TRAVERSE CITY -- After four weeks of summer vacation parents are starting to deal with those "I'm bored" exclamations, but art instructor Merrily Bauer has some alternatives to beat the summer doldrums.
Bauer's weeklong art camps have helped children make the most of their summer vacations for the past 15 years. This year she will offer two sessions from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 28 through Aug. 1 and again Aug. 4 through Aug. 8 at Just Imagine Creative Center, 225 W. 14th St. in Traverse City.
Bauer's camps focus on watercolor, collage, inks and pastels combined with creative movements like yoga and Tai Chi. Sessions are geared for boys and girls ages 7 to 14.
Bauer loves the large chunk of time the camps allot for her to be able to share lunch, fellowship and the art process with her students. "I emphasize process," Bauer said. "The end results are fabulous."
Besides the finished work, Bauer's students come away with tools for better communication.
"It's a very empowering thing to be able to express ourselves, even as adults. In art, kids are able to express their thoughts in light and color and symbols, and they're brilliant," Bauer said. "It gets the wheels turning, and it's leadership empowerment. I employ that in my work as well. That's an area I love -- to build their self-esteem. This isn't fluff, it's good stuff and gets them navigating."
The camps provide a fine art experience. Students receive instruction in painting and drawing. Each day starts with a demonstration on tools and media, then students are encouraged to apply them to their own interests.
"They're not supposed to do exactly what I do," Bauer said. "They're supposed to dig deep and figure out what brings them great joy and what they want to see on their walls."
Bauer and her assistants Sara Beyers and Mary Hoeke provide a sanctuary with soothing music and an atmosphere of peace. She says children with attention deficit disorder often enjoy the class provided they want to be there in the first place, and many home-schooled students also enjoy the art curriculum.
"We make it fun, and it's challenging," Bauer said. "My classes usually are kind of quiet, although the students are encouraged to visit with one another. Usually they're figuring out 'what brings me joy?'"
Bauer says the camps provide children with a nice break from summer.
"I always say, 'You'll do the best art of your life this week,' and at the end when I ask if everyone accomplished that, everybody across the board says yes," she said. "I'm thrilled about that. That's the goal."
Bauer's camps accommodate 30 children per session. Cost is $90. Register before July 15 by calling 938-5869.
Crooked Tree camps
The Crooked Tree Art Center in Petoskey has been offering children's art camps for the past three years. Sessions for different age groups now run weekly at the center, 461 E. Mitchell St., and, according to Gail DeMeyere, educational director of visual arts, the increase is to accommodate a growing demand.
"The camps include ceramics, T-shirt printmaking, story boxes and we even offer a gallery opening at the end of the week featuring the children's work," DeMeyere said.
The program, led by art teachers Maggie Van Wagoner and Lori Bolt, attracts students from Charlevoix, Harbor Springs and beyond.
"The camps include local children as well as kids visiting grandparents for a week or so, and they definitely are a summer option for home-schooled students," DeMeyere said.
The camps are for children entering kindergarten through ninth grade. Costs range from $70 for members and $90 for non-members for younger children to $150 to $170 for older students. Call 347-4337 or visit www.crookedtree.org.
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