Imagine teaching sculpture at a summer
camp to a room of 15 high-schoolers who are willing to do whatever-,
try whatever you ask of them. 'Here, use this power drill. Here,
try this jigsaw. Here's how you use a utility knife without cutting
yourself.' The students are engaged, excellent problem solvers, from
all walks of life, all over Michigan and from states beyond. You
have the supplies you need and a director who will get the supplies
you need. Then, imagine you have an orchestra of world-class
musicians playing live, just outside your classroom window. (On the
days those folks aren't serenading you, middle-and high school
musicians are serenading you – and I mean GOOD middle and high
school musicians. The kind you would never guess were only in
middle- or high school. Kids are KILLING it when they play John
Philip Sousa marches. It's all you can do to not just march right
out the door!)
The summer camp where this all happens,
is Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
I took my son to this camp as an
euphonium camper for 7 straight years. He got a nice scholarship,
because he plays euphonium – an instrument near and dear to the
hearts of the folks who started the camp. Every year, he was so
excited to get back to Blue Lake and reunite with old friends. This
year, I went to Blue Lake, as one of the sculpture instructors.
So.... I wasn't a camper, but I had the privilege of experiencing the
magic of Blue Lake, anyway.
I ran every morning at 6 a.m., which
was a treat because no one else was up. (I did, however, get to see
a porcupine, a skunk and several deer out rustling around in the
morning woods.) I got my head in the right place for the day, then
headed to the classroom for the day by 7:50a.m, passing by a gazebo
full of jazz players warming up for the morning. Often, my students
were already waiting outside, ready to go, for their 8 a.m. class.
Girls who'd never touched a power tool
were quickly and gently converted into power tool users. Kids who'd
never used hand tools became experts at using utility knives.
Students who thought they 'couldn't draw' were introduced to the
magic of sumi brush drawing and taught to connect their drawing with
their sculpture. In 10 days. I told my students, “If you never
study art in college or make it as an adult, you're going to have to
fix stuff and knowing how to use these tools will help you.”
Following are photos of the Tesselation
Project, the Figure Sculpture and the Mobile Project. All are made
almost entirely of repurposed materials.