This summer, the Denali Arts Council is offering kids the opportunity to get outside and make art.
There will be three total workshops—two-day programs with different focuses throughout the summer. The second visual arts workshop is happening right now.
Business manager of the Denali Arts Council, Michelle Crow, explains that the workshop is modeled after the Sitka Fine Arts Camp. The Talkeetna-based workshop is a local alternative. Michelle tries to bring in students from Willow and Trapper Creek.
Crow facilitates, coordinates, and gets the funding so that Talkeetna can offer accessible programming for the community in the Hangar.
“I still feel in a lot of ways we’re kind of shaping the program.”
While applying for funding, Crow originally envisioned a full camp, but the two-day program has worked. There’s a lot of flexibility in the shorter model—more opportunity to try different art forms—and the Denali Arts Council already has ideas about how they want to expand the program next summer.
“And it kind of gives these kids the opportunity to look and see what kind of focuses we’re going to offer throughout the summer next summer and pick and choose. Like, I’m really interested in painting, or I’m really interested in dancing.”
Crow hired Rebecca Korpi to lead the workshop. She’s an artist and certified teacher who is passionate about bringing art to youth. This is her first year teaching at the Hangar and she built the program’s curriculum.
“For the first time, I get to combine my dream. I get to teach kids and teach art.”
Korpi says that her students have really opened up.
“There has been a recurring theme when we have group share, is that a lot of kids are saying they have this anxiety and worry, and doing art can be super meditative, and open-ended, and creative.”
Crow and Korpi are friends. They bumped into each other on a hike, where they dreamt up the idea of the workshop. Crow says they both believe in using nature as inspiration for the kids.
“One of the projects had them actually needing to get on a raft to go out to a sandbar to be able to do environmental, like, found art.”
The silent environment fosters creativity, Crow explains.
“Everyone just got off the raft and they were just giggling and laughing, and got onto that gravel bar and everyone stopped talking and they just started working. They created really cool things in the hour that they were there.”
Above all, the workshop gives the kids an avenue and the resources to express themselves.
“Children need art, and the essence of Talkeetna is it’s so artistic. Of course there should be programs like this for the youth of our community.”
The art of the students from the Susitna fine arts workshop will be on display Saturday, from 4 to 7 pm, and will stay up for the rest of the month, according to Crow.
“I would love if anyone’s got time tomorrow if they want to come by and check out the art and support these kids, I know that would mean a lot to Denali Arts Council. It would mean a lot to these kids, too.”
Denali Arts Council has art openings in the Hangar every second Saturday of the month.
For KTNA, I’m Nell Salzman.
