In Cool Springs
Call or Text 615 678 6745

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Foundational Art

& Cartooning – Schoolyear

Summer Art

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Weekend Focus

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Firstlight Art Academy

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Summer Art

Camps

Workshops

Weekend Focus

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Overview

Start Here

Foundational

(And Cartoon Art)

Schoolyear Program

Art Buffet

Day Classes

Information

Everything Else

Text Us

Summer 2025

2025 Summer Art Camps are Here!

See schedule below on page

Art Camps

MORNINGS

36 Camps Available
Camps are 5 days: Mon-Fri

Art Buffet

AFTERNOONS

Choose Any Afternoon(s)
Every Weekday – June & July

(scroll down or tap to view)

This is a different kind of camp.

Firstlight summer camps are very small, with 2 instructors per class and 8 to 12 students. This is a real art class, with one-on-one training. We have fun lessons that are also super instructive. Kids take home projects they not only made themselves, but that they creatively designed as well. Creative kids want to create!

Summer Art Camps

Ages 6 to 16

We took the focus of a small art class and combined it with the fun of summer camp

It has become so popular, we sell out every year.

All of our week-long camps are 9:00 AM until Noon, Monday – Friday

With only 8 – 11 students and two instructors in the room, you know everyone will be getting a ton of individual encouragement and help!

Camp art activities are for three hours each day. At Noon, students must be picked up using our drive through line in the rear of the building (for safety).

Age groups ensure that kids are making friends and enjoy the projects.

Camps are for ages 6 to 16 in 3 groups as follows: 6-8 year olds | 9-12 year olds | 11-16 year olds.

To stay longer, you can add daily afternoon sessions – the Summer Art Buffet.

Students may choose to add the afternoon session. They’ll need to bring a lunch, and then stay until 3:45 PM. Just sign up for the Summer Art Buffet for any day, or the whole week (you must register separately from the morning camp!) Sign up for the summer buffet for the same week as morning camp, or you can come any days you want fom June 2 to Aug 1.

Coming & Going: Morning drop off is not available before 8:45 am

The Summer 2025 Camp Schedule

Camp Details Below

View student artwork at the bottom of this page!

Art Monsters

Ages 6 – 8

Artists bring their most monstrous ideas to life – as wild and colorful giant creatures! Using paint, oil pastels, collage, markers and more, they make all kinds of monster pieces and parts.

Read More...

At the end of the week, kids get to put it all together. Legs and arms, hands and feet, wings, tails… whatever they’ve imagined. The monster lives! All the parts can move like a puppet, because everything is attached with rotating grommets. On Friday, we have a monster of a photo shoot, where their towering creatures stand next to their creator artists in silly monster-y poses.

NEW! our new cardboard cutting machines allow us to make all kinds of amazing shapes really fast (instructors will cut, but the machines are made for kids).

Other beastly projects are made every day, using a variety of materials so everyone has a terrifically good time, creating artwork in a safe and fun environment. They’re going to have a wild week of creativity!

Price: $285
Includes all supplies

9:00 AM to Noon – Monday through Friday (choose one week)

Maximum capacity: 11 students

NOTE: Camp ends at Noon. Campers may choose to stay longer, until 3:45 PM – by joining the afternoon Summer Art Buffet from 1:30 to 3:45 pm (as long as there are open spots left). Anyone staying the afternoon can bring a lunch and stay from noon until 1:30, where we have outdoor lunch and some fun activities and games. You can also combine the afternoon art buffet with your camp all week.

 

Register Now

ArtoSaurs

Ages 6 – 8

Artists travel through time, all the way back to the Jurassic period, in our terrific dinosaur art camp! They’ll discover amazing colorful prehistoric creatures to draw, paint, and sculpt – in a variety of media.

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We use acrylics, tempera, collage, oil pastels, watercolor, wood, canvas, foam, and more. Students will imagine living like a dinosaur, as well as creating wonderful projects. They’ll be building and painting a 3D landscape to display their own hand-painted dino and dino egg, and we have a big surprise on the last day!

Your child will enjoy making art with other children their age, and using all kinds of materials, in a safe and fun environment. They’re going to have an gigantosaurus week of art!

Price: $285
Includes all supplies

9:00 AM to Noon – Monday through Friday (choose one week)

Maximum capacity: 10 students
2 instructors

NOTE: Camp ends at Noon. Campers may choose to stay longer, until 3:45 PM – by joining the afternoon Summer Art Buffet from 1:30 to 3:45 pm (as long as there are open spots left). Anyone staying the afternoon can bring a lunch and stay from noon until 1:30, where we have outdoor lunch and some fun activities and games. You can also combine the afternoon art buffet with your camp all week.

Register Now

Art
Jungle

Ages 6 – 8

Artists trek deep into the jungle, discovering the most brilliant colors & exciting exotic animals. Every day artists will work on special projects – like an amazing 3-D animal mask, but also do daily art projects like making spiral bouncy snakes and jungle flowers.

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Kids enjoy using brilliant jungle colors to paint mysterious animals and amazing foliage. We use oil pastels, air dry clay, paint, collage, markers, and more. On the last day of camp we turn the entire studio into a jungle!

Your child will enjoy making art with other children their age, and using all kinds of materials, in a safe and fun environment. They’re going to have an amazing tropical week of art!

Price: $285
Includes all supplies

9:00 AM to Noon – Monday through Friday (choose one week)

Maximum capacity: 10 students
2 instructors

NOTE: Camp ends at Noon. Campers may choose to stay longer, until 3:45 PM – by joining the afternoon Summer Art Buffet from 1:30 to 3:45 pm (as long as there are open spots left). Anyone staying the afternoon can bring a lunch and stay from noon until 1:30, where we have outdoor lunch and some fun activities and games. You can also combine the afternoon art buffet with your camp all week.

Register Now

Art Dragons

Ages 9 – 12

NEW! Artists embark on their own week-long dragon quest, drawing, painting, and discovering how to make dragons in a variety of ways. They’ll copy dragon ideas and design their very own beast – on paper and in 3D.

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Dragon drawing, imagining, and lore will be explored all week. Dragon projects, such as a dragon book, and a dragon sculpture, will be worked on, and, the big project they’ll work on all week, is a moving painted dragon puppet!

Your young artist will make new friends who have similar interests at Art Dragon Camp. They’ll use all kinds of art materials in a fun and safe environment, to bring home projects they’re really proud to show off.

Price: $285
Includes all supplies

9:00 AM to Noon – Monday through Friday (choose one week)

Maximum capacity: 12 students

NOTE: Camp ends at Noon. Campers may choose to stay longer, until 3:45 PM – by joining the afternoon Summer Art Buffet from 1:30 to 3:45 pm (as long as there are open spots left). Anyone staying the afternoon can bring a lunch and stay from noon until 1:30, where we have outdoor lunch and some fun activities and games. You can also combine the afternoon art buffet with your camp all week.

 

Register Now

Art Castle

Ages 9 – 12

Artists become castle-masters, creating their own fortress realm in our new Art Castle Camp. They’ll build a large 3-D castle model using a variety of materials, such as cardboard, foam, mache, tape, glue, and paint.

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Fun extras, like trees, characters, and flags can be added as they work on their creations all week. We’ll also look at magic tricks, and a magical component can be added to the castle. Castle project has a 2 x 2 foot base and will be several feet high.

NEW! our new cardboard cutting machines allow us to make all kinds of amazing shapes really fast (the machines are made for kids to use, and have no exposed moving parts).

Your child who enjoys creating things will have a great week, building a dream project they can be proud of, in a safe and fun environment with others their own age.

Price: $285
Includes all supplies

9:00 AM to Noon – Monday through Friday (choose one week)

Maximum capacity: 12 students

NOTE: Camp ends at Noon. Campers may choose to stay longer, until 3:45 PM – by joining the afternoon Summer Art Buffet from 1:30 to 3:45 pm (as long as there are open spots left). Anyone staying the afternoon can bring a lunch and stay from noon until 1:30, where we have outdoor lunch and some fun activities and games. You can also combine the afternoon art buffet with your camp all week.

 

Register Now

Artchanted

Ages 9 – 12

Camp-goers are transported to a magical kingdom, filled with fantastical creatures of color – which they will paint and sculpt themselves! They’ll create a miniature scene in 3D. A fantasy house and garden using a gigantic selection of materials; Natural-looking things like moss, wood, flowers, and stones, or wild things, with vivid colors and brilliant sparkling jewels.

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Artists will see their creative dreams come true, as they use all kinds of media to create their enchanting artwork. Acrylic paint, oil pastels, watercolors, craft foam, sculpting mediums, wire, yarn, googley eyes, glitter glue, and much more will be used to make their enchanted scene, filled with characters they’ve invented themselves.

Your child will enjoy making art and friends their own age, and using all kinds of materials, in a safe and fun environment. They’re going to have an enchanting week of imaginative art!

Price: $285
Includes all supplies

9:00 AM to Noon – Monday through Friday (choose one week)

Maximum capacity: 12 students

NOTE: Camp ends at Noon. Campers may choose to stay longer, until 3:45 PM – by joining the afternoon Summer Art Buffet from 1:30 to 3:45 pm (as long as there are open spots left). Anyone staying the afternoon can bring a lunch and stay from noon until 1:30, where we have outdoor lunch and some fun activities and games. You can also combine the afternoon art buffet with your camp all week.

Register Now

Toons
Camp

Ages 9 -12

Our most popular camp is in it’s 18th year! Young artists jump into the fun world of cartooning! They’ll learn how to draw human and animal cartoon characters, and cartoon objects like hats, swords, shoes, and more… with new challenges every day.

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Developing their own character ideas, students will learn how to give them expressions, and watch them come to life. Professional materials such as modeling clay, ink pens, non-photo pencils and more will be used. The entire week of work, including a one-page comic book they make on the last day, is all bound in a customized take-home book.

Your child will enjoy making art with other children their age, and learning how to use professional materials, in a safe and fun environment. They’ll enjoy TOONing in – to a fantastic week of cartoon art!

Price: $285
Includes all supplies

9:00 AM to Noon – Monday through Friday (choose one week)

Maximum capacity: 14 students

NOTE: Camp ends at Noon. Campers may choose to stay longer, until 3:45 PM – by joining the afternoon Summer Art Buffet from 1:30 to 3:45 pm (as long as there are open spots left). Anyone staying the afternoon can bring a lunch and stay from noon until 1:30, where we have outdoor lunch and some fun activities and games. You can also combine the afternoon art buffet with your camp all week.

Register Now

ComicBook
Camp

Ages 11 -16

Cartoon artists spend the week creating their own 12-page comic book using professional tools and techniques. With a bound copy of their book to take home, Comic-Book camp helps students understand the power of publishing as well as learning how to create professional looking sequential art.

Read More...

Cartoonists start by creating characters, developing them, and then creating a story for their pages. Each student creates a final version using non-photo pencils and ink. A color cover, artist bio, and a funny set of ads, completes their comic book.

Your young artist will enjoy making art with others their age and who share the same interests. They’ll use a variety of materials, in a safe and fun environment. They’re going to have a super comical week of creating art!

Price: $285
Includes all supplies

9:00 AM to Noon – Monday through Friday (choose one week)

Maximum capacity: 12 students

NOTE: Camp ends at Noon. Campers may choose to stay longer, until 3:45 PM – by joining the afternoon Summer Art Buffet from 1:30 to 3:45 pm (as long as there are open spots left). Anyone staying the afternoon can bring a lunch and stay from noon until 1:30, where we have outdoor lunch and some fun activities and games. You can also combine the afternoon art buffet with your camp all week in a discounted package by choosing all 5 days.

Register Now

Animation
Camp

Ages 11 -16

Last year, this new camp was a huge hit! Animation is everywhere, and kids love it. During this week of camp, artists will learn how to develop characters that can be animated – brought to life by moving through a video scene.
Read More...

Teams of students work together, learning the methods of movement, and using our iPads and animation software. Each team creates a stop motion animation using the 2-D articulated puppets each student has created themselves. The final project will be a short animated piece that will be shown in our Friday Film Fest! Be sure to make time to attend this super swanky affair at 11 am Friday. We even have a red carpet and photo shoot.

Your young animator will enjoy collaborating on an animated film with others their age. They’re going to learn what the animation world is all about, in this exciting week of motion art!

Price: $325
Includes all supplies

9:00 AM to Noon – Monday through Friday (choose one week)

Maximum capacity: 12 students

NOTE: Camp ends at Noon. Campers may choose to stay longer, until 3:45 PM – by joining the afternoon Summer Art Buffet from 1:30 to 3:45 pm (as long as there are open spots left). Anyone staying the afternoon can bring a lunch and stay from noon until 1:30, where we have outdoor lunch and some fun activities and games. You can also combine the afternoon art buffet with your camp all week in a discounted package by choosing all 5 days.

Register Now

Add the afteroons!

Full Day Packages

Add the afternoon Art Buffet to your CAMP for all Day Art Fun!

Come for art from 9 am to 3:45 pm all week. Combine your morning CAMP with the afternoon Summer ART Buffet to have a full day of art all week long. Register early to ensure a spot.

Sign up for the same 5 days as your morning camp to make a full week that lasts from 9 am to 3:45 pm every weekday. Just bring your sack lunch every day.

Buffet Waitlist Warning: Please do not combine available Art Buffet days in combination with not available. You cannot be both registered & waitlisted. To be on a waitlist for extra days, please text us using the button at the top of the page and we’ll take care of it.

Buffet Waitlist Warning: Please do not combine available Art Buffet days in combination with not available. You cannot be both registered & waitlisted. To be on a waitlist for extra days, please text us at

615-678-6745

and we’ll take care of it.

Instructions

The Summer Art Buffet is our only day-to-day class. You can select any number of days in any order to make a customized art class.

It is set up as one Camp that goes ALL SUMMER though. You can only change your days after initial sign up by contacting us (the software will not allow you to make your own changes), so select what you think will work best. If you need to change things later, you can text us at the number below.

If you sign up for more than one week of morning camps, try to sign up for all of the same afternoons that you want, at the same time. Thanks!

Any Art Buffet days can be modified up to 48 hours in advance. Please ask us to add or move days. Text 615-678-6745

You can also text to see if new spots have opened up!

Summer Art Buffet

Personalized daily art class - every weekday June 6 to July 29

1:30 to 3:45 Monday through Friday

Register Now

We Made A Better Art Class!

The Art Buffet is our wonderful daily class, where every student gets to choose their own projects and is instructed individually. It’s like a private, personalized lesson, in a room with other students. The teacher visits each artist frequently, to help them understand every step and technique they need. It really is a bit like a restaurant. You can bring your friends and have a great time together. The goal is for every participant to learn, to enjoy creating, and to take home artwork you’ve created yourself.

From total beginners to advanced artists, anyone can express themselves with all the encouragement, guidance, and coaching they’ll get from one of our excellent teachers.

When you sign up, choose any days you like, in any order you want. When you arrive, you get to choose your own project from our menu (below). Supplies are included!

 

Every Weekday Afternoon 1:30-3:45
June 2 – August 1
SUPPLIES INCLUDED – or bring your own

TRAINING | DEMOS | INSTRUCTION SHEETS | INSIGHTS | TECHNIQUES

Buffet Waitlist Warning: Please do not combine available Art Buffet days in combination with not available. You cannot be both registered & waitlisted. To be on a waitlist for extra days, please text us using the button below and we’ll take care of it.

Warning: Please do not combine available Art Buffet days in combination with not available. You cannot be both registered & waitlisted. To be on a waitlist for extra days, please call us at 615-678-6745 and we’ll take care of it. Or text using the button at the bottom of your phone browser.

$45 per session

Three Kinds of Art Buffet:

KidsART
Buffet

Ages 6 – 8

The KidsART Buffet is more stuctured, and moves from one project and media to another every 20 – 30 minutes or so.

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Art
Buffet

Ages 9 to 19

The main room is a mix of artists. Students work on their own or in groups with their friends. It’s different every day!

Register Now

Cartoon
Buffet

Ages 9 to 19

Sign up for Art Buffet and do cartoon projects. We have a special room for students who want to focus on cartoon projects.

Register Now

Instructions

The Summer Art Buffet is a day-by-day class. You can select any number of days in any order.

It is set up as one Camp that goes ALL SUMMER though. You cannot sign up for it more than once, but you can add as many days as you like when you first sign up, or if you need to change things later, you can text us at the number below.

Please note – after your initial registration, you need to text us to change or add Art Buffet days.

Text us using the button below

You can also text to see if new spots have opened up!

Please note – after your initial registration, you need to text us to change or add Art Buffet days.

Text 615-678-6745

You can also text to see if new spots have opened up!

MAIN ART BUFFET

PROJECT MENU

All basic supplies are included for one project per day in painting, printing, or sculpture, and unlimited drawing, cartoons, dry color, or ink.

Any projects that aren’t finished can be continued the next time you come.

One Per Day:

Painting

Acrylic or Watercolor

Still Life
Animals
Landscape
Portrait
Abstracts
Expressionism
Surrealism
Impressionism

OR

Printing

Designs
Realism

OR

Sculpture

Air-Dry Clay

Unlimited:

DRAWING

Pencil or charcoal

Realism
Sketching
Animals
Landscape
Portrait
Surrealism

Cartoons

Comic Book Page(s)
Character Design
Illustration

Unlimited:

DRY COLOR

Oil Pastels or Colored Pencil

Still Life
Flowers
Animals
Landscape
Copy An Old Master
Abstract

Ink

Still Life
Animals
Zentangle
Architecture
Imagination

Student work

 

Artwork Slideshow

Use the arrows on left and right to move from picture to picture.