This summer, kids between the ages 6 to 12 can spend five days learning, playing and creating in Clay on Main’s ceramics studio. The camp runs from July 30 to August 3, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. “We have this great facility that we want to share with the community. A summer camp gives us a chance to spend some focused time with a group of young people and really explore through art. We love finding that perfect balance between being scholarly and having fun. The camp is about using all of our senses while we learn about history and other cultures, play, create, and get to know each other,” explains Liz Wheeler, Clay on Main’s Managing Director.
The camp will be led by Wheeler along with Ray Lapinski and Jasmine Kelly. Lapinski and Kelly are young artists who recently graduated from the Lehigh Valley Charter School for the Arts and have plenty of experience working at Clay on Main; Lapinski’s mother, Dolores Kirchsner, is Clay on Main’s founder, and Kelly has been a valued volunteer for the past two years. “My philosophy about art is such a great match for teaching a summer camp,” says Lapinski. “I’ve been formally training in visual art for the past four years, and my work combines that with a love for humor and a sense of fun. I love experimenting with different materials and methods, which I know kids love as well.”
While the camp’s focus is on art, other forms of communication and expression will also be explored; physical activity is sure to be part of each day, whether that means a nature walk or a dance lesson. Each of the first four days will focus on ancient times in a different part of the world: Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas. There will be a different visiting artist each day. Using techniques and materials from each culture, campers will create a ceramic vessel or sculpture; they’ll also explore other crafts, music, and food. The fifth day will be set aside for preparing for, and hosting, an informal reception for family and friends on Friday afternoon. While expressing themselves creatively and getting to know one another, campers will learn a bit of geography, history, chemistry, and geology.
Clay on Main is a non-profit artists’ cooperative, located at 313 Main St in the historic village of Oley. The studio offers art instruction and gallery space for local artists, as well as live music and more. Clay on Main houses a complete clay studio, a slumped and fused glass studio, a live performance venue, and a yoga room, in addition to the co-op and gallery. Clay on Main is open to the public on Sundays from 1-4; Tuesdays from 10-2, Wednesdays from 12:30-7:30, and Fridays and Saturdays from 10-2. Additional viewing of the gallery can be arranged by appointment.
