Family Music Class presented by Blue House Music and Art Camp 504 is an immersive music experience for infant, toddler and Pre-K age children along with their caregivers. The infant and toddler class focuses on early language development, especially phonemic sound, and gross motor development  from crawling and first steps to finger-walking and motoring around. The class teaches eye tracking, attention, and connection with the caregiver. Through singing, movement and instrument play children will experience rich learning in key developmental domains while caregivers gain powerful tools to communicate with their little ones. Blue House Music is an early learning program for children under five that empowers caregivers to actively participate in music making.

MEET THE TEACHER:

CHRISTOPHER “MR. CHRIS” SHEARD (he/him) is a music teacher and teaching artist with over fifteen years in the field of early childhood music. He has been certified in Music Together, Wolf Trap Early Learning Through the Arts and the Young Audiences National Teaching Artist Credential. He is the founder of Blue House Music, a direct-to-family early learning music program that serves children under five and their caregivers. He currently works as the lower school music teacher at The McGehee School for Girls and Little Gate. He is a Bywater resident, father of two, and is so excited to join the Art Camp 504 team!

Family Music Class presented by Blue House Music and Art Camp 504 is an immersive music experience for infant, toddler and Pre-K age children along with their caregivers. The infant and toddler class focuses on early language development, especially phonemic sound, and gross motor development  from crawling and first steps to finger-walking and motoring around. The class teaches eye tracking, attention, and connection with the caregiver. Through singing, movement and instrument play children will experience rich learning in key developmental domains while caregivers gain powerful tools to communicate with their little ones. Blue House Music is an early learning program for children under five that empowers caregivers to actively participate in music making.

MEET THE TEACHER:

CHRISTOPHER “MR. CHRIS” SHEARD (he/him) is a music teacher and teaching artist with over fifteen years in the field of early childhood music. He has been certified in Music Together, Wolf Trap Early Learning Through the Arts and the Young Audiences National Teaching Artist Credential. He is the founder of Blue House Music, a direct-to-family early learning music program that serves children under five and their caregivers. He currently works as the lower school music teacher at The McGehee School for Girls and Little Gate. He is a Bywater resident, father of two, and is so excited to join the Art Camp 504 team!

In this Creative Writing class, students will harness the power of words and images to craft their own story or script and design a beautifully bound book. They’ll explore the fundamentals of storytelling, including plot, setting, characters, conflict, resolution, and building tension. Throughout the week, students will use a blend of writing and illustration to draft, refine, and publish their stories.

Students can also choose to further develop their skills by taking either a Bookbinding or Screenwriting class. In Bookbinding, they’ll dive into the art of creating unique covers and binding their books or journals using collage, painting, and sewing techniques. In Screenwriting, they’ll learn how to format and structure their stories for the screen, making this a great choice for those planning to attend Film Camp the following week and adapt their scripts into short films.

The class concludes with a special book reading and art showcase, where students share their creations with family and friends. This course is ideal for budding writers and storytellers ready to bring their ideas to life!

Weekly aftercare is $15/day per camper ($75/week). 

To register your child for summer camp aftercare, add this item to your cart. When you're ready to checkout, you will have an option to select the summer camp weeks that you'd like to register your child for aftercare. Each week you select will add the cost of $75/week.

Aftercare is offered until 5:30pm. During aftercare, students work on independent projects and have free play. 

DROP-IN AFTERCARE:

You do not need to register in advance for drop-in aftercare.

The cost for drop-in aftercare is $20/day per camper, paid at pick-up through cash, Venmo @artcamp504, Zelle or PayPal.

Lights, camera, action! In this class, you'll dive into the world of filmmaking—from old-school Hollywood legends to today’s indie flicks and global hits. We’ll break down epic movie scenes, figure out what makes them unforgettable, and then use that magic to create our own films. You’ll get to experiment with scriptwriting, storyboarding, cinematography, production design, and acting. Chose to team up with friends or work on your own project! We encourage students to work on their films between sessions, bringing in new content to share each week. We’ll also get hands-on with apps like Capcut, Procreate, Stop Motion Studio and Canva. Whether you're into deep stories, hilarious sketches, or artsy edits, this class is your chance to bring your vision to life. Check out our students’ films on our YouTube Channel!

MEET THE TEACHER:

FINLEY JANES (he/they) is a filmmaker and musician and has been teaching creative filmmaking for 10 years. He is originally from Gloucester, Ma. Before he moved to New Orleans he was the Director of a film program for elementary school students called See-Hear-Feel-Film. He was lucky to be able to teach and make art with students in the program for four years! He makes both fiction and non-fiction movies but his favorite genre to make is fantasy! He lives in the Bywater with his gentle old dog, Mama, and a cat named Ding. He is currently making his first full-length movie!

Learn more about our programs at www.ArtCamp504.org

This introductory class is designed for young artists that want to explore and build their technical drawing skills. The curriculum explores fine art techniques such as line work, perspective, shading, and composition. Students will develop their observational skills and artistic vocabulary, from line and form to understanding light, shadow and color theory. We explore a variety of mediums including graphite, charcoal, oil pastels, watercolor paint and ink. With a focus on fostering creativity and confidence, this class provides a supportive environment where each child can discover their unique artistic voice and cultivate a lifelong passion for drawing. 

MEET THE TEACHER:

FINLEY JANES (he/they) is a filmmaker, artist and musician with over 10 years of teaching experience. He is originally from Gloucester, Ma. Before he moved to New Orleans he was the Director of a film program for elementary school students called See-Hear-Feel-Film. He was lucky to be able to teach and make art with students in the program for four years! He makes both fiction and non-fiction movies but his favorite genre to make is fantasy! Finley has been lead teaching a variety of art classes with Art Camp 504 since 2023. He lives in the Bywater with his gentle old dog, Mama, and a cat named Ding. He is currently making his first full-length movie!

In this TWO WEEK session, students will develop their filmmaking and storytelling skills as they conceptualize and produce their own narrative short films. Working in small groups, students will collaborate to write scripts, build sets, create props and costumes, rehearse, film, and edit their projects.

The first few days focus on film theory, cinematography, production design, directing, and performance. Afterward, campers will spend most of the workshop bringing their vision to life. Along the way, they’ll gain digital media skills, including animation and designing movie posters and graphics using Canva.

This workshop is open to students of all experience levels, and participants will choose their roles based on their interests. Emphasizing the idea that anyone can be a filmmaker, students will independently shoot and edit their films using gear specifically designed for iPhones and iPads. By the end of the workshop, they’ll have the skills and confidence to create their own movies at home.

Students will also get a glimpse into the New Orleans film industry, renting props from our partners at Creative Film Connections and visiting Cote Blanche Productions to film on a professional green screen. For those interested in screenwriting, we recommend enrolling in our Creative Writing Camp (June 5–9) as a complement to this course.

The workshop concludes with a Film Premiere at the Broad Theater, June 20th from 3-5pm, where students will share their films with family and friends on the big screen!

JUNETEENTH: Thursday, June 19th, is an optional day for students. We'll celebrate the contributions of historical and contemporary African American filmmakers through film screenings and a talk from a local guest speaker. This day is also set aside for editing, so students who choose not to attend won’t miss any filming.

Join us for the 3rd Annual Bywater Midsummer Mardi Gras, featuring the legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band—hosted by our Art Camp 504 students! This year, the Stardust 24-25 Space Krewe is blasting off with cosmic costumes, dazzling throws, giant puppets, spaceship floats and more.

Students will learn how to design and sew their own costumes using patterns on a sewing machine, and will transform recycled materials, old costume pieces, and unexpected objects into extraordinary creations. Those with a flair for movement can join our Parade Dance Troupe, creating exciting performance elements for the parade, while our builders will collaborate to design and decorate an intergalactic bicycle spaceship float. Meanwhile, our young chefs will whip up tasty treats for Friday’s Space Cantina.

The camp culminates with the Bywater Midsummer Mardi Gras Parade on Friday, June 27, at 6:30 PM, followed by a neighborhood porch concert with Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Come celebrate, catch some throws, and dance the night away!