Registration Deadline Nears for Fay Jones School's Summer Design Camp

Photo by Michelle Parks

Last summer, students in the Fayetteville Design Camp visited and toured Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, where their project was located. They designed an outdoor classroom for an area adjacent to a pond at the museum. Camp sessions will be held this June in Fayetteville, Hot Springs and Little Rock.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – There are less than three weeks remaining to register for the Fay Jones School of Architecture's Design Camp, which is being held this summer in three cities across Arkansas. Students who take part will see how drawing, design, creativity and problem solving all come together in the work of architects, landscape architects and interior designers. The deadline to register is May 22.

The three, week-long day camps will be held in June in three locations: the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville on June 8-12, Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs on June 15-19 and Arkansas Studies Institute in Little Rock on June 22-26. Hands-on activities, discussions, presentations and tours will be led by Fay Jones School faculty members from each of the design disciplines.

The instructors aim to introduce students going into ninth through 12th grades to the design professions and the process that a designer goes through, which is everything from sketching, imagining and brainstorming to drawing, designing and building models. Students also get to visit examples of architecture and other design features during tours at each camp location.

In each camp session, students will work with their instructors to create a design project. Over the week, they'll do quick sketching exercises, visit the site of their project, make multiple drawings and build a model of their design.

"We're trying to appeal to students who may have a specific interest in architecture, landscape architecture and interior design, but also students who may just have a general interest in design, drawing, creating or making," said Alison Turner, one of the instructors. "Because the camp is relevant to students who may go on to study other visual arts, creative arts or engineering. I think a lot of the design process applies to a lot of different fields."

The students often are amazed by the diversity of design concepts and approaches that arise when they all are given the same assignment. Turner said she particularly likes seeing how the students take their own experiences and fold those into their individual projects.

This year, the day camp has expanded from four days to five days, to provide more time for activities. Last year was the first year it was held in Hot Springs, and it returns again this year to Garvan Woodland Gardens, the botanical garden of the University of Arkansas. Also, a third camp location has been added this year in Little Rock. All camps run from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The cost for Design Camp is $300 for registration by May 22. Need-based scholarships are available.

To register or for more information, contact Judy Stone at jkstone@uark.edu or 479-575-2399.