University to host art camp for kids
PRESQUE ISLE — The University of Maine at Presque Isle will host its second annual Art Camp, providing local kids with opportunities for artistic expression in all sorts of mediums, from clay to music to mime. Especially for students currently in grades 2-7, this year’s Art Camp will be held Aug. 12-16 in Folsom 105. Registration deadline for the camp is July 11.
UMPI Art Camp will offer classes in mime, musical composition, watercolor, acrylic, clay and optical design. According to Art Camp Director Heather Nunez, there’s something for kids of all artistic backgrounds.
Art Camp instructors include artists and teachers from throughout the area. In the music composition class “Creature Compositions” by local music teacher Amy Hunter, participants will make and get to take home a DVD filled with their own stories, music and sounds. In the painting class “Make Your Mark!” taught by UMPI BFA graduate Karrie Brawn, students will learn painting techniques and experiment with alternate painting surfaces in projects inspired by Gustav Klimt and Jackson Pollock. In local art teacher Ruth McAtee’s class “Clay, Clay, I Like Clay 2!”, participants will explore everything from Plasticine to bread clay as they make masks, pots and tiles.
Local artist Heather Harvell will offer the class “It’s All About Me,” working with students on several types of self-portraits through mediums like graphite, book making and photography. In the class “The Optical Design” by Lena Tingley, a local art teacher, participants will play with letters and words as they design brochures and explore other graphic arts.
As a special addition to this year’s class offerings, UMPI’s Art Camp presents special guest instructor Karen Montanaro, a world renowned, award-winning dancer and mime artist, for her class on the art of mime. Students will learn several popular mime illusions such as “the box” and “the moonwalk” and explore the mime/music connection. Participants will learn to create their own mimes, from real life outdoors (weather permitting) and still life indoors.
Each class is targeted to specific age groups. Details can be found on UMPI’s website at www.umpi.edu/summer-camps.
This year’s Art Camp will include two sessions. The cost is $95 for one session and $175 for two. The morning session takes place from 9-11:30 a.m. and the afternoon session takes place from 12-2:30 p.m. For more information or to register, contact Mary Lawrence by email at mary.l.lawrence@umpi.edu or call 768-9502.
