2011 - A Smokin' Summer Kids & Teens Art Camp

Leslie Delgyer guides students in 'endangered animal' art

As we all move through our third solid year of an economic downturn, many societal changes have caused such a ripple effect in the education industry that many of the state's art programs in schools have been almost completely slashed. Perhaps that's why this year the Children's and Teen Art Camp was flush with enthusiastic youth. And talented too were they! duCret, who has always held workshops throughout the year for children, also hosts a two week summer art camp each year, which splits into two age groups. Differing from the seasonal 8 week workshops in the Fall and Spring semesters, at Art Camp, the younger group (ages 6 - 10) and the older group (ages 11 - 15) meet at the same time and stay on at the school for two solid weeks. However the agendas of each group are very different, due to the drastic difference in ages.

Liz Velez guides in brush technique

Geared toward helping the talented young to understand some of the basic foundational principles of art, in the younger group, each child in class is encouraged to experiment with varying mediums, in a practice that enables foundational art education-while-creating. Even at the tender age of six or seven, a child knows whether art is a soul inclination. For the artistic borne, this usually manifests in alot of drawing or designing behavior. Starting them this young enables them to absorb the foundational skills at a faster rate so that as they become older, they have the ability to explore their own unique gifts more easily, as they have basic color and value understandings well underfoot.

For the older groups, during their two week stay, they are given the gift of 5 different art teachers so that they may not only absorb different methods of applying foundation skills, but they are exposed to different art styles and views as well. This Fall Semester duCret will run a series of Saturday Workshops for 8 weeks, beginning on October 1, from 9:30 - 11:30am for both groups @ $165.00. Call 908-757-7171 to register.

4H and duCret Team Up Over Annual Fairground Event

Simon demonstrates Takumi ceramics on the pottery wheel

Along about mid-year last year, duCret Instructor Dean Field secured a project for his Design Team. The 4H committee of Somerset County requested that duCret students work on their annual 4H Fair brochures. Throughout the remainder of the Spring Semester, often the 4H Staff  visited the computer lab where students Chris Petronzio, Pawel Gryglak and Chuck English worked on a large 8 x 10 brochure design, or on posters and banners related to the fair. After several revisions the brochure was printed and handed to over 60,000 patrons at the three day 4H Fair Event, held in Bridgewater, NJ.

Larry Gove Works at Jewelry Bench

On August 10, 11 and 12, duCret hosted a double-booth where duCret Faculty; Eva, Ed, Christine, Lauren, Phil, Larry, Ken, Simon, Jerry, Judy, Terry, Susan, Frank and Dean stood in for three days, some demonstrating a variety of art modalities. duCret wishes to thank Kevin, Eric and student Elizabeth Jones for their additional assistance. Special thanks goes to Chuck English for his dedication to ensuring the final brochure editing, to which the final product was a smash hit with 4H founders. The 4H Fair Committee was so impressed with duCret, that the school has been invited to work with them again next year. 4H also awarded duCret with a ribbon for BEST Commercial Booth!

Simon Keller, who demonstrated potterywheel at the event will also be featured at the Trailside Museum in Mountainside, NJ on Sept. 25th at their colonial fair. Tap http://www.ducret.edu/ for details under our events section. For those interested in jewelrymaking, Larry will run a Jewelrymaking Class this Fall Semester on Monday evenings, from 6:30 - 9:30pm. To register call 908-757-7171, but hurry - classes start Aug 29th!

REGISTER NOW! Fall Semester Begins August 29th!

duCret School of Art is currently accepting registration for Fall Semester. Register for a 3 year (accredited) art course curriculum designed for a professional art career or take one or two afternoon, night or Saturday courses. Courses offered are in: Photography, Social Media & Web Design, Graphic Illustration, Drawing, Oil, Watercolor, Acrylic & Pastel Painting, Ceramics, Sculpture, Jewelrymaking, Stained Glass, Framing & Matting, Fantasy & Sci-Fi Illustration, Art history, Paints & Pigments & more! Fall semester begins EARLY this year on August 29th! Call immediately to register at 908-757-7171.

This Fall duCret will also host 3 Open Studio's in Figure Drawing, Portrait Painting and Takumi on Tues, Wed and Thursday eves. These Open Studios are offered to the general public and to local artists in support of developing community artists.

duCret will also run an 8 week  Children & Teen's Art Workshop series on Saturdays, beginning on October 1 from 9:30 - 11:30am. Call 908-757-7171 to register.