By Scottie Brown

The Selma Times-Journal

The Ceramic Art Program’s summer art camp will comes to a close Friday, ending the 12th year the program has provided children within the community the opportunity to expand their artistic horizons.

Candi Duncan, the director of the Ceramic Arts Program, said the camp did not just give children the opportunity to experience different art mediums, but it also allowed campers to decide what they truly enjoyed doing most of all.

“We expose them to all these different areas, so if they don’t really like ceramics, they may like the weaving,” Duncan said. “If they don’t really like the weaving, they may like the drawing.”

Campers ranged in ages from eight to 16, and while their ages and interests were wide-ranging, local artist Charlie Lucas, better known as “Tin Man,” said the camp allowed students to be free with their expression.

“For me to see them express themselves out through the artwork that I do is like seeing a new movement of art,” Lucas said. “Because they took what I did and took it further.”

Lucas also said he thought the camp was one of the best in Alabama because the instructors were especially dedicated to teaching their campers about art.

“I think it’s one of the best camps in the State of Alabama,” Lucas said. “I really do. We’re here for the kids. We’re not here for the money. We are here every art camp to make something positive happen. We are committed to do this right, for the kids.”

Duncan said it was a task to find activities to keep campers interested.

“We look all year for these projects,” Duncan said. “We try to do something different at each of the camps, because we have some children that come to both camps. Some of the things will be the same, but we try to do some things different.”

The campers were able to enjoy spending the week learning new things or getting refreshers in other activities, and Duncan said it helped them determine what they truly enjoy doing.

“If they’re going to be exposed to a lot of different areas of art, they have a better opportunity to figure out what they may be interested in doing in their life-span,” Duncan said. “I just feel like they have a better opportunity to find something they may want to do for the rest of their life if they look at a lot of different things instead of one certain area.”