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By JUDY BACA
Times Herald Staff
EAST NORRITON - On the last day of winter, as the final snow melted from
rooftops, Jo Ann Cooksey Bono counted at least 25 youngsters already signed
up for the Greater Norristown Art League's summer art camp sessions.
The camp, designed for youngsters 6 through 14 years, runs for eight weeks,
June through August. Classes are held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through
Friday at the art league headquarters, 800 W. Germantown Pike, East Norriton,
and participants can sign up for one or more weeks. The cost is $100 per
week.
"This will be our eighth year," said Bono, who runs the camp with
Mary Lozinak.
""We figure 20 students per week would be ideal but last year we had 23
students a week for all eight weeks. Most children only come for one week
but a few signed on for more than one."
She explained that the same program is usually repeated each week but, when
students come for a second week, "We try to find new things for them to do
or different projects covering the same information."
Morning sessions, taught by Bono, are devoted to classes in drawing.
"I'll introduce some kind of drawing activity," Bono explained, "such as pen
and ink techniques, light and shadow, figure drawing or a scratchboard
project."
Following the drawing classes, there is a lunch break. Children are invited
to bring a lunch and store it in the league's refrigerator. Bono also noted
that the building is air conditioned.
This year,
Mary Lozinak
will take over in the afternoon to teach hands-on projects which will have
them up and moving around. She will have an assistant to help with the more
active sessions. In other years, Bono's daughter, Sara, now 21, has served
as assistant.
"She is a graphic design student at Kutztown," noted the mother, "so she had
a ball."
"This year," Bono continued, "we have a city theme and they will construct
three-dimensional buildings as a project. Everyone will design some type of
building to go into a community setting. They will construct it or de
coupage it in some way they choose to finalize it. They will also be making
cars and other equipment for a city.
"On Friday, the last day, we always have an art show for family and friends
with their works matted and hung. This year all the buildings will be put
together to make a city, then each student will get to take his or her piece
home."
Commenting on the popularity of the camp, Bono said, "They love it. We have
had 10 or 12 of each class as repeats from one year to the next. Schools
recommend the camp and we have had family units of siblings and cousins take
up whole classes. I think one reason they like it is it's not the whole day.
They can sleep later and go to the pool in the afternoon. And, they can pick
a week when the family is not on vacation.
"Parents tell us their children had so much fun they can't wait to come
back. There's not that much offered in the way of art for the summer in this
area."
As for herself, Bono concluded, "I truly enjoy doing the camp. It's been a
great experience for me. It's fun to see them come back and see how they've
grown. They are always nice kids and we have never had any discipline
problems. And, even though they are all ages thrown in together, the
information is presented in different ways and, by the end of the week, the
older ones are helping the younger ones so it ends up being one big
friendly group."
The instructor said awards are always given at the end of the week, with
each child receiving a certificate, so "everybody's a winner."
For more information on the Greater Norristown Art League summer camp, contact
Jo Ann Cooksey Bono. |
