A Madison City Schools art teacher is offering a series of summer camps aimed at helping older students sharpen technical skills and grow as artists beyond the classroom.
Mason Overcash, an art teacher at James Clemens High School, will host the “Art with Overcash” Summer Art Class Series June 15–19, providing rising middle and high school students with focused, small-group instruction across multiple disciplines.
The weeklong program features five course options, each designed as a 90-minute session scheduled throughout the day.
- Handcrafted Ceramic Vessels: Hand-building, glazing, and kiln-fired functional ceramics
- Oil Painting Techniques: Color theory, layering, and studio practices
- Watercolor Painting: Wet-on-wet techniques, light and shadow, and still life or nature scenes
- Figure Drawing: Proportion, gesture, and anatomy
- Portrait Drawing: Facial structure, shading, and expressive detail
Overcash said the camps are intentionally structured to fill a gap he has observed in traditional summer programming.
“A lot of camps traditionally target younger age ranges, and even when they include older students, they don’t necessarily focus on technical skills,” he said. “This gives students a chance to build that technical base that they’ll use in middle school and high school art programs.”
Each class emphasizes foundational techniques, from color theory and layering in oil painting to anatomy and proportion in figure drawing, while still allowing room for creativity and individual expression.
The goal, Overcash said, is to create an environment where students can both explore and improve.
“I can’t imagine a student would walk away and feel like they didn’t produce artwork better than they thought they would,” he said. “And also feel like it was a good fit for them.”
The camps are open to a range of experience levels, from students who simply enjoy art to those looking to take their skills to a higher level.
“We have a full range,” Overcash said. “There are students who come because they enjoy art, and there are others who are very dedicated and want to elevate their skills. We’re able to meet all of those levels.”
Overcash, a Madison native and graduate of Madison City Schools, has been teaching for more than 15 years and is a National Board Certified Teacher. He said the program also reflects the strength of the local school system’s approach to arts education.
“One thing Madison City Schools does really well is vertical alignment,” he said. “Elementary feeds into middle school, and middle school feeds into high school. These camps help students get a head start on those skills.”
In addition to structured instruction, the camps aim to foster a sense of creative community, giving students the opportunity to collaborate, experiment and take on more in-depth projects than typically offered during the school year.
Registration is available online, with class costs ranging from $130 to $150 depending on the course.
