JUNE NEWS
2024 Summer Camp Excitement
With nearly three weeks of summer camp under our belts, we’re in awe of the creativity your kiddos have shown.
During Upcycled Fashion camp, campers transformed denim into stunning outfits, bringing their designs to life. We hope to see some of our students modeling their creations during the Scrapfest Fashion Show in July.
In the first session of ‘Everything is So Dramatic,’ campers practiced stage projection, and improv games, then entertained us with their comedic rendition of Frankenstein. The creativity continued as our main studio was filled with imaginative tents. These young artists not only created amazing tents but also decorated them and drew the environments where they would reside.
During other camps, kids have been filling the studio and gallery with vibrant mini towns and buildings in preparation for our End of Summer Art Show. This week, we’re excited to see the final sea serpents from ‘Summon A Sea Serpent’ and the digital/photographic creations from ‘Creepy Selfies’ and ‘What Do You Meme?’
Summer camp is definitely one of our favorite times of the year. Thank you to all the REACH parents and guardians for letting us spend this creative time with your kiddos!
We still have a few spots open for our camps in July and August - click the link below to enroll your young artist.
End of Summer Art Show
While still weeks away, please keep the REACH Summer Camp End of Summer art show on your radar for August. Our gallery will be brimming with incredible camper creations from the 2024 season. Join us as we celebrate the close of a successful summer camp season and celebrate the hard work these creative kiddos have accomplished. We’ll have an opening for the show August 15th from 6 - 7PM. All members of the community are welcome to join - campers will be able to take their artwork home with them.
The Summer of Art in Lansing Continues
We’ve been incredibly grateful and excited about the numerous opportunities to connect with the Lansing community this summer. Painting rocks in the park with the Moores River Neighborhood at the unveiling of their new playground and making tie-dye fans to beat the heat during the 517 Juneteenth Festival were certainly highlights for the REACH team.
As we move into July, we’re gearing up for ScrapFest in Old Town and Capital City Comic Con downtown. Join us at ScrapFest for a free art activity and then at Comic Con for a comic-making workshop with REACH teaching artist Vivian Walters. Both events promise fun-filled activities for all ages. We hope to see you there!
The REACH Art Truck Rides Again!
Some of you may have heard about the untimely end to the old REACH Art Truck when it was totaled in an accident back in 2022. Thanks to generous contributions from Lansing Kiwanis and 100 Men Who Care, the Art Truck rides again! Teaching Artist Katie Morris took the “new to us” REACH vehicle for its inaugural drive to lead programming at one of our partner organizations . The Art Truck is a vital part of the REACH studio, allowing teaching artists to facilitate on-site activities with organizations like the Boys and Girls Club, South Side Community Center, Refugee Development Center, and more!
In the coming months, we hope to wrap the vehicle with REACH signage, outfit it to store all the necessary art supplies, and complete some regular repairs and maintanance. If you would like to support our Art Truck improvements, donations can be made at the link below!
REACH Teen Night Continues In July
Since April, our growing teen group (ages 12-16) has been coming together once a month to connect with creative peers, participate in warm-up games, and explore new ways to make art—all while enjoying a snack(this month ice cream). We are grateful that local non-profit, Ready Set Aspire, has been partnering with teaching artist Sofia Gentil to bring concepts and practices to support a safe environment that allows the teens to express their authentic voices and experiences artistically.
Teen Night continues on Thursday, July 18 with a new art activity. This month instead of pizza we will serve a cold ice cream treat to beat the summer heat. To get your teen involved in Teen Night at REACH, click the button below to register.
Enrollment for REACH Neighborhood Camp is Live!
Join us for FREE Neighborhood Camp! This camp is for kiddos in the Moores River, Fabulous Acres and REO Town neighborhoods. Children aged 4-5 must attend with an adult, and children 6-13 are welcome to attend. Interested students can sign up for single days or a full week, check out the activities we will host this year below and if you are interested in enrolling click the button below to enroll online, or stop in/ call us at REACH 517-999-3643. Neighborhood Camp is generously supported by the Arts Council of Greater Lansing Young Creatives Grant.
Week 1: July 8th - 12th from 1:30-3:30 PM
Monday 7/8: Felted Geodes with Teaching Artist Margo Barber
Tuesday 7/9: Hip Hop Elements with Teaching Artist All of the Above Hip Hop Academy
Wednesday 7/10: Garden Education & Planting with Teaching Artist Erika Noud
Thursday 7/11: Start to Finish Gifts (painted cards, gift bags & gifts Pom Pom Decor) with Teaching Artist Marissa
Week 2: August 12th - 15th from 1:30-3:30 PM
Monday 8/12: Acrylic Watercolor Painting with Teaching Artist Rebecca Butler
Tuesday 8/13: Zine & Comic Making with Teaching Artist Carson Carter
Wednesday 8/14: Activity TBA with Henrietta Ducap
Thursday 8/15: Tie Dye with Teaching Artist and REACH Executive Director Melissa Keeley
Get Creative During Summer Walk-In Wednesday
Thanks to a generous Project Grant from the City of Lansing, we've been hosting 35 students of all ages every Wednesday for a free art project. Walk-In Wednesday continues through the summer, with a brief break during the week of July 4th, resuming on July 10th with Watercolor Silhouettes. There are five more WIW classes to keep you and your family creating throughout the summer. Explore upcoming sessions below and click the button to enroll online.
