(Barrett Titen, 6, enjoys getting involved with an art project Thursday at the Corralitos Cultural Center during the Summer Art Camp. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/Pajaronian)
CORRALITOS — The weeklong Summer Art Camp wraps up Friday in Corralitos with a student art exhibit that featured ceramics, watercolors, acrylic paintings, drawings, tie-dye shirts, sketches and other art forms.
Twenty-one youths, ages 4 to 14, over the past week, have been busy sharpening their artistic skills, painting such subjects as hummingbirds, dogs and people or building a ceramic garden ornament of crazy shapes and colors.
Headed up by Roberta Dallimonti for the past 15 years, the camp offers an opportunity for youths to roll up their sleeves and immerse themselves in art.
“The camp gives these kids a chance to get engaged in the joy of art,” Dallimonti said. “It’s not a craft class — it’s art. We want them to take on the creative process and explore. We want them to come fill their lives with art.”
Indeed, the children were busy Thursday morning sketching, tracing and painting various works. One project involved transferring a sketch onto a piece of black slate to be painted later on.
“I like painting and I like being creative,” said Rebecca Wright, 10. “They really help you here learning different ways of doing art. They give you lots of things to do.”
Kendall Phillips, 9, said she liked the overall positive environment.
“I’ve always liked to do watercolors, and I like to draw,” she said. “They are very nice here. They are respectful and honest and I like that. They have helped me learn a lot about art.”
Five volunteer adults work with Dallimonti in guiding the youths with their projects.
Volunteer Pat Golditch said she was surprised at how much the kids were learning.
“She’s the miracle worker here,” Golditch said of Dallimonti. “I just can’t believe what she does. There are so many things going on each day and she just gets it done.”
Barrett Titen, 6, said he “really enjoyed the art.”
“I like having a place to work like this,” he said. “I like to paint and they have all these colors.”
Rosemary Konviser, 9, said she was happy to be spending part of her summer in the Art Camp.
“We do a lot of things that I can’t do at home,” Rosemary said. “Like, we have all these paints and paper so we can learn art. It’s fun.”
Robin Marks of Aptos said she has been volunteering with the program for the past eight years.
“I love working with the little kids,” Marks said. “I love seeing them bring art in themselves. They’re a lot of fun and they make me laugh.”
Volunteer Desiree Luiz worked with a group of five kids at one table, showing them how to trace a hummingbird onto paper.
“Overall, I do this because it is a lot of fun,” she said. “I don’t have children of my own and this gives me a good chance to interact with them, help them and learn from them at the same time. It’s so fun.”
Kate Chekouras, 6, shows a name tag she made. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/Pajaronian
