Summer camp promotes art, memory of artist

As summer camp organisers start making the rounds to promote their programmes to the public, parents on a budget will be carefully reviewing their options. Among the choices this July is the third annual Eder Martin Alamilla art camp. According to organiser Ian O’Keefe, the three week event is designed to help underprivileged kids meet different people, learn new skills, and shed bad habits.

Ian O’Keefe, Camp Organiser
“Well basically everybody has an artistic side and the summer at camp brings that out. It could either be by drawing or just painting a picture because that’s totally two different concepts, just drawing and painting. And if offers people to learn how to draw, because sometimes we bring in some artists and they would teach the kids how to draw and basically the concept of it.”

Janelle Chanona
“How many kids are you guys hoping to get this year or can you get?”

Ian O’Keefe
“Bout two hundred.”

Janelle Chanona
“And they’ll be asked to make a contribution?”

Ian O’Keefe
“Yeah, a dollar a day, but some kids can’t really afford that so we don’t really penalise them for it, they still get to come in a camp and we just pay for it.”

Janelle Chanona
“How do you feel when you watch those kids participate?”

Ian O’Keefe
“Well it feels great, because you are actually helping, you’re giving back to your community and you know, it’s always good to give back once in a while.”

Interested parents can register their children at Carpet Care Plus located at sixty-eight North Front Street or online at www.edermartin.org. The summer programme’s namesake started the art sessions in collaboration with the Institute of Creative Arts three years ago and following his death in March 2005, the Alamilla family has assumed the responsibility in his memory.