Stephen’s new article, The Art of Camp, appears in the February edition of Indy’s Child. Here’s an excerpt:
Many camps cater to a broad range of aptitudes with gender and age boundaries barely visible. In one area more than most, these factors mix in a creative whirlwind that produces some of the most ingenious, and remarkably practical displays of young minds: the arts.
Art comes in many forms. Camp classics such as tie-dye, macramé and wooden name signs are pursued alongside advanced clay pottery classes, courses in digital photography, dance, cinema, creative writing and theater.
Camp allows girls to carve sailing ships from blocks of wood and boys to throw pots at the wheel. Should this be surprising in the 21st century? Not to anyone involved in education. Nevertheless, it represents an important alternative in a broader culture that still too often adheres to stricter definitions of what constitutes normative expression by boys and by girls.