Moving from the two- and three-dimensional artistic realm, the weekly Summer Art-Farm Camps transport students into nature where they can find and create art while immersed in and learning about sustainable lifestyle.
For the fifth year, the third in Traverse City, artist Penny Krebiehl is offering her unique blend of nature, nurture and art and again she is teaching other young people to be her helpers. This year for the first time she is also offering a teacher training program as well as the apprentice program.
Preparing last week for upcoming five weeks of Art-Farm Camps, which kicked off on Monday, Krebiehl led four teenagers and two adults through their paces of becoming helpers in the program. Some of her apprentices have previously participated in the Art-Farm Camp, generating a circle of knowledge and experience that can be shared with the younger campers.
"We've done apprentice training for teenagers, 13 and older, throughout the whole program, where I give them their own special week,” she said. "It's not just making art, it also focuses on permaculture principles; it's not just gardening either, but with a whole new twist to it.”
The Art-Farm apprentice and teacher training revolve around the Traverse City Community Garden, as do the camps. Four and a half beds in that garden are designated for students and trainees to explore, learn, share and guide themselves and other as they learn to live gently with the earth.
"Gardening is a very loving experience,” said Lauren Bornschein, a student last week in the training program who has always aspired to be a gardener. "I love the combination of art and permaculture, I think they are natural partners — and kids get really excited about dirt.”
Bornschein and the other apprentices and teachers spent last week helping to water, put up borders and document the garden from a birds-eye view.
"This is a site analysis so there's a master pathway for the kids to identify the plants,” said Krebiehl of the mapping task, which involved detailed aerial sketches of the beds. "Then they can identify what's happening.”
The apprentices also developed puppet shows that would teach the Art-Farm Camp students principles of permaculture, which entails both a philosophy and practice of sustainable human living. Students also helped Summer Art-Farm Camp instructor Didi Alderman create a sound garden that will seamlessly merge music into the camp.
"I met Penny last year at Blissfest and then I kind of saw what was going on her and thought it was really fun and since then I've kept in touch,” said Andrea Hemphill who this summer decided to complete the apprentice training. "It's fun, that's what I'm into. There's so much to learn about it and a lot going on here, I'm really excited for that.”
Krebiehl enjoys the energy and enthusiasm of each year's crop of apprentices and, this year, teachers in training.
"The young women who were here last week, they're interested in solving some of the cultural and social problems that have been given to them,” she noted. "Their energy is really, really wonderful and they're hopeful and want to make some changes.”
For more information about the Art-Farm Camps, contact Penny Krebiehl at 510-3491 or see the web site www.littleartshram.org. To register for an upcoming weekly session, contact the ArtCenter Traverse City at 941-9488.