It was an eventful July for young people at the Estevan Art Gallery and Museum (EAGM), as the organization hosted four weeks of Artist in the Making summer camps.
The EAGM wrapped up its summer camps on July 28 with a reception that was held inside of the art tent that was set up in the EAGM’s parking lot, as part of the cultural activities for the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games.
Camp participants showed their works to parents and other family members, and took the art home.
“The kids were great,” said Martina Veneziano, who is the educator at the EAGM. “They’re a very artistic bunch of kids.”
She suspects the numbers might have been down a little this year, but she estimates there were about 20 participants each week, which she views as a good number.
The art camps ran from Monday to Thursday each week. The first week, from July 4 to 7, celebrated diversity through art.
“We did art from different cultures,” said Veneziano. “They made rainsticks, drums and batiks.”
The second week focused on two-dimensional and three-dimensional art. The young people created three-dimensional cans, bean mosaics, chalk art and sculpted dishes.
The third week was the annual Art in Advertising Camp. Participants created ads that will be sponsored by local businesses, and will appear in an upcoming edition of the Mercury. Not only do the kids get to have their ads published, but they gained a greater appreciation for the work that goes into creating newspapers.
In the final week, the children combined art and activity. They made kites, pendulum paintings and catapults, and participated in a dye paint fight.
This was the first year Veneziano has been the educator at the EAGM, and she was praising the experience of the camps once they were finished. She believes they are great activities for young people during the summer months.
