Local artists inspire next generation

Artists in Sanders County are not selfish when it comes to giving of themselves, which was evident last week when nearly a dozen of them volunteered their time to teach children different facets of art.

"They were great. This was an amazing group of instructors," said Karen Thorson, who coordinated the week-long Summer Arts Camp for Youth, part of the Paradise Center's Kaleidoscope program. The 18 kids from 7-12 years old got a bit of the basics in pottery, watercolor painting, music, printmaking, creative writing, and theater by rotating from subject to subject every morning from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.

The camp was $40 a child, and it was limited to six children in each group because planners anticipated five groups, although no older children registered. "Limiting each age group to six kids allowed instructors to get to know each youth and give them individualized instruction," Thorson added.

This was the second time Rudolf Boukal of Thompson Falls taught music, but it was the first time for the remaining instructors. Bethany White of Hot Springs also taught music. Kristen Cole of Plains taught watercolor painting; Ellen Childress of Plains taught pottery; Kathleen Hubka and Wendy Artz, both of Plains, taught theater; and Sandy Jirasko and her son, Ian, of Plains, taught creative writing. The program also had "companions," which were assistants for each group of children. Companions included Plains residents Cheri Seli, Carol Brooker and Laura Wood. Artz also filled in as an assistant. Janice Hanson served as the program administrator, who was in charge of snacks and rang the center's 100-year-old school bell to signal class change.

"The camp was great. We had talented kids and great instructors. And the kids did a great job. They learned a lot, created some awesome art, and had fun," said Thorson, who taught printmaking.

Saturday was set up for the young participants to show and explain their work and the process, said Thorson. About 50 friends and family members showed up for the show and tell. The kids recited poems, performed theatrical scenes, and showed their paintings, pottery and prints. "People think of art as drawing and painting, and that's true, but there's acting, writing, music, and all forms of visual arts," said Thorson. This is the first year to offer creative writing and theater, and both went well, she said.

Theater teacher Hubka didn't try to recruit any of her students to join the Paradise Players, but she wished she would have, because she witnessed acting talent in many of the participants. Hubka has been with the Paradise Players since 2018 and has been directing at Paradise since last year, but she has more than 40 years under her theatrical belt as the drama instructor in Nebraska. Her youngest group last week portrayed the different emotions of Humpty Dumpty, while the middle group acted out the poem "Poor, Old Jonathan Bing." The older kids demonstrated how the same script could be used in several different scenarios, she said. Overall, she felt they did an excellent job, and she'd like to one day put on a children's show.

Students weren't just good actors; talent showed up everywhere. "It's hard to highlight any of them because they all did such a nice job," said Thorson, whose students used leaves, bubble wrap, cardboard, Styrofoam, and other everyday items to create ink and tempera paint artwork. "The kids were very creative. I could not choose one above the others," said Thorson. One group project made a fish by using bubble wrap, dish soap bottles, plastic forks, and bottle cap eyeballs."

She pointed out that the kids loved the live musical demonstrations by White on the flute and Boukal on the piano. White started playing at age 8 and teaches music at Hot Springs School. Boukal started on the piano at 6 years old and has performed in numerous places.

"It's fun teaching the kids," said Childress, owner of Whistle Creek Pottery. "It's been as much of a learning experience for me as the kids because I've never worked with synthetic clay before. Instead of putting the molded clay products in a kiln, it was placed in an oven." Childress, who's been a potter for 43 years, said the kids made some interesting pieces. She especially liked a "bunny rabbit" a girl made. Ten-year-old Sawyer Doble made a horse and a Big Foot for his sisters and flowers for his mother. Halle Collett, 10, made a mustache coffee cup as a Father's Day gift.

Cole has been a Plains School art teacher for 26 years, but she normally teaches junior high and high school. "This is a good opportunity to work with young artists," said Cole, who gave an art camp in Plains the previous week and had some of the same kids in Paradise.

Thorson said it was a great team effort on the part of the companions, instructors, and administrators, particularly Hanson, who she credited with doing an "amazing job of organizing everything, keeping things moving and creating the snacks." Thorson said the arts camp went well and that they plan to have it again next year.

She said the teachers were happy to give back to the community. "I think they see it as a public duty to expose our youths to all sorts of the arts," said Thorson, who taught high school art in Alabama in the late 1960s and early 1970s before becoming a professional artist, focusing on oil and watercolor painting, fused glass, and sculpture.

The Paradise Center has several other upcoming events. John Maclean, author of "Home Waters," will hold a book signing there at 6:30 p.m. on June 28. The Artists in Paradise will return to the center August 4-6, and the Japanese drummers will be performing again in September. The Paradise School all-class reunion takes place at the center July 2-3.