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By BARTON PERKINS | Staff Writer

COLUMBIANA – The Shelby County Arts Council has announced its third art camp of the summer: Journey into the Jungle. The camp will be five classes from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. from Monday July 24 – Friday July 28. Journey into the Jungle is open to children ranging 9-12 years old, with a discount offered to siblings. 

Journey into the Jungle will be taught by Rae Lynn Dodson, who has been running art camps with the arts council since 2005.

“I get all excited about it (camp),” said Dodson. “And then once the kids get there and they’re excited too and, then that’s really when I enjoy it.”

The camp will focus on creating art in a variety of different mediums, including oil pastels, paper mache and mixed media, and each piece will have a focus on a variety of different jungle animals. 

“We’re going to do all sorts of different animals, and we’re going to talk about all the different parts of the world that have jungles and rainforests,” said Dodson. “Then for the last day on Friday, toward the end of the day we’ll have an open house for the parents,  grandparents and siblings. We’ll have all the work that we’ve done through the week on display for everybody to see.”

There will also be jungle themed games for campers to enjoy throughout the day in between different art projects.

The main goal of Journey to the Jungle is to help campers broaden their artistic skills and further develop their individual styles as creators. It will also be an opportunity for kids to make new friends who are also interested in art.

Additionally, Journey to the Jungle participants will get a chance to learn about the French artist Henri Rousseau as part of their curriculum. Rousseau was a post-impressionist French painter who famously created many landscapes of jungles and other tropical locations. One of these paintings was later credited as inspiring the 2005 movie Madagascar. 

Journey into the Jungle only has room for 12 students, and as a result parents are encouraged to sign their children up sooner rather than later. A morning snack will be provided, but campers will need to bring their own lunch. Camp will take place at the Shelby County Arts Center.

“I would encourage any parent or grandparents to send their child or grandchild to an art camp this summer,” said Dodson. “Find one that’s local to you and send them. Because they’ll enjoy it and they’ll learn. It helps with their motor skills, it helps their creativity and just a lot of things.”

People can register for Journey to the Jungle at https://www.hisawyer.com/shelby-arts-council/schedules/activity-set/480290