Art is hot this summer - Programmes offer joy for idle hands Georgia Hemmings, Staff ReporterAcross the country this summer, art (in a variety of forms and media) is being woven into packages of leisure activities to keep youngsters constructively occupied, excited and happy during the holidays. The variety includes forms such as origami, papier mâché, batik, tie and dye, painting, drawing, collages, candle wax painting, sculpture, ceramics, jewellery-making, even weaving. "Art brings out the creative side of children so easily," Verle Poupeye-Rammelare, consultant curator at the National Gallery of Jamaica told The Sunday Gleaner. "And with the variety of art forms available, it can be exciting, fun and even productive." Mrs. Poupeye-Rammelere is co-ordinating Summer Art on the Waterfront, an annual art workshop in downtown Kingston offered by the National Gallery and the Multicare Foundation. The month-long summer programme is designed to expose the children to art and foster greater appreciation and awareness among the communities within the environment of the gallery itself. Sculpture, ceramics, paintings, assemblages, tie and dye, print-making, and kite-making are among the many projects planned to stimulate the children's interest. The organisers believe it requires little for minds and hands to become creative using crayons, pastel, fabric, discarded juice boxes, clay, strings and buttons and other inexpensive materials. Visual arts And this year there is an "eye on green". "Our summer programme always has an environmental theme," Mrs. Poupeye-Rammelere explained. "And we stress the use of material which can be sourced locally and inexpensively. In fact, the art programme is in keeping with the Multicare Foundation's vision to promote the visual arts especially in inner city areas. Art is used to encourage talent and interest as part of social and economic growth." Summer Art on the Waterfront is scheduled to run from July 8 to August 10. Sessions are from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily. The Junior Centres, operated by the Institute of Jamaica (IOJ), will also teach children to explore their creativity while learning a new skill. At the East Street Centre, under a theme of Wilful waste, woeful want, youngsters between six to 15 years will be introduced to art and craft, placing emphasis on the use of discarded materials. Field trips to the National Gallery and museums, music, dance, storytelling and drumming are among the activities being organised, which will be "educational and enjoyable and fun-filled at the same time," co-ordinator Celestine Thomas told The Sunday Gleaner. Similar activities are also being planned at the Portmore Junior Centre. At the island's premier art institution - the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts (EMCVPA) - a four-week summer art workshop is designed to teach youngsters new skills, and provide practice for CXC and GCE art examination students. Workshops As public relations officer Janice Gore explained, Artscope 2001 is designed to be "very integrated." "This means that the summer programme will incorporate the four artistic disciplines being taught on campus," she said. "And children will have a richer experience participating in activities in the visual and performing arts." The summer school is scheduled to run from July 2-27. It targets children ages four to 12 years. There is also a special teen programme for youngsters between ages 13 and 18, while the adult programme offers choices in areas of art, dance, drama and music. With a new emphasis on arts and culture, a series of workshops at the University of Technology (UTech) will be hosted at the Centre for the Arts on campus for children ages eight to 14 years. According to co-ordinator Pat Ramsay, the workshops are geared to "promoting artistic awareness and offering unique sources of enjoyment for the imaginative. They will explore relationships between ideas and objects and serve as links between thoughts and actions," she added. Painting, papier mâché, tie and dye and batik will be offered from July 2 to August 27, running from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. Aspiring photographers (children and adults) are also being invited to tease their imagination at a photography workshop scheduled for July 16 to August 10. A summer programme incorporating art and craft, dance, music, karate remedial learning, nature trips and drama is being offered at the YWCA on Arnold Road, Kingston, while the popular day camp at the YMCA on Hope Road will run from July 9-August 31, offering recreational swimming, dance, art and craft, games, field trips and computer training. EduTech's summer camp will be held at the Constant Spring Golf Club in St. Andrew from July 9 to August 3. Designed for children ages three to 16, the package offers art and craft, computer training, dance, drama, science and a choice of four different sports. Registration is currently under way for the various summer programmes, but parents will have to dig deep into their pockets for financing. At UTech, there is a general registration fee of $400, and a fortnightly charge of $3,250 for the sessions. At the YMCA, the summer package is offered at $1,700 per week per for each participant, and persons registering for more than four weeks get a discounted rate of $1,300 per week. A one-time registration fee of $450 is also charged. At the Junior Centre, a discounted fee of $500 per week is offered to groups of three children or more from the same home, while the regular charge is $550 per child weekly. The sessions run from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (with after care facilities after 2:30 p.m.) The programme at the YWCA is $1,000 per child, with some concessions for more than two children being registered. This fee includes a hot meal for the child, as well as supervision up to 5 p.m. daily (over the Regular hours of 9 a.m.-4 p.m.). Registration is currently on with a non-refundable fee of $200. Artscope package at the EMCVPA is offered at $6,150 for the month-long experience, with a discount for families registering more than one child. Discount EduTech's camp will cost $2,800 per child per fortnight. But a package of $10,000 is offered if the child is registered for the entire four-week programme. A 10 per cent discount is offered if three or more children are registered. While the majority of children in the Summer Art on the Waterfront workshop are sponsored by the Multicare Foundation, limited space is still available to interested participants at a cost of $2,000 for the month. However, outside the costly, organised activities, parents can introduce their children to art in simpler ways. Take a trip to the National Gallery or any other galleries listed in the directory; purchase colourful posters and cheap prints to decorate their rooms; indulge in creative art and craft in your own home, or encourage them to read books that have wonderful art for them - picture books, history books, fairy tales, even books of poems. With the plethora of activities available this summer, parents can bring out the artistic best in their children, while developing their awareness and appreciation of art from an early age.
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