These kids had a great time painting at Hammar’s Studio in Dracut. (COURTESY HAMMAR’S STUDIO)

School ends on Friday, June 16, in Dracut. What are your kids going to do the following week? And the week after that?

Need some ideas? Hammar’s Studios has a bunch.

Hammar’s Studio is Dracut Economic Development’s Business of the Month for June 2023.

Located at the Beaver Brook Mill, 1934 Lakeview Avenue, Hammar’s is planning an Open House on Saturday, June 3, from 1-4 p.m., to show folks what they’re offering to keep kids busy this summer. There will also be tours of the studio and fun activities for all ages.

Do you have a kid who’s interested in painting? Hammar’s has a camp for that.

Drawing? Check.

Cooking? Turn up the heat!

Hammar’s Summer Camp Program has all of that and more.

Brianna Hammar Rolfs with some artwork by students at Hammar’s Studio in Dracut. (PHOTO BY DRACUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT)

And if you don’t want to sign your children up for an entire week, you don’t have to.

“We’re unique in that we offer camps by the day,” owner Brianna Hammar Rolfs says. “We have Art Camps, Drawing Bootcamps and Cooking Camps, and each week there’s a different theme so they’re not doing the same thing every week or every day.”

You can register for camps online at hammarsartstudio.com and click on “Dracut” (Hammar’s also has a studio in Salem, N.H., in The Mall at Rockingham Park); by phone at 781-739-2468; or in person at the studio, which is located at the back of the mill between Define Fitness and 5-6-7-8 Dance Studio.

Brianna opened the Dracut studio in summer 2022. Both the Dracut and Salem studios are an extension of Hammar and Sons Signs and Art Center, started by her father, Rick Hammar, and grandfather, Al Hammar, at 71 Bridge Street in Pelham. They sold the business a few years back, and in 2017, Brianna started it up again – at the same Pelham location – as an art studio.

When the Pelham plaza in which the studio was located sold, Brianna found the spots in Dracut and Salem to continue her quest to bring art to the masses. Brianna found out about the space at Beaver Brook Mill from a Pelham client whose husband, local developer Brian McGowan of TMI Property Management, owns the mill.

The only difference is that the Salem studio can’t offer cooking classes. The Dracut studio, on the other hand, is fully equipped to teach your kids the basics of the culinary arts.

Which brings us back to the Summer Camp Program.

Art Camp includes eight weeks of activities; you can sign up for a day, all eight weeks or anything in between. Each day is three hours, 9 to noon, with daily/weekly rates of $49.99/$199.95. (Register by June 11 to save $20.) The age range is 6 to teens, although Brianna said mature 5-year-olds who already go to school will be accepted.

“We’ve added a couple of fun new themes this year, including the Art of Henna – that’s so fun and kids love it! – and Glow in the Dark Paint,” Brianna said.

The Art Camp schedule includes:

• Gamer’s Paradise, June 19-23: Merge your love of gaming and art into one amazing masterpiece.
• Castaways: Shipwrecked with Mermaids, Pirates and Sharks, June 26-30: You never know what’s lurking in the depths of your imagination.
• Party in the USA, July 3-7: Create your own patriotic artworks, including flags, fireworks and other iconic symbols of America.
• Aloha & Ohana, July 10-14: Learn about Hawaiian culture and create art that celebrates the spirit of ohana (family).
• Project FUNway! Maker’s Week, July 17-21: Tie-dye your way through a week of creativity and fun.
• On Island Time, July 24-28: Create art that transports you to a tropical paradise.
• School of Wizardry, July 31-August 4: Unleash your creativity and imagination in a world of magic and wonder.
• Animal Planet, August 7-11: Explore the beauty and diversity of the animal kingdom.

Drawing Bootcamp will be held June 28-30, 4-5:30 p.m. The age range is 8 through teens. Rates are $49.99 per day (no drawing kit included), $139.99 for the three days, including a drawing kit.

Finally, there’s Cooking Camp, which is being offered July 10-August 9, 2-5 p.m., for ages 7 through teens. The rates are $69.99 for a day, $174.99 for three days.

Brianna says she specifically wanted a studio where she could include culinary instruction, adding, “We pass cultures on through food.”

Here’s the Cooking Camp schedule:

• Hawaiian & Island Culinary Adventures, July 10-12: Hawaiian and island-themed treats.
• A Tour of Italy, July 17-19: Chicken parmesan, stuffed shells, ravioli, pizza and more.
• You’re Baking Me Crazy!, July-24-26: Bakery treats, strawberry shortcake, s’mores bars and more.
• School of Wizardry, July 31-August 2: Harry Potter-inspired food.
• Take Out, Fake Out: Fast Food Inspired Dishes, August 7-9: Treats inspired by some of the most popular fast-food restaurants around.

Of course, it’s not only about Summer Camp. Hammar’s Studio in Dracut is open year-round, and not just for kids. There are cooking and art classes for adults as well. Get a group together for a cooking or ceramics party. Hammar’s also welcomes school field trips and Scout groups, including those looking to earn a cooking badge.

Dracut’s Bill Bradbury is one of the instructors at Hammar’s Studio. (COURTESY HAMMAR’S STUDIO)

As a mother of four, including a son with special needs, Brianna knows the therapeutic benefits of art programs for those living with PTSD, grief, anxiety and autism, and she brings that knowledge to Hammar’s Studio, as does her staff of 10.

Among those staff members is Dracut’s own Bill Bradbury, known for his caricatures. Bill worked for Brianna’s father and grandfather, and now works for the third generation of Hammars.

“Bill is so great,” Brianna said. “He has such a good attitude.”

Brianna lives in Pelham with her husband, Eric Rolfs, and four children, Anthony, 16 (who helps out at the Salem studio), and 11-year-old triplets Reagan, Arianna and Colton.

For more information, call Hammar’s Art Studio at 781-739-2468, email Dracut@HammarsArtStudio.com, or visit hammarsstudios.com.