IN HONOR OF THE ART OF RECYCLING FESTIVAL!
The Art of Recycling Festival is coming up so we thought it would be fun to share a recycled project. Annie has created a steamer trunk for her cat to put his toys. Thankyou to Podington Bear for …
THE ART OF RECYCLING FESTIVAL
Sunday, November 18, 2018 from 12:00 to 3: 00 pm PLEASE JOIN Grace Institute and Grace Art Camp for a National Recycling Day celebration featuring a puppet show, music played on instruments made from recycled objects, and up-cycled art projects, all led by multi-talented Grace Institute artists! Healthy […]
GET INVOLVED!
Art and the act of creative expression are opportunities for people to experience agency, community, and change. Be a part of this change by joining the Grace Institute Board of Directors. If you are a Grace Art Camp parent, grandparent, friend, volunteer, or other enthusiast who does cartwheels […]
Peace Camp Registration Now Open!
Designed for children in grades 1 – 7, Truth Love Beauty The Wonder of Peace is a three-day camp emphasizes peace as a personal practice and a creative process. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, December 17, 18 and 19, 2018 9:00 am to 2:30 pm Cost per student: $210 […]
Week 7; the end of the Silk Road?
Week 7’s story, Zarina’s Orchard, from Tajikisatan, sums up into “Sometimes life is Easy. Sometimes life is Hard. But today it was Delicious.” Last week may have been the end of this summer’s Colors of the Silk Road, but it certainly is the just the beginning of sharing […]
Salom Week 7!
Monday, camp whirled into a surprise magic carpet ride, sweeping us to Bukhara alongside storytellers, Robert and Kelly. Accompanied by a trusty guide and Bactrian camel, Pistachio, we traveled ancient trade routes making up the heart of The Silk Road. For thousands of years these trade routes aided […]
Khodahafez Week 6!
“Somewhere out beyond right and wrong there is a field. I will meet you there.” – Rumi As promised, here is the wrap up for week 6 – thank you, to each of you, for being a part of last week. You each make a unique difference when […]
Week 6 – Salom!
No matter how salom is spelled or pronounced or the particular language or variation it is of, we understand this greeting as a universal acknowledgement of one another. Literally translated to English, we are greeting each other with “peace.” Today’s camp whirled into a surprise magic carpet ride, […]
See you next time Week 5!
“Somewhere out beyond right and wrong there is a field. I will meet you there.” – Rumi Salom and thank you for being a part of week 5’s excitement for being together at camp! This week’s story, The Amir who Became a Weaver, retold by local storyteller Alton […]
Camelhump day Week 5
Salom! Today was Camelhumpday at camp. We learned about the Bactrian camel with TWO humps as well as many other interesting animals who live throughout the diverse ecosystems of Central Asia. . . ask your camper for details! Yesterday, in the spirit of global exchange along the Silk […]
Week 5 – The Amir who Became a Weaver
Salom! is one way to say “hi” in Uzbekistan as well as well as many other places in the world!! No matter how this word is spelled or pronounced or the particular language a variation of it is from, we understand this greeting as a universal acknowledgement of […]
Khodahafez Week 4 Campers!
“Somewhere out beyond right and wrong there is a field. I will meet you there.” – Rumi Last week was lively and elated, receptive and respectful, and brimming with resourceful choices – looks like being “responsible for what we do” can be liberating and bring us all closer […]
Week 4: Art Camp on the Silk Road
The journey begins . . . today art campers have learned that “salom” is one way to say “hi” in Uzbekistan as well as well as many other places in the world!! No matter how this word is spelled or pronounced or the particular language a variation of […]
Khodahafez Week 3 Families!
The Carpet of Dreams This week’s story was retold by local storyteller and puppet extraordinaire artist, Kelly Campbell. This week is was lively and elated, receptive and respectful, full of resourceful choices. Looks like being responsible for what we do can be liberating and bring us all closer […]
Week 3 along the Silk Road
Art Camp started in a whirl with a surprise magic carpet ride that landed us in Bukhara. Accompanied by the trusty Bactrian camel, Pistachio, we explored stories, melodies, and art found in the multi-layers of history along the ancient trade routes known as The Silk Road. We learned […]
Week 2 wrap-up!
Aldar-Kose and Shigai-Bai The week’s story, exquisitely retold by local storyteller Will Hornyak – who left us full hearted and satisfied and generous – can be read or downloaded with the above link. As Week 2 comes to an end and we are indeed “champs” as the song […]
Salom Week 2
Over the past three days art campers have learned that “salom” is one way to say “hi” (and goodbye) throughout Central Asia as well as many other places in the world!! No matter how this word is spelled or pronounced, we understand this greeting as a universal acknowledgement […]
Khodahafez Week 1!
It was a great first week of “being happy, laughing, and being grateful for the life” at camp, reconnecting and making new connections with one another! Here are the animations and a few peeks at Friday’s activities. . .as well as a link to our Instagram! […]
Week 1 – The Journey Begins
Salom! This week campers have learned that “salom” is one way to say “hi” along the many trades routes through out Central Asia. No matter how this word is spelled or the particular language the spelling and sounds are from, everyone understands its meaning – connection! Art Camp […]
Springful Joy Recap!
This past Spring Break Camp we embraced The Empty Pot (a Chinese fairy tale), the Spring Equinox, and all its joy from lengthening days of light to seeds sprouting into all kinds of lovely and joyous communities. Animating stories, songs, movement, mindfulness practice, and wishing strips for The Coat of […]
Compassion is Action
This year’s Winter Peace Camp asked the question “What is compassion and how do we do it?” Peace-campers explored compassion through all sorts of “creating” this week making challah (recipe: https://smittenkitchen.com/2008/09/best-challah-egg-bread/), listening and telling stories, exploring the beauty of geometry, color, and light in rose windows, water coloring […]
WINTER PEACE CAMP 2017
“Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.” – Thich Nhat Hanh SHARING COMPASSION WITH COMMUNITY Universal stories of compassion in action lead the way into welcoming, discovering, and celebrating the many ways we can cultivate peace and loving kindness, individually and together. Alongside […]
GAC week 7 finale!
. . . a unique animated look at Issun Boshi, among other tidbits of the week . And Thank you everyone for another fabulous summer of Art Camp. See you next year when you come again!
week 7 has begun!
terday returning campers recalled, and shared with new campers, the many things we do at Art Camp together each year — make art, listen to stories, dance together, be “dramatic”, sing — lots of singing, and just being together while doing all these things. We sang […]
week 6 – the week of wishes
Thursday and Friday were chock full of Star Festival activity — miniature shoji screens, glass furin, koi ponds, fishing poles, sumi painted scrolls, hanko (stamps with designed and personalized signature), clay olympics, accessories inspired by Japanese streetwear known as “fruits”, polka dotted collages and giant block printing of […]
week 6 – taiko wednesday
Sashiko literally means “little stabs” and is a kind of embroidery campers have been learning in the fibre arts studio. Taiko is the word for “drum” and Portland Taiko graced Art Camp today with many kids of Japanese style drums in the Music & Dance Studio […]
tuesday week 6
We started the day with a singing medley of our top morning songs followed by the beginning of Tanabata, the ancient legend behind the Star Festival celebrated in Sendai (in August according to the lunar calendar). Storyteller Anne introduced us to a set of twins and two stars […]
welcome to the top of festive week 6!
Today, old and new friends came together to sing the cherished Grace Art Camp tune and share the Four R’s of Community. An old Japanese favorite makura (pillow), Under the Cherry Blossom Tree, set the tone for the week, about a mean old grumpy man who ends up […]
week 5 animation link and then some
A camper quote from the week and a few parting images: “On Tuesday morning I asked my 8 year old grandson if any of his friends from school were at Grace Art Camp. He said ‘No, but that’s okay. Grace Art Camp is one of those places where […]
week 5 homestretch
Veiled in a smoky layer of heat, and amidst a unique plethora of studio choices, origami artist Yuki Martin taught campers how to make useful utilitarian objects from paper and this week’s storyteller, Alton Chung, made a guest appearance in the Theatre Studio to play out slow-motion theatre […]
week 5 and keeping cool
Art Camp photographer Sonja Bales’s quote for the day: I’ve noticed kids laugh less as it gets hotter. And yet . .. . her pictures speak for themseleves. Today we heated up Art Camp by just being art camp cool with clay finger puppets, animated floating moon worlds, […]
week 5 – Momotaro!
Today, we heard the first days of four parts of Momotaro, where otasa (father) and okasa (mother) find an oh so oshi (delicious) peach floating along the river and take it home to eat only to find they now have a small child in their lives […]
top of week 5 – monday
Old and new friends came together today to sing the cherished Grace Art Camp tune and share the Four R’s of Community. We were all entertained by Under the Cherry Blossom Tree, a favorite ancient rakugo, or “joke tale”, about a mean old grumpy man who ends […]
week 4 animation link and end of the week pics!
Week 4’s Animation Studio video made by art campers! And a few vignettes of Friday . . .
last minute tidbits week 4
Over the past four days, art campers have folded themselves into an incredible origami community that we will share and honor tomorrow. The gate will open tomorrow at 2:45pm for families to join this week’s celebration at 3pm. Unfolding over the last two days were a guest appearance […]
week 4 hump day
Wednesday brought Portland Taiko to camp for the whole day demonstrating that perseverance, respect, and collaboration are essential to creating a cohesive community beautiful sounds, and learning new skills of all kinds!
week 4, midsummer
Konichiwa GAC Kazoku! (Good Afternoon GAC Families) Yesterday old and new friends came together to sing the cherished Grace Art Camp tune and share the Four R’s of Community. We were all entertained by a very old makura or “pillow story” to set the stage for the week. […]
week 3 animation and then some
Thursday and Friday brimmed with activity culminating in the weekly Friday matsuri (festival) celebrating our week of community that blossomed out of folding, printing, sewing, threading, cutting, painting, dancing, moving, beating, gluing, tying, wrapping, unwrapping, shaping, pulling, dipping, smoothing, clipping, carving, firing, speaking, singing, and smiling. Amazing what […]
Kaguya-hime wrapping up week 3
Today Guest Artist Yuki Martin lead the Origami Studio with folded paper accessories fit for royalty. Everyone else offered a variety of projects involving fish, puppets, or fans, and then some! Tomorrow, Friday, we are all looking forward to finding out just what Kaguya-hime, born from the hollow […]
week 3 – wednesday notes
Daily blog posts include photos from the day before and details about today. Today, the middle of week 3 at Grace Art Camp, we were serenaded by Portland Taiko who graced the Music & Dance Studio all day and performed after recess demonstrating that perseverance and collaboration […]
terrific tuesday week 3
Yesterday old and new friends were entertained by a very old makura or “pillow story” to set the stage for the week. Under the Cherry Blossom Tree, a favorite ancient rakugo, or “joke tale” about a grumpy old man who ends up turning inside out and into […]
week 3 kick off!
Today at camp we had a sampling of many studios and campers got familiar with their color groups and our talented staff! Tomorrow campers will be choosing from 10 different studios and starting our week’s story entitled Kaguya-hime, which begins with a bamboo cutter discovering something unexpected… Ja […]
week 2 wrap up and matsuri!
Grace Art Camp Kazoku! Over the past three days, art campers have learned how to say their color group in Japanese, Good Morning (Ohiyo Gozaimas), Good Afternoon (konichiwa), and “see you soon” (ja mata). We enjoyed spending a day with Portland Taiko, who performed with a variety […]
week 2 day 2
Yesterday old and new friends came together to sing the cherished Grace Art Camp tune and share the Four R’s of Community. Monday we were all entertained by a very old makura or “pillow story” to set the stage for the week. Under the Cherry Blossom Tree […]
mid-week 1 details
Over the past three days, art campers have learned a variety of Japanese words, my personal favorite being mukashi banashi, very old stories, one of which we will find out how the two brothers reconcile. Based on the story and a variety of Japanese art traditions, campers […]
day 1, week 1, GAC in Japan
Today was the first day of the first week of Camp! Old and new friends and colleagues came together to brush off the cherished Grace Art Camp tune and be entertained by a very old makura, or “pillow story” to set the stage for the week, entitled […]
SPRING BREAK CAMP 2019
BLOSSOM WITH CREATIVITY, COMMUNITY, & JOY! Celebrate the renewal of the earth and our own resiliency in spring with story telling, music and art. Art Studios use up-cycled/reclaimed materials for projects in fibre arts, ceramics/glass, and other splendid assortments of visual art media and techniques. Grow and blossom […]
GRACE ART CAMP 2018
Did you know that “salom” is an informal way of saying “hi” in Uzbekistan? That the word “stan” is a Persian suffix meaning “land of”? Or that the first trade routes that became part of what we know today as “The Silk Road” originated hundreds of years ago in […]
