NEWBERRY — Watching children grow and develop is what the Rev. Elizabeth Morgan said she enjoys most about the summer arts camp held each year at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.
What started as a three-week writing program led by Joanna Innes soon evolved into the arts program that it is today including four elements — writing, music, arts and drama. This year’s camp was held June 15 through June 18.
John Wagner and his wife, Bobbie, members of St. Luke’s, have been teaching music at the arts camp since 2002.
At the time, Innes was running the writing program. Drama was added to the mix thanks to the priest at the time, who had been involved in acting in New York.
“We got incorporated about 2002 and somewhere along the line, arts and crafts got going too,” Wagner said.
Throughout the years, Wagner said different people have come in to help with each aspect of the camp, including former participants in the camp.
“Just seeing them singing, getting into a song and the spirit of it — that’s fun,” Wagner said about working with the campers.
This year, Ellen Hunt with Newberry Community Players helped with the element of drama. Bridget Carey worked with children on the arts and crafts aspect and Innes continued her work with writing.
Although Innes moved to Charleston in 2005, she always comes back to help with the arts camp. Innes said she believes in the program. Innes said the camp operates much like a one-room school, which she attended for six years.
“I think we have to believe in what we can do for young people,” Innes said. “We can work with them in a supportive, loving environment and make a positive statement. I know it sounds cliché, but these children are our future.”
The camp targets children ages 6-13 and Morgan said 26 attended last week’s camp. As the children age out of the program, Morgan said many will come back to help with the younger ones.
“It’s a big project for a small church, but it’s something we’re really enthusiastic about,” Morgan said. “I consider it St. Luke’s gift to the community because I know a lot of churches provide bible school and that’s wonderful. We have a bible basis, but the emphasis is on creativity with all the spectrums we present.”
Morgan said she finds it interesting the number of people who approach her and ask when St. Luke’s will be holding its arts program. Some of them she knows but a lot of them she doesn’t.
Morgan said the cost per child to attend is $10, which covers the cost for the materials, but the church does offer scholarships.
As part of the camp, the children are provided a snack each day and on the closing day of the camp (Thursday), children have the opportunity to invite their parents or family members for a closing presentation to read their stories, show off their arts and crafts, or share a music piece they have written.
The theme for this year’s program was that each person is unique — the Potter makes the clay, with no two pots being alike.
Morgan said she enjoys seeing the children tap into their creativity and realize they might have a gift for something they did not know.
“I enjoy watching the children and really like watching them develop,” Morgan said. “Most of the time when they come in the first day they’re like hugging the walls looking at each other, and by Thursday they’ve made friends they don’t want to leave.”