"The Magical Mango Tree"

Last week, the 7 to 11-year-old Clay & Multi-Media camp created their own screenplay and a feature film (only about 4 minutes long though). Their movie was shot on Thursday and premiered on Friday. I am so impressed with the children's unlimited imagination and motivation behind the making of this beautiful film, "The Magical Mango Tree."

Because one of my goals as an art teacher at Lillstreet is to help the children engage in community outreach, I invited a friend and filmmaker, who studies film at Columbia College Chicago, to bring a video camera, some lighting equiptment, and film knowledge to the kids. He enthusiastically agreed, and helped the children make their screenplay a movie! It was a huge success - about 40 people attended the premiere (thanks to all of you who were able to support our budding filmmakers' and actors' careers!).

If you're interested, please visit this site http://actionart.ning.com/ to see a new Community of Practice (CoP, or on-line discussion forum) I've developed to engage people in dialogue about children's art-making practices as a form of taking action in their communities. I was actually asked to create a CoP for an Erikson Institute school assignment, but I hope the discussions will continue to grow and advance well beyond the course semester. On this site, you'll see some new discussion forums, a few photos, and the children's screenplay for "The Magical Mango Tree."

Don't forget to check out our new Flickr site http://www.flickr.com/photos/40063406@N07/

(lots of "Production Stills" have recently been posted!)

Quinn

Camp is in full swing!

Hi!  So far, the kids here at camp are creating beautiful works of art...and this is just the beginning of summer!  Please see the new Kidstreet sign below, designed and painted by the children in Lauren's class...it is truly an amazing piece of collaborative art.  (And personally, I think this should be printed on the next batch of Kidstreet t-shirts)

I just finished teaching an unbelievably spectacular week of camp.  The children in the AM Red Room studio worked so hard on all kinds of projects.  Two of the most inspiring seemed to be our Matisse collage study, and the anti-smoking extravaganza.  The Matisse study turned into a full-blown performance with paper puppets, performed for over 35 people (the children made and distributed tickets to the other camp classes).  I might be able to show the video footage we captured during tomorrow's Open House (12-5pm at Lillstreet!).  

The anti-smoking project was motivated by the children's dissatisfaction with people smoking near them at lunch-time on Wednesday afternoon.  The entire group picked up their lunches and moved away from the smoke in the air, and just a moment later an anti-smoking club was formed.  Please feel free to view the activist art work made by the children in response to their disapproval, just beside Lillstreet Art Center's front steps.   

Enjoy the images documenting these fantastic child-prompted, elaborate, fun, and inspiring art projects!

The Anti-Smoking Club:

The Matisse study and preparation for "Icarus in the Sea":

Camp has begun!!!

Happy summer everyone!  We are all very excited about such a wonderful start to a new camp session!  

Below are just a few images I took during wheel throwing and clay & multi-media. 

Teachers and students alike have been very focused on their art-making practices, and so far it looks like no one has forgotten to have FUN!

...Please check our blog periodically throughout the summer for more images of the artwork and your children working hard as budding talented artists...

Also, please don't forget to come out to our SUMMER OPEN HOUSE this Saturday from 12-5pm!!!  

For more info, see www.lillstreet.com 

Quinn

Our New Reading Area

The new reading area in the Yellow Room kids studio is really coming along!  Check out our progress below....

Before:

During:

After, and still in progress!

One of my favorite features of the newly painted wall are the black spots...we used CHALKBOARD PAINT!

Quinn

Camp has begun!!!

Happy summer everyone!  We are all very excited about such a wonderful start to a new camp session!  

Below are just a few images I took during wheel throwing and clay & multi-media. 

Teachers and students alike have been very focused on their art-making practices, and so far it looks like no one has forgotten to have FUN!

...Please check our blog periodically throughout the summer for more images of the artwork and your children working hard as budding talented artists...

Also, please don't forget to come out to our SUMMER OPEN HOUSE this Saturday from 12-5pm!!!  

For more info, see www.lillstreet.com 

Quinn

A New Reading Area is Under Way!

Hi all!  We're in the process of creating a reading area in the Yellow Room children's studio. (Please see a previous blog post for more info about the use of this space!)  I hope everyone can enjoy stories together, like Pierce, his mother, and baby-on-the-way in the photo above!

I am beginning to sort through the book collection that already exists, while adding appropriate books as I collect them.  If you have any new or used books you'd like to donate to our reading corner, whether they're specifically about art or not, please feel free to drop one off at the Lillstreet front desk for Melanie or Quinn.

We also plan to paint the wall soon, where the gold curtain is hanging now, just to make the area even more inviting and relaxing.

Thanks for reading!

Quinn

Hurry! Camps are Filling Fast!

Hi everyone!  

I just wanted to pass on a quick reminder - Don't forget to sign your children up for Kidstreet summer camp classes before they all fill!  Those of you who have been involved in camps in the past know that it is such a fun and inspiring way for your children to spend the day - making art, connecting and communicating with other children and teachers, walking to the park for a lunch break, and so much more!  And those of you who have never been involved in summer camp should at least try it!  I think you and your kids will be very pleased.  I can't help but remember my first experience as a teacher at Lillstreet.  I began working this time last summer, and after a week of camp, I was hooked, and I'm sure your kids will be too!

If you want to see a complete list of camps offered, and the schedule of classes, please visit: 

http://www.lillstreet.com/kids

Summer camp begins June 8th, and I hope to see all of you then!

-Quinn