As Henry David Thoreau once said, “This world is but a canvas to our imaginations.” During last weekend’s Evening Ed-Ventures: Art Party, our campers used their imaginations and the natural world to find inspiration to create works of art. Campers created sculptures and healthy snacks, learning about nature through art.
To begin, campers were given a blank inspiration mural. They were asked to draw or write about the things that most inspire them. Campers drew everything from baseballs to butterflies, explaining the different things in each of their lives that make them happy and give them inspiration. They then introduced themselves and their favorite kind of art.
After all this talk of inspiration, it was time to get down to business and start prepping their materials. As always, our art projects were made from repurposed items and natural materials. Campers spent time crumbling bread and adding it to glue, dish soap and water to make bread clay. While their clay was getting nice and gooey, they went into the Conservatory to check out the sculptures that make their home among the plants. They learned about Dale Chihuly and how he makes his glass sculptures, guessing what things from nature were the inspiration for each piece. They also found the inspiration from plants in the Serpentine Room and Palm Court, jotting down their favorite ones in their journals.
All of this inspiration made everyone feel pretty hungry, so it was time for a snack. Sticking with the theme of art, campers created “snulptures” – part snack, part sculpture – out of blue corn chips, cheese and fruit. What a delicious project! After creating their edible sculptures, campers went back down to the classroom to create some no-edible ones out of their bread clay. They added natural materials like leaves, pine cones and sticks to add an autumnal feeling to their art. It was such a fun night – truly an art party!
Check out the slideshow below to see more images from camp:
If program sounds fun, check out Evening Ed-Venture: Fun with Food on February 13, 6:30-9:30 pm. To register, contact Sarah Bertovich at 412/441-4442 etx. 3925.
The above photos were taken by Phipps Conservatory Staff.
Phipps Conservatory Science Education and Research 