Summer Camp
Posted on | August 2, 2009 | 11 Comments
Scenes from Wisdom Arts Laboratory summer camp….the kids were busy making art! I taught a mask making class. We looked at masks from around the world, talked a little about texture, and representation but mostly, I just let them go and do their own thing. Encouragement and gentle suggestions go a long way, if you talk too much they lose interest or get hung up on doing the “right thing”. Here is Lily and her giraffe, Grace and her deer and Sam with his snow leopard.
Abira Ali, WAL director taught painting and sculpture. Lydia Vilpuu taught architecture for kids, Jennifer Carey taught calligraphy, Diane Michaeli taught yoga….and the magical Ann Marie created the Wisdom Arts cafe and fabulous Lisa Warren tended to the children all through out the day. The teacher bios are here.
Look at these beautiful tree paintings and tree houses!
Felix has been working on his tree house at home and leaving it outside at night for the fairies. His painting is the black one. We’ve got it up in the house along with his black cat mask he made.
I also had a sewing class. The kids made stuffed animals. The tenderness and love that each child showed towards their finished dolls was remarkable. They named them, made up stories about them and hugged them a lot.
Eliza behind her tiger mask. Notice the I-cord bow at top.
Gwyn’s lion mask.
At the end of the week there was a big party with music, dancing and an art show!
Kids singing the camp song…
Artichoke playing 26 Animals click the link and have a sample listen, you will love it.
More WAL camp photos here and here.
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11 Responses to “Summer Camp”
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August 2nd, 2009 @ 10:52 am
Love the masks. Sounds like you had a great class. You should check out my sister Marla McLean’s (new) blog, she’s the atelierista at a Reggio charter school in DC, and has the same approach as WAL. I’m always blown away at the things her kids do in the studio at her class.
http://atelier.schoolwithinschool.org.s66691.gridserver.com/
August 2nd, 2009 @ 11:01 am
Wow, the masks look great! Kids have such wonderful imagination! My daughters went to a moviemaking camp this summer, kids just love to create things.
August 2nd, 2009 @ 1:30 pm
Oh wow . . . I wish I could have disguised myself as a kid and gone to art camp. It looks like loads of fun!
August 2nd, 2009 @ 1:33 pm
we (artichoke) loved playing our “26 animals” with you! thanks to abira and everyone who made us part of the wisdom arts lab camp. thanks to kat for her photographs. keep in touch!
timothy, chris, steve, and nick
artichoke
August 3rd, 2009 @ 12:36 am
Camp looks stunning. The children’s work is impressive!
August 4th, 2009 @ 4:54 pm
i really really hope WAL is still going strong when the boys are a little older. you are doing great things there, skills that i think every child needs. it would be awesome to have you teaching my boys knitting.
August 4th, 2009 @ 6:09 pm
is Abi wearing a bag that you made?
i think that’s so sweet that your students showed their sewn animals tenderness and love and made stories about them. kids are so cool.
August 5th, 2009 @ 9:30 am
Hey Kat!
What a wonderful event! It does my heart a ton of good to see such a raucous and fun time spent around the act creating anything! To see children infused into all of it increases that feeling 10 fold!
Great album and you guys did a wonderful job! Congratz on the success!
August 5th, 2009 @ 6:57 pm
what wonderful projects! my mom teaches art classes to the children of the employees of her “home” really it’s a senior community but she has great fun and they had their art show this week too! i hope to do some of that when i retire! soon! in 3.5 yrs!
August 11th, 2009 @ 5:06 am
The masks are amazing! Nature is amazing! The kids–most amazing of all! I just know you’re having the best time!
August 12th, 2009 @ 9:38 am
Wahhh!! This is so amazing and heartwarming
These kids are so creative, what a wonderful place/organization the Wisdom Arts Lab must be. Totally inspired/inspiring.