2012 Summer Arts Camps at The Big Top

Arts & Entertainment, Education

May 29th, 2012

2012 Summer Arts Camps
Enrollment opening Wednesday May 24
KIDS SUMMER ARTS CAMP

Fun interactive summer camps featuring Sculpture, African Drum & Dance, Puppetry, Recycled Arts and Performance in Music. Spots are limited, enroll your child today!

3 Ring Circus Arts Education Center is pleased to announce the 6th annual Summer Arts Camp program at their home base, The Big Top, at 1638 Clio Street in Central City. This unique series of 5-day a week camps provides young ones a hands-on opportunity to learn, express and explore their artistic capabilities. This year we are offering daytime education for Sculpting, African Drum & Dance, Puppetry, Recycled Arts and 2 camps all about Performance & Music.


Each Summer Art Camp has been developed and will be taught by professional artists who are experienced Art Educators. Due to the success of the 2011 camp series, we have expanded the camps to run Monday through Friday (5 days) from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm, with a performance and/or exhibit for the parents on the last day. Enrollment is limited to 20 students per camp and students should bring a sack lunch. The cost for each camp is $120 for 3 Ring Circus members; $150 for non-members and includes water, art supplies and instrument rental. Thirty minutes before and after are included in the price, so you can drop your kids off at 8:30 and pick them up at 3:30. Become a member.

After-care is also available from 3:30 to 6:00 for an additional cost of $15/day or $65/week. To enroll your child, please contact Nicole at 504 569-2700 / 949) 572 7871 or via email at bigtop3ring@gmail.com / nicolebz@me.com. For more information, please visit www.3rcp.com or stop by The Big Top, Thursday, Friday or Saturday between 2pm – 6pm.

The summer arts camps at 3 Ring Circus is supported in part by a grant by The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation. Other support comes through a grant from the Marcella Brenner Revocable Trust, the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council. (The grant is administered through the Arts Council of New Orleans.)

The mission of 3 Ring Circus Arts Education Center, a non-profit, 501©3 organization, is to provide arts education and community development through the arts. Visual arts, film, theater, music, and other forms of creativity are featured at the Education Center’s home base, The Big Top. 3 Ring Circus strives to inspire interest and creative thinking within its community by spotlighting the amazing talents of New Orleans artists. By producing collaborative productions, offering art workshops for children and adults, providing a venue for theatrical and musical performances, and presenting independent films, 3 Ring Circus Arts Education Center builds a community through “ART-mosphere”.


SUMMER ARTS CAMP SCHEDULE

(Week 1) July 9 – 13 9am – 3pm PLASTESINE CLAY Campages 9-12

Over the course of the week, campers will play with the fundamentals of polymer clay. Students will learn the techniques of making 3-dimensional art and how to manipulate the shape of the clay with their hands to create different forms of jewelry such as earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. Students will be given instruction and supervision on how to use basic shaping tools and the technique of baking in a polymer clay oven. Some of the tools that will be utilized include a pasta machine, transfer paper, rolling pins, stamping tools etc. Students will be able to take all of their creations home at the end of the week. Following the conclusion of the course, the students will have a solid foundation in polymer clay and will have no trouble using their imagination to create future designs.

About the teacher:Darrin Butler’s professional artist experience stretches beyond the millennium. His expertise spans most artistic disciplines, however his specialized woodworking and sculpting abilities allow him to hone his artistic endeavors around wood, glass, metal and canvas manipulations. He has received numerous awards for his works, including a Most Unique Work award from the Jazz & Heritage Festival. He has exhibited and at more galleries than can be counted, as well as a plethora of commissioned projects, including the Super Bowl XXXVI. Each one of Darrin Butler’s pieces tells a story, and all of his stories are influenced by his New Orleans heritage; he strives for the diversity of his hometown to be reflected in his work. ( he explains, “New Orleans is my home – from the brass bands and music that fills our streets, to the smiles of people in the street. There is diversity that lives here that doesn’t live in many other places. I strive for all of these things to be reflected in my work, and to continually) bring my art to higher levels.” Darrin is also a dedicated educator. He has worked for Young Audiences for two years as an art teacher at Clancy Elementary for the after school program, teaching pre-K through 5th grade students classes such as polymer clay and illustration. For additional information on Darrin Butler, please visit www.colorsinwood.com

(Week 2) July 16 – 20 9am – 3pm Dr. Razzamataz’s Phenomenal PUPPETRY campAges 9 – 12

This 5-day puppetry camp will give the students the opportunity to create their own puppets, sets, signs, and props. They will learn the basics of story development and will write their own scripts. In addition they will explore the use of thematic music, special effects, and improvisation. On the final day of the camp the students will present a performance of their puppet shows to their parents and peers.

About the teacher:Ryan Ballard (AKA Dr. Razzamataz) is a professional artist and an experienced educator. His sculptural installations and public art projects have received critical acclaim. His work can be found in galleries, museums, and private collections throughout the world. Ryan has several years of experience teaching art to both children and adults, organizing parades, working on public art projects, and putting on public experimental theater productions. His educational background includes a BFA in Studio Art, an MA in Education, and an MFA in Sculpture. Learn more about Ryan Ballard at www.ryan-ballard.com.

(Week 3) July 23 – 27 9am – 3pm TRASHFORMATIONS Recycled Art Ages 8 – 12

“Trash“formation Art Week – a week of creative art-making from recycled objects. Become an Eco Artist and learn to make fun and functional art and designs from recycled objects. Projects include papermaking, sculpture, jewelry design and “trashion” (fashion created from old t-shirts and other objects from the global trash heap ). Join the green creative machine and save the planet with Art!

About the teacher:Heather Macfarlane and business partner recycling artist Mark Kirk are pleased to work with the Big Top, again, for 2012 Summer Camps. Their business started in New Orleans in the fall of 1999. Their business, UP, is an environmentally friendly retail gallery providing green themed home decor, accessories and lighting to a new and ever renewing New Orleans and beyond. Heather is committed to eco education and helping bring sustainable ideas and designs to a city in the throws of rebirth since the environmental devastation of Hurricane Katrina, as well as helping her community create a more socially responsible environment to live and work in. Her art education résumé includes programs at Country Day, Contemporary Arts Center, 3 Ring Circus Arts Education Center and more. More information and media is available at Heather’s website: www.shopgreenneworleans.com.

(Week 4) July 30 – August 3 9am – 3pmROCK and ROLL SPACE CAMPAges 9-14


(Week 5) August 6 – 10 9am – 3pm ROCK and ROLL SPACE CAMPAges 5-9

Calling all space cadets! Mad scientist, Gwen Demon, is hosting a week-long workshop for students, 9-14, who want to be rock stars. Create an alien or monster alter ego, write your own song, invent an instrument, and perform in a music video with a backing band. We will travel deep into space to improve our storytelling, songwriting, and music skills. What planet are you from?

About the teacher:Miss Gwen Demon Knapp is a guitarist, singer and songwriter for The Green Demons. She has performed at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Tipitina’s, The Big Top and many awesome venues. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of North Carolina Wilmington and teaches literacy skills through music, drama, and visual arts in New Orleans public schools. She writes for St. Charles Avenue Magazine, New Orleans Magazine and other fine publications, and she rocks some mad origami and craft skills you might have seen in the kids’ area at Jazz Fest.

(Week 6) August 13 – 17 9am – 3pm African DRUM and DANCEAges 5-14

For 5-days, enjoy instruction in traditional West African drum and dance rhythms. Students will play several types of hand-made drums, including djembes and djun-djuns, and percussion instruments such as the balon and shekore. They will explore sound, art and hands-on construction of each instrument, sing melodies in the West African languages of Mandinko, Senoufo and Bahoule, and learn about cultural traditions which are illustrated by the music, dance and song.

About the instructor:Seguenon Kone is a master musician, choreographer and dancer from the Ivory Coast. Since arriving in the U.S. in 1998, he has conducted workshops in the traditional West African arts of drumming, dance, masking and fire-eating. Now a New Orleans resident, he is the founding member of two local music groups, Ensemble Fatien (a blend of New Orleans jazz and African rhythms) and I’voire Spectacle (a traditional drum and dance troupe). Seguenon also serves as an instructor in the Young Audiences program. Learn more about Seguenon Kone at www.seguenon.com.