"You bring the kids. We'll bring the fun (AND the learning)! " That's how the Jacoby Arts Center describes its new summer art initiative. With many of the visual arts programs cut back or eliminated in schools in the Riverbend region, Jacoby hopes to help fill the gap with a new program of week-long Art Camps for children ages 6-12. Art Camp sessions will meet Monday through Friday from 9 am to 3:30 pm.
"We are hoping that our Art Camp program will make parents in the area more aware of the unique enrichment opportunities that Jacoby has to offer children," says Dee Kilgo, JAC board member and retired Assistant Dean of Fine Arts at Illinois State University.
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Jacoby will offer four consecutive week-long Art Camp sessions, each organized on a different theme. The first session, with the theme "Animal Planet Adventures," begins on June 15. In each session, campers will explore a wide variety of art techniques and topics, including painting, ceramics, sculpture, collage, drawing and famous art and artists. .
"Younger children especially can benefit enormously from activities of this kind," Kilgo says. "Many parents think of art classes for kids more as a kind of entertainment than as a valuable learning experience. In recent years, studies have shown that hands-on art activities develop problem-solving and creative thinking skills that can significantly improve a child's performance in other academic areas."
Art Camps runs from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm. Before and after-care may be available depending on demand. Sessions will be limited to 25 campers, divided into two age groups. Teams of four teachers will direct each session. Tuition for a one-week session is $195 for Jacoby Art Center members (Family Membership) and $215 for non-members. A $10 discount will apply for families having more than one child enrolled in the same session.
Campers will provide their own sack lunch and beverages. A registration fee of $50 is required to reserve a place in a selected session ($25 of the registration fee is refundable if cancellation occurs before June 1).
To register or for more information, go to Jacobyartscenter.org or call JAC at 618-462-5222 between 12:00 and 4:00 pm, Wednesday through Saturday. Jacoby Arts Center is located at 627 East Broadway in Alton, Illinois.
