By Sadie Hunter
A partnership between Noblesville Schools and the Nickel Plate Arts organization isn’t a new thing. However, the implementation of camps is.
With the help of 15 Noblesville High School students, Kavita Singh, program coordinator at Nickel Plate Arts, will lead the arts organization’s first-ever spring break camp, an extension of the Adventures in Art series for ages 8 to 12 already in place.
To take place at NHS during the district’s first week of break, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 28 to April 1, the camp allows the volunteer high school students to expand on their interest in the arts, as well as their interest in working with children.
NHS senior and sculptor Paul Williams interested in both.
“It’s a great experience working with other people and working with kids. I work with kids quite often because I work at the public library, so I have that kind of baseline experience,” he said.
Williams plans to attend the Art Institute of Chicago in the fall, is the president of the National Art Honor Society at NHS and is also in Don Wettrick’s Innovations class.
“For me, since (art) is what I want to do, Innovations is really project-based learning, which is really great because you can do what you’re passionate about, and I’m passionate about art. I just bring those two together, which will bring me closer to what I want to do in the future and help me out,” said Williams, whose pieces have previously been on display at Nickel Plate Arts at its high school art shows and National Art Society fundraiser and can currently be seen at the Hamilton Co. Artist’s Association’s Birdie Gallery, 195 S. Fifth St., Noblesville.
“So Katie Hahn, the art teacher at Noblesville High School, is Paul’s teacher,” Singh said. “Katie knew that we were working on doing a spring break camp. We had tossed around the idea of doing it at Noblesville High School, and she knew that Paul had an idea to run something somewhat similar to our camp – an art clinic of sorts. She made that connection.”
Up to 30 spots were opened for the camp, and some places still remain for parents looking for last-minute spring break plans for their kids. Parents can sign up their kids up to the morning of the first day of camp if needed.
“We are actually launching into a whole slew of kids classes and camps this year,” Singh said. “We really saw a need for connecting kids in our communities to the arts. We had a lot of parents ask us about events and programs and classes specifically tailored for their kids. We have a summer camp that will be a performing arts camp instead of a visual arts camp like this one. That one will be focused on theatre, drama, music and storytelling. We also have a fall break camp that will be similar to this spring break camp. Camps and kids classes are something (Nickel Plate Arts has) developed for the year.”
Singh said several types of art media will be used to make a variety of projects throughout the week.
“Since it’s a week-long camp, we have a couple projects that will sort of be developed throughout the week,” she said. “For example, when we have them for the first day, one of the first things they’ll do is make a sketchbook, and that sketchbook is something they’ll use throughout the week to brainstorm their ideas, sketch out different concepts for projects … The cool thing about it also will be that they’re making the sketchbook themselves, so it’s not only a book that they’re keeping their art-related drawings and thoughts in, but it’s also an art piece itself.”
Not all projects will be done individually though. Singh said several will also be done in small groups or as a whole class.
“Paul and I have also been working on creating a collaborative project, something that the kids can add to throughout the week. So, (they will) be using recycled and found objects that they can sort of add into an abstract sculpture,” she said. “Then, each day has its own exploration of art media … watercolor, acrylic painting, plaster, ceramics … a variety of things. It’s a really low-barrier, easy way to get exposed to all these different media, tools and materials that they wouldn’t have access to at home.”
For more or to sign up for the spring break camp, visit nickelplatearts.org/classes/camps, or call 452-3690.
Students involved
More than 15 Noblesville High School students will help instruct and coordinate Nickel Plate Arts’ Adventures in Art Spring Break Camp. They are:
- Juel Aaron
- Allison Anderson
- Kenzie Day
- Katie For
- Faith Heminger
- Alyson Houdyschell
- Victoria Jones
- Aly Parker
- Shaira Patel
- Carolina Regan
- Rachel Simar
- Libby Smith
- Zoe VandeWater
- Paul Williams
- Becca Wood
- Dani Wright
