Working with Rebecca Sailor, curator of education, at the Gibbes Summer Art Camp has been a unique experience that has allowed me to see many aspects and details that go into working with a prominent local art museum. As the Education Department intern, I’ve had the opportunity to work with different groups of children each week as they engage their creativity through various art mediums and styles.
It is particularly fun for me to be able to work with new groups of campers each week. I have spent a significant amount of time with children, from interning as a third-grade teaching assistant, to being a full time nanny each summer. Working with children in the early developmental stage can be challenging, but extremely rewarding. There is a great deal to learn from young children who are just beginning to exercise their imaginative minds, and helping out in the Gibbes Art Camp has certainly been an ideal spot for me. I enjoy watching the transition from aimless doodling at the beginning of the week to thoughtful projects towards the end of the session— especially in the 4 to 6 year-old age group. During each session, children learn to take their time and to follow instructions, as well as how to use different mediums, textures, and styles to convey their creative ideas.
I appreciate the way the Gibbes structures their sessions. Our first session taught printmaking, and was a neat way to understand how art can be reproduced many times over. The next session, focusing on modern art, has also been incredibly interesting as the children learned to paint portraits like Mary Whyte, or attempted marble splatter paintings like Jackson Pollack. I look forward to our last sessions, which will examine Charleston’s rich history and connection to the beautiful sea landscape.
I have thoroughly admired the guidance of our camp teacher, Kristen Solecki. She is not only a successful local artist, but also an experienced teacher who continually inspires the children to work to their best ability and seek meaning in their art. Her artistic talent and knowledge provide a great example for the children, and she helps them recognize that their artwork can be appreciated and admired.
My favorite part of working with the Gibbes Summer Art Camp is our weekly trip to tour the museum galleries. The campers spend each week learning about new artists, such as Jasper Johns and Jackson Pollock. They are enthusiastic about the chance to view works of art in the styles they’ve been emulating in the classroom. As an adult, I am inspired to see young children gaining an appreciation for art through outlets like the Gibbes Summer Art Camp. So many young people do not have the opportunity to gain insight into their local artists and exhibits, and the Gibbes has made that possible for these campers.
Although it is just three hours each morning, by the end of the week the children have incredible displays of all the artwork they have made. I love the way the children’s’ faces light up at the art show on Fridays when they proudly get to reveal to their parents the many projects they’ve worked on throughout the week.
—Caroline Hagood, Education Department summer intern and guest blogger
Published July 25, 2013