Arts Council Teams With City for Youth Art Instruction

Teachers Debby Jimenez, Kathleen Crain, Nicole Greenberg, Kathy Pickett and Program Coordinator Bill Zimmerman with the young artists at summer camp. Photos courtesy of Arts Council Menifee

Contributed by Arts Council Menifee Staff

To children, summer camp is a time for fun. It’s a time to sing, run and play. The City of Menifee Community Services Department offers all of that and more each summer at Lazy Creek Park.

This year, city parks staff desired to offer a well-rounded program that included opportunities for youth campers to be creative. They reached out to Menifee’s non-profit art organization, Arts Council Menifee, to provide art instruction as part of the summer camp’s weekly curriculum.

"The city’s Community Services staff was familiar with our recent successful Summer Youth Art Institute program and asked if we would continue something similar as part of the Lazy Creek Summer Camp," said Bill Zimmerman, who volunteered to coordinate the program for Arts Council Menifee.

One of Arts Council Menifee’s goals is to utilize the North Annex Co-Op building at the Kay Ceniceros Community Center by providing free art classes at the building. ACM members developed an art program for the camp kids at the building.

"It worked out perfectly. The art room is one block from the park, so our counselors could escort all the kids safely down the sidewalk and deliver them to the art teachers," said Jason Hendrix, Menifee community services supervisor.

Each week the summer camp offered a different theme, so the art teachers modeled the children’s projects to match. For example, the children worked together to illustrate a giant poster that depicted action figures during "super hero" week, and made jewel-filled underwater treasure chests using envelopes during "pirate" week.

The best programs for children are often found when public agencies partner with local service organizations. Volunteers that work with youth are often rewarded by the joy that is seen in the eyes of boys and girls who just discovered they have talent.

Although Zimmerman coordinated the summer art program, he gives the credit to the art teachers who provided the instruction.

"It was Debby Jimenez, Kathleen Crain, Nicole Greenberg and Kathy Pickett who really inspired the kids. These teachers are professional level artists who understand how to make learning fun," he said.

With school now back in session, the art organization is making plans to provide supplies and assistance to after-school art programs that will be offered at a few elementary schools in Menifee and Romoland.

For more information, please visit www.artscouncilmenifee.org or call 951-290-ART1.