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Camp Little host its first art auction

Ted Adams has attended Camp Little Giant at the Touch of Nature Environmental Center for the past 20 years, but this is the first time one of his projects has received so much attention.

Adams attended the Touch of Nature's first art exhibit Friday night, titled "From Our Perspective: An Exhibit of Wheelchair Art," in the Student Center's Art Alley. The exhibit featured the camper's work and allowed the public an opportunity to purchase greeting card replicas.

Adams' painting, titled "The Sunset Tree," was created by applying paint to the wheels of his wheelchair and then riding over canvas. It was one of nine acrylic paintings on display, which were created by campers who participated in the Camp Little Giant 2004 summer residential program, a six-day camp for people with special physical or cognitive needs.

Next to Adams' painting, which will soon be hanging in a hospital in Chicago, is his picture and a quote explaining why he named the painting, "The Sunset Tree."

Adams, who has cerebral palsy, said it reminds him of all the years he has been attending Camp Little Giant.

Having never painted before, Adams, who still has paint on the wheels of his chair, said he is excited about all the attention the paintings are receiving.

"I'm thinking about my project for next year," Adams said.

Ward Smith, an artist from Chicago who helped with the project, said he began the project with some trepidation because he had never worked with people with cerebral palsy before. He said his intentions during the project were not to have any expectations or limitations and to be open to whatever the campers were capable of doing.

Smith, who plans on coming back to work with the campers next year, said allowing the campers control over color choices and composition was an important part of the project.

"The main focus of the art project was to engage the campers in making discoveries about their own capacity for creativity," Smith said.

Smith said the wheelchairs serve as an extension to most of the camper's bodies, so they were able to use their chairs as a painting tool. He said once the campers began to see the art they were creating, they began to really enjoy what they were doing.

"I realized our objective had been met, because when they backed away from their pieces, the delighted expression on their faces, they were really pleased with their ability to create a work of art," Smith said.

David Gename, Associate director for Touch of Nature, said the campers creating the paintings were uplifted by the experience and the opportunity to express themselves.

"On one hand, this was a project that was a challenge, they've never done anything like this," Gename said. "But on the other hand, it was so gratifying for them to be able to personally, physically express themselves in ways they've never done before."

Jessica Conyers, a freshman studying therapeutic recreation from Carterville, helped start the art project two years ago while she was working as the expressive arts specialist for the camp. The first project consisted of just rolls of paper, and expanded the following year with donated, masonite canvas.

While brainstorming for art projects to do with the campers, Conyers and her co-workers began to think about campers who might not physically be able to use their hands.

"We thought, 'Why not use their wheelchair wheels?" Conyers said.

Conyers, who has worked at the camp for the past five years, said at first, campers were not really sure what to do, since they had never been involved with a project like this before. But once they began to see the paintings taking shape, they began to become more creative.

"It was fun," Conyers said. "The week after, everyone was rolling around with paint on their wheels."

Conyers said the project is a way for campers to feel proud and it gives them an outlet of expression.

"It's a way that they can express themselves that they can understand and we can understand," Conyers said.

Katie Richardson, a junior studying special education from Lake Morgan, said last summer was the first time she worked as a camp counselor and that some of the campers were weary about getting their wheels dirty. Others, she said, were immediately eager to participate.

She said the project brought excitement to the campers and gave them something to be proud of.

"It brought a sparkle to their eye," Richardson said. "They're very proud of themselves."

Linda Brandon, a committee member of Friends Board members, helped create the greeting cards and said this project is special to the camp.

"There's nothing like this that we've ever done," Brandon said. "This is the first time we've worked this closely with the campers to produce a project that fundraises."

Brandon said campers and counselors form special bonds during their stay and some campers have been coming back for twenty or thirty years.

"This is the one time of year that they see each other," Brandon said. "There's a lot of friendships formed between campers and workers."

Gename said the camp is an excellent experience for everyone involved.

"Camp Little Giant is a life changing experience, not just for the campers but for the volunteers," Gename said. "These are experiences that profoundly change people's lives."

To view or purchase the Wheelchair Art Greeting Cards go to www.pso.siu.edu/tonec or call 618-453-1121

 

 

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