Children and art have a long history in the Lake Chapala village of Ajijic, Mexico. In 1954, Neill James, writer and arts patron, started the free, Children’s Art Program which has continued under the guidance of the Lake Chapala Society, also founded by James. Over the years, thousands of children have explored their creativity on Saturday mornings in the LCS garden and for the one week every summer when there is an art camp that draws over a hundred children.
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| Danielle Page |
Co-sponsored by the Ajijic Society of the Arts, and under the guidance of Danielle Page and sixty other volunteers, the summer art camp offers materials and time to explore painting, mosaics, clay, and needle crafts under the gentle guidance of professional artists.
Many of the local professional artists were mentored by Neill James and have continued to give back to local children for decades. The children may not recognize it, but they are being guided by the best artists in the area.
Many of the local professional artists were mentored by Neill James and have continued to give back to local children for decades. The children may not recognize it, but they are being guided by the best artists in the area.
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| Javier Zaragoza |
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| Jesús Lopez Vega |
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| Robina Nicol |
The concluding event of the week is an art sale where children who want to can put their art up for sale. Imagine the pride and excitement of having one of your first works of art sold! To date, over 10,000 pesos have been paid out to the young artists.
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| by Oscar Orlando Ibarra Lopez |
Over the years, many of the art pieces have also been made into cards. I was able to track one young artist, Oscar Orlando Ibarra Lopez, through years of his development. This year he was a volunteer at art camp, helping other young artists begin their journey.
As I wandered through the grounds from group to group, two things struck me:
The seriousness of the kids as they worked on their projects, and the generosity of the camp ... the lush garden to work in, the abundance of the art materials that allowed the young artists to experiment with many approaches and materials; and the constant attention of caring teachers. It made me want to be a kid again (for just a moment).
Serious work supported by generosity
As I wandered through the grounds from group to group, two things struck me:
The seriousness of the kids as they worked on their projects, and the generosity of the camp ... the lush garden to work in, the abundance of the art materials that allowed the young artists to experiment with many approaches and materials; and the constant attention of caring teachers. It made me want to be a kid again (for just a moment).
Here are just a few photos from this amazing and generous event.
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| NEXT YEAR! |
