OMFA draws 250 youth to 4-day art camp

Jun. 18—The Owensboro Museum of Fine Art beat the heat this week with its first round of its free art camps.

Children and teenagers from ages 6 to 15 spent Tuesday to Friday exploring a variety of media such as landscape, still life and interior themes that were inspired by the museum's "Artful Connections: Louisville/Owensboro" exhibition — which showcases cultural connections between both cities.

Mary Bryan Hood, OMFA director, said that the camps have been "...significant in terms of its longevity, its quality and its engagement of the community and region."

Each day of the camp was dedicated to a different media based on four different artists from the exhibition.

While the camp typically takes place outdoors, the museum moved its activities inside due to the record temperatures that exceeded the upper 90s in order to keep participants safe.

Jason Hayden, OMFA assistant director and development officer, said these are "... the only art camps in the region of this caliber that are offered free to the residents ...."

The location change did not discourage the kids by any means.

"It actually made it more fun for them because they weren't so exposed to the oppressive heat," Hayden said.

Hayden said that the camps were available last year but is glad to offer them without major concerns regarding the coronavirus pandemic, despite the camps normally being outside where restrictions were more at ease.

"It's wonderful to be able to get people (feeling) more comfortable coming to the museum," Hayden said. "The museum has been open much of the pandemic but with restrictions based on guidelines."

Hayden said the camps have been offered for free for the past 18 years thanks to the support of the Owensboro Grain Company.

Additionally, half of the seats for each class are reserved for registrants from local community service organizations.

In total, more than 250 children were registered for the first four days while Hood said that they usually have about 600 to 700 kids enrolled throughout the camps per year.

"We hit the gamut of people by giving opportunities to everybody," Hayden said. "The museum's slogan is 'free and open to all,' so our sponsors allow us to do that."

Nate Carmon, youth development professional with Cliff Hagan Boys & Girls Club, was in attendance at the camp for the first time and was able to see the value of the program by the children making friends and being able to express themselves.

"I'm loving it. This is great for the kids," he said. "I'm glad to see them out here and doing whatever they want to do. It's fun."

The classes are taught by local and regional artists and art educators such as Rebecca Stoen, who has been involved with the camps for about four to five years who works part-time at the museum, and has a full-time job helping with the graphic arts pathway program and media center at Hancock County High School.

"I just love seeing the kids work and use their hands and use their creative processes to create things that they probably don't normally have the opportunity to make," Stoen said.

The camps mean much more than what meets the eye, with Stoen bringing up how art involves critical thinking, fine motor movements and problem solving skills among other areas.

"I feel like without art, we kind of stay in our little boxes and don't really allow ourselves to do much," she said. "I think mentally and emotionally, too, that it's kind of therapeutic."

Hayden said that being able to educate the children about the arts is important.

"Art education helps with every other aspect of the educational process," Hayden said. "Creativity is essential for children to learn. It enhances their learning capabilities in every other area and it teaches them to — what we like to say — think around corners; come up with their own solutions to problems. They have to follow instructions but they also have an opportunity to express themselves personally. It touches on a lot of basic factors the children need to learn."

The museum's next camp, which is to take place July 5-8, will be inspired by the museum's fifth biennial exhibition of outdoor sculpture "Riverartes V," which is scheduled from July 30 to Oct. 23.

All camps feature a guided tour of the current museum exhibition, with morning sessions scheduled from 9-11 a.m. for ages 6 to 10 and afternoon classes taking place from 1-3 p.m. for ages 11 to 15.

For those interested in registering their children for future camps, contact the museum by calling 270-685-3181 or email the museum at info@omfa.us.

For more information, visit omfa.us or facebook.com/Owensboro-Museum-of-Fine-Art-129924404793.