Los Alamos Arts Council launches summer of lectures, sewing, painting, camps

The Los Alamos Arts Council is filling June with a practical, community-sized mix of classes, camps and concerts that reaches families, teens and anyone looking for a low-cost way into the local arts scene. Its calendar stretches from weekly Sewing Basics sessions to a free pre-concert lecture for the Los Alamos Concert Association’s June 6 performance at Duane Smith Auditorium.

The clearest draw for adults who want a low-pressure creative outlet is Sewing Basics, set for Wednesdays June 3, 10, 17 and 24. Families get their own version on Saturdays June 6, 13, 20 and 27 with Sewing Basics for Families. The Arts Council, which says it has promoted community engagement in the arts since 1967 and operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is using those repeat sessions to make arts participation feel routine rather than special-occasion only.

The June lineup also pushes beyond the classroom. Crafts & Drafts is scheduled for June 7 and June 21 at Bathtub Row Brewing Co-Op, which describes itself as a family-friendly, inclusive community space in Central Park Square in the historic district of Los Alamos. That setting gives the program an easy after-work or weekend feel, especially for residents who want something social without leaving town. The Arts Council’s schedule also includes Junk Journaling Hang Outs at Samizdat Bookstore & Teahouse, Slow stitching & mending, and Whimsify Your Wardrobe!, broadening the month’s offerings beyond sewing alone.

Summer camps are the biggest part of the push. Family Summer Camps with Hannah! are set for June 8-11 and June 15-18, followed by Plein Air Watercolor Adventures: Teen Camp from June 22-25. Two more teen- and youth-focused camps begin June 29: Whimsify Your Wardrobe: Teen Camp and Ceramics Summer Camp with Father Theophan. The Arts Council says Summer Camp 2026 will run in morning sessions from 9 a.m. to noon and afternoon sessions from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., with lunch supervision from noon to 1 p.m. Full and partial scholarships are available, and members receive a coupon code for a camp discount.

The month’s most visible public crossover comes June 6, when the Los Alamos Concert Association presents the Isidore String Quartet at 3 p.m. at Duane Smith Auditorium. Brent Stevens will give a free pre-concert lecture at 2 p.m., supported by the Los Alamos Arts Council. The concert association, now in its 79th season and active since 1946, also offers free tickets for music educators in Northern New Mexico.

Taken together, the June calendar shows a local arts system built around repetition, affordability and familiar venues. It gives Los Alamos residents a reason to keep coming back downtown, whether the draw is a needle, a paintbrush, a string quartet or a child’s first summer camp.