Update for Arts-X-Press week 3!

Today was a fun-filled day of activities at Arts-X-Press.  The campers woke up excited for the talent show and parent presentation.  They enjoyed another delicious breakfast at the cafeteria, before they were dismissed to Creative Expression and then Arts Workshop classes.  In these classes, the campers worked hard preparing for the parent presentation.  Then the campers were dismissed to lunch, where they had the opportunity to eat with musicians from the Pacific Symphony Orchestra!  After lunch, the musicians led a workshop for the campers.  The musicians played selections of classical pieces written for violin, flute, and upright bass.  The musicians showed the campers different parts of their instruments, and explained how they can get their instruments to make certain sounds.  Then the campers had the opportunity to compose their own piece of music!  The musicians played the camper's composition for them, and then it was time for a percussion workshop led by Kjersti.  The campers all played in a drum circle and learned to make music as a team.

Afterwards, it was time for dinner before the big parent presentation!  The campers changed into their AXP shirts and met on the lawn for singing and pre-show bonding.  The campers headed over to the performance hall for the parent presentation.  The campers rocked the parent presentation and got a chance to see their families afterwards.  And then it was time for the talent show.  The acts ranged from hilarious skits, to visual arts, and even a surprise song by our counselors!  The students had a blast at talent show, but the fun was not over yet!  The counselors surprised the campers with a party!  The campers and counselors got funky on the dance floor and everyone had loads of fun.  Then it was time for bed.  The students took their very last three minute showers, and hopped in bed.  They did so many fun things today, that they fell right asleep!  This is counselors Julia and Rebecca signing off!

Greetings! Such wonderful talents and I wanted to share the Visual Arts workshop video and photo!

Happy Tuesday - Day 4 of Arts-X-press!  Well, the excitement is in the air in Pam's Creative Expression class -  tonight we get to see our parents, family and friends and share with them what we've learned during our time here. One of the most important experiences during the week has been the chance to take time each morning to look inward and reflect on what we have done, really thinking about the impact our time together is having on us.  Expressing our thoughts and feeling via writing, drawing, or talking with a partner and as a class requires us to take a risk and share a special part of ourselves.

In our class, we started the week by creating a special web of yarn as we each answered fun yet thought- provoking questions including , "If you could talk to any one person now living, who would it be and why?" and "If you had to give up one of your senses (hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling, tasting) which would it be and why?"  Each of us made a unique and valuable contribution to our friendship web - if one person was gone, it would look completely different!

We've also done a lot of writing in our class - "I Am" poems, "Admiration" poems, journals, and reflections on our experiences here.  In addition, we've expressed ourselves through creating our own "Life Maps."

We're all very excited and a bit nervous to take what, for some of us, are some pretty big risks tonight - opening up and sharing a small bit of ourselves with you.  We believe we're up to the task, though, and know you all want us to take that leap of faith, supporting us in our quest to find and be our true selves and have the confidence to pursue our dreams.

Really looking forward to seeing you soon!

It's Been A Hard Day's Night (And We Actually Have Been Working Like Dogs)

Yet another fun-filled day at Arts-X-Press! The campers are loving getting to express themselves in creative expression and explore new opportunities in different art mediums! Lunch today was very special! We were joined by three fantastic musicians who shared their passion for music with us while we ate some good food and celebrated camper Kristy's birthday with wonderful cupcakes!

After an amazing lunch we got on the bus, learned some new songs, including Jack Sparrow and Boom Chicka Boom (be sure to ask your camper to teach you them when they get home!), and prepared ourselves for a long day in Laguna! We were greeted at the doors of The Festival of the Arts by CW and Charlie, two of the artists working with the Pageant of the Masters to make a great show. We took a tour of backstage, learning about the costumes, makeup, head pieces, and the set pieces. After the tour, we explored the Festival of the Arts, really getting to immerse ourselves in the art scene! ALL of the campers, staff members, and students participated in mixed media participating in arts from painting raku pots to printing negative sketches. 

Later we walked to Heisler Park where we ate pizza by the sea and prepped for the talent show! Pageant of the Masters was beautiful as always and all the students left exhilarated! The campers are so excited to show all of you what they've been working on here at camp in their arts workshops and creative expression groups! We can not wait to show you how far they have really grown as artists in the short time they've had here! Until next time, this is counselors Emily and Brendan wishing you a wonderful night!

James' CE Class - Week 3

HELLOOOOOOOOO from James' Creative Expression class! As you may have heard, I get the awesome honor of being the first teacher to wake their creative minds up in the morning. Even though most of us are still sleepy because we've been doing so many activities during the day, we're still creating some awesome work! Because of the students' thoughtful contributions, we are having a blast every morning learning about how art has connections to our own lives and how we can express ourselves through creative writing.

We start every morning off by journaling our thoughts, what we've been doing, and our reactions to the performances we've seen. Some of us are having fun just writing about about all the new friends we're making. Today, I challenged everyone to write about the "risks" they are taking at Arts-x-press. Everyone wrote about how they are taking "risks" by trying a new art form, talking to new people, or even trying new foods at our meals!

Over the past three classes, our activities have ranged from exploring our creative sides with "Life Maps" of where we've been, where we are, and where we're going; to discovering our writing skills with "I Am Like..." poems and Admiration poems. As we're learning, anyone can be a poet or creative writer. All it takes is some brainstorming, self-reflection, and imagination.

We also got to have an awesome group discussion about what "street art" is and how we can connect art to the real world. We then got to apply our connections to different pieces of street art from the artist Banksy, which allowed us to explore messages and meaning behind art. Our students have already found more connections in the musical In The Heights!

Not only are we all learning about art, but we're learning about ourselves in the process. You should all be excited about all the creative expressions these artists will be exploring in the future! We can't wait to share our work with you tomorrow night!

Arts-X-Press Update! 7/27/14

Today was a fun-filled day at Arts-X-Press!  The campers got up excited and ready to start the day.  We enjoyed a fabulous breakfast at the cafeteria, and the  the campers were off to their creative expression classes, where they expressed themselves through writing of all kinds.  Soon after, the campers got a chance to spend some time in their arts workshops.  They took many creative risks, and learned  a lot of new things about themselves as artists.

 Our excursion today was to the Chance Theater to see the musical "In the Heights."  The students learned a lot about the show, from its origins to its success at the Tony Awards.  Afterwards, we were lucky enough to engage the cast in a brief talk back, where the kids asked many insightful questions and learned a lot.

 Once back at vanguard, the students rotated spotlight workshops and had the opportunity to experience a variety of arts, from singing to dancing to theater.  After the spotlight workshops, we all met together for bonding time.  We went around in a circle and named someone at camp we appreciated, and told them why.  It was a very touching and the campers and staff all grew much closer to each other.  As soon as bonding was over, the sleepy campers were taken back to the dorms for a snack and bedtime.  Everyone took 3 minute showers and fell right asleep.  As we write this, the campers are sound asleep, dreaming of all of the adventures they'll have tomorrow at Arts-X-Press.   This is counselors Ben and Jessica signing off!

Vicky's CE Class Update

I've had two wonderful Creative Expressions sessions with my students so far, and I'm thrilled with their creativity and energy.  We've done a smattering of writing activities, including "I Am" poems, and one assignment where they were asked, as groups of 4, to re-word lyrics to popular nursery rhymes.

Here is an "I Am" poem by my student Herron:

I am happy and loving.
I wonder if everyone will have a chance to be happy.
I hear my heart beating.
I see that everyone is not as lucky as me.
I want my world to always be perfect.
I am happy and loving.

I pretend I am a mother with a family of my own.
I feel happy and loved.
I touch other's hearts.
I worry my best friend will move.
I cry my best friend will leave me.
I am happy and loving.

I understand everything happens for a reason.
I say I love myself and my family.
I dream of unicorns eating ice cream.
I try to work my hardest.
I hope my life is always perfect.
I am happy and loving.

Day one and HAVING FUN!

Greetings from Arts-X-Press week 3! Your students arrived this morning and have already begun diving in to the exciting and fun activities of Arts-X-Press. They are now in their arts workshops, many of them taking some very new and exciting risks! We can already tell that this is a very special group of students here at AXP, and we are so excited to get to see the wonderful and MAGICAL moments that the week has in store!
Tonight, we will embark on a trip to see the Pacific Symphony play some incredible music- we are hoping the music helps the students feel a special connection to the music, to the camp, and to each other!

Speaking of CONNECTIONS (which also happens to be our theme for week 3), today is a very sad and special day of remembrance for Arts-X-Press. Today marks 15 years since the death of Cole Carsan St. Claire. The support the St. Clairs received from this tragic event is what led to the foundation of the wonderful program your children are participating in right now! So, as the Pacific Symphony plays tonight, our thoughts and deepest gratitude are with the St. Clairs. This program has touched so many lives of young people just like your students, and we are so grateful for all the love that has been poured into AXP and that we get to celebrate art together with the St. Clair family!

We can't wait to continue updating you on the new and exciting things happening at Arts-X-Press!

Excursions and Immersions: Week 3!

welcome Welcome WELCOME to Week 3 of arts-X-press!


Everyone is getting ready for a yummy lunch here at Vanguard University after a super fun morning of party-bussing! The energy is SUPER contagious and we are completely excited to get going with all of our young artists!

 

Tonight we are headed out to Mission Viejo for Symphony in the Cities, put on by Pacific Symphony. This is a super fun community concert in the park where we will get to participate in pre-concert activities, and then be surrounded by the sounds of the Symphony and a very diverse concert program ending with the annual Patriotic Sing-a-long. This will be such a great night out in the community!

Tomorrow afternoon, we will venture on up to Anaheim to attend the matinee performance of In the Heights, put on by the Chance Theater. This musical highlights the themes of following your dreams and finding opportunities for learning and growth among life's trials. This show has an amazing and diverse soundtrack that will surely get us all ready for a week of taking creative risks!

After a weekend of amazing musical and theatrical performances, we will spend our Monday afternoon and evening in Laguna Beach. We will first explore the Festival of the Arts. We will get to wander through all of the different art exhibits, as well as have the opportunity to create some of our own!

We will then finish up our night with the amazing and jaw-dropping Pageant of the Masters. This performance includes real-live people being made up, dressed, and posed to replicate various forms of artwork. This year's theme is "The Art Detective," and will consist of works that will provide clues for various mysteries and riddles!

As you can see, we have lots to do with little time! Signing off now, but stay tuned for updates on all of our artistic adventures!

And We Can't Stoooooop (and we don't want to)

On this final day of Arts-X-Press we still had a very full day!
The kids got to interact with musicians and even try out being composers and conductors.
Campers were especially excited for the parent presentation. They presented the activities they have worked on in their arts workshops and creative expression groups in front of their loving audience members (made up of lots of family members). The performances ranged from poetry, stories about themselves, and being able to incorporate the various skills they learned into their artwork. Sharing what they did in the arts workshops, the campers demonstrated their warm up routines or games, and showed their performance. They also showcased their writing abilities with their creative expression groups by finally revealing the projects that they had created.

After the parent presentation, the students shared their individual talents with their peers by either performing in a solo, duet, trio, etc. There was a large variety of unique artistry among the 35 students ranging from tap dancing, singing, the macarena, and yes--a lot of "Let it Go".

To wrap up the final full day of the second session of Arts X-Press, the campers were surprised to walk to a party created by the counselors to end their final moments on a splendiforous note. (We're so fancy, you already know)

On the first day when the campers got on the bus, they appeared to be shy, not knowing anyone, but they quickly grew together into one big Arts x-Press family. Now they exude confidence, radiate self-esteem, and can embrace all the different sides of art.

Visual Arts Week 2!!

Just finished an AWESOME Parent Presentation followed by a completely AMAZING talent show! 

This week's arts-X-pressers are something AWESOME and we are completely thrilled to have gotten to explore their creativity with them! We're going to miss these guys, but we know you're excited to hear all about their arts-X-press summer fun!

Here are tomorrow's BUS STOP TIMES AND LOCATIONS

Bus A	Bus B
Santa Ana Santa Ana Unified District Office 1601 E Chestnut Ave.         Santa Ana, CA 92701 Parent arrival: 10:05 am Expected Bus Arrival: 10:20 am	Newport-Mesa California Elementary 3232 California Street Costa Mesa, CA 92626-2298                                         Parent arrival: 10:00 am Expected Bus Arrival: 10:15 am
Garden Grove Garden Grove Unified District Office 10331 Stanford Ave Garden Grove, CA 92840 Parent arrival: 10:35 am Expected Bus Arrival: 10:50 am	Irvine Irvine Unified District Office 5050 Barranca Parkway Irvine, CA 92604 Parent arrival: 10:25 am Expected Bus Arrival: 10:40 am
	Saddleback Valley Saddleback Valley Unified District Office 25631 Peter A Hartman Way Mission Viejo, CA 92691 Parent arrival: 10:55 am Expected Bus Arrival: 11:10 am

Parent Presentation Week 2!

We can't wait to see everyone at the Parent Presentation TONIGHT!


It begins at 6:45 pm in the big white events tent in the northwestcorner of Vanguard's campus. Parking is free, the whole family is welcome, and your young artists can't wait to show you what they've accomplished this week.



A professional videographer will record the presentation. You can pre-order a DVD for $15 and professional group photos for $10. ArtsMart merchandise will also be on sale.

Being An Original, Being Yourself
by Linda

It's Creative Expression Teacher Linda signing in to let you know where we are in Art-x-press camp on Tuesday morning at about 11 a.m.  First off, to all of you parents who may be reading this, rest assured, your children have been in great hands this week.  The amount of detail and coordination that goes in to the planning of all of the activities in order to make things run so smoothly is unbelievable!!  Hats off to everyone associated with Pacific Symphony for offering such a great opportunity for young people to experience the arts in such a professional and yet fun and entertaining way (after all, we are still dealing with kids and all of the energy and emotion that comes with them!).

I have had the pleasure of working with Travis, Itzel, Ivana, Anna, Christina, Joey, Isaac, Francisco, Ari, Patty, and Dmitri in my Creative Expressions class this week.  We have explored the beauty and uniqueness of a rose and how it was used as such a powerful symbol of love and transformation in the musical "Beauty and the Beast" that we attended on Saturday night.  We discussed the new style of music that was created by George Gershwin as he combined the elements of classical and jazz music to create a sound that came to be thought of as uniquely American.  Finally, we attended the Festival of the Arts and the Pageant of the Masters in 
Laguna Beach and got to experience the originality of the artwork and even make some of our own.  As we finished up our time together as a Creative Expressions class, we were given the opportunity to write a special "I Am" poem and write and sketch about our past, present, and future.

It's been a memorable week and we can't wait to share what makes these kids special and original with you tonight at our Parent Presentation.  Looking forward to a full house!!       

Carl, Raku, and Leslie - oh my!

Calling all parents!

These are your favorite counselors Amrit and Jessica, bringing you the latest news from arts-X-press land. Today was an amazing and action-packed day (look at the time we posted this!) and we have a ton of great stories to share.

We got off to a bright and early start this morning -- all the kids were up by 7:15. After breakfast and C.E. for the morning, the campers were dismissed to their arts workshops. In their workshops, students put the finishing touches on their performances for the Parent Presentation (Tuesday night at 6:45, don't forget!). The campers are really excited to share the work they've done over the past week with their friends and family!

After our arts workshops, the Visual Art teacher Lisa, the Vocal teacher Leslie, and the counselors gave the students a preview of The Pageant of the Masters with their own version of "The Last Supper," featuring the humble Leslie as Jesus.

The campers had a special treat at lunch today: a visit from several Pacific Symphony members! These members sat at various tables and the students were able to ask them all kinds of questions about music, art, and just general life questions.

After that, we arrived at the Laguna Beach Arts Festival and everyone created their own works of art! The students rotated between working on Japanese-style raku pots, relief printmaking, and rainbow scratch art.

Then, after this outpouring of creativity, the arts-X-press crew made the trek up to Heisler Park right near the beach, where we were lucky enough to eat with the one and only conductor of the Pacific Symphony, Carl St. Clair.  The students were truly engaged and asked some really great questions!

This year's theme at Pageant of the Masters was "The Art Detective," during which we saw many famous stolen paintings throughout history, such as Vermeer's "The Concert."  The students had been given a backstage tour earlier in the day, so they knew all the little secrets behind the operation of the show, such as how the stages moved, and how the costumes, makeup, and scenery were done.

The students were super excited for the show to start, and when the curtain finally rose, they could hardly contain their excitement. And boy was the wait worth it! The show was fantastic and featured a variety of works of art, including "Madame X," "The Third Man," and "El Jaleo."

Finally, the excursion ended (at 10:45!) and we arrived back at Vanguard a little while later. After their three-minute showers, the kids went to bed looking forward to their last full day at Arts-X-Press!

- Amrit & Jessica (and maybe a little bit Maggie)