For Immediate Release: March 18, 2026
Registration is Open for 24 Different Art Camps
at the Dahl Arts Center

RAPID CITY, SD – The Rapid City Arts Council (RCAC) is excited to announce its Summer Art Camps for 2026! Get ready to travel through time and space to explore hands-on art projects aimed at educating and entertaining youth grades K through 5. Camps will run for 4 days at a time from the first week of June through the first week in August, offering a plethora of activities centered around engaging Rapid City’s elementary students when schools dismiss for the summer.

Hosted at the Dahl Arts Center, a cornerstone for community arts education located in downtown Rapid City, these 24 camps provide a creative outlet in a positive environment where children can create, play, and grow. RCAC’s programs are based on national standards for high-quality arts education. Each camp includes “choice-based” art lessons designed to enhance creativity and critical thinking. Campers will bring home art and lifelong memories from projects like Prehistoric Cave Drawings, Pop Art Time Capsuls, Character Marionettes, Bouncing Ball Flipbook, and Animal Sound Sculptures.

Most summer camps take place Monday-Thursday from 9am to 3pm, with lessons led by certified art teachers. The Clay Camps will run on Fridays and Saturdays throughout June and July, offering focused exploration of handbuilding and ceramic techniques. Every camp includes a tour of the galleries at the Dahl in addition to artmaking in the classroom, providing campers with the opportunity to engage with art in a variety of ways. Students should bring a sack lunch, a water bottle, and be dressed ready to get creative and a little messy.

James Gaylord, Education Director for the RCAC said, “We’re extremely excited about this summer’s slate of camps. We’ve developed a diverse range of themes and projects, all designed to teach fundamental art skills while also expanding ideas about what an art camp can be and how it can be experienced by our campers. We’re equally excited about our team of instructors. Our staff includes four state-certified art teachers who, together, bring more than 30 years of teaching experience in our community schools. While they are all outstanding educators, they are also deeply talented studio artists within their own practices. This means campers will not only receive an excellent educational experience, but will also build foundational art skills, expand their creative capacity, and grow as artists while making art alongside four highly skilled practicing artists.”

Older students, currently in grades 6-12, can take advantage of our Junior Counselors program, where they work closely with staff, camp instructors, and enthusiastic campers to create a fun and inspiring art camp experience. Gain invaluable hands-on experience in a professional art education setting while developing essential leadership skills. If a student is interested in this program, they should visit rapidcityartscouncil.org/summercamps to learn more and apply.

Generous support from donors such as the Gwendolyn L. Stearn Foundation, the John T. Vucurevich Foundation, individual donors, and the City of Rapid City enables RCAC to provide affordable, high-quality educational experiences in the arts for more than 2,000 Rapid City youth each year. Through these donations, more than $10,000 in scholarship funds are available to families with financial need interested in placing children in RCAC’s educational programs.
Those interested in seeking financial assistance for summer art camp enrollment may submit a brief form before the start date of the camp. The form is available at: visit rapidcityartscouncil.org/scholarships. For questions or to get assistance, please contact us at: education@thedahl.org.

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For More Information:
Maggie Lepa-Wince
Rapid City Arts Council
605.394.4101
maggie.wince@thedahl.org

The purpose of the Rapid City Arts Council (RCAC) is to champion the power of art to bring all kinds of people together, making art more accessible, more integral and more inspiring for the communities we serve. RCAC was established by community leaders in 1968 and officially partnered with the city in 1974 to manage the Dahl Arts Center and expand arts and cultural resources. RCAC creates and supports diverse programming in exhibitions, performances, and educational classes. Supported by individual donors and organizations such as the Black Hills Area Community Foundation, John T. Vucurevich Foundation, the South Dakota Arts Council through the South Dakota Department of Tourism and the National Endowment for the Arts, and others, RCAC is committed to enriching the community’s artistic and cultural experiences. Located at 713 7th St in Downtown Rapid City, the center offers free admission and is open Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm. Discover more at rapidcityartscouncil.org.