Session III Art Shows!

Summer Spree Session III has been simply swimming with great art and greater kids! As I made my way around to the art shows this Friday, I saw some awesome work. My first stop was with the Orange Group, where they were finishing up some final preparations before parents walked into their Bridge Room "Gallery."

Members of the Orange Group decorating their take-home bags which will hold their fabulous artwork, shown below!

Ice Cream Cones were a feature for a few groups in the ceramics studio this session. Don't they look just tooth-chipping yummy? 

Decorated seashell molds and drip-painted recycled containers brightened up by splatter-painted table covers beneath.

Sampling of the afternoon Orange Group's coin-cans and ceramics creations.

Awesome boats made from old miniature building blocks and recycled wood. So cool!

The Green Group was not in their room when I went to see them, but I did get to glimpse some of the work they had out for their show. Looks like they've been pretty busy as well!

Shields inspired by medieval times, and check out that detailed map they've hung in the background!

We All Scream for Ice Cream!

Jen always makes sure her Red Group's art is displayed so that the kids can easily find all their work, with their tie-dyed masterpieces as tablecloths for their collections.

Red Group Art Show in full swing: Three Generations of CAC-lovers in some cases!

Found the Yellow Group putting finishing touches on their Ceramics pieces in the kid's pottery studio, then went up to their classroom to find some great work on very fitting Yellow tablecloths!

Nametags, artwork, prints, and some inspirational examples cover the tables and walls in the Yellow Group's room

Check out those great big underwater water colors! How pretty!

The Purple Group had a very interesting display set up in their room! In addition to the camper's artwork posted all over the walls, there was a section by the window where they hung 3D artwork and recreations of underwater creatures and wildlife!

Just putting some final touches to his ceramics display...looks great and love the multimedia artwork on the walls!

I got to see these awesome paintings in the production process. Campers used paint and various techniques of splattering and blowing the paint around to create new shapes and images before using their black pens and a little imagination to turn them into undersea creatures they learned about this session.

Touching up the fun 3D display!

The Turquoise Group also had a very cool 3D pond/waterfall display in their room, when I went to visit. They also set up extra vertical space so they could display all of their outstanding work...

I'm seeing a river, waterfall, and pond! Almost hard to believe this is all indoors! 

Awesome work, Turquoise Group!

My last, but certainly not least, stop was into the gallery, where Pauline was making her usual magic that shines from her whenever she's with a group of kids. Her group was just getting into their musical performance, with the boys of the group keeping the beat in the middle of the circle, while she and the girls sang and danced along with handmade instruments and accessories. Impossible not to smile when you see kids having such a good time and learning so much at camp!

Aerial view of the performance from the gallery's balcony

Parents look on, listening and clapping along to their kids' melodies

Parents and grandparents joined in the finale before the procession led back to the Art Show in their classroom.

Session 1: Afternoon Adv-endings

The end of the first session of Afternoon Adventures concluded with some outstanding art shows, but first parents got to come watch their kids perform the songs they had been singing with Pauline. Campers all made a circle in the ballroom and played percussion instruments along with the vocal stylings of Pauline and their peers.

Campers use shakers, tambourines, drums, and more to accompany their rendition of Bitty Bitty Bum

3 outgoing campers proudly sing the new verse of Bitty Bitty Bum that Summer Spree added to Pauline's travelling song

Singing another song about wheat growing to make bread with an old grandmother. Campers planted their seeds...

and they grew so tall!

My iPhone video did not come through as I had hoped, and the pictures almost come close to doing it justice, but the campers sounded great and had an awesome time with this musical special! Hope the parents enjoyed it as much as the kids seemed to!

Now for some Art Shows!

The Yellow and Orange groups worked very hard during their time in the afternoon! Jane, in her Grow With The Flow tie-dye shirt, was excited to show me her book full of art, the Yellow Group's special project for the session.

The cover, made of cardboard covered in fabric, buttons, glitter, etc...

they also did a needlepoint page, 

and a comic strip...with more blank pages to fill in when the inspiration hits.

the rest of the Yellow Group's books, and their fish which they made in ceramics.

 The Orange group was occupied when i went to see their artwork, but here it is on display, below.

Mosaic fish made by pushing glass beads into sand molded into a fish shape, then pouring plaster over top and letting sit overnight.

boats made of recycled wood pieces, paint, beads, shells, corks, foam pieces, and more!

ceramics projects, hand prints, and more! the Orange Group was very busy during Session 1!

Session 1: Musical Afternoon

As I left the Yellow Group and walked toward my laptop to write this post, I heard lots of little signing voices coming from the ballroom. Investigating, I made my way in to find the Sarah's and their Orange group in the middle of Music and Songwriting, having a blast.

Pauline, our outstanding music teacher/story teller this session, engaged all of the kids in the cultural stories that went along with songs about pulling wheat from the group and making it into bread. They quickly picked up hand motions, clapping, and lyrics that accompanied a story about a grandmother and her grandchildren baking together. Another song they learned was written with the help of the Spanish language and Puerto Rican students from Philadelphia Schools Pauline has visited. The Orange Group learned the melody and positive message of peace while welcoming others into their metaphorical home and clapping along to these catchy melodies.

Boys of the Orange Group pull wheat to make bread.

The boys stand up to sing "Come and to my house and sit at my table, Come into my house I'll make you a feast." to the girls of their group. 

Pauline relayed messages of peace, love, and friendship with the different songs, adding different words, hand motions and finally instruments each time they sang the songs together. Young children have been known to get easily antsy, but in Pauline's music special, they are sad to leave the ballroom.