Community School of the Arts’ summer arts camp immerses children in creative experiences
(Posted on Tuesday, July 26, 2022)
The nose on Evelyn Damron’s ceramic dog didn’t quite turn out right, but that just gave the 10-year-old a chance to improvise.
And her dog became a mouse.
“I just kind of went along with it, and now I just love this piece,” she said.
Evelyn and her friend, Larissa Capitani, 8, not only loved the pieces they made during the daily ceramics workshops at the Community School of the Arts (CSA) summer arts camp, they loved everything they did at the weeklong day camp.
They also loved painting, drawing, dancing and playing games. And after five days of ukulele training, they loved strumming “I’m Yours” and “Just the Way You Are” for their parents.
“What’s great about this week is just how interactive and how special it’s been,” Evelyn said. “It’s been a real treat to be here.”
And a week at summer arts camp beat doing normal schoolwork.
“School is not the worst thing on the planet,” Evelyn said, “but it’s literally not the best thing – for any circumstances whatsoever.”
An immersive art experience
This July’s summer arts camp was a CSA’s first. The camp immersed children ages 8-15 in arts experiences in drawing, painting, ceramics, movement, photography and music.
Over two weeks, CSA hosted two camps, each featuring top-tier instruction from Austin Peay professors, alumni and graduate students using the university’s state-of-the-art facilities and equipment.
The camps engaged children interested in the arts in a more immersive experience, including the ukulele performance at the end that accompanied an exhibition of the art the students created during the week.
CSA’s coordinator, Kevin Loveland Jr., plans to have the camp again next summer.
“Everyone has been talking about how much fun they are having,” Loveland said during the second week. “It’s definitely something that the CSA will continue to pursue.”
Until then, CSA is gearing up for its fall classes and workshops, which start in September. Austin Peay will announce the fall slate – including new theatre classes and a Halloween makeup workshop – soon.
Just like at the summer arts camp, master artists lead the CSA’s regular classes and workshops. For more information about CSA, call 931-221-7034 or email csa@apsu.edu.
This summer’s instructors
The instructors at this summer’s camps were:
- , dance and movement. Amos is an assistant professor in the African American Studies program at Austin Peay.
- Colin Isotti, music. Isotti is a music graduate student at Austin Peay.
- , drawing and painting. Minic earned her Master of Fine Arts at the University of Washington and her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Austin Peay, where she teaches.
- , photography. Wheeler earned his Bachelor of Science at Austin Peay.
- Amalia Wills, ceramics. Wills earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts at Austin Peay and is working toward an art education degree.
News Feed
View All News
With fewer entry-level jobs available, Austin Peay State University's College of Business has responded by increasing experiential learning participation by 37%--connecting students with real organizations, AI-focused coursework, and global immersion experiences to build the skills employers value most.
Read More
The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences has acquired a new scanning electron microscope, giving students publication-quality imaging and chemical analysis capabilities -- including the chance to study meteorites -- previously accessible only at major research institutions.
Read More
Austin Peay State University's Peer Leader Program has earned renewal of its International Peer Educator Training Program Certification from the College Reading & Learning Association at the maximum level through 2030, reflecting the program's support for thousands of new students each year.
Read More