Make stars of the family at summer arts academy

By Rebecca Petersen | The Daily Journal

Published Saturday, May 24, 2008

The Fergus Falls Summer Arts Academy packet of information is ready to go and we've already started accepting applications! If you haven't already picked up your packet stop in next week or give us a call and we'll mail you one. It's going to be a fun summer for visual arts, theater, music and dance lovers of all ages!

The Summer Arts Academy is something we've been striving for over the past decadMake stars of the family at summer arts academye. A Center for the Arts has ALWAYS offered summer arts opportunities - whether it be workshops, classes, productions or projects - but this is the Cadillac in what we've been working so hard to achieve.

It started years ago with Center Kids. Then we added Summer MAX programs (do any of you remember those?) which were funded through The Perpich Center and involved all kinds of fun and diverse projects. Then the Summer MAX programs evolved into something that we called ArtSpark for awhile - because we were teaming up with Parks and Rec way back then! (I notice now that Trollwood has developed a program called Artspark.)

Then the Community College (MSCTC) developed its program called College For Kids and we participated by helping with the arts classes and workshops. After College for Kids we worked with In The Heart of The Beast Puppet and Mask Theater for a few summers (they're back this summer, by the way as a component of Summer Arts Academy). We also offered some of our own theater classes over the years to enhance the theater productions, and last summer we put together an offering of fun summer arts classes for kids.

This year it feels like we've come full circle. We're offering arts focused summer classes for kids but we're also offering them for older kids, young adults and adults. We've joined forces with The Community College and Dist. 544 Community Education to make this all possible. We've made our dream a reality and all the years of trying to put it all together have paid off. At this point ALL of the classes will be held on the campus of MSCTC - Fergus Falls - College Way.

The Fergus Falls Summer Arts Academy is finally here! We're offering a theater

track (that includes dance and some vaudevillian things) as well as a visual arts/music track. Participants can cross over from one track to the other. And…there are lots of choices for different age groups.

In the music and visual arts track these include: Hand Bells, Figure Drawing, Still Life Drawing, Drawing and Relief Printing, Drawing and Screen Printing, Paper Arts Projects, Puppetry/Mask Making, Music/Art Mixer, Mold Making, Color Mine Music, Youth Drawing and Print Making, Storytelling, Clogging, Cartooning, Swedish Song Games, Calligraphy and Songwriting.

In the theater and dance track these include: Elements of Acting, Juggling, Directing, Individual Practicum, Set Design, Storytelling, Ensemble and Creative Movement - with multiple levels being offered in many of these categories.

There will also be some one day workshops; June 17 Ann Reed will be offering a two part series in Song Writing which starts in the afternoon and then resumes in the evening.

On July 25 Kevin Kling, a professional storyteller, will be doing a one day workshop that delves into the art and practice of storytelling. Ross Sutter will offer a day of Swedish Song Games that help celebrate Swedish Mid Summer.

So why not stop in and sign up the whole family?