Editor’s note: Each week throughout the summer, Enterprise intern Kate McCarty is attending a class at a county non-profit arts organization and writing about her experience.

Children learn about clay, painting

Allison Stupka believes everyone should be “young at art.”

Stupka teaches a class for children ages 4-5 through the Glen Arbor Art Association (GAAA). She was trained as a Montessori teacher, and knows what’s it like to be part of a "hands on" learning process.

"Montessori was a really good training for teaching art to little kids," said Stupka, the daughter of the late Suzanne Wilson, who was a founding member of the GAAA and an artist herself. When Stupka was in college, she spent summers visiting her mother in Glen Arbor. Now, she also helps run Lake Street Studios with the Bricker family and lives in Ann Arbor during the off season.

She first taught the “Young at Art” class about 15 years ago.

"They asked me to teach summer classes," said Stupka. "I was the first teacher of the 'young at art' class."

She's been spending summers in Glen Arbor for several years with her husband Harry Fried, who is also involved with the GAAA and the Manitou Music Festival. This summer, Stupka returned to teaching for the first time in eight years.

Eight children, including Stupka's daughter Juliana, took part in the class on July 25. Stupka began the class by introducing clay to the students.

"I love clay!" exclaimed Tony Nielsen, a member of Stupka's class. The students made coils out of the clay and also decided to make "hot dogs" – bun and all.

Stupka's second activity involved watercolor painting. When paint came into the picture, the eyes of the students lit up. The "wet on wet" technique was taught, and made for a fun project for the children.
Student Anton Mehren said his favorite part of the watercolor lesson was painting the dots on the sky. "I like to paint over it," he said, demonstrating with his paintbrush on the paper. "I like to paint the grass, too," he added while applying green paint on the paper.

Other students, including Stupka's daughter Juliana, also immersed themselves in their assignments.

"Just having fun," she said when asked what her favorite part of the class was. She said she’s learned about how to paint both from her mother and art teacher at school.

Each of the students created a landscape painting mimicking the one that Stupka showed them. Stupka's class also introduced the students to the art of weaving and sculpting.

'Young at Art" will have one more session this summer on Wednesday, Aug. 8 from 10-11:30 a.m. Sessions are $20 for GAAA members, and $25 for non-members. Registration is required and can be made by calling 334-6112 or visiting www.glenarborart.org.