LEVEL UP

FIND YOUR PEOPLE

GET SERIOUSLY CREATIVE

The Summer Art Institute was established in 1998 to offer high school students artistic opportunities that may not be offered in their school programs. This pre-college program can provide total immersion in the making of art and a way for students to gain valuable skills that can prepare them for a college of the arts or whatever path they choose. 

​During the program, high school students are divided into two groups to ensure small class sizes and will have a full range of our facilities, enabling the development of creative abilities under the guidance and encouragement of outstanding teaching artists. Classes will take place in our printmaking studio, drawing studio, and pottery studio, and will make use of our outstanding location on the banks of the Hudson River when the weather allows. SAI culminates in a group exhibition in our professional galleries. This program is a great opportunity for high school students to explore their creativity, push themselves, and develop and advance their artistic abilities. Teaching artists for this summer are Daniel Loxton, Lisa Knaus, and Melissa Schlobohm.

Tuition includes all materials needed for the program. There is the option to pay in full or take advantage of a payment plan. Signing up a sibling? Use the promo code FAMILY when signing up a second or third child and save $30. This program is open to all students entering or currently in high school, or graduated in 2025. Our Summer Programs Cancellation Policy can be found here. If you do not get a spot immediately, do not despair! Please put yourself on the waiting list. We were able to accommodate many of the children from the wait list last year.

We believe art should be accessible to all. Financial assistance is available for those who qualify. Use this link to apply. The deadline for requesting financial assistance is 11:00am on March 28, 2025 for all summer programs.

Learn how to ice dye and fold a geometric kaleidoscope or mandala-patterned item! This isn’t any ordinary dye process; we will use ice to set the colors.  Everyone will have the opportunity to make two mandala-inspired t-shirts or pillowcases. Relive your childhood and tie-dye with us! 

Each Creative Happy Hour features a professional teaching artist leading a project, drinks (wine and non-alcoholic), and a chance to be creative in a special place. No previous art experience is needed, just the desire to relax and have fun!

This workshop is only for individuals 21 years of age and older. If you choose to make t-shirts, please email us your t-shirt size.

Two sessions available

Our class/workshop cancellation policy can be found here.

We believe art should be accessible to all.  Financial Assistance is available for those who qualify.

Art a la Carte offers children the opportunity to experience multiple types of art-making at our studios. This program offers two weeks of half-day, one-week classes in the morning and the afternoon, giving families the flexibility of half or full-day, and one or two weeks. Students registered for a full-day experience will be supervised for lunch and free time between classes. Students must bring their own food. Tuition includes all materials needed for the program. 

There is the option to pay in full or take advantage of a payment plan. Our Summer Programs Cancellation Policy can be found here. Signing up for the full day? Use the promo code ALLDAY when signing up for a morning and afternoon class on the same week and save $50. If you do not get a spot immediately, do not despair! Please put yourself on the waiting list. We were able to accommodate many of the children from the wait list last year.

Week 1 Morning: NATURE

Prints and Patterns with Kate Daley

Create prints with vegetables, the sun and more! Discover patterns all around you and make personal connections to the natural world. Build your own series of images with nature as your muse.

Week 1 Afternoon: MIXED MEDIA

Beyond the Self-Portrait: Autobiography in 2D Media with Sam Shields

Picture the wild, tumbling sky of Van Gogh's Starry Night or the broken planes of Picasso's Guernica: artists reveal their thoughts, feelings, and personal journeys through style as much as subject. In this class students will build a vocabulary for visual narrative and self-expression using color, line, text, and composition. We will explore how purposefully using these elements changes the meaning of our art, and how as artists we can play with symbols and images from our daily lives. Each day we will learn new techniques in painting, drawing, and print-making, culminating in a mixed-media work that reflects our personal story and unique perspective.

Week 2 Morning: DRAWING

Character Design with Brian Beaton 

Imagine yourself in a completely different time, place, or even dimension. What special powers do you have? Where are you from – another planet or galaxy? What’s your environment like? Let your imagination run wild as you create a unique character that’s an extension of you in a whole new universe!

Week 2 Afternoon: WEAVING

Over and Under with Candace Winter

Over, under, over, under. Practice the art of weaving with and without the loom to create unique art, small tapestries, coasters or critters! Using a variety of materials, paper, yarn, fabric and more explore designs and color combinations. Express yourself!

We believe art should be accessible to all. Financial assistance is available for those who qualify. Use this link to apply. The deadline for requesting financial assistance is 11:00am on March 28, 2025 for all summer programs.

Art a la Carte offers children the opportunity to experience multiple types of art-making at our studios. This program offers two weeks of half-day, one-week classes in the morning and the afternoon, giving families the flexibility of half or full-day, and one or two weeks. Students registered for a full-day experience will be supervised for lunch and free time between classes. Students must bring their own food. Tuition includes all materials needed for the program. 

There is the option to pay in full or take advantage of a payment plan. Our Summer Programs Cancellation Policy can be found here. Signing up for the full day? Use the promo code ALLDAY when signing up for a morning and afternoon class on the same week and save $50. If you do not get a spot immediately, do not despair! Please put yourself on the waiting list. We were able to accommodate many of the children from the wait list last year.

Classes for rising 2nd-4th graders are:

Week 1 morning- PAINTING + DRAWING

This is Me! with Sam Shields

In this class there is no "right" way to draw! Instead, we will explore how the way we make art matters just as much as the subject we choose. Students will learn to use color, mark-making, words, and composition to express their thoughts and feelings. Incorporating our daily lives and interests into our artwork, we will play with how different ways of presenting a subject can change its meaning. Throughout the week students will develop skills in painting, drawing, and printmaking, ending in a mixed-media collage that tells a unique personal story.

Week 1 afternoon- NATURE

Prints and Patterns with Kate Daley

Create prints with vegetables, the sun and more! Discover patterns all around you and make personal connections to the natural world. Build your own series of images with nature as your muse.

Week 2 morning- WEAVING

Over and Under with Candace Winter

Over, under, over, under. Practice the art of weaving with and without the loom to create unique art, small tapestries, coasters or critters! Using a variety of materials, paper, yarn, fabric and more explore designs and color combinations. Express yourself!

Week 2 afternoon- DRAWING

Character Design with Brian Beaton

Imagine yourself in a completely different time, place, or even dimension. What special powers do you have? Where are you from – another planet or galaxy? What’s your environment like? Let your imagination run wild as you create a unique character that’s an extension of you in a whole new universe!


We believe art should be accessible to all. Financial assistance is available for those who qualify. Use this link to apply. The deadline for requesting financial assistance is 11:00am on March 28, 2025 for all summer programs.