Kids get creative at summer camp

The Sanders County Arts Council (SCAC) gave youth the opportunity to tap into their artistic side with the 2nd Annual Kaleidoscope Summer Camp held at the Paradise Center last week.

Eighteen kids from first-graders to sophomores from Thompson Falls and Plains took part in the four-day art camp, showing the fruits of their labor on Saturday in the center's auditorium.

"This year has been a big success. We have had a number of new students attend and they really enjoyed it," said Cinda Gazaway, chief coordinator for the weeklong art camp, which included painting, printing, ceramics, silk screening, and music, all at a cost of $20, with the SCAC supplying the instructors and the materials. Several businesses and individuals donated money to help sponsor the camp, which is why organizers were able to keep the cost low, said Plains resident Karen Thorson, one of the art camp teachers.

The camp began on Monday and was divided into groups based on grade level. Thorson said the classes were set up like its namesake, a kaleidoscope – "You turn a kaleidoscope slightly and everything changes and that's why we rotate the classes." Most of the classes went for 55 minutes and rotated so the kids would get a variety of arts. Thorson taught pottery and printmaking; Ilene Paulsen, of Plains, taught watercolor and acrylic painting; Gazaway, a Noxon resident, taught silk screen; and Rudi Boukal of Thompson Falls taught music.

"Our camp provides kids with experience in a variety of media that they would not necessarily get in school. Home school kids are particularly happy to receive this extra art," said Gazaway, who's been an artist since her childhood days.

The kids worked on their projects Monday through Thursday. On Saturday, they showed 126 pieces of their work and the kids sang "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," directed by Boukal, for the parents and visitors. Thorson said the feedback from the students and parents was excellent and most plan to attend the 2020 Kaleidoscope Summer Camp, which will again take place sometime in June at the Paradise Center.

The kids created a variety of artwork, such as a clay change holder, paintings of birds, foxes, and flowers, pottery pieces, like candle and change holders. They used ink to transfer different leaf types to paper, and they learned some of the basics of music. Adelle Erchanbrack, 15, painted a dove going through a rainbow. Nathanial Hathorne made a dove fly into a wormhole. Jordyn Bagaoisan, 10, created a waving American flag from a slab of clay. And Layla Harris, 12, made a ceramic pencil holder. Jo Carpenter and Judi Christensen of Plains and Paula Nelson of Thompson Falls volunteered their time as assistants to help the instructors. Christensen was impressed by how the kids were helping each other with their projects.

"The children attending have been wonderful. They are energetic, attentive, and easily engaged in participating and learning. They are positive children creating a positive experience. It has been a joy and source of excitement for me," said Boukal, who has never formally taught, but has given private piano lessons. Over the last several years, Boukal has helped at the center by volunteering his carpentry skills on several projects. He built art easels for the center and a large display base for the model railroad exhibit, which will be part of the center's museum. He felt the Paradise Center, formerly an elementary school, was well-suited for the art camp.

Boukal talked to the children about base sounds, pitches, rhythm, volume, and music wave lengths. For the older kids, he gave an introductory lesson on the piano and keyboard. Judi and her husband, Terry Christensen, and Bethany White, a music teacher at Hot Springs, lent an assortment of drums, rattles, tambourines, and other handheld percussion instruments for Boukal's music classes. Camp student Jordyn Bagaoisan volunteered to play guitar for Saturday's show while the younger kids played on the percussion instruments and the older students sang harmony for "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

Thorson and Paulsen both saw talent and believe there are some future professional artists in the midst. Some of the students told Thorson they might pursue an art profession. Thorson said the camp was a good outlet for kids who weren't interested in sports to get a structured but casual and inexpensive instruction in a variety of art mediums. She wanted the kids to learn, but to have fun. "I wanted to teach kids that art doesn't have to be functional. It can be a bowl or a cup, but it can simply be enjoyable to look at," said Thorson added.

Thorson taught high school art for six years and has been a professional artist since 2007, as a painter and glassware artist.

"All-in-all, the summer arts camp was successful. Instructors did a great job. Participants did a great job."