Sharon Art Studio552

This beautiful studio located in Golden Gate Park is part of the SF Recreation & Parks Department, which sponsors many arts, sports, and afterschool programs.

Here, affordable classes are offered by professional artists for children three and older in Ceramics, Drawing and Painting, Jewelry Making, Mixed Media, and Leaded and Fused Glass. (There are also programs available that include both the parent and child.)

Registration is offered on a first come, first served basis and classes sometimes fill within the first half hour of the initial registration date. Interested parents must therefore sign up in person on the specified registration date, and arrive plenty early to get a place in line. Registration is on-going for remaining spaces during normal business hours.

Call the staff line at 415.753.7006 to find out the current space availability.

Summer Camp: The Studio runs a popular Arts in the Park summer program for children ages 12 to 15 covering a range of artistic disciplines. The program runs seven weeks and meets from Monday through Thursday from 9am-12:30pm. Each session accommodates 30 campers. Campers are divided into groups of 10. Fees run $295 for three weeks, $195 for two weeks, and $95 for one week.

The groups rotate through the Studio for 60-minute periods of instruction to explore different mediums, such as wheel-thrown and hand-built ceramics, stained and fused glass, mosaics, printmaking, drawing, silver clay jewelry, and bookmaking.

Campers can add Friday (TGIF) (or sign up solely) for an additional $25 a day, and take walking field trips in the park and given an opportunity to expand their drawing skills, sketching in nature as well as at neighboring institutions such as the Japanese Tea Gardens.

Also available for youth under 11 are shorter, afternoon week-long camps for $50. The registration for these camps is held with adult class registration. See website for details.

Summer Camp registration: Takes place at the Art Studio. See website for details.