Camp MASS MoCA

Young people entering grades 2–9 are invited to Camp MASS MoCA. We are hosting both middle school age camps (grades 6–9) and camps for grades 2–5. Participants explore the expansive campus and world-class art exhibitions, meet exhibiting artists, and create original works of their own.

Week 1: August 3–7, 2026 — Cardboard Everything! (Grades 2–5)

Cardboard is a versatile and abundant material. It can be used to easily make large-scale works of art to fill space and make an environmental impact through recycling. Repurposing is an essential element of MASS MoCA’s philosophy, operations, and architecture. This camp will explore the merits and fun of creating collaborative and sustainable art. The week will kick off with instruction in cardboard crafting techniques and tours of the MASS MoCA campus and workshops. Campers may create wearables, vehicles, everyday objects, instruments, creatures, sculptures, and sets out of cardboard. Project design will be camper-driven with instructor support. There will be room for individual exploration as well as a culminating group installation.

Week 2: August 10–14, 2026 — From Roots to Rallies (Grades 2–6)

At Camp MASS MoCA, we will engage with the joy and spirit of the natural world that surrounds us and lives within us. Inspired by Amanda Lovelee’s immersive environmental art project Homecoming we will use movement, partner acrobatics, spoken word, and visual art design to explore ideas of home, identity, and migration, creating messages of connection and hope. Campers will collaborate to devise a public sharing that may look like an immersive performance, a pep rally, a party, a social action, or a combination. Associated Exhibition: Amanda Lovelee, Homecoming.

From the Air: Animation and projection (Grades 6–9)

In this weeklong workshop, participants will explore animation, projection, and performance. Using an animation technique called pixelation, students will animate each other frame by frame in real space, turning themselves into animated characters and the architecture of MASS MoCA into living animation sets. Inspired by Laurie Anderson’s current exhibition, participants will project their animation and film experiments onto unexpected surfaces, including sculptures they create themselves. The workshop will culminate in an installation for families and museum visitors, where students will present a collaborative piece blending film, sculpture, and animation. Associated Exhibiting Artist: Laurie Anderson.

Week 3: August 17–21, 2026. Camp teaching artists and sign up links provided on MASS MoCA site.