Henry Daily Herald

Special Photo McDonough resident, Ivey Lowe, has taken part in the Henry Arts Alliance’s annual Arts Camp for 13 years.

Local youngsters with an affinity for artistic expression will have a chance to explore their passion in the coming weeks.

The Henry Arts Alliance will host its 2012 Arts Camp, June 18 through June 22, for children who have completed kindergarten through seventh grade.

The camp will be held June 18 to June 20, at Smith-Barnes Elementary School, in Stockbridge. On June 21, camp will be held at the Henry County Performing Arts Center, in McDonough.

Level 1 of the camp is designed for kids who have completed kindergarten through third grade. It will be held from 9 a.m., until noon, and the cost is $90. Registration for that camp is limited to 100 students.

Level 2 is for children who have completed fourth grade through seventh grade, and is scheduled from 9 a.m., to 3 p.m., at a cost of $130 per participant. It is limited to 40 students.

Lynna Schmidt, president of the Henry Arts Alliance, began working with the camp 17 years ago. She said it has expanded significantly since then.

“It was a half-day camp, and we had maybe 40 or 50 kids in the camp,” said Schmidt. “Since then, we’ve gone to a half-day camp and an all-day camp, and we have about 150 kids participating. It has grown unbelievably, and the participation level has gone up dramatically.”

Schmidt said the camp has helped numerous young people to develop an interest in the arts.

“I never expect any of our campers to go into an arts field,” she said. “I just want to open their world to possibilities, and give them a love for theater, music, dance and art.”

Schmidt said the camp has had support in recent years, from the Henry County community.

“We get help from different organizations and companies,” she said, adding that prior participants often return to the camp to serve as mentors for younger children.

The Arts Alliance will conclude the Arts Camp, June 22, at 7 p.m., with the presentation of a musical performed by camp participants.

One person who credits the camp with helping her to discover a love of acting is 21-year-old Ivey Lowe, of McDonough. In a press release issued by the Arts Alliance on Friday, Lowe said the camp “has influenced my life in a huge way.”

“It was my first chance to perform, and it allowed me the confidence and support as I grew up to continue acting,” said Lowe, a graduate of Union Grove High School, and a May 2012 graduate of The Savannah College of Art and Design.

Lowe has been associated with the Arts Camp for 13 years, as a camper, coach and director. She said she gained a better understanding of the effect which the arts can have on a child’s life.

“Any child can gain so much from Arts Camp, whether you want to continue in the arts or not,” said Lowe. “The social skills, sense of community, confidence to perform and the imagination it brings out is what so many more children need in their lives. Without Arts Camp, I do not know if I would be pursuing acting.”

For more information the Arts Camp, visit www.henryartsalliance.org/artcamp.