BY BRIANNA HAYES
Clarkston News Intern

Local art instructor and owner of The Artist’s Apprentice, Pamela Palmer, has fun activities for children to this summer.
Palmer teaches many different art camps and lessons throughout the year. After being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic much like other summer camps, Palmer received the green light from the government to resume her summer plans on May 18.
“Some of the camps have been cancelled, but if you look on my website (artistsapprentice.com), it will tell you which ones are still open,” she said.
These camps and classes are aimed for children ages 7-years-old and up. Palmer noted parents know their children best, so if your child is younger than 7-years-old but think they can sit through a three-hour art class, don’t hesitate to reach out.
A few camps are still happening kids can look forward to including the Ancient Art Camp and the S.T.E.A.M. Camp.
The Ancient Art Camp will be held at Lake View Room at Bay Court Park.
Everything for this class will be held outdoors with the exception for participants to use the restroom and wash their hands.
The kids will also be equipped with their own kits to use during the duration of the camp.
The S.T.E.A.M. Camp will be held at Renaissance High School.
Ideas for projects for this camp will have to be altered in order to follow social distancing guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control.
One project idea Palmer shared was one that incorporated a coding robot, named Arty, which draws.
“This is a good project for the S.T.E.A.M. camp since it’s a robot and has art,” she said.
In order for all participants to complete this project, Arty will be sanitized after each use and will be done individually by each participant.

On top of summer camps, Palmer also offers individual lessons and pop-up art activities for smaller groups or individual children.
Parents can contact her and set up these classes in their backyard or in a park. For these activities, parents will be organizing the details of the session and Palmer will bring the equipment needed for the children to have a good experience in the class.
One session Palmer has already enjoyed this summer was held in Depot Park where sisters Ashlyn and Maggie Denham and friend Layla Paulson painted animals on canvas with acrylic paint.
In regard to social distancing and reopening guidelines, Palmer shared she will most likely use streamers or jump ropes to create a grid-like space for each child to stay in.
With the exception for siblings or children who carpool together to each session, she will be a little more accepting for small groups to work together.
Temperatures will be taken with a no-touch thermometer, and Palmer will wear a mask when working closely with the children.
For more information on summer camps or art sessions, visit www.artistsapprentice.com and look under the Schedule tab as all classes will be labelled active or canceled.
For more information, please email Palmer at artistsapprentice@gmail.com.