(Hamilton, OH) – First Fitton Center camp.
First digital art instruction.
First cover.
All in a summer for artist Sophia Graf.
An interplanetary piece by the 13-year-old created during the Painting with Pixels: Teen Digital Illustration Camp last July now graces the cover of the Fitton Center’s 2025 Summer Education Brochures.
“It was really shocking when I found out,” Sophia said. “Very exciting. It doesn’t really have a title. It was one I worked on during camp all week.”
The brochure dropped Wednesday, March 19, putting Sophia’s work in front of hundreds of eyes and putting the Harrison Junior School seventh grader in the spotlight.
“We are so proud of her,” said mom Michelle Graf. “She was so excited when she found out. She really enjoyed the camp and has been asking for the stylus for her birthday.”
Copies of the brochure are available at the Fitton Center or online at the link right here. The catalogue features listings and descriptions for every camp, class and workshop on tap for the summer education season. Registration opens at 10 a.m. Monday, March 24.
“I like to highlight different programs and mediums through the cover image each time,” said Director of Education and Outreach Kate Rowekamp. “I rotate mediums so we never have artwork from the same class back-to-back and always feature an artist we haven’t used before.
“This time I wanted a piece that showcases our camps since we’re headed into that season. It had been a few brochures since we had a digital illustration on the cover. I chose Sophia’s work specifically because the color choices are eye-catching. She did a great job balancing shapes, line work, and textures to create an appealing composition.”
“That digital art camp was so much fun,” Sophia said. “It was my first time doing digital art and my first camp at the Fitton Center. (I liked) navigating how to do digital art, how to do this or that. I had done a little bit on my own, but camp taught me the right ways. It expanded how I can make things, what I can do.
“I like the bright, vibrant, unique styles. I like Van Gough and Starry Night for all of the colors, but it’s not just one artist - or even a group of artists - I admire. It’s whatever I see that inspires me.”
Sophia continued sketching and drawing after camp and hopes to return to the Fitton Center this summer. Maybe for digital art again, maybe to try something new.
Whatever she decides, The Fitton Center offers plenty of choices for artists of all ages and experience levels.
Fitton Center members receive discounts for classes, camps and workshops. Annual memberships are 20 percent off for the month of March - $28 for individuals and $56 for families – and are available online right here, by phone at 513-863-8873, ext. 110 or in person at the Fitton Center.
The Fitton Center for Creative Arts is located at 101 S. Monument Avenue on the Riverfront in downtown Hamilton, Ohio.
Building Community Excellence through the Arts and Culture
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