Real-life carpentry and woodworking
Three sessions:
ODB Basic: Structure: June 23–June 27 *WAITLIST ONLY
ODB Basic: Sculpture: June 30–July 3
ODB Advanced: July 7–July 11
Dream it and build it! In this small-group outdoor program, tweens and teens will design, plan, and build lasting wood structures and sculptures. Working together, under the guidance of an experienced woodworker-artisan duo, participants gain practical skills—and confidence—using hand tools to create projects. Past projects include an outdoor stage, A-frame, pergola, planter boxes, and a treehouse.
In these five fun-filled days, kids will:
Gain basic carpentry skills—measuring, cutting, fitting, and more.
Use their own set of hand tools—and take pride in their proper care and safe use.
Try out building techniques using modern, dimensional lumber.
Learn to source natural materials from the environment.
Develop spatial design aptitudes.
Work as a team.
Discover the sheer joy of real-life woodworking and building.
Space is limited. This is a small-group outdoor program that maintains a 3:1 student-to-teacher ratio to provide hands-on direction. Early registration is recommended.
Session 3 – ODB Advanced
Participants will apply the skills they’ve gained and learn new ones, designing and building with more autonomy. Through AMP’s partnership with the RiseUp for Art Able TableTM initiative, participants will:
Design and build a structure for AMP’s campus.Build wheelchair/stroller-accessible picnic tables to enhance the community.
Explore accessibility in public furniture design, ensuring that everyone “has a place at the table.”
Contribute to tangible, community-serving projects.
Learn how public art transforms spaces and fosters inclusion, and more.
To register for ODB ADVANCED, you MUST meet one of these requirements:
Successful completion of one of the Outdoor Design & Build BASIC sessions OR
Successful completion of ODB in a previous year OR
Passing a basic carpentry skills assessment (Request an assessment when you register.)
Ages: 12+
Dates: Monday, July 7 – Friday, July 11
Times: 9am–3pm
Teaching Artists: Chip Heuer and David Polon
Partnerships: RiseUp for Art
Fee: $395
Early Bird Discount
A $25 Early Bird discount will be applied when you register before March 31.
Scholarships
Scholarships are available on a first come, first served basis.
Learn everything you need to know about starting a beehive in your backyard. This lecture and workshop, which highlights community agriculture, will cover the basics of beginner beekeeping, from the essential equipment, hive location, tools, methods and sourcing your bees.
Learning with Nature
An evolution of our gardening workshops, this series invites all generations to see nature at work with Kimberly Kelly, Director of Horticulture. Through guided walks, Garden visits, and indoor instruction, connect with the purpose of the ecosystems we inhabit, the vibrant life that’s a part of it, and our role in maintaining and adding to it. This summer, Kimberly brings us meaningful ways to connect with the natural world by teaching participants to plant gardens, manage beehives, notice the life of butterflies and dragonflies, and increase biodiversity in the landscape.
This July, Grace Farms is hosting Songs of the Summer, a new and free performance series taking place on late Thursday afternoons throughout July.
Held in the Pavilion with doors open, these intimate performances feature smaller local acts, unplugged. The Songs of Summer series invites all ages to experience a moment to pause, sip iced tea (available for purchase), and enjoy lingering summer moments with connection to music, architecture, and the landscape.
These performances are a drop in, family-friendly experience for those enjoying an afternoon at Grace Farms.
Come to the Garden at Grace Farms for a hands-on class that connects families with nature. Learn basic gardening skills and imagine starting your own container or backyard herb garden. This class will naturally spark interest and embolden beginner gardeners to grow, cut and cook with their own homegrown herbs!
Each participant will take home an herb to start a garden.
Learning with Nature
An evolution of our gardening workshops, this series invites all generations to see nature at work with Kimberly Kelly, Director of Horticulture. Through guided walks, Garden visits, and indoor instruction, connect with the purpose of the ecosystems we inhabit, the vibrant life that’s a part of it, and our role in maintaining and adding to it. This summer, Kimberly brings us meaningful ways to connect with the natural world by teaching participants to plant gardens, manage beehives, notice the life of butterflies and dragonflies, and increase biodiversity in the landscape.
Navigate the extraordinary metamorphosis of butterflies through an interactive maze and traveling exhibit in Grace Farms’ indoor Court, created by The Natural History Museum in London in collaboration with Minotaur Mazes. Adventure through the leaves, learn how to move like caterpillar, discover an ant that reaps the reward of an unusual friendship, then transform into a butterfly and take flight!
Don’t miss this summer experience! Please note: There are no live butterflies in this exhibit.
Grace Farms is a celebrated Monarch Waystation, a place that provides monarch butterflies the resources they need to survive and reproduce. Enjoy additional programming all summer that will enhance your connection to butterflies and other winged wonders, including summer picnics, Caterpillar Compass, Magnifying Small Wonders, Open Arts Studio, Walk with Dragonflies, and Look at Butterfly Life.
Join us in the Garden to learn which crops to sow for fall harvest, as well as methods of extending the growing season with winter hoops, row covers, and fall plantings. Stroll through the vegetable beds to discover ways to overwinter plants and learn about the variety of cover crops that can aid in preparing the garden for next year.
Learning with Nature
See nature at work with Kimberly Kelly, Director of Horticulture. Through guided walks, Garden visits, and indoor instruction, connect with the purpose of the ecosystems we inhabit, the vibrant life that’s a part of it, and our role in maintaining and adding to it. This summer, Kimberly Kelly brings us meaningful ways to connect with the natural world by teaching participants to plant gardens, manage beehives, notice the life of butterflies and dragonflies, and increase biodiversity in the landscape.
Grace Farms’ Music Director Marcus G. Miller will be performing a full concert with his band IWM as a special treat for the summer. It will feature classics you may remember from his Beauty and Logic Series as well, new music composed specifically for this concert and some surprise guests. This will be your only chance to see his show at Grace Farms this year; make sure you don’t miss out!
Concert is appropriate for the whole family, but not oriented to young children.
Program
4-4:30: Q&A with Marcus and Tea
4:30-6pm: Concert
6-6:15: Meet and Greet with Marcus
About Marcus G. Miller
Marcus G. Miller is the first Music Director for the Foundation. He began studying saxophone at age nine and developed a passion that put him on stage at 13. With gifts extending beyond music, he graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Mathematics. After a short stint at a major hedge fund he moved to New York City to pursue music. He soon developed a reputation as a versatile and virtuosic player, while studying music production and engineering under Grammy-Winning Engineer “Bassy” Bob Brockman (Notorious B.I.G, Herbie Hancock, D’Angelo).
Marcus has performed at the Obama White House, Madison Square Garden, Carnegie Hall, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In addition, he has worked with jazz giants ELEW and Jazzmeia Horn, as well as major artists like Jon Batiste, The Fugees and Madonna.
Music at Grace Farms
This concert series invites our global community of visitors, musicians, and creators to share in an exceptional live music experience at the intersection of sound, artistry, nature, and intentionally designed spaces.
Enjoy an inspired picnic dinner crafted by the culinary team, extended hours in the garden, and activities designed by the education team that share the wonders of ladybugs, dragonflies, and butterflies. Inspired by the year’s theme, Architecture Moves Us, each iteration of the picnic series will reveal how these incredible insects contribute to the natural landscape enjoyed at Grace Farms. These small insects often go unnoticed, but contribute significantly to a healthy ecosystem.
Summer picnics also offer lawn games, trail access, and activities for the whole family.
Dragonflies have been around for over 300 million years and are still considered nature’s masters of the sky. Able to fly over 30 miles per hour, dragonflies are one of the fastest flying insects in the world. Follow Grace Farms Horticulture Director Kimberly Kelly on a guided summer walk to experience the awe and wonder of the natural world, dragonflies and all.
Learning with Nature
An evolution of our gardening workshops, this series invites all ages to see nature at work with Kimberly Kelly, Director of Horticulture. Through guided walks, Garden visits, and indoor instruction, connect with the purpose of the ecosystems we inhabit, the vibrant life that’s a part of it, and our role in maintaining and adding to it.
Ages: 13+
Two sessions—choose one or both:
• TAS 1: June 23 – 27
• TAS 2: July 7 – 11
Time: 9am–3:30pm
Teaching Artist: Shana Bazelmans
Fee: $350 per session
At Teen Art Studio, teens step into their power as creators. They’ll choose their own art projects and mediums and—with their dedicated teaching artist’s guidance—create independently and collaboratively. Photographs, print, cloth, and a vast array of other mediums will be offered.
Teens will have the opportunity to:
Master techniques in sculpture, illustration, mixed media, painting, fashion design, and more.
Develop their unique artistic voice through personalized projects.
Build a portfolio for future artistic endeavors.
Form meaningful connections with fellow young artists.
Gain confidence through creative problem solving.
Learn from an experienced teaching artist who nurtures individual talent.
Perfect for both beginners and experienced young artists, this program provides all the tools, guidance, and inspiration teens needs to thrive creatively.
This is a small group program. Space is limited.
Registration is now open for Teen Art Studio. Link: https://americanmuralproject1.regfox.com/teen-art-studio
AMP’s summer programs are made possible in part by Thomaston Savings Bank.
Scholarships available. Learn more: https://www.americanmuralproject.org/summer-faq#summerscholarships
Explore more Summer @AMP programs: https://www.americanmuralproject.org/summer
You don’t have to wait for summer!
Check out AMP’s monthly Teen Art Studio during the academic year: https://www.americanmuralproject.org/teen-art-studio