Last summer, a young girl named Julia came to a Young At Art Creativity (YAA) Painting Camp. She had a rough childhood and was forced to grow up and take on the responsibilities of an adult at a very young age. She showed up without having had breakfast, so her teacher made sure she got some fresh fruit and other snacks to eat. With food in her belly, she was able to create, and for the first time in her life, she was able to simply be a child. Throughout the week her work became more confident. She found her unique voice and used that to express how she viewed the world through art. Julia is just one of the students who has attended Young at Art Creativity Camps and been positively affected by the ability to express her feelings, emotions and dreams through creativity. Boys who started a photography class, only wanting to take selfies, finished the class with a portfolio of printed images of plants, of light and shadow that spoke to their unique vision of the world. In a pottery class, a young girl realized that sometimes over-thinking and overworking a project can lead to it falling apart instead of blossoming. A young boy, who was known for getting into trouble, once he was asked to assist the other students, became one of the most helpful students in the classroom.
Young writers need a place to express themselves and disappear into their own thoughts, painters need to be in a space where they can experiment and make mistakes in a safe and encouraging environment. Young performers need a place to step into the roles of other people so they can learn to empathize with other cultures, sexes and races. Young at Art Creativity Camps provide that space. This summer kids can look forward to 3-D Art, Playing Shakespeare, Photographing Light, Printmaking, Comedy, Art & Nature, Drawing, Writing & Illustration, Mad Science, Twisted Metal, Chimes & Flutes in Clay, Music of Movement, Improv, Piknik Theatre for Kids, Screen Printing and Myths, Legends and Fairytales. To find out more about this amazing summer opportunity for kids to create and to find their unique voice, visit www.SteamboatCreates.org and go to Depot Art Center tab and navigate to Young At Art Creativity Camps.
This spring, creativity will also be showcased in the Depot Art Center’s Gallery.
For the month of May, the 2nd annual AP Art Show will be exhibited in the Main and Platform Galleries celebrating the top talent from the Steamboat Springs High School. Last year students brought their creativity to life through drawing and photography. One student shared the sentiment of many when he said, “I can show a different side of myself through photography.”
This summer the opportunity for creative expression is abundant for Yampa Valley Youth. To find out more about all the creative happenings and goings on in the Yampa Valley for adults and kids, visit https://www.steamboatcreates.org, the complete resource for arts, culture and heritage events, classes and goings on in Steamboat.
*Some of the names in the story have been changed in order to protect the privacy of the individuals.