Bluefield College’s Fine Arts Community School has released its schedule of camps and classes for summer 2018, filled with a variety of fun and educational summer activities for local youth.
Dedicated to providing quality fine arts instruction to the community since 1993, BC’s Fine Arts Community School (FACS) is a community service outreach program that enables local families and students of all ages and interests, including home-schoolers, to explore and study the arts with the guidance of mentors and professionals who have appropriate training and experience. Expanding beyond the arts in recent years, FACS also offers training in a variety of other trades and skills to reach an even broader audience of those who enjoy learning and experiencing new interests.
Five camps, four classes and two workshops are available on the FACS summer schedule, including opportunities in jewelry making, dance, puppetry, grant writing, musical theatre, music and writing, all detailed below in chronological order.
Jewelry Making: Sea Glass and Found Treasures Necklace Workshop
- Date: Monday, June 18
- Times: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
- Tuition: $30
- Ages: 14 and up
- Instructor: Bronwyn Owen
- Description: In this beginner’s jewelry making class, students will learn how to wire wrap found treasures and make a beautiful pendant necklace. Bring your own treasures or choose from those available from the instructor (i.e. sea glass, stones, shells). All tools and supplies will be provided.
Preschool and Beginner Dance Camp
- Dates: June 25-28
- Times: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each day
- Tuition: $65 plus a $25 registration fee
- Ages: Pre-school children under the age of six
- Instructor: Ashleigh Farmer
- Description: This camp is for first-time dancers who want to learn the basics of dance, stage performance, technique, stretching, flexibility, and most importantly creating new foundations and friends in life. Instruction will focus on ballet, jazz, and some summer arts and crafts.
Intermediate/Advanced Dance Camp
- Dates: June 25-28
- Times: 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day
- Tuition: $75 plus a $25 registration fee
- Ages: Six and up
- Instructor: Ashleigh Farmer
- Description: This camp is for children with any kind of dance experience. It will focus on the techniques and foundations of dance and stage performance and teach students how to properly perform on stage with a group of dancers or in a solo performance. The camp will also emphasize expression and flexibility, and during the components of ballet, jazz and conditioning, students will take part in fun learning combos, dance crafts, and dance games.
Adult Dance Camp
- Dates: June 25-28
- Times: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. each day
- Tuition: $75 plus a $25 registration fee
- Ages: 18 and up
- Instructor: Ashleigh Farmer
- Description: This camp is for dancers who want to enhance strength, flexibility, and balance. It will focus on basic dance skills, balance techniques, agility, strength and movement, flexibility, workouts, jazzercise, and maintaining fun throughout life.
Puppet Camp
- Dates: June 25-29
- Times: 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each day
- Tuition: $75 plus a $25 registration fee
- Ages: 7-14
- Instructors: Dr. Cynthia Bascom and Clayton McChesney
- Description: Sharpen your imagination with the art of puppetry. Campers will learn how to design and construct their own original hand and marionette puppets. Learn from professional puppet designer Dr. Cynthia Bascom who has had experience designing Muppets. After the construction, the puppet skits and stories will come to life on the puppet stage, including an informal puppet show on stage for family and friends at the end of the camp.
Beginning Calligraphy Classes
- Dates: June 28 through July 26
- Times: Thursdays 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for five weeks
- Tuition: $100 plus a $25 supplies fee and a $25 registration fee
- Ages: Adults
- Instructor: Joan Moore
- Description: Learn the most taught of all the calligraphy fonts: Chancery Cursive (a branch of the italic font). Learn basic strokes and the upper- and lower-case alphabet using a pointed pen and ink. Designed for beginner level calligraphy. No prior experience needed.
Introduction to Grant Writing Classes
- Dates: July 9-30
- Times: Mondays 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. for four weeks
- Tuition: $150* plus a $25 registration fee (*Discount if from the same organization to $200 for two people plus a $25 registration fee per person and $300 for three people plus a $25 registration fee per person)
- Ages: Adults
- Instructor: Dr. Rod Neal
- Description: Developing effective grant writing skills is essential to acquiring funding from government agencies and private foundations. This experience will enable you to understand the fundamental and universal components of a grant proposal. Students will have the opportunity to prepare a complete proposal to a funding source that they have identified during the workshop to actually apply what is learned.
Musical Performance Theatre Camp
- Dates: July 16-20
- Times: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day
- Tuition: $75 plus a $25 registration fee
- Ages: 10 and up
- Instructor: Dr. Alexa Schlimmer
- Description: In this engaging and enjoyable atmosphere, students will explore the processes of preparing a musical theatre audition culminating in a performance-ready project. Under the instruction of Dr. Alexa Schlimmer – who has directed numerous musicals, whose students have been featured on Broadway and on Broadway National Tours, and who specializes in teaching the musical theatre singer how to choose and prepare a song to sing at an audition – students will focus on vocal skills, such as projection, diction and breath support, as well as singing, characterization and movement. At the end of the camp, students will present an in-class performance, including group numbers, duets, trios and solos.
Disc Golf Workshop
- Date: Friday, July 20
- Times: 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
- Tuition: $20
- Ages: 13 to adults
- Instructor: Kendall Haynes
- Description: Disc golf is played like traditional golf, but instead of a ball and clubs, players use a Frisbee. Learn the rules, fundamentals and strategies of the game while playing BC’s premier disc golf course during three-hour workshop.
Disc Golf Workshop
- Date: Saturday, July 21
- Times: 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- Tuition: $20
- Ages: 8-12
- Instructor: Kendall Haynes
- Description: Disc golf is played like traditional golf, but instead of a ball and clubs, players use a Frisbee. Learn the rules, fundamentals and strategies of the game while playing BC’s premier disc golf course during three-hour workshop.
Jewelry Making: Hand Linked Bracelet Workshop
- Date: Monday, July 23
- Times: 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
- Tuition: $65
- Ages: 14 and up
- Instructor: Bronwyn Owen
- Description: In this beginner’s jewelry making class, students will learn how to make beaded wire links to create a simple, yet beautiful one-of-a-kind bracelet. All tools and supplies will be provided. Students will have their choice of semi-precious gemstones, in various colors, and wire with which to create.
Ace the Interview Workshop
- Date: Tuesday, July 24
- Times: 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
- Tuition: $40
- Ages: teens to adults
- Instructor: David Hite
- Description: Are you new to the job market? Maybe you are interested in changing careers? Maybe you may want to reenter the workforce. Wherever you are in the job search, this interview workshop will help you gain the confidence to “ace the interview.” Along with role playing and learning by doing, you will learn things like: how to prepare before your interview, the most important question that you will be asked during an interview, how to dress to impress, and many more empowering lessons.
Private Music Lessons
- Dates and times: 30-minute lesson dates and times determined by student and instructor
- Tuition: $110 for five lessons or $190 for 10 lessons, plus a $25 registration fee
- Ages: all
- Instructors: Ron Mullinnex (banjo, mandolin), Linda Flowers (flute), Vince Lewis (guitar, ukulele), James Lilly (guitar), Laurel Thompson (harp), Alandra Blume Hinkle (piano, voice), Dr. Alexa Schlimmer (piano, voice), Dr. John Moir (strings, voice), Dr. Charles Priest (trumpet), and Teresa Hedrick (woodwinds)
- Description: Lessons available for banjo, flute, guitar, harp, mandolin, piano, strings, trumpet, ukulele, woodwinds, and voice.
Private Writing Lessons
- Dates and times: 30-minute lesson dates and times determined by student and instructor
- Tuition: $65 for three lessons, $100 for five lessons or $175 for 10 lessons, plus a $25 registration fee
- Ages: all
- Instructor: Crystal Kieloch
- Description: Private writing lessons with an experienced writing coach and English instructor are available for all ages and levels of skill. From help with standard grammar or writing a research paper to a great letter to the editor or a short story or novel.
To register for a FACS class, visit bluefield.edu/facs or call 276-326-4215. A $25 non-refundable registration fee and is due per student per class when registering for most lessons and classes (but not workshops). If registering more than one person within a family, the registration fee is discounted to $15 per person. In some cases, an additional supplies fee (i.e. art supplies) may be charged in addition to tuition.
Tuition and fees are due by the start of instruction and may be mailed and made payable to Bluefield College, FACS, 3000 College Avenue, Bluefield, VA 24605. For more information, contact FACS coordinator Burma McChesney by email at [email protected] or by phone at 276-326-4248.