Arts Camp 2023
by Carla Flores, Kids Ministry Director
Arts Camp 2023 was so much fun this year! It couldn’t have happened without the help of so many great volunteers, all our friends at Christ Community Downtown Campus, our super helpful staff, and Mikya Wright, our new apprentice. Each person played a key role in the success of another year’s arts camp. Thank you to each and every one of you! Here is a quick rundown of my highlights day by day:
Day 1: Our first day of Arts Camp was chaotic and crazy but so much fun! Over 70 kids walked through our doors bright and early, had breakfast with their new friends, and settled into their first day of classes. Since it was Juneteenth, our friends at The Hope Center stopped by and taught our students about the meaning and history behind this special day. Many of our students had prior knowledge about Juneteenth but for many it was a first time learning experience. Thank you Hope Center for stopping by and sharing with us! For lunch, Leah and Zach Boal, donated over 20 pizzas for us to enjoy on our first day. They were a tasty way to kick off a great, fun week. Thank you both for the delicious lunch!
Day 2: Our second day at Arts Camp was more settled as the kids knew the routine and schedule for the day. Mikya was doing a great job of leading the volunteers and ensuring all our students were having fun but also staying safe. The Mission Adelante building was booming with noise from our music classes, fragrant smells from our candle making and cooking class, and sticky messes from arts and crafts class making pinatas! Brad Gregory, a long time friend and volunteer, joined us to teach the students about jazz and woodwind instruments. The crowd of over 70 students and 30 volunteers cheered him on as he played a wide range of instruments. Thank you Brad for an amazing lesson filled with fun and great music!
Day 3: Our third day of Arts Camp was crazier as we received 80 students, our biggest group of the week! The students began to wrap up their classes and begin preparing for their presentations. Caroline Meek and Rachel Warren stopped by and taught our students all about clay art. They currently work at Epic Arts Clay Studio and brought along many beuatiful pieces of clay art to share with the kids. It was an amazing time filled with learning and sharing all about clay! Thank you to both of you for dedicating your time to teaching the kids and inspiring them to continue on their artistic journeys.
Day 4: Before we knew it a week had gone by and it was the last day of Arts Camp! The students arrived excited but nervous to present in front of all the campers and share all they had learned. They headed off to prepare for their big presentations and in the mean time I began grilling over 200 hotdogs for our potluck. While the students presented, I headed off to secretly welcome KC Wolf and prepare him for his big surprise entrance! The kids were so excited to see him as they ate lunch outside and enjoyed a big celebration after a long week of fun and learning.
Overall, Arts Camp 2023 was an amazing experience for volunteers and campers alike! It couldn’t have been so great without the help of wonderful volunteers and donors. A special thanks to Mikya for her budding leadership which I had the pleasure of witnessing this past week and the amazing ways she loved and cared for each one of the campers. I can’t wait until next year’s camp!
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