get to screenprint their own camp tee.
Meet our Camp Instructors
Gloria Fox, Art Adventures Instructor
Color and imagery have been lifelong interests for Gloria. She currently focuses on watercolor painting but dabbles in many other art forms. As a young adult she attended EWU for two years and graduated from UW with a BA in General Art, a BFA in Sculpture, and a provisional Secondary Teaching Certificate. Since that time, she has offered children's summer art camps at her home, continued her 30+ years of involvement with children's and adult programs at the MAC, and lent her efforts to several volunteer organizations. She is a member of River Ridge Association of Fine Arts, the Northwest Watercolor Society, and a signature member of Spokane Watercolor Society. She continually exhibits in a number of shows and events in the Spokane region. Her work can be seen at local arts events and periodically in galleries. Her goal is to keep growing as an artist and continue her watercolor career in a meaningful and engaging way.
In her free time, Gloria enjoys gardening, cross-country skiing, camping, reading and family time. As a 60+ year resident of Spokane she still finds much to appreciate and enjoy in this area.
“As an artist I am inspired by many things - patterns, light and shadow, color and the mood of a particular place or subject. I am often influenced by the drama of nature. Artistic expression is my means of responding to the world around me. It's an attempt to capture the essence of what is attracting my attention and communicate the emotional and visual aspects to others."
Athaylia Begay, MAC to Basics Instructor
Athaylia Begay recently graduated from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Sante Fe, New Mexico, where she studied American Indian Art History. A member of the Diné and Anishinaabe tribes, she brings experience with multiple tribal art styles and her passion for art history to the classroom.
Athaylia has been part of the MAC team since 2021. In addition to her role in Visitor Services, she has created artistic projects for the Education and Marketing teams at the museum for Minecraft: The Exhibition, and DreamWorks Animation: The Exhibition, Journey from Sketch to Screen. She first became involved at the MAC through a Tribal Teen docent program in 2016 and has known ever since that her goal is to teach art at museums. She has been a summer camp instructor since 2024.
“Expression and creativity have always been therapeutic outlets for me. To help kids develop their creative expression and use it to cope with life’s tougher moments is my life goal. I enjoy creating a fun classroom environment with no expectation of skill. I believe the responsibility of an artist is to help their community grow and create beautiful things, whatever that looks like for them.”
Amanda Hiebert, STEAM Camp Instructor
Amanda is a Spokane native who has volunteered, interned, and contracted with the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture since 2013. Amanda earned her BA in Communication & Public Relations from Eastern Washington University (’15) and MS in Leadership for Creative Enterprises from Northwestern University (’16). Prior to completing her Elementary Education Certificate at Whitworth University (’22), she discovered her passion for working directly with students and communities through non-profit arts admin roles at both Gonzaga University and The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture. Amanda has had the privilege of leading the MAC's Full STEAM Ahead Summer camps since 2023. During the school year, she co-teaches 2nd and 3rd grade, leads STEAM and Coding clubs, and is the 4th through 5th Grade ‘Math is Cool’ Coach at Saint George's School. When not in the classroom or studio, Amanda can be found enjoying live music and local art, reading, or exploring the beautiful PNW with her husband Trevin and their two children.
“I love watching campers put their creative problem-solving skills to the test.”