This summer, the Mancos Common Press is offering five weeklong youth summer camps for children and teens. The camps will run consecutively from June through most of July.
The camps will be held at the Mancos Common Press, 143 Grand Ave. in Mancos, and each session runs Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuition ranges from $88 to $350 per week with scholarships available. Families in need of scholarships may contact admin@mancoscommonpress.org.
“We have the historic letter presses, but we are also deeply driven to become a community space,” Alys Hansen, Mancos K-12 art teacher and Mancos Common Press vice president, said. “We already know that we have the artists as participants, but one of the things that we are actively trying to influence is that not only is printmaking an art form, but that anyone at any age is invited into our art making space.”
The first three weeks of camp are designed for ages 6-12.
In the first week of the camp, which will run June 8-12, campers will participate in “Printing in Mancos.” Children will explore bookmaking, letterpress and “found prints.” Campers will take walks around Mancos, gathering materials, inspiration and ideas from the town and nature to create their own unique prints.
In the second week, June 22-26, the press will offer “Magic Monotypes.” This session focuses on gel, plexi and cyanotype printmaking. Children in attendance will experiment with “playful and experimental techniques” using everyday and found objects to explore and discover the “magic of unexpected results.”
In Week 3, July 6-10, “Wild West Printing” will immerse campers in collagraph, sunprints and found object techniques. Campers will use inspiration from the Southwest to create prints using “natural materials and historic processes.”
“This week blends art, nature and a bit of Wild West wonder,” the camp description said.
The final two weeks are geared toward older campers, ages 12-15 years old.
This course, scheduled for July 13-17, is titled “Press Play.” This week introduces screen printing and Plexiglas etching. These older campers will design and print their own shirts, bags and original artworks while learning techniques utilized by professional artists.
The final week, which will be held July 20-24, is titled “Carve Your Mark.” This week centers on eraser and lino block printing. The campers will turn simple materials into “unique images” that will be used for cards, patterns and small pieces of artwork.
Hansen will be running most of the courses with the help of Clint Reid, Mancos K-12 art/music paraprofessional.
Registration can be found online at mancoscommonpress.org/community-classes.
bduran@the-journal.com
