Summer is traditionally the busiest season here at the Art Center and this year will be no exception. There will just be one difference. This year, instead of the creativity being concentrated inside our building – it’ll be happening in homes throughout the region!
In response to the ongoing public health concerns presented by the COVID-19 virus, the Art Center has unveiled a robust lineup of online and take-home summer art programming for children and adults. “Our number one priority is the safety of our patrons,” says Kinkade. While the Art Center is tentatively planning to reopen the building in June, pending further guidance from Governor Beshear, they will not be running in-house art camps for children this summer.
art for kids
The Art Center’s summer programming for kids will be presented in several formats, designed to meet the varied needs of families. For young children (ages 3-7), we have designed a series of Themed Art Crates that are available for purchase for $40 each. The crates include art projects, creativity activities, and games all focused around a fun theme – such as Piggy Power or Rainforest Art. Crates are available for pre-registration on the Art Center website, with pickup beginning June 1.
Elementary-aged children will have the opportunity to register for three week-long Take-Home Art Camps, with themes of Mermaid Magic, Beautiful Bugs, and Wizard Art. Art Camps will include a range of projects, with supplies and instructions provided, along with daily video check-ins with the instructor and other campers.
The Art Center is also offering four online art classes for students ages 8 to 11: Cross-Training for Artists, Street Art, Fabulous Food Art, and Intro to Drawing. Online classes involve more in-depth instruction and each class will include four sessions, meeting twice a week for two weeks. All supplies are provided. Full details and online registration can be found at www.artcenterky.org/camp.
Art for Adults
Kids won’t be the only ones unleashing their creativity this summer. The Art Center also plans to offer online programs for adults. For adults looking to gain new skills in art-making, the Art Center will offer online workshops in painting and mosaics, as well as multi-week classes in colored pencil art and pen and ink drawing.
The Art Center has also launched a virtual version of its popular Lunch with the Arts series, starting with a live video tour of Josephine Sculpture Park Wednesday, May 20th. A virtual book club discussion of The Secret Book of Frida Kahlo is scheduled for Friday, May 22nd. Additional arts appreciation programs are being planned for the summer, with details coming soon.
Community Programs
In an effort to spread joy through art, are also hosting a Community Kindness Week from June 15 to 19. This will be a celebration of kindness and empathy through creative, artistic experiences. The event will be hosted on Facebook, with daily posts and projects suggestions that bring joy to others in the community through acts of kindness. Participation is free and interested community members should RSVP to the Community Kindness Week Facebook event to receive updates.
Starting June 1, the Art Center begins a new art and literacy collaboration with The Gladys Project, with funding provided by the Boyle County Community Early Childhood Council. The Art Center will be developing art activities to accompany videos of children’s books, produced by The Gladys Project. Supplies for the activities will distributed via the Art Box, located in front of the Art Center’s building. More details will be coming soon!
