Anyone who knows me knows that The Grand Center for Arts & Culture, holds a very special place in my heart. I am grateful for every opportunity I have to continue to be a part of it! This last week, I was fortunate enough to volunteer at The Grand’s third annual Creativity Camps. I was lucky enough to be a part of the inaugural season back in 2018, and so I was super excited to be able to come back this year. My daughter, Ezri, has also participated as a student every year since it started, and she raves about it constantly. I love being able to share the arts with her, and am excited for my sons to be old enough to participate too.
What is Creativity Camp?
GCAC’s Creativity Camps are just as they sound – summer day camps full of activities that inspire kids to express their creativity. There are art projects of every kind, including painting, printmaking, sculpture, music, STEM projects, and more, all facilitated by amazing teachers! Living where we do in rural Minnesota, the opportunities for children to experience art are scarce. In fact, Springfield Elementary School doesn’t even have an art teacher for grade-school students, or any sort of art curriculum other than classroom projects every few weeks. This makes me incredibly sad, being the art lover that I am, and is a big reason why I am so grateful The Grand exists! This summer camp is one of the few opportunities area children have to explore their creativity.
COVID Precautions
As with everything in 2020, this year’s camp looked a little different than years past. Masks, hand sanitizer, and social distancing were of course enforced, but we also spent as much time outside as possible. The Grand has a beautiful backyard with a grassy area, a deck, and even raised flower beds. The building itself also has four full floors, which allowed us to keep kids in separate sections without intermixing them, therefore lessening possible exposures. Thanks to these precautions (and I’m sure a little luck) we were able to hold the camp without any known COVID-19 cases. After months of distance learning and a summer break that bears little resemblance to summers past, it was just what the kids (and I!) needed.
Camp Instructors
As I mentioned, the camp instructors were truly amazing! They each brought their own talents and skills to camp, and the kids genuinely enjoyed spending time with them. Ed is a retired art teacher with a plethora of knowledge to share. He knows how to support the kids while also allowing them to explore their own ideas. Rhonda is a regular instructor at The Grand, teaching the monthly children’s “Learn to Paint” classes. Her mind is bursting with art projects and she’s never been afraid of a little paint splatter (literally). Beth is a retired STEM teacher who is a true gem! She has a special way of blending science and technology with art, and has one of those personalities that children are naturally drawn to. We’re so lucky to have these teachers inspiring our local kids!
Art Projects
Most of the art projects the kids created were theirs to keep, but some are made to be shared with the community. Here’s a small sampling of the projects made this week:
Looking Ahead
This year, The Grand has added a new “Cooking and Culture” camp for kids, which I could not be more excited about! In this camp, children will learn about the language, music, and food of four different cultures (one each day): Mandarin, Spanish, German, and French. The kids will even get to cook their own dishes, too! Although I’m not able to volunteer during that camp, Ezri has her spot reserved and I’m sure she’ll be eager to fill me in at the end of each day.
HUGE shout out to everyone at The Grand for making art a reality for area youth! I can’t wait to see what 2021 has in store 🙂
