June 13, 2013
The Coleman Center for the Arts (CCA) is pleased to present the works of “Camp POP!,” a one week all day camp for area youth ages 8-18. The work of summer camp students will be on display in the CCA gallery from June 13 to August 8, 2014. An opening celebration will take place on Friday, June 13 from 6 to 7 PM. The event is free and open to the public and all are welcome to attend!
In Camp POP! students learned about Pop Art, pop culture, pop music, popcorn, or various pop-up phenomena including storefront projects, events, performances, street-level art and art interventions, as they worked with various instructors in dance, singing, poetry, visual art, and pop up projects.
Working with Alabama artist, Darius Hill, students learned about the art historical movement, Pop Art. Responding to artists such as Roy Lichtenstein and Robert Rauschenberg students created and drew their own super hero figures and made mixed media collages.
Dancer and teacher Terry Hayes worked with students to develop hip-hop dance routines to pop favorites. The self named “York Express” team of older students performed to “Suit and Tie,” by Justin Timberlake and Jay Z while the younger “Cool Kids” cheerfully performed with Pharell Williams “Get Happy.” Musician and Educator Kanita Sturdivant also celebrated pop music with students in renditions of Katy Perry’s “Roar,” and “I am Wrong” by Envy.
York native and CCA alum Gary James inducted students into the “Make it Pop” poetry group. By learning about the elements of poetry and working as group at creative writing, students “made it pop.” Their works utilized figurative language and metaphor to express personal feelings and stories about the students’ lives.
CCA Curator of Education, Boo Gilder, and Co-Director, Shana Berger taught students about the history and landscape of pop up projects. Riffing on the original pop-up phenomenon, the lemonade stand, the “Cool Kids” developed their own home made lemonade drinks, Strawberry Fun and Happy Kids Watermelon Lemonade. York Express offered “Jetravier’s Chocolate Sweet Pop” and “Peanut Butter Honey Goodness” in their popcorn stand. All students worked as groups to design and execute their stands, including developing products, designing posters, preparing the food and planning distribution to the public at the event opening.
Camp POP! celebrated the many talents of area youth, as they bravely pursued creative expression in myriad forms. A good time was had by all.
Camp POP! was made possible by funding from the Alabama State Council on the Arts, the Arts License Tag Committee, the Black Belt Community Foundation, the University of West Alabama, Americorps VISTA and the generous contributions of our individual sponsors. For more information please contact the Coleman Center for the Arts at 205-392-2005.