No work, all play

Bits of blue string rained on a dancing Ana Leigh, 7, to the beat of a hand-made maraca Monday at the Carrboro ArtsCenter.

Ana was a blooming flower being watered by a fellow performer. They were dancing for friends and fellow students in an art show all about the five senses.

She said she was a flower “because our senses smell it.”

Ana was one of many 6- to 11-year-olds who attended an all-day arts mini-camp during Monday’s teacher workday.

The ArtsCenter offers mini-camps during all Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools teacher workdays. The children learned different forms of visual and performing arts.

They began the day with a walking art tour to engage their five senses. The rest of the day was dedicated to creating art about the senses.

Activities included making and playing instruments, writing poems and folk tales and dancing. Ceramics classes were offered as an alternative activity as well.

The program is an outgrowth from the Afterschool Arts Immersion program the ArtsCenter offers every school day from 2:45 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Both programs recruit teaching artists from the community to work with the children for a short period of time. They also have permanent ceramics teachers.

Kim Arrington, a singer/songwriter who has worked with the children at the ArtsCenter in the past, participated Monday.

She has been a teaching artist in the Triangle area for four years and usually works with children in middle school and high school.

“I love working with the kids,” Arrington said. “They’re open to doing almost anything. They aren’t ‘cool’ yet.”

James Ward, a permanent ceramics teacher, shared Arrington’s enthusiasm for teaching the children.

“I love the quiet stillness that comes over a really boisterous group once they get their hands in the clay,” Ward said. “I’m grateful I can share through teaching what has been such a source of satisfaction for me.”

ArtsCenter children’s on-site manager Shirlette Ammons said the children had high energy all day long.

This can provide an interesting challenge for teaching artists.

“There are professional artists,” Ammons said. “And there are professional artists who can work with children.”


Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.