Greene County Council on the Arts, Promoting the Arts in Greene and Columbia Counties,NY

Greene County Council on the Arts - Catskill, New York

GCCA ‘Sprouts’ Celebrates Another Successful Summer

"Under a Blanket of Blue"

“Sprouts,” the Greene County Council on the Arts free summer arts program for children ages 3 to 7, held another successful seven weeks of terrific arts programming throughout Greene County. Sprouts was especially pleased not only by the record levels of attendance, but also at the number of talented and proven artists who returned to hold workshops in Sprouts this year.

In Greenville, veteran Art Teacher Tim Merservey led workshops where the children made fanciful animals and realistic clay creatures, which they painted, and used pencil and tempera to create beautiful flowers. Musician John Dessingue demonstrated the use of percussion and string instruments in Catskill and Greenville, enthralling the children with sing-alongs and teaching them how to handle instruments themselves; they enjoyed making up their own funny songs to John’s tunes. Emma Leigh taught dance and creative movement in Greenville and helped the children of Cairo produce “Cloudy with A Chance of Meatballs”, a whacky childhood favorite where the forecast predicts dinner, not drizzles.

In Coxsackie and Windham, Theater Teacher Margo Muller drew upon the rich resources of Native American Literature to produce a tale where the First People give names to creation. The children created colorful animal costumes, using Native American symbols to suggest the special characteristics of each. Theater Teacher Alice Caulfield held a Suess Eggstravaganza for Sprouts this year, and children in Greenville, Hunter, and Catskill workshops painted scenery, made props and mastered lines and movements for their performance of Green Eggs and Ham. Tara Van Roy, who runs Petite Productions dance studio, taught limbering up exercises, stretching, aerobics and classical ballet movements to her delighted students in Coxsackie, Cairo and Windham.

Art Teacher Erica Portrzba held painting workshops in Coxsackie, and the children had fun creating larger than life portraits of themselves, which they decorated with yarn, buttons, wool, crayon and paint. Art Teacher Meg Carlon encouraged artistic expression using a variety of artistic materials, and the children of Catskill, Cairo, Windham, and Hunter created fanciful paper sculptures and jungle animal stick puppets, sculpted figurines in red clay, strung beads, and worked together to create big murals using mixed mediums.
In Windham and Cairo, Music Teacher Sherry Bauer-Majorga had the children rollicking and rolling along with her wonderful guitar renditions of “Old King Glory of the Mountain” and “Blue Bird, Blue Bird.” The children sang, played, and danced to Sherry’s magical music. Music Teacher Donna Trunzo assisted the children in creating their own musical instruments, cardboard box constructions filled with rice and painted in bright blues, reds and yellows. The children of Hunter and Catskill used these instruments in their end-of-week performances, singing and playing along with Donna to such old favorites as “The Car Song,” and “On Top of Old Smokey.”

Artist/teachers also collaborated on projects, pooling their talents and energies to create some dynamic performances. Both Dance Teacher Sharon Penz in Hunter, and Bonnie Leigh, in Catskill, teamed up with Theater Teacher Alice Caulfield to create a panoramic version of Green Eggs and Ham, teaching creative and interpretive movements while Alice worked on props, scenery and storylines. In Catskill, Bonnie Leigh held a delightful workshop in theater with a performance based on the classic children’s favorite A Mouse in the House. Dance Teacher Mokihana Pambianchi taught Catskill children to use percussion instruments in creating Hawaiian music, and the children created their own flower leis and learned several songs in the Hawaiian language.

“Sprouts” engages professional artists who have talent and experience in working with children creatively and who understand the importance of positive early learning. Children and their parents in advance registration choose between music and art, or theater and dance, and continue with the same two artist/teachers for the entire week. In an environment where there is no “wrong answer” or “wrong way,” a child is encouraged to invent, persevere and enjoy success through experimentation, problem solving and setting reasonable goals. “Sprouts” limits the two 45-minute classes to 15 children each, allowing teachers and volunteer assistants to provide individual attention, and children enjoy a nutritional snack between the two workshops. Our outstanding teenage volunteers serve as role models for the younger children. Often, when “Sprouts” children are too old to attend the program, they ask to be volunteer assistants, resulting in a program that serves many age groups in the community.

"Concentration"

WE’D LIKE TO THANK OUR GENEROUS FUNDERS WHO HELP MAKE THE PROGRAM POSSIBLE:
BANK OF AMERICA FOUNDATION ,BANK OF GREENE COUNTY ,BAUMANN’S BROOKSIDE RESORT,CATSKILL ELKS CLUB , CHARLIE’S CARSTAR AUTO BODY,EASY STREET BUILDERS THE FORTNIGHTLY CLUB,THE FUNCTIONAL SCULPTURE TILE SHOP, GNH LUMBER, INC., HUNTER MOUNTAIN ,HUNTER CIVIC ASSOCIATION,MR. JOHN P. KINGSLEY, ESQ.,KIWANIS CLUB OF CATSKILL, MR. PETER M. MARGOLIUS, ESQ.,MID-HUDSON CABLE ,MILLSPAUGH CAMERATO FUNERAL HOME ,NAN GUTERMAN FOUNDATION ,HUNTER MOUNTAIN
NATIONAL BANK OF COXSACKIE , NEW ATHENS GENERATING COMPANY , PIONEER LUMBER COMPANY , POLLACE’S FAMILY VACATION RESORT & CRYSTAL PALACE , RIP VAN WINKLE REALTY , ROTARY CLUB OF CAIRO , ROTARY CLUB OF CATSKILL, ROTARY CLUB OF GREENVILLE , SAINT LAWRENCE CEMENT COMPANY , SAWYER CHEVROLET AUTO SALES & SERVICE ,SLATER’S GREAT AMERICAN , STATE TELEPHONE COMPANY ,STEWART’S SHOPS, TARGET , TIP TOP FURNITURE , TOWER WATER’S EDGE, LLC., TOWN OF ATHENS
, TOWN OF CAIRO ,TOWN OF CATSKILL , TOWN OF COXSACKIE , TOWN OF DURHAM, TOWN OF HUNTER ,TOWN OF JEWETT ,TOWN OF LEXINGTON ,TOWN OF NEW BALTIMORE ,TRUSTCO BANK ,UNITED WAY OF COLUMBIA & GREENE COUNTIES , VILLAGE OF CATSKILL ,VILLAGE OF COXSACKIE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS ,WGY CHRISTMAS WISH

And a big Sprouts cheer to our tremendous volunteers: Megan Adrian, Shana Anderson, Victoria Anderson, Ayla Barber, David Brannan, Debbie Brannan, Theresa Byrne, Hannah Cameron, Ava Cameron, Stephanie Casper, Lori Caulfield, Madeleine Cavallino, Shailyn Cotton, Katherine Czermeryzs, Chloe Duvisch, Aiden Feron, Seraphina Feron, Shelby Goff, Liberty Hellen, Rebecca Halland, Kari Hendrickson, Andrew Horseman, Philip Horseman, Sam Horseman, Allison Johnson, Tara Josberger, Katrina Josberger, Jack Keller, Haley Kern, Rachel Knaust, Guy Leigh, Courtney Leis, Caroline Lewis, Dale Loughran, Kevin Malen, Nicole Malen, Harley Muller, Gabi Morelli, Maggie Matson, Michael Matson, Christopher Moutopoulas, Taylor Ohl, Alyssa O’Neil, Emily Osborn, Kristen O’Sullivan, Anthony Pambianchi, Frank Pambianchi, Regina Peterson, Casey Ramos, Sinzia Reese, Journey Rivenburgh, Nina Savasta, Fabby Street, Alex Swanson, Anna White, Sara Xedis, Amy Xedis, Betty Xedis, Lejla Zbacnik and Damien Zurek.

Sprouts thanks our hardworking artist teachers: Meg Carlon, Alice Caulfield, John Dessingue, Bonnie Leigh, Emma Leigh, Sherry Bauer Majorga, Tim Merservey, Margo Muller, Mokihana Pambianchi, Sharon Penz, Erica Portrzba, Dona Trunzo, and Tara Van Roy.

Thank you to the schools and establishments who welcomed Sprouts workshops: Cairo Elementary School, Catskill Community Center, Coxsackie Elementary School, Greenville High School, Hunter Mountain and Windham Mountain