Fall in Minnesota is a delicious and mysterious time of year. Pumpkins ripen on thevine, ready to become jack o’lanterns. Trick-or-treaters prepare their costumes.The nights seem to team with spirits, and we feel our ancestors at hand. In this enchanting two-day camp, celebrate the bounty and magic of a midwestern fall by working with artists Gustavo Boada and Laurie Witzkowski. You will create a bewitching garden diorama using natural materials andMinnesotan folk arts. Along the way, you will learn about the Indigenous and European roots of these traditions.

9-10:30 am: Work with Gustavo Boada to create fairies, elves, and other magical creatures, using cardboard, papier-mâché and other organic fibers.

10:45 am-12:15 pm: Fashion a colorful and dazzling autumn garden diorama for your creatures with Laurie Witzkowski, using corn husk figures, seed art, and plants.

Mount Zion Temple, 1300 Summit Avenue, St Paul

October 16 & 17, 2025

Ages 6-12

The holidays are a magical season.  What better time to work together as a family with artist Gustavo Boada to create one of the most magical places there is-Hogwarts Castle, the site of so many of Harry Potter’s adventures. Using tubes, cones, cups, mylar, glue and reciting a single spell, “Decorateum Glueioso” you create a magnificent castle to place in your bedroom or home for the holidays!

Saturday, December 20th, 10:30 am-12:30 pm

Tuition: $49 per person*

*Please register every member in your family seperately

Passport to Russia: From Moscowto St. Petersburg

Russia, or Россия, is one of the largest countries in the world bordering Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Join ArtStart artists for a whirlwind tour of Moscow,the capital of Russia, and St. Petersburg. Then create art inspired by famous Russian composers and artists, as well as beautiful folkart traditions. Grab your passport and a warm coat and join this artistic adventure!

Ages 6-12

SESSION 1: Monday-Tuesday, December 22-23, 2025

9-10:30am: Matryoshka Dolls

A Matroshka doll is also known as a Russian nesting doll. Each doll contains a slightly smaller doll nested inside it. Create your own colorful Matryoshka nesting doll, as you work with Jeanette Dickinson to design and paint your own special set of dolls.

10:45 am - 12:15 pm: Architecture

Join artist Karen Anderson to learn about the colorful onion-shaped domes of St. Basil’s Cathedral and Ivan the Great’s Bell Tower, both built in the late 1500s. Then draw and pain tthese memorable symbols of Moscow glistening in the setting sun.

Passport to Russia: From Moscow to St. Petersburg

Russia, or Россия, is one of the largest countries in the world bordering Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Join ArtStart artists for a whirlwind tour of Moscow, the capital of Russia, and St. Petersburg. Then create art inspired by famous Russian composers and artists, as well as beautiful folk art traditions. Grab your passport and a warm coat and join this artistic adventure!

SESSION 2: Monday-Tuesday, December 29-30, 2025

9-10:30am: Clay

Dymkovo toys are a traditional Russian folk art handicraft made by women.They are moulded and painted clay figures of people and animals. Work with Gustavo Boada to create your own special Dymkovo toy using air-dried clay and acrylic paint pens.

10:45am - 12:15pm: Puppetry

Composer Sergei Prokofiev composed the symphonic fairytale Peter and the Wolf. Each character in the story is represented by an instrument of the orchestra. First listen to the musical tale. Then work with puppeteer Julie Boada to create finger puppets for each character. Share the tale with your family and friends using your finger puppets.