CLEVELAND, Tenn. – The Museum Center at Five Points immersed a score of middle school students in the worlds of pottery, painting and sculpture in summer art camp this week.
The museum’s art camp kicked off with instruction from Michael Lalone, resident potter at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, N.C. By the end of the day the class had created a host of kiln-fired clay puppet heads and elaborate whistles.
“The kids are allowed to be creative, and the experience enforces self-discipline,” said Lalone, who praised the artistic opportunities offered by the museum.
Few students experience sustained exposure to different artistic media in schools these days because of low budgeting priorities for the arts, he said.
Ocoee Middle School student Sarah Steele said she did not take an art class in her previous year of studies. Steele said she enjoyed the pottery class as she worked her clay figure and tried to determine what it would become.