By PHOEBE DONALD ROBINSON / Community Columnist

Every July for the last five years the Shelby County Arts Council (SCAC) has produced a unique children’s day camp that shows how fun art can be.

This year’s theme is “Art on a Green Shoe String.”

“In conjunction to teaching traditional painting, drawing and digital photography, we’ll be doing some experimental art,” said SCAC Director Susan Gordon. “The kids will be making sculptures out of discarded objects — repurposing everyday objects (trash and household items, etc.) to create beautiful works of sculptured art.

“Another project we are planning to do is painting on tar paper, which is a common practice among folk artists who are usually on a ‘shoe string’ budget,” continued Gordon. “We also plan to create a wall-hanging sculpture made of objects as a group project.

“We will be studying famous artists like Marcel Duchamp and Pablo Picasso, and well-known local artists Tres Taylor and Lonnie Holly,” said Gordon. “Just to give an example, Picasso put together bicycle parts to make a bull’s head in his sculpture ‘Baboon and Young.’”

The classes start July 18 and continue through July 22 for ages 5-8, 8:30 a.m. – noon. Cost is $125 for the week.

For ages 9-12, classes are from 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. from July 25-29 and cost $195 for the week.

Scholarships are available based on financial need. Scholarship forms are at the SCAC office, 104 Mildred Street, Columbiana. Deadline for scholarships is July 14, 2011 at 2 p.m. For more info call Gordon at 669-0044 or email at susan@shelbycountyartscouncil.com.

The camp will be at the SCAC building. The maximum for each class is 14 children. Each child needs to bring a sack lunch each day, and snacks will be provided. Teachers will be Rae Lynn Dodson, Edna Sealy, Paris Farzad, Nic Patterson and Gordon.

A typical day will be half-hour to hour classes with breaks between classes with either a game or snack. The older children will usually take their lunch picnic style on the gazebo near City Hall.

The budding artists will showcase their art at a reception on the last day of camp. For ages 5-8, the reception will be at 11 a.m. on July 22 at the SCAC building. For ages 9-12, the reception will be July 29 at 2 p.m. Every camper’s work will be on display and light refreshments will be served.

Come to Art Camp for a week of creative, recycled fun!

Phoebe Donald Robinson can be reached by email at phoeberobinson@bellsouth.net.