Young artists think outside the box at GVA summer camp

Green giraffes danced, fat birds skipped and happy cats flew. They did so against backdrops of forests, mountains and cities.

During Glynn Visual Arts summer camp this week, young artists have allowed their imaginations to run wild, putting crayon, pencil and paint to paper to create whatever fantasies they could dream up.

Catherine Durrett, the camp’s instructor, has urged her campers to break boundaries and expand their creative minds to make art unlike anything they’ve seen before.

“The goal is to have fun,” Durrett said Wednesday. “… I’m going to sneak in some lessons, but the whole thing is just about having fun more than anything else, and maybe trying some new things that you didn’t get a chance to anywhere else.”

GVA’s normally robust summer arts programming schedule has had to be limited this year due to the pandemic. The “Flights of Fancy” camp this week, open to children ages 7 and older, had to be pushed back to July, and numerous safety measures have been put in place to prevent spread of COVID-19.

The five campers were seated at separate tables spaced apart. They each wore masks as well, and they did not share art supplies.

But these new procedures did not affect their ability to get creative. Each morning, Durrett led the campers through an activity intended to open their minds before delving into the planned art projects.

Each camper chose six words from a bowl, which they used to draw their first pictures of the day.

“‘A tall yellow happy cat that’s flying over the city,’” Durrett read over one student’s shoulder. “That’s not something that would normally occur to me.”

The camp pushed students to think outside of the box. They learned about art concepts like the color wheel, perspective and textures, but mainly they tapped into their own artistic eye and let their imaginations take the lead.

“We all tend to fall into preconceived notions of what an image looks like, so this is to think of things in a different way,” Durrett said.

GVA’s art displays are open as well, with new rules in place to protect members and visitors. The BIG Photo Show will be on exhibit through July 31, and an upcoming exhibit titled “Anything Goes” will run from Aug. 6 through Sept. 4.

“We’ll still be doing the same protocols that we have done for the children’s camp. No more than eight people would be allowed in the gallery at one time,” said Terri Evans, incoming GVA executive director.

All guests and staff members are expected to wear masks, she said.