# 2026 Summer Camps and Lottery #### **Summer Camp Format and General Information** The Art Garage’s unique visual art summer camps each explore an artistic theme, style, or medium and are led by skilled working artists and art facilitators. Young artists of all skill levels will explore a wide variety of art materials, learn new techniques, and build confidence through choice-based learning, getting messy, and exercising their creative muscles! On-site Summer Camps at The Art Garage (6100 E 23rd Ave, Denver, 80207) are half-day, one-week long camps, running Mondays through Fridays. 2026 Summer Camps will begin on Monday, June 1st and end on Friday, August 21st, following the DPS schedule. The Art Garage hosts six camps per week:  three in the morning (9AM-12PM) and three in the afternoon (1PM-4PM). Each camp is for a specific age group, and a student must be in the correct age group for the camp. Age groups are: 3-5 years, 6-8 years, and 9-12 years. Afternoon camps for our youngest campers are for ages 4-5 only, as we have found the afternoons challenging for our 3 year old artists. Students who sign up for both the AM (9am-12pm) and PM (1-4pm) camps are able to stay for the supervised lunch hour (12-1pm) at no additional charge. **See the calendar-format schedule of The Art Garage's 2026 Summer Camps **[**HERE**](https://artgaragedenver.com/articles/310)**!** Please note: The Art Garage’s low-cost, off-site Summer Camps funded by the Denver Office of Children’s Affairs in 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025 may not be available in 2026. Due to funding cuts in local and national governments, The Art Garage is not yet confirmed for funding for these camps. We will update this page when more information is available. #### **Lottery** **Sign Up Phase: January 6 - 10, 2026** We begin by opening the lottery to everyone who has interest in enrolling one or more students in on-site Summer Camps at The Art Garage. This phase will begin on Tuesday, January 6th and finish at the end of the day on Saturday, January 10th. Because this is a lottery, there is no first-come-first-served aspect and there is no rush to sign up. However, you must sign up within the date range above. Please note that when you sign into the lottery page, you will be automatically signed out of your Art Garage account and vice versa. During the sign-up phase, you will create a “dream cart” by adding students in your account to camps that you would like to register for. Your camps will save automatically and there is no "save" button. You will be able to re-open the lottery page and see and edit your camp choices until the selection phase begins. _You will only be able to see camps that students in your account are eligible for._ For example, if the only student you have in The Art Garage’s system is 3-years-old, you will only see camps for 3-year-olds in the lottery portal. If you need to add new students or update existing student profiles, see instructions above under “Getting Ready.” _As you add camps to your cart, you will see an email and text opt-in._ You will automatically be opted-in for email communication and will have the option to opt-in for text communication as well. The phone number and email address attached to your account will be used for communication during the lottery selection process and will be displayed here. Please be sure to double check that your contact information is correct! If your contact information is incorrect, you may edit it in your account on ArtGarageDenver.com. _You will not be able to make changes to your camp choices once the selection phase has ended._ If you are selected, you will be able to remove camps from your cart but you will not be able to _add_ camps to your cart. **Selection Phase: January 11 - 13, 2026** The lottery selection process will begin on Sunday, January 11th and is planned to conclude on Tuesday, January 13th. Selections are made by computer using a blind, randomized process. As space in camps allows, you will be selected for either your full cart (all of your chosen camps have space) or part of your cart (some of your chosen camps have space while others are full). If you are selected: \- Camps are placed in your cart and you will receive an immediate text and email notification about being selected \- Checkout through your normal cart on ArtGarageDenver\.com with the option to remove camps from your cart \(you will not be able to add camps at this time\) \- Your notification will contain a deadline for registration before your spots are released to others \(4 hours\)Email communication from The Art Garage regarding the lottery will come from[no-reply@artgaragdenver.com](mailto:no-reply@artgaragdenver.com). If you are not selected you will receive a notification of lottery conclusion via email, including information on signing up for waitlist alerts. #### **On-site Summer Camp FAQ** **Will The Art Garage hold Summer classes for kids this summer?** The Art Garage will hold week-long summer camps for students ages 3-12 with half day (9am-12pm or 1pm-4pm) and full day (9am-4pm) options. The Art Garage will also host limited Artsy Tots and Toddler Transitional classes, after school classes, Friday Night Fun classes, and classes for teens and adults. These schedules will be released in April 2026. **Is there an option for full day camps?** Yes! The Art Garage offers half day camps from 9am-12pm (AM) and 1pm-4pm (PM). Students have the option to sign up for both the AM and PM camps and stay at The Art Garage for the supervised lunch hour (12pm-1pm)  at no additional cost. Students who sign-up for the lunch hour will need to pack a lunch - lunch will not be provided by The Art Garage. **If my student is 3 years old, can they attend classes for the full day (9am-4pm)?** 3-year-old students may attend our morning classes (9am-12pm). We have found the afternoon class or full day camp has proven to be uniquely challenging for a three year old artist. In order to provide the highest quality of programming, we are only offering half day classes for our three year old students. **What is the price?** The Art Garage's half day (9am-12pm or 1pm-4pm) Summer Camps are $285 for 5 days (Monday-Friday). **Does The Art Garage offer scholarships for summer camps?** Yes! Learn more about our scholarship process and apply [HERE](https://artgaragedenver.com/articles/87). **If I am applying for a scholarship, should I sign up for the lottery?** No. If you are applying for a scholarship, you do not need to register through the lottery. Fill out a scholarship application [HERE](https://artgaragedenver.com/articles/87) and wait for a response from our team. **Is there a waitlist for full classes?** Yes! If a class is full, The Art Garage has a notification system if a space becomes available. Sign in (or up) to your Art Garage account, find the desired class and select the “Alert me” button below the full class. You will receive an email if a space becomes available. All parents who have signed up for an alert for the class will be notified _simultaneously_ and registration will be first-come, first-served through our website. Notification emails will come from noreply@artgaragedenver.com **Will the students be inside or outside?** Classes will be held both inside and outside the building. Classes will take place inside for the majority of the time, but students may work outside during class for specific projects or media. All camps will take an outdoor snack, story, and/or movement break during class as weather permits. Please make sure your student is dressed in weather-appropriate clothing for being outside during snack time including sun protection. Our outdoor patio is largely covered by tents and students will not be sitting in the sun for long periods. If your student’s class will be taking a walking field trip, you will be notified ahead of time and given details on appropriate clothing. **Does The Art Garage have air conditioning?** The Art Garage has a swamp cooler but does not have air conditioning. We do our best to keep students comfortable with the swamp cooler and fans, but our historic location can be quite warm in the summer months. **Do I need to pack a snack and water?** Yes! Please pack a snack and a water bottle for your student(s) each day of class. The Art Garage will not provide snacks.  If your student will stay at The Art Garage for the full day (9am-4pm), please pack two snacks, a lunch, and a water bottle. **What should my student wear?** Please dress your student to get messy, as not all art materials we use in class come out of clothing. The Art Garage has a limited supply of used smocks (t-shirts) available for use during class if clothing needs to be covered. We also have new The Art Garaget- shirts available at camp check-in for a suggested donation of $15 each.  With snack time, movement breaks, and some projects taking place outdoors, it is also recommended that students wear or bring weather appropriate clothing and sun protection. **What is your pick up and drop off protocol?** Both sign-in and sign-out will take place at our gate. Adults will have the option to walk their students into class after signing in at the gate with our staff. If adults do not wish to walk their students into class, they will be walked to class by a staff member. During pickup, students are walked to the gate by staff to ease congestion in the studio and their instructor or the classroom assistant will give adults an update on the day's activities. **Can my child sign themselves in and out of class?** Yes, if your student is 9 years of age or older, they may sign themselves in and out of class if the appropriate permissions are marked in their student profile. To find and edit Alternate Transportation Permissions: log into your ArtGarageDenver.com account, click on your name in the top right corner and choose “My Account.” Click the “Edit” button next to a student's name to edit their profile and click “Next” at the bottom right to skip pages. Transportation permissions are at the bottom of the last page. **What are my options if a registered student is unable to attend a class they are registered for?** The Art Garage has a [No Refund Policy](https://artgaragedenver.com/articles/80). You can donate your registration to The Art Garage’s Scholarship Fund and provide camp for a student who would otherwise not be able to afford to attend camp. We are able to transfer the student to another class if space allows. Alternatively, you can sell or give your registration to another family. To find out how to do this or to seek additional guidance, please reach out to our team at 303-377-2353 or [info@artgaragedenver.com](mailto:info@artgaragedenver.com). **Can a student transfer into a different class than what we registered for?** Yes, we are able to transfer a student to a different class if space allows and within [our policy](https://artgaragedenver.com/articles/80).  Space is very limited for summer camps so please contact us ASAP to transfer a registration to another class at 303-377-2353 or [info@artgaragedenver.com](mailto:info@artgaragedenver.com). **Can I give or sell my registration to a friend?** Yes. A sale or gift of your registration to a third party is permitted. The student taking the registration must be within the correct age range for the class. The Art Garage MUST be notified of any changes to your registration and the purchaser or recipient of your registration MUST create an account on The Art Garage’s website if they do not already have one. **I would like to speak to someone regarding safety protocol.  Who can I speak with?** Please call us at 303-377-2353 or email us at [info@artgaragedenver.com](mailto:info@artgaragedenver.com) and we are happy to answer any questions. **My student needs extra support, accommodations, or specialized care, or has an IEP or 504 plan. Who can I talk to about this?** The Art Garage is known for its adaptive and inclusive programming and any information you would like to share on how our team can best support your student is welcomed! You can begin by filling out our [SUPPORT REQUEST FORM](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf6q1B5B_Ql0pDu7dL7pIrEqwFkfZeza2dZjDgwh_aG4HHF1Q/viewform?usp=header) for anything from a need for extra breaks to a need for an in-classroom aide. If you have general questions about accessibility at The Art Garage, feel free to contact us at [info@artgaragedenver.com](mailto:info@artgaragedenver.com) or 303-377-2353. **I have students in different age groups.  Can we combine them into the same class?** In order to provide the best possible experience for all classes, The Art Garage keeps artists in their specified age groups. As our classes serve combined ages, we want to ensure that our instructors are meeting the needs and challenging the participants in age appropriate ways. Therefore, it is important to register all students for the correct age group. **If my student is (5 or 8) can they join the next age group up (6-8 or 9-12 yr olds)?** The Art Garage allows a one-month leeway on age ranges. For example, if your student is turning 9 on August 1st, they may register for the 9-12 age group in July. **How many students will be in my class? What is your adult:student ratio?** Class size varies depending on the age of students, class topic, and studio (classroom).  Classes range in size between 6-16 students per class. There is a minimum of two staff members in each classroom, meaning there is a minimum ratio of 1 staff for every 8 students. **Does my student need to attend summer classes for the entire week?** We strongly encourage all students to attend the full week of our summer camps to get the full experience and to ensure that all projects get completed. Many projects will take place over multiple days and students will often collaborate and work together, so a participant missing part of camp affects the experience of all students in the group. **Can you prorate a week long summer class if my child can not attend the full week?** No, The Art Garage cannot prorate Summer Camps. **Can we carpool with another family to class?** Yes, carpooling is not an issue for pick up and drop off. Please let staff know if your student/s will be going home with another family at check-in or by contacting us at 303-377-2353 or [info@artgaragedenver.com](mailto:info@artgaragedenver.com). **Does my student need to be potty trained?** Yes, all The Art Garage students must be fully potty trained to attend drop-off classes, including Summer Camps. **Can I stay with my student if they are nervous about drop-off?** All adults at The Art Garage must be background checked, therefore adults dropping off students are not permitted to stay for class. Our team is trained and practiced in difficult drop-offs and will work with you and your student to get them comfortable.  Adults may stay for the beginning of class as their students acclimate, roughly 15 minutes.