Day 25 - THE BIG DAY!!

It's been a wonderful ride!  The three rules of Summer Dreamer's Camp are "Work hard.  Be nice.  Have fun!"  I think we accomplished all three of them!!  :)

Here are some of my lovely campers that built ImaginationLand...

Fifth Graders

Sixth Graders

Here is a video tour of ImaginationLand.  We chose the soundtrack from Edward Scissorhands for the music.  We reset the CD each time the campers came in, so it would be the beautiful, magical part of the soundtrack.   :)

Here are some still shots of ImaginationLand.....

The Outer Space Portal was to transport you from the real world into ImaginationLand.  We used huge pieces of cardboard, some paint, some glue, and some purple LED lights, and a little magic!

The CD Waterfall featured abstract and Aboriginal art.  Why throw those CDs away after you download them onto your computer?  Use a permanent marker to transform them into something beautiful.  :)

I'll admit, you have to use your imagination to see it, but it is an upside down tree coming out of the ocean in the sky.  It is complete with branches and birds' nests.  To the left you will see the Bamboo Sculpture and Vines.  At first, when they picked up the bamboo and twine, it looked like a corporate team building exercise.  Then they got the hang of it.  There was conversation of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn building a raft.  "Miss Jessica, do you think this would really float?"  :)

As mentioned on Day 22, these are our Spinners that were inspired by Squonk Opera!

I couldn't have asked for a better tree as a background for our Hanging Garden. 

All you need is a plastic bottle and some Sharpie markers or acrylic paint.  Cut around the bottle about 1/3 from the top.  Then cut lengthwise to make the "petals."  Shape if desired.  Bend the "petals" back and color them.  Once dry, punch holes and string together to make your own Hanging Garden.  :)

Our Alien Flowers are made from a plastic race car bed that was headed for a landfill.  We painted the four pieces with acrylic paint, then added cardboard petals and a CD center.  So much fun!

Cardboard Village had it's own nail salon.

The builder of this house is hosting a party on the balcony with a pizza as big as the front door!

Castle complete with moat and working drawbridge.

First it was going to be a tower.  Then a mountain.  Then a robot.  Then a very trendy robot.  ;)

This was a messy, fun project.

The Styrofoam Empire.  It had a water park, a basketball court, an arena, two towers, and many other amenities. 

Close up of the Styrofoam Empire.

The Ocean in the Sky.  We used 25 foot sheets of plastic drop cloth that was going to be thrown away.  No worry that it had some paint on it - we planned on adding more!  The kids had a complete blast using paint rollers and different objects to stamp paint on the "ocean."

At the end of the final day........it was like it was all just a dream.

Thank you to the Summer Dreamers' staff, the staff at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and Pittsburgh Filmmakers, and Kevin Wenner.  And, of course, to all of my amazing campers -- This was all for you!!

This project was made possible through the Arts in Education Partnership of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. The Arts in Education Partnership is administered in sw PA by Pittsburgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. Pittsburgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts (PF/PCA) is committed to the artist and the advancement of artistic excellence in visual arts – specifically film, video, photography, digital media, and fine and creative arts and crafts; the provision of equipment and facilities for artists; the conduct of instructional programs; and the stimulation of public understanding and awareness through exhibitions, demonstrations, and sales. 

School & Community Programs at PF/PCA is dedicated to bringing high quality arts services to tens of thousands of participants at schools, nonprofit service agencies, and community organizations working with both children and adults in Allegheny, Beaver, Greene, and Washington counties through our partnership with the Arts in Education division of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.. Our programs are designed to place trained, knowledgeable, and practicing artists into school and community settings where they can share the benefits of the creative process.

Day 24 - The Little Ones Come to Visit!

My campers went to a peace rally at the August Wilson Center today.  While they were out, I took the opportunity to allow some of the little campers to come visit ImaginationLand.  There was a steady stream of visitors all day and it was a lot of fun seeing their reaction to what we had built.  I encouraged them to look around and see if they could find anything that they might find in their own home .... plastic bottles, cardboard, styrofoam, CDs.  "You can make an ImaginationLand of your own at home!"  No reason we should have all the fun, right?

This project was made possible through the Arts in Education Partnership of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. The Arts in Education Partnership is administered in sw PA by Pittsburgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. Pittsburgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts (PF/PCA) is committed to the artist and the advancement of artistic excellence in visual arts – specifically film, video, photography, digital media, and fine and creative arts and crafts; the provision of equipment and facilities for artists; the conduct of instructional programs; and the stimulation of public understanding and awareness through exhibitions, demonstrations, and sales. 

School & Community Programs at PF/PCA is dedicated to bringing high quality arts services to tens of thousands of participants at schools, nonprofit service agencies, and community organizations working with both children and adults in Allegheny, Beaver, Greene, and Washington counties through our partnership with the Arts in Education division of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.. Our programs are designed to place trained, knowledgeable, and practicing artists into school and community settings where they can share the benefits of the creative process.

Day 23 - Finishing Touches

Well, today was the final day to work on ImaginationLand.  I was very impressed at how well the campers did getting everything installed.  Little finishing touches were added here and there.  Lots of moving things about.  Lots of glue.  And, lots of excitement.  The entire building was buzzing about the grand opening of ImaginationLand.  Everyone wanted to peek inside.  With an entrance like this, can you blame them?.......

I confess, I didn't get many photos of the campers rushing about to get things finished.  I was too busy helping them.  It was wonderful watching it all take shape.  At the beginning of camp, I stepped into the room that would become ImaginationLand.  I had a number of projects in mind and a certain idea of what it might look like when we were done.  But, honestly, my hope was that the kids would come up with their OWN ideas and really take ownership of the project.  It was turning out to be a really cool blend of the two.  :)

Day 22 - Spinners!

During camp, we were honored to have the amazing Squonk Opera come and perform for us!  My campers loved them.  One of the things they really liked about Squonk's stage set-up was the wall of "spinners."  (My apologies to Squonk for not knowing your official term for them.)  They look like this.....

 During the show they spin!  Pretty cool, huh?

Here are some of the Spinners that the campers made.  :)

Our Spinners didn't spin, but we still had a blast making them.  Thanks again to Squonk Opera for the show and for the inspiration.  You helped teach my campers that using your imagination is fun and cool.

This project was made possible through the Arts in Education Partnership of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. The Arts in Education Partnership is administered in sw PA by Pittsburgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. Pittsburgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts (PF/PCA) is committed to the artist and the advancement of artistic excellence in visual arts – specifically film, video, photography, digital media, and fine and creative arts and crafts; the provision of equipment and facilities for artists; the conduct of instructional programs; and the stimulation of public understanding and awareness through exhibitions, demonstrations, and sales. 

School & Community Programs at PF/PCA is dedicated to bringing high quality arts services to tens of thousands of participants at schools, nonprofit service agencies, and community organizations working with both children and adults in Allegheny, Beaver, Greene, and Washington counties through our partnership with the Arts in Education division of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.. Our programs are designed to place trained, knowledgeable, and practicing artists into school and community settings where they can share the benefits of the creative process.

Day 21 - Almost There!

It's the last week of camp and we are all very excited about it.  Our goal is to get ImaginationLand done by Wednesday, so the little campers (K-4th) can come visit on Thursday.  I held meetings with all of the different teams to discuss their progress.  The deadline was established.  One of my campers said, "I learned I can work hard and still have fun."  Sometimes the flurry toward the finish line is the most fun!

Looking good!

Okay, there was a little goofing off happening today, but it's the last week.  Can you blame them?

Day 17-20 - We Build!

The remainder of the week was dedicated to working on our projects for ImaginationLand.  The teams were really rockin'.  Check out their groovy ideas coming together.....

It doesn't get much cooler than painting on a black floor.

Adding tissue paper to our Upside-down tree.

Re-engineering his cardboard condo.  It has a four car garage even!

I cannot begin to express the precision this young man has demonstrated with his house.  :)

Okay, this might not be part of ImaginationLand, but he had so much fun making his robot head.  How could I say no?

The Styrofoam Empire has become a very complex and detailed project.

Love the shirt. Can't say he didn't warn me.

I finally "let go" and allowed them to splatter paint.  It was wild, but they loved it.  At one point, a young lady turned to me with pure joy on her face and said, "Miss Jessica!  I am having SO much fun!!"  The mess was worth it.

They decided to add vines to the tree.  Here is their day's accomplishment.

Only a few more days until ImaginationLand is a reality.

This project was made possible through the Arts in Education Partnership of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. The Arts in Education Partnership is administered in sw PA by Pittsburgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. Pittsburgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts (PF/PCA) is committed to the artist and the advancement of artistic excellence in visual arts – specifically film, video, photography, digital media, and fine and creative arts and crafts; the provision of equipment and facilities for artists; the conduct of instructional programs; and the stimulation of public understanding and awareness through exhibitions, demonstrations, and sales. 

School & Community Programs at PF/PCA is dedicated to bringing high quality arts services to tens of thousands of participants at schools, nonprofit service agencies, and community organizations working with both children and adults in Allegheny, Beaver, Greene, and Washington counties through our partnership with the Arts in Education division of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.. Our programs are designed to place trained, knowledgeable, and practicing artists into school and community settings where they can share the benefits of the creative process.

Day Sixteen - Self Portraits

What kid doesn't like to draw themselves?  Especially when it is a life-size version!

This project was made possible through the Arts in Education Partnership of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. The Arts in Education Partnership is administered in sw PA by Pittsburgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. Pittsburgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts (PF/PCA) is committed to the artist and the advancement of artistic excellence in visual arts – specifically film, video, photography, digital media, and fine and creative arts and crafts; the provision of equipment and facilities for artists; the conduct of instructional programs; and the stimulation of public understanding and awareness through exhibitions, demonstrations, and sales. 

School & Community Programs at PF/PCA is dedicated to bringing high quality arts services to tens of thousands of participants at schools, nonprofit service agencies, and community organizations working with both children and adults in Allegheny, Beaver, Greene, and Washington counties through our partnership with the Arts in Education division of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.. Our programs are designed to place trained, knowledgeable, and practicing artists into school and community settings where they can share the benefits of the creative process.

Day 14 & 15 - Team Building

Up until this point, we have been working on projects as a group.  Now it is time to break into smaller groups and start building ImaginationLand.  I took the campers into a separate room and discussed installation art.  They were shown a map of some general ideas for ImaginationLand and then asked to envision other things that could be added.  "A tunnel!"  "Upside-down stuff!"  "Little clay people!"  

The enthusiasm was very encouraging.  I had hoped that they would take the ball and run with it, and they did.  We headed back into the art room and they started sketching out their ideas.  One by one, they came up and presented their ideas.  They were then asked to provide me with a list of materials, the basic plan for the build, and a list of team members.  

Team leaders were established.  Planning, trouble-shooting, and compromising occurred.  They were taking ownership of the project.  It was a wonderful thing to observe.....

Day Thirteen - Squonk Opera is here!!!

I am a huge fan of re-purposing items, especially if it can be turned into something beautiful.  How about a garden of jewel toned flowers made from plastic bottles?

After cutting the bottle in half and making petals, a Sharpie marker is used to color the plastic.

Acrylic paint can also be used to color the petals.

 During the lunch period, we were honored to have Squonk Opera come perform for us!  Talk about a group of people who use their imagination!  We had a blast with them!  :D

Hmmmm......check out those groovy spinners on the back of their stage.  Might have to pay homage to them in our installation room.

This project was made possible through the Arts in Education Partnership of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. The Arts in Education Partnership is administered in sw PA by Pittsburgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. Pittsburgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts (PF/PCA) is committed to the artist and the advancement of artistic excellence in visual arts – specifically film, video, photography, digital media, and fine and creative arts and crafts; the provision of equipment and facilities for artists; the conduct of instructional programs; and the stimulation of public understanding and awareness through exhibitions, demonstrations, and sales. 

School & Community Programs at PF/PCA is dedicated to bringing high quality arts services to tens of thousands of participants at schools, nonprofit service agencies, and community organizations working with both children and adults in Allegheny, Beaver, Greene, and Washington counties through our partnership with the Arts in Education division of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.. Our programs are designed to place trained, knowledgeable, and practicing artists into school and community settings where they can share the benefits of the creative process.