The Mammoth Lobby at the Owensboro Museum of Science and History had several additional visitors this week, and the Owensboro International Center hosted its first summer art camp, Transcend.
While visitors can still stroll and see the museum’s numerous exhibitions and galleries, the lobby has been transformed into a temporary art space, with numerous tables, easels, paints and colorful pieces of canvas created by camp participants. - primarily local refugees - who cover the area.
Laura Jones, coordinator for youth and family services at the center, said the camp was created to provide a safe space for campers to express themselves, tell their stories and “integrate and encourage intercultural communication.
Jones, who leads a youth mentoring group, said they run various projects each month on civic and social engagement, educational and professional advancement, life skills and health and well-being, and wanted to find something to cover it all. some form.
“We really wanted to develop a project that could integrate with each other and have unity,” she said. “I just felt like - to have my own experience in art before I got into this field - (to have) something that really transcends language barriers.”
The camp started on Monday and lasts until Friday, with 46 registered participants.
Activities included self-portraits, exploring indigenous art, paper mache, dancing, color-painting exercises by local artist Lisa Dukes, educational lessons about specific artists, such as Belarusian-French artist Marc Chagall, and testing their artistic skills through a range of media and styles.
“Chagall did village paintings, so I wanted to give (participants) the opportunity - if they wanted to - to show their own homeland, village, such things through colors and oil pastels,” Jones said.
Jones also said that they drew the creations on the sidewalk in front of the museum, next to Davis Street, for the public to see.
And at the end of the week, Jones said that the participants will choose their favorite work that they created and submit it to the exhibition of the jury, which will be voted on by their peers.
One of the participants in the camp is Neema Lopez (16), who moved to Owensboro from the Democratic Republic of Congo seven months ago.
Lopez said she enjoyed the camp.
“It makes me happy,” she said. “I feel so good. I made some friends here, (and) I met different people. ”
She also enjoys doing artwork. She uses some of her personal drawings during the downtime and is inspired by what she observes around her.
“If I see something and I like it, I will try to (replicate) it,” Lopez said.
Jones said that the participants enrolled in the camp speak numerous languages, from Karen, Swahili, Spanish and Pashto, and that the camp is an opportunity to communicate with each other no matter where they come from.
“They can all see each other’s work and understand the flow of what they are doing,” she said.
Jones said programs like the camp are “most important” to help those familiar with Owensboro and the United States, and offers them a platform to express themselves.
“It really gives them a chance to really experience inclusion, and they all share a common bond to have different experiences as refugees; but everyone has a story to tell, “Jones said. “Some of the individuals here are obviously not so loud, so they still don’t feel that connection as citizens of our community. I just really wanted to give them that opportunity. “
Jones hopes the camp will grow in the years to come as he sees benefits for everyone involved.
“I hope to do it annually,” she said. “I think it would be great.
“Every time we have group events, I always - and whoever represents - learn from these students as much as they learn from us. It’s a wonderful opportunity for them to introduce us to their culture (and) to really learn more about communication and diversity. ”
Jones said the center is looking for new mentors, mentors and volunteers to help with events such as the camp. If you are interested, contact Jones at 270-683-3423 or [email protected]