Children can channel their inner artistic expression through taking part in Children's Art Place Camp.
Several sessions, to be held inside Westview Elementary and Apison Elementary schools, begin June 4 and run through June 29. Enrollment is still taking place and slots are open for rising kindergartners through rising eighth-graders.
Students accept their art medals at Children's Art Place Camp. The children's artwork is placed in a smaller-size version on a medal for them to wear around their neck as a reminder of the great work they completed at art camp."We are the only camp that offers this much artistic variety in the Chattanooga area," said Children's Art Place Camp Director Jennifer Strickler, a resident of East Brainerd who teaches art after school year-round at East Hamilton-area schools. "The campers complete a lot of artwork. You have plenty of art to decorate your walls when your child comes home."
Young artists can choose from six different styles of art camps or attend multiple ones.
For those who can't decide, the Art Sampler Camp is designed for new artists looking to try their hand at a variety of styles. The sampler sessions teach acrylic painting on canvas, soft pastels, weaving, clay, watercolor, mosaics, mixed media, mask making, metal-embossed art and more.
"In Art Sampler Camp we touch on a lot of subject matter," said Strickler. "Every year projects are all new. We do a lot of step-by-step methods which teach hand-eye coordination."
The Fashion Design Divas Camp incorporates a brief history of fashion while young artists create fashion flip flops, a purse, beaded bracelet, design notebook, embellished jeans and fashion illustrations. A fashion show ends the week.
Strickler said the camp is a popular one and she uses her expertise in the field to create young fashion designers at camp. She worked in the fashion industry for a decade prior to moving to Chattanooga. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Design from Washington University. She designed children's clothing in Chicago, Ill., and Detroit, Mich.
Other camps end with a student art show in the chosen medium. Children can try their hand at creating paintings of mythical creatures in Fantasy Camp; painting princesses, pirates and fairies in Princesses and Pirates Camp; or creating sculptures in Spectacular Sculpture camp or fish sculptures from 2-liter bottles in Under the Sea Camp.
"Art really helps lift up all academics," said Strickler, who took art classes in her elementary, middle, high school and college years. "In elementary school children are willing to create and express without worrying what others think."
UTC art students will serve as camp counselors alongside art teachers Connie Rudwall and Strickler. This is her fifth year to offer the camps.