Pima County Public Library: Summer Arts For Youth – MOCA

Press release from the Pima County Public Library:

PimaLib_Blog

May 24, 2021

I spoke with Eli Burke, Education Director for the Museum of Contemporary Art, opens a new window (MOCA) here in Tucson about their Summer Art Camp, opens a new window for kids ages 8 to 17. MOCA started summer camps in 2014 and by 2016 had established installations as the format for their summer camp. For their camp, three groups of young people, each group meeting for a week, work to install installation art on the third floor of their facility. Their program is play-based and learner-centered, meaning the ideas and energy for each installation come directly from the kids and they play to problem solve and install their display for the week. The summer camp is designed to challenge what people think of as art and as materials for art. Video, recycled objects and the space itself are all considered materials to work with.

Due to COVID, MOCA changed the format drastically in 2020. MOCA teamed up with The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures, opens a new window to create kits for young people to take home and make miniature rooms, or installations, for themselves. They met over Zoom to not only problem solve their installations but to process their feelings about that challenging time. A sound artist joined them in imagining what sounds their spaces might make and the artist created a soundscape of music and sounds to go with the installations.

For this summer MOCA has plans for a virtual camp in June and an in-person camp three weeks of July. In June, with the help of The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures, youth will create miniature virtual worlds and DJs from KXCI, opens a new window will work with the youth to create playlists to go along with their worlds. In July, youth will design and make ‘sound suits’, big, colorful and bold creations that cover their entire body, including masks, inspired by the visual artist Nick Cave. Video artist Nica Kaiser will work with the youth on a video accompaniment to their work.

The first two weeks of each camp is for youth age 8-13 and the final week is for youth age 14-17, and they can accommodate 12 participants each week. The camp will culminate in a virtual showcase on August 6th that the public can attend.

Find out more, opens a new window about MOCA’s summer camps.

Find out what the library is planning, opens a new window for tweens and teens this summer.

by Matt L., Assistant Manager, Woods Memorial Library

This press release was produced by the Pima County Public Library. The views expressed here are the author’s own.