The experiment: Bring pails of recycled materials to the park after school to see if we could make any new friends and provoke some creative art-making.
The reason: The launch of our school-age Atelier this July for summer camp and before- and after-school care (A few spaces remain! Go to www.charlesonkids.com for more info and to sign up)
The results: Dozens of incredibly imaginative short projects and open discussions about art, animals, construction, design, and life.
The mini-studio was a magnet for children passing by. Even in that one short hour we were blown away by the ingenuity and experimental approach of the young artists. There are several techniques, including folding paper tabs to attach separate parts, and poking holes in cardboard to attach pipe cleaners, that were invented by the children due to the limitation of materials. One child said: “Will you be back again tomorrow, because I have another idea!”
Ms. Ali: “When you do art in school, do they tell you what you have to do?”
Child 1: “Yeah, and I don’t like it because then we all have to do the same thing.”
Child 2: “I wish we could just use the materials they have and do whatever we want.”
Thank you to all the artists for allowing us to share your work. Click on the above images to see them closer.
Charleson Park Children's Centre Atelier Blog 