60 minutes – Fulfills badge requirements – Includes all  steps  – $12 per scout

Step 1 –  Learn:  the Bush-Holley House was once home to an influential art colony.  Learn about the artists who stayed here and how they interacted with the natural world. 

Step 2 – See the colors of nature:  Walk around the Bush-Holley site.  Wander through the herb, flower, and  natural dye gardens.  Step down to the Mianus River to observe the water and the birds.  See if you can spot our resident rabbits and squirrels.  

Step 3 – Hear the sounds of nature:  Listen to the birds and the wind.  What do they make you think of ?

Step 4 – Share your outdoor art:  Make a piece of art inspired by the site and share it with the group.

60 minute option – Begins badge requirements – Includes step 1, and either step 2, 3 or 4 – $12 per scout

90 minute option – Begins badge requirements – Includes step 1 and two of the following steps of your choice  – $15 per scout

Step 1 – Get inspired:  Go to the gallery and see the Impressionist paintings of the artists who lived at or visited Cos Cob.  Learn how they were inspired by the sight and sounds of the surrounding village. 

Step 2 – Paint the real world:  Choose an outdoor setting or a group of stones, plants, or both, then paint a landscape or still life in the style of the American Impressionists.

Step 3 – Paint a mood:  Learn how the 1913 NYC Armory Show changed the way artists expressed themselves; then create a piece of art in the Modernist style that conveys a particular feeling.

Step 4 – Paint without brushes:  Gather a few small objects or use those provided by the staff to create a unique piece of artwork. 

60 minute option – Begins badge requirements – Includes steps 3 and 4, and either step 1 or 2 – $12 per scout

90 minute option – Fulfills badge requirements – Includes all steps – $15 per scout

Step 1 – Get started with letterboxing:  Learn about the history of letterboxing and create your own letterbox out of materials provided by the staff. 

Step 2 – Find your own stamp:  Create your own unique stamp for letterboxing. 

Step 3 –  Practice solving clues:  Follow the clues provided by the staff to find objects in the Special Exhibition Gallery.

Step 4 – Search for a letterbox:  Find the letterbox located on the Bush-Holley site.

60 minute option – Begins badge requirements – Includes steps 1 and 2, and  either Step 3 or 4  $12 per scout

90 minute option – Fulfills badge requirements – Includes all steps – $15 per scout

Step 1 – Decide who you are:  Tour around the Bush-Holley House and learn about the life of Sarah Bush and other colonial women.

Step 2 – Create a costume/become your character:  Learn about colonial clothing and sketch your own outfit using colored pencils.  Give your newly drawn character a name, an age, a family and a favorite chore or hobby.

Step 3 –  Experience daily life:  Just like the colonists in the 1770’s, learn how to create your own fabric by spinning yarn and weaving.

Step 4 – Have some old-fashioned fun: Play with colonial toys and learn some fun “new” old games.

60 minute option – Begins badge requirements – Includes steps 1 and 2, and either step 3 or 4 $12 per scout

90 minute option – Fulfills badge requirements – Includes all steps – $15 per scout

Step 1 – Experiment with different materials:  Try out charcoal, chalk pastels, oil pastels and colored pencils.  Find out which suits your style.

Step 2 – Learn how to add shading:  Enhance your drawing techniques by learning how to add depth and contours to your drawings.

Step 3 – Get some perspective:  Create a still life like resident artists Elmer MacRae or Childe Hassam did, and draw it from three different perspectives.  

Step 4 – Make your masterpiece:  Take your favorite drawing materials outside and sketch a scene from the Bush-Holley Historic Site.

90 minute option – Fulfills badge requirements – Includes all steps – $15 per scout

Step 1 – Explore the art of bookbinding: Take a guided tour of the Library and Archives at the Bush-Holley Historic Site and learn about the care that goes into preserving historic books and documents.

Step 2 – Become familiar with the parts of a book as you learn how a book is made.

Step 3 – Try out book artist techniques:  Learn three different bookbinding techniques.

Step 4 –  Focus on function:  Make your book using the binding technique you think works best. 

Step 5 –  Focus on style:  Use your imagination to decorate your art book with stamps, ink and found objects.

60 minute option – Begins badge requirements – Includes steps 1, 2, and 4, and either step 3 or 5 – $12 per scout

90 minute option – Fulfills badge requirements – Includes all steps – $15 per scout

Step 1 – Explore collage: Learn about the history of collage from when paper was first invented in China c. 200 BC.

Step 2 – Focus on composition: Explore composition techniques and create a piece of collage art.

Step 3 –Create with color:  Using materials provided, focus on color theory to create a unique piece of artwork.

Step 4 – Use found objects: Find a piece of nature to add to your collage.

Step 5 – Share a message: Make a collage that expresses a message you want to put out into the world.

90 minute option – Fulfills badge requirements – Includes all steps – $15 per scout

Step 1 – Choose your textile art: The Bushes lived in the Bush-Holley House Historic Site during the decade surrounding the American Revolution. In this time period, people would have worn clothing made completely by hand. In this program, Scouts will interact with two types of colonial textile processing. They will either make a colonial pocket (using sewing) or a woven coaster (using weaving). They will then have the opportunity to hand-dye their creation with flowers from our garden in a process that dates back centuries.

Step 2 – Find your tools and materials: Choose which of the materials provided you would like to use for your project.

Step 3 – Learn the basics: Learn about the textiles, tools, and techniques you selected to create a piece of textile artwork.

Step 4 – Make something for everyday use: Create your colonial pocket or woven coaster.

Step 5 – Create a gift or item for a special occasion: Using the technique you used in the last step, create a hank of hand-dyed yarn or a hand-dyed handkerchief.