ARTventures a way for students to be creative

Five year old Summer Walker stands proudly in front of her mixed medium painting called "Fairyland" at the Waterwork Art Camp reception for young artists. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post

Nine year old Skye Mowery shows her pastel charcoal drawing of the vase behind her on the table at the Waterwork Art Camp reception for young artists. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post

Six year old Emily Frick on the right explains her clay art sculpture to her twin sister Ellison at the Waterwork Art Camp reception for young artists. Her sculpture is called " A Bug's life." photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post

Twelve year old Thomas Young looks at his clay house art work in the center of the table at the Waterwork Art Camp reception for young artists. The chair was a class project in the mosaics class. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post

By Sarah Campbell

scampbell@salisburypost.com

Tyler Frick said his 6-year-old daughter Emily recently told him she prays every night to “do better and better at art.”

“Emily is all into art,” he said. “She talks about it all the time.”

Emily and her twin sister, Ellison, were in their own version of heaven Thursday evening as they roamed the second-floor studios of Waterworks Visual Arts Center during the closing reception of an exhibit of student artwork from Waterworks’ Summer ARTventures.

The girls were wide-eyed and all smiles as they checked out not only the work of their peers, but also their own handiwork.

Emily hand sculpted a log covered with bugs and leaves.

“There’s a snail and a ladybug,” she said. “My teacher helped me with the leaves, that’s all.”

This is the second consecutive year the girls have participated in an ARTventures camp. Tyler Frick said his family uses the camp to motivate the girls throughout the year.

“They look forward to it,” he said.

Taylor Wiggins, 10, enjoyed the show with her cousin Chris Hester on Thursday.

“I came out to see her work,” Hester said. “I love it, I think she has a lot of potential.”

Taylor said the drawing fundamentals class she took was challenging at times, but she was happy to pick up some new skills.

Cathy Sigmon, WaterWorks educational coordinator, said more than 500 children ages four to 13 participated in the camps this summer. Classes included pottery, portraiture, architecture, printmaking, drawing, collage, mosaic and claymation.

“We had 38 classes and each teacher kept one piece of work per child per class,” she said.

That work was on display last Saturday through Thursday, culminating in the closing reception. Sigmon said the students enjoy getting the opportunity to show off their work.

“They love it,” she said. “This year we mixed up classes and ages and it’s been kind of a scavenger hunt to find their work.”

Students worked with both professional artists and art educators to participate in hands-on activities.

“The goal is not so much the process or how many pieces they can produce,” instructor Debbie Hoffman said. “We’re just exposing them to the joy of visual arts and igniting their creativity.”

Hoffman teaches the popular messy art class, which provides younger children with the fundamentals of art.

“It’s very, very hands on,” she said. “We get our hands and feet right into the medium we’re using.”

Contact Sarah Campbell at 704-797-7683.