It’s summertime: school winds down and the temperature turns up. We all feel a little more sluggish during the dog days of summer, looking for a way to beat the heat and keep the kids busy.

For Sebastian, a summer camp program kept him more than just entertained — it enabled him to make new friends and have new experiences like shaping clay with his hands. Support from CREATE Newberry, a 501(c)(3) with a mission to provide sustainable support that will ensure the growth and appreciation of the arts through the programs and services of the Newberry Arts Center (NAC), provides scholarships so that children like Sebastian can experience arts camp without financial burden to their families.

Ruby Jo was particularly inspired by another special program through the Newberry Arts Center — Art in the Park, a free traveling activity with guest artists held in city parks during the summer. With local artist Christy Buchanan, Ruby Jo painted a canvas of flip flops with palmetto trees, and wanted to do it again, so her mom bought her art supplies to make some for friends.

NAC programs inspire youth in our community year after year. And as the support through CREATE Newberry for NAC grows, we are bringing new opportunities to NAC through guest artists that can teach our children and teens unique skills to understand themselves and their community in deeper ways.

One way we understand our community is through history and tradition. Julian Gooding will teach a storytelling camp that will use the art of folktales and storytelling to engage children in creating their own stories using drums, sound machines, props, costumes and their imaginations. He will be joined by Anita Singleton-Prather, also known as Gullah performer Aunt Pearlie Sue. The community loved her performance at the Opera House in partnership with CREATE in 2021 and has wanted her back. Families and community members of all ages can see Aunt Pearlie Sue and her Gullah Choir perform at the Newberry Opera House on June 23. Arts camps will also bring history to life with Kristy Bishop, who will teach South Carolina’s arts tradition of indigo dyeing. Kristy will also teach weaving, spool knitting, hand sewing, dyeing and printing on fabric.

We also understand our communities through the here and now. Just last year, Amir Cromer, Deuce Goings, Darius Stephens-York and Jaleel Gilliam founded the Haven to provide Newberry County youth with a space for mentorship, professional development, gaining life skills, and building relationships with peers and the community. This summer NAC is partnering with the Haven and PAVE Newberry to offer arts training with support from CREATE to make it free to participants in the program. “On the Real” (OTR) Media Group will teach teens to tell their stories on screen with the guidance of professional film makers. Students will also work with mural artists to create ideas for what they would like to say through a mural for their community.

CREATE has been sharing stories about the people and programs at the Newberry Arts Center that have impacted our community throughout the year. What stories will we tell from arts experiences this summer? We will share them on our website and social media, and you can find out more at createnewberry.org.

Our community is alive and active with the arts this summer, and we are grateful for the growing support to CREATE that is enabling it to happen.