Lillstreet offers more than arts and crafts

• Reprints

Summer Kidstreet programming at Lillstreet Art Center, 4401 N. Ravenswood.

Updated: October 13, 2011 12:26AM

Summer art classes and camps today cover a whole lot more than drawing, painting and sculpting. While those traditional forms are part of the agenda, offerings run the gamut from claymation to moviemaking to creating an installation as part of the Summer Kidstreet programming at Lillstreet Art Center, 4401 N. Ravenswood.

“Probably the most unique camp we’re offering this year that’s completely different than anything we’ve done before … [is the] installation camp. They’ll be setting up installations, coming up with an idea, creating an installation project within the space of the building,” said Melanie Brown, director of the children’s program. “It’s going to be really interesting to see what happens.”

For kids ages 10 to 14, Installation Art: Nature vs. Technology runs Aug. 1 to 5 and costs $220.

Collaboration is a big part of Lillstreet’s philosophy. Experienced or not, all Lillstreet students get the opportunity to express themselves their own way, Brown said.

“We are really committed to the children having a very creative experience so we encourage a child to have a project that is unique from the rest of the children,” she said. “It’s not a craft . . . we don’t show them steps to get to our idea of their result. They’re coming up with their own plan on a theme that we give them and the materials that we give them.

“Whenever I teach I feel like I’m more of a collaborator,” Brown continued. “I’m teaching them skills and I’m teaching them how to use the materials and giving them ideas of ways to put things together, but really we’re all exploring the materials and [seeing] where they go with the project. It’s more interesting to us than coming up with some perfect preconceived result.”

Among Lillstreet’s other unique offerings are a moviemaking camp (ages 10-14, June 27-July 1 or Aug. 29-Sept. 2; $295) and a claymation camp (ages 10-14, July 11-15 or July 25-29; $295).

In the moviemaking camp students “actually create and film and produce a movie in a week. So they will each be assigned their job and it will be a student-done movie at the end,” Brown said.

For claymation, students will be “using modeling clay and multimedia materials . . . so they’ll make little claymation videos by the end of the week,” she said.

This summer’s focus on technology comes courtesy of a Lillstreet artist in residence who is charged with creating programs that bridge the gap between virtual and physical reality for kids 8 and older, Brown said, so that computer-created pieces are blended with handmade pieces.

Kids as young as 18 months can take four-week classes at Lillstreet; the one-week camps target kids from 3½ years through high school.

“It’s a really nurturing environment, a safe environment,” Brown said of the classes and camps. “We really work hard for the kids to create a class situation where the kids feel really safe to try new things. We give them the words and how to talk to each other about their art or instruct them with not to say so they really . . . bond as a group and they feel comfortable trying something without actually knowing where they’re going. . . . We really strive to keep it playful, to keep it not competitive so they can really explore, really learn more about the process than the end result.”

KIDDING AROUND

 This is the last weekend to catch Chicago Children Theatre’s charming Dot & Ziggy at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln. Kid Zone caught the delightful production for babies and toddlers on a recent weekday morning. A small group of parents with kids ranging from 6 months to 2 or 3 years thoroughly enjoyed this 45-minute interactive musical play about the friendship between two unlikely characters: a ladybug and a skunk. Show times are 10 a.m. and noon June 24-26. Tickets are $16 June 24, $18 for the weekend. Call (773) 871-3000 or visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org.

 Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum’s new, permanent Nature Trails exhibit is now open. Located on museum grounds, the one-third-mile trail creates an oasis of urban nature with its native plants, seasonal vegetable/herb garden, butterfly garden and pond. The museum is at 2430 N. Cannon. Admission is $9 for adults, $6 for kids 3 to 12. Call (773) 755-5100 or visit naturemuseum.org.

 Explore the Elmhurst History Museum’s version of toy land during the free Toy Fair Extravaganza from 1 to 5 p.m. June 26. Offered in conjunction with the museum’s summer exhibit, “Toys in the ’Hood,” the fair offers a Lincoln Log building contest, games, a meet and greet with the inventor of Operation, an ice cream and more. The museum is at 120 E. Park Ave. in Elmhurst. Call (630) 833-1457 or visit elmhursthistory.org.

Adventure Stage Chicago showcases six 10-minute plays by Chicago playwrights geared to kids 9 to 14 and their parents from 2 to 3:30 p.m. June 26 at the Vittum Theater, 1012 N. Noble. Admission to the collaboration with the Chicago Dramatists Workshop is free but reservations are required at (773) 342-4141 or online at adventurestage.org.

Jennifer Burklow is a local free-lance writer.