Youth Explore Creative Side At Pottery Bayou Art Camp
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
WINONA LAKE - Haylie Lackey and Maggie Watkins Wednesday morning used their hands to mold clay as it spun around on a pottery wheel.
Lackey, 10, and Watkins, 11, are spending their spring break this week learning new crafts during Winona Lake's Pottery Bayou Spring Break Art Camp.
This is the first year for the Spring Break Art Camp.Pottery Bayou has offered Summer Art Camp every year since it opened in April 2004, according to Deena Cutshall, owner.
Lackey, a fourth-grader at Harrison Elementary School, said she participated during last summer's art camp, but is enjoying the Spring Break Art Camp this week just as much.
"I have enjoyed painting pottery and learning how to use the pottery wheel," Lackey said.
Watkins, a fifth-grader at Sacred Heart School, said she also has attended summer art camps in previous years and has enjoyed the spring break art camp.
"I liked learning how to splatter paint and do the fused glass and clay project," Watkins said.
Lackey and Watkins and six other students are participating in the three-day art camp that goes from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. each morning.
Since Tuesday, children from 7 to 12 years old have completed projects such as painting and making pottery, completing a fused glass project, and painting a project on bisque ware. The camp ends today.
Cutshall and Christine Shilling, Pottery Bayou employee, are leading the art camp this week.
The students were the first to use the new pottery wheels during the camp.
Shilling worked with the students Wednesday morning to complete the pottery project and Cutshall instructed the students on a fused-glass project.
"It's exciting to introduce pottery to students and experience them learning. They can be creative," Shilling said.
Shilling taught the students how to center the clay of the pottery wheel, how to sit in the proper position to make the pottery, and taught the students how to use the speed control levers on the pottery wheels.
The students used a bowl of water to keep their hands wet, a sponge, plastic material to clean clay off the wheel, and a wooden knife to trim the clay pots. The students Wednesday and today used the pottery wheels to make pottery and complete a fused-glass project.
"The purpose of all our camps is to introduce kids to fun ways to create unique projects in the various art mediums offered at Pottery Bayou," Cutshall said. "Over the past 5 years we have enjoyed watching our customers develop confidence in their ability to create fun pieces of art even if they do not consider themselves artistic."
Cutshall worked Wednesday with the students to assist them in a fused-glass project. They used brightly-colored glass beads to create a picture. The beads were put into a kiln to melt the pieces together.
Suzanne Deitsch watched as her 7-year-old daughter Lucy Deitsch worked with other students on the fused-glass project.
"It's great to see the students having fun and learning at the same time," Deitsch said.
The students paid a fee that covers the supplies for the projects.
Pottery Bayou will hold a summer art camp for seven weeks this summer beginning June 8 to July 31. Campers ages 7 to 9, and 10 and older will attend the four days per week camp and create three projects.
The projects include a fused glass project; a painted bisque ware project; and a clay project using pottery wheels.
For the age group there will be an art show two weeks after the camp is over. The campers will invite family and friends to the reception.
Summer Art Camp registration is open now and will close when the camps become full. Registration is limited to eight to 12 campers per session.
Pottery Bayou also offers an Art Camp experience for younger artists ages 3-6. The children and their chaperone can attend the camp Thursday mornings in June at 9 or 10:30 a.m.
The participants read a story and complete a project based on the story.
For more information about the summer camp, call Pottery Bayou at 574-267-2655.
