Wilson Arts is excited to partner with the Design Lab for K-12 Education and Outreach from NC State University College of Design this spring to bring two opportunities to local students.
Both opportunities are offered free of charge with no prior design experience required. If you have a student who is creatively curious and eager to try new tools, materials, and ways of thinking -- this is for them!
Saturday, March 21, 2026 | 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Wilson Arts Center | 204 Nash St S
A free design workshop for students in middle and high school.
Space is limited.
Step into the world of animation and create a character that moves, acts, and shows off its personality! In this workshop, students design their own paper characters and learn how animators bring them to life using simple joint systems, just like the basics of digital character rigging. Then the real fun begins. Students explore what makes an awesome TV show intro: building a cool world, setting the vibe (mystery? adventure? comedy?), showing their character in action, and crafting a title sequence that grabs attention.
After they craft their characters and storyboard their ideas, students use beginner-friendly stop-motion techniques to animate a short “intro scene,” much like a TV show opening. Each participant takes home their handmade paper character along with a digital video to share. At the end of the session, we screen everyone’s clips in a fun animation preview, complete with popcorn!
After the workshop, Design Lab staff add final edits to combine all clips into a polished collection of intro sequences for students to keep.
ArtSpin will be happening throughout Historic Downtown Wilson from 1:00-5:00 PM this Saturday. After the workshop, hang around and enjoy more hands-on activities and fun for all ages!
Monday, April 6 - Friday, April 10 | 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Wilson Arts Center | 204 Nash St S
A free design camp for middle school students (grades 6-8)
Space is limited.
The Design Lab for K–12 Education & Outreach at NC State University’s College of Design is excited to partner with the Wilson Arts Center to offer Design the Experience: Pop-Ups in the Park, a week-long half-day program designed for middle school students who enjoy being creative, asking questions, and exploring potential creative career paths.
Running daily from 9:00 AM–12:00 PM, this immersive, project-based experience introduces students to design thinking and a range of design disciplines, including architecture, graphic design, industrial design, and media arts, design, and technology. Students will learn how designers solve problems, tell stories, and create experiences that engage people.
Throughout the week, participants use the design process—define, ideate, prototype, refine, and present—to design a pop-up exhibit intended for the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park. Students select a theme they are passionate about and develop it into a cohesive exhibit experience by exploring branding, physical structures, interactive elements, and visual storytelling.
No prior design experience is required. This program is ideal for students who are creatively curious and eager to try new tools, materials, and ways of thinking. The week concludes with a gallery-style presentation where students share their final designs and creative process with peers, Design Lab staff, and families