Johns Creek Arts Center Partners With Fernbank

Each year the partners with an established Atlanta institution for cross-promotion and an opportunity for campers to make relevant and dramatic pieces of artwork for display at that institution. 

For the “Under the Sea” 2008 Summer Camp, the center partnered with the Georgia Aquarium, and its guitar fish is now a permanent feature there. In 2009 the center partnered with the Center for Puppetry Arts where Mrs. Couch Potato and Priscilla Pear helped promote the “Little Noodle” puppet production, and to tie in with the JCAC “Art of Storytelling” summer camp theme. In 2010 JCAC partnered with the Fernbank museum as the earth-friendly theme of “Green: The Color of Life” was appropriate to the Fernbank being a museum of Natural History. A Georgia Darter fish and African elephant made out of soda cans are still on display in the education center at the museum.

Once again, the Johns Creek Arts Center decided to partner with the Fernbank Museum, since the 2011 summer camp theme tied in well with one of its annual events: “Winter Wonderland: Celebrations and Traditions around the World.” The Johns Creek Arts Center’s summer camp theme for 2011 was “Embracing the World Around us Through Art” and focused on the cultural regions of India, Japan, China, Korea and Africa. Various groups of campers created collaborative art pieces to represent the different regions. 

These pieces will go on display in the Fernbank Museum to coincide with its second annual “Winter Wonderland” cultural celebrations exhibition, which is on display through Jan. 8. “Winter Wonderland” features dozens of cultural displays decorated in celebration of holidays and traditions observed around the world. Traditional holiday trees are used as a canvas for painting the holiday season with the colors, imagery and symbols unique to the world cultures and traditions enjoyed throughout the year.

Collaborative pieces created by JCAC summer campers will be on display at the Fernbank Museum in the Naturalist Center on the upper level. Collaborative pieces include a large and impressive mixed media dragon created by the Teen Visual Arts Campers.

Youth Visual Arts Campers made an Indian “Blazing Banyan Tree” with India Ink and oil pastels, in addition to an Indian design batik made with fabric, glue and acrylic paint. 

The “Jewelry & Accessories” campers created Mandalas out of beads and wire that they used to make camp projects. Mandalas are spiritual designs traditionally used by Buddhist or Hindu religions. They are made up of many layers of concentric circles representing the surrounding world and are made to draw the eye to the center of the work, where the self is identified.

The JCAC mosaic campers created an Indian elephant mosaic made with broken china and other mosaic tiles and tesserae.

Make a visit to the Fernbank Museum to see these impressive collaborative artwork pieces on display while catching the special upcoming Winter Wonderlands exhibit and Imax movies.

Also, keep an eye out for the Johns Creek Arts Center’s next summer program.  The theme for 2012 is “Amazing America” and includes Folk Art, Cowboys & Indians, and the American Pop & Modern Art movements. Johns Creek Arts Center will partner with the Booth Western Art Museum for 2012.

In addition to summer camp, the art center offers a Spring Break Camp (“Bonjour France” for 2012) and art classes for youth and adult, including traditional fine arts (drawing and painting) as well as pastels, colored pencil, ceramics, jewelry, glass fusion, photography, Photoshop, marquetry and mosaics. Winter classes start the week of Jan. 16.

Register at www.JohnsCreekArts.org or call 770-623-8448.

– Johns Creek Arts Center