Joliet church offering fine arts camp
By Denise Baran-Unland For The Herald-News July 10, 2012 2:06PM
Building Blocks
What: A fine arts camp
When: 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 6-10
Where: First Presbyterian Church, 805 Western Ave., Joliet:
What: One hour each of music, art and drama with a concluding performance and art show on Aug. 10
Who: Children ages 3 through fifth grade
Cost: $40 per child; $35 for an additional child in the same family
Contact: Brochures and registration information is available online at www.firstpresjoliet.org or by calling the church at 815-727-9259.
Updated: August 12, 2012 6:01AM
JOLIET — Art projects. Singing and note reading. Enunciation, pronunciation and script writing.
Registration is now open for Building Blocks, the first fine arts camp at First Presbyterian Church.
Building Blocks will run the week of Aug. 6 and offer age-appropriate sessions in music, art and drama for children ages 3 through fifth grade. The camp will conclude Aug. 10 with a performance and art show.
“Many schools no longer have the budget for an arts program,” said Shaina Hoffman, director of the Choristers choir at First Presbyterian, “or kids don’t have the time for it because of other activities. We want to give children the experiences that might ignite the spark and help them find their passion for creativity and art.”
In today’s fitness-conscious culture, sports often eclipses art, but both are important to a child’s cognitive development, since each one works a different area of the brain. Even if a child doesn’t possess any obvious artistic abilities, spending creative time has other benefits.
“It helps make a child more well-rounded,” said Kristina Wilson, Cherub Choir director at the church.
In the choir aspect of the camp, preschool and kindergarten children will develop singing voices by learning simple melodies and tunes. They will also practice recognizing pitch and understanding simple rhythms.
First- and second-grade children will also learn simple note reading and comprehending the meaning behind the text. Third through fifth children will learn proper vocal technique, reading simple music notation and singing with expression.
“They’ll also learn how to sing as a group and how to match what your neighbor sounds like,” Hoffman said. “They’ll be doing that with songs appropriate for each age level.”
In art, children will explore their creativity through using different materials to express themselves in art projects, along with learning and talking about art. This not only develops their artistic abilities, it reinforces social skills, Wilson said.
The drama sessions will be a fun introduction to theater: improvisation, pantomime, script work and stage direction, as well as the learning of terms and techniques. This will include game playing to show the children how to use their bodies and voices to convey actions and feelings.
“We’re so technical these days that kids don’t often have a chance to take on a character and explore it,” Hoffman said.
