The Penn Visual Arts Academy offers students in kindergarten through fifth grade an opportunity to experience art in both ceramics and sketching, that also challenges children to “think outside of the box.”
The academy is wrapping up next week, and students have been having a great time learning about art from 8:00 AM to noon. They have spent much of their time learning about drawing and expressing the world around them through markers and paper. The students also spend time working to create pottery with the help of visiting ceramicists to learn the proccess of molding clay on a wheel. The students learn how to decorate the pottery by both painting and applying decals. Becky Hope, one of the Penn High School art teachers, says that “…it’s so wonderful to see the students bring so much energy everyday and to create new ideas and think in new ways.” They are encoraged to think creatively and to try out new ideas every day at the academy.
One of the highlights of the week for students was a trip to the Snite Museum of Art on the Campus of Notre Dame. Here the students create pieces of art that emulate the work they see on display. This allows them to see actual art that has been created using the same methods that they learned, and gives them a chance to experience the creation of art.
The dates to enroll for the final week for the program are the 22nd through the 26th for students in fourth grade, and the 20th through the 24th for those in fifth grade. For a full list of information, visit phmschools.org. For PNN media camp, I’m Noah Reynolds.
Melinda Kiner 
Diego Sotelo Gonzalez 
Marie Roach